...for City of Southlake news, business, and community happenings.
-
- Phase 2
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Contractors have been laying the groundwork for the widening of N. White Chapel for several months now and have made major headway.
Phase 1 is nearing completion with the construction of the dual lane roundabout located at the intersection of N. White Chapel and Highland. Phase 2, the widening of the road from Emerald to Highland, has begun and is moving along with utility work.
The roundabout is undergoing some cosmetic updates. New street lights and landscaping will be installed along with the public art display, “Be the Bridge,” by artist Boris Kramer.
Contractors recently wrapped up waterline relocation work requiring the closure of the Bicentennial Park entrance on N. White Chapel at the end of December 2019. These utility relocation efforts will continue along N. White Chapel from Emerald to Highland. Construction of a new screening wall will also begin in the coming weeks.
The entire project is estimated to cost over $17 million.
For updates and more Mobility News, follow the Southlake Mobility Facebook page or visit www.ConnectSouthlake.com.
While it’s been hard to miss the work on Phase 1 of the N. White Chapel widening project, Phase 2 of the project has been quietly chugging along in the background. In just a few weeks, passersby will start to see more crews working in the right of ways along N. White Chapel as they begin to build a new screening wall along the east side of N. White Chapel.
In the coming days, crews will begin installing temporary fencing just east of the existing screening wall and fences to create a construction barrier. Once that is complete they will begin the demolition of current structures. The new screening wall is expected to be completed in about a year. Crews are anticipating starting on the section between Emerald and E. Chapel Downs.
Phase 2 of the project will include a new screening wall, widening of the roadway, building new sidewalks and installing landscaping. Phase 1 of the project is the widening from Highland to SH 114. All part of the Southlake 2030 Master Mobility Plan, the widening project will leave N. White Chapel a four-lane roadway from Emerald to SH 114. This includes a dual-lane roundabout at Highland and N. White Chapel, a landscaped median and new sidewalks.
After the construction of the wall and relocation of utilities, the next significant milestone for Phase 2 will being in summer 2020 with the start of demolition of the current roadway and construction of the new traffic lanes.
Although it seems like all of the work has been focused on Phase 1, there have been some significant milestones for Phase 2 along the way. In January of this year, City Council approved an Engineering Services Agreement with Freese and Nichols to provide third-party construction management services. And in May, Council approved a construction contract with Tiseo Paving to act as the general contractor.
Stay in-the-know with this project by following Southlake Mobility on Facebook, visiting the website at www.ConnectSouthlake.com and signing up for the Mobility Newsletter.
As if one groundbreaking ceremony is not exciting enough, the City of Southlake will host two in one day to kick-off construction for final phases of The Marq and Bicentennial Park. The public is invited to join City leaders and staff members November 10 to celebrate the coming-to-fruition of these new community facilities and enhancements:
Groundbreaking for The Marq Southlake Champions Club
8:00 AM
The Marq Southlake, 285 Shady Oaks Drive
Groundbreaking for Bicentennial Park Phase 3
10:00 AM
Southlake Tennis Center, 450 W. Southlake Boulevard
Known as Champions Club at The Marq, the 84,000 square foot phase two project for the community recreation center will include spaces for fitness, performance training, gymnasium, indoor jog/walk track, indoor aquatics, indoor playground, party rooms, child care and multipurpose classrooms for various programs. With no additional tax increase for Southlake residents, phase two is funded by Community Enhancement Development Corporation (CEDC) bonds, which were approved by voters May 2015. The $37.4 million-dollar facility is scheduled to open summer 2018. When complete, The Marq will be Southlake’s largest public facility at 105,000 square feet (encompassing phase one and two).
Bicentennial Park phase three – an $8.8 million dollar project funded by the Southlake Parks and Development Corporation (SPDC) – includes a new building and enclosed courts for the Southlake Tennis Center, trail system completion, synthetic turf field at current in-line hockey court, landscape and irrigation enhancements, and park amenities enhancements. Certain elements of Bicentennial Park phase three are anticipated to be completed by 2018.
For more information about these projects, visit www.SouthlakeParksandRec.com.
The Community Enhancement and Development Corporation (CEDC) Board of Directors and City Council have approved the Bank of America (BOA) bid for bonds needed to construct Phase 2 of The Marq Southlake at a true interest rate of 2.54%.
The bid reflects favorable market conditions and a strong bond rating of AA+ for the City’s CEDC. The bond sale was for $24.2 million needed to continue the construction of the second phase of the new facility.
“The bids we received were much better than anticipated,” said the City’s Chief Financial Officer Sharen Jackson. “We budgeted a 4.25% interest rate, which means that we are reducing the debt service requirements by over $6 million with the favorable bid from BOA.”
Phase 2, Champions Club, includes many recreational features, including an aquatic center, fitness area, gymnasium, jog/walk track, indoor playground and an indoor and outdoor turf area.
It will complement Phase 1, known as Legends Hall, a premier activity and event venue featuring a ballroom, meeting rooms, a catering kitchen, a Club Lounge and a senior activity center. Phase 1 also includes Aria, an outdoor amphitheater. No debt was incurred for the cash-funded $15 million Phase 1, which opened in December 2015.
The bonds needed for Phase 2 will be repaid from revenue generated through a special sales tax approved by Southlake voters in May 2015.
The final total construction cost of Phase 2 will be $37.4 million. Final action on the selection of the construction manager at risk contract for Phase 2 will occur in September. It is anticipated that construction on Phase 2 will begin in the Fall.
The City of Southlake’s Community Services Department has just released a new promotional video for the The Marq Southlake. The video provides an overview of what The Marq Southlake will offer both residents and visitors.
The video showcases both Phase 1, scheduled to be completed this December, and Phase 2, which is scheduled to break ground in September of 2016 and be completed in January of 2018. Phase 1 highlights include Legends Hall which houses Traditions Ballroom, Legacy Meeting Rooms, The Club Lounge and the new Senior Activity Center as well as Aria, an outdoor amphitheater. Phase 2 highlights include fitness studios, child watch, aquatics and more!
The Marq Southlake will host a Grand Opening Open House on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 411 Unity Way, Southlake, TX 76092 and will provide attendees with guided tours of Legends Hall and Aria. This event is free and open to the public.
Please contact the The Marq Southlake if you have any more questions at (817) 748-8900.
The Southlake City Council approved two special elections at the February 17, 2015 Council meeting. The first is a special sales tax election that would ask voters to consider a reduction of the Crime Control and Prevention District (CCPD) rate from 1/2 cent to 1/8 cent and to create a new Type A Economic Development Corporation to fund the construction and operations of The Marq Southlake and to allow for the promotion of economic development. As required by law, the City Council held a public hearing at the meeting to explain the ballot language and to call the special election.
The 1/8th of a cent remaining for the CCPD would remain dedicated to continue the School Resource Officer program as well as other equipment needs for the Southlake Police Department. Under state law all special sales tax districts and corporations require voter approval. For more information about the special election and the proposed Type A Economic Development Corporation please visit the City’s special election webpage.
The second special election, approved on the consent agenda, is an election to fill a vacancy due to the resignation of Laura Hill, Place 5. The term expires May 2016. The filing period for this special election will begin February 18, 2015 and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. on March 9, 2015. For more information on filing for Place 5 please visit the City’s election information webpage.
Early voting for all elections begins April 27, 2015 and concludes May 5, 2015. Voters who are unsure if they are registered to vote are asked to check the appropriate county website (Tarrant or Denton) for verification.
All voters are required to present an approved form of photo identification in order to vote in any Texas Election. Please check the City’s voting information page frequently as locations are subject to change.
Election Day takes place May 9, 2015. Southlake voters must go to their county precinct polling location on Election Day. Questions regarding early voting and election day polling locations for all elections may be directed to the Southlake City Secretary’s office (817) 748-8016.
On Tuesday, February 19, City Council voted to approve the Miracle League Sponsorship Agreement with the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation and the Miracle League of Southlake.
Over the past six months, City staff has been working with Miracle League of Southlake and Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation on an agreement for a one lump-sum donation of $100,000 for naming rights to the field for 10 years.
With this donation, the Miracle Field at Bicentennial Park will be named “Texas Rangers Miracle League Field.”
The new baseball field is part of the Phase II plan for Bicentennial Park. The field name will be displayed prominently on one sign at the main entrance to the seating area of the field. Additionally, two Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation logo signs will be displayed and located in each dugout, and three Texas Rangers banners will be displayed and located on the scoreboard.
For more information on the Miracle League of Southlake, visit Miracle League DFW. For more information about Miracle Field, please visit www.CityofSouthlake.com/Miracle Field.