Jennifer Brown,
Director of Fiscal Projects
Sugar Land, located in eastern Fort Bend County, is approximately 20 miles southwest of downtown Houston. It was founded as a sugar plantation in the mid-1800s and incorporated in 1959.
A full-service municipality, Sugar Land, provides the highest quality of affordable services to meet the needs of its residents. Master-planned communities and welcoming neighborhoods enhance home values and create a sense of belonging. The community offers outstanding schools, libraries, civic organizations and other resources that make Sugar Land a great place to work, live and raise a family.
Numerous high-profile regional and international corporations have chosen Sugar Land as a corporate home, including Minute Maid, Schlumberger, Tramontina USA, Fluor Corporation, Bechtel Equipment Operations, Noble Drilling, Money Management International and Aetna. Sugar Land's aggressive economic development program has created a business-friendly environment, one that includes a variety of incentives, including a corporate aviation facility.
Sugar Land City Council recently approved a $3.2 million construction contract for the widening of University Boulevard.
The voter-approved project will include a new southbound and northbound lane from New Territory Boulevard to just south of Lexington Boulevard and intersection improvements along the corridor.
The improvements will include additional turn lane capacity at Lexington Boulevard, a double left turn at Wescott Avenue and median improvements at Branford Place and the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land to address community concerns, improve safety and enhance the flow of traffic.
Construction is expected to begin in June and be completed by the spring of 2025.
University Boulevard is an important north-south regional corridor that accommodates mobility for residents, access to important recreational amenities and supports tourism and economic development efforts that help maintain a low tax rate while funding the high level of services citizens expect. The intersection with U.S. Highway 59 has become critical to mobility within this corridor as growth continues in the surrounding areas, including the University of Houston-Sugar Land campus expansion, Smart Financial Center at Sugar Land, Brazos River Park, The Crown Festival Park and commercial development north and south of U.S. Highway 59.
The project was included in four general obligation bond propositions totaling $90.76 million decisively approved by Sugar Land voters on Nov. 5, 2019. The projects included in the propositions cover drainage, facilities, mobility and safety and were selected based on extensive planning through various master plans, City Council input and the results of citizen satisfaction surveys that indicated drainage, public safety and traffic/mobility are the top three priorities for residents.
Sugar Land voters approved more than $10.26 million in 2019 for street projects focusing on improvements to mobility and reinvestment into the city’s street network, including $1.7 million for the design and construction to widen University Boulevard. County voters approved an additional $1.6 million in Fort Bend County mobility bonds in 2013, 2017 and 2020 to fund the University Boulevard project.
“This University Boulevard corridor has seen tremendous growth in traffic during the past 15 years,” said City Engineer Jessie Li. “Our residents have been clear on the continued need to invest in mobility projects. We’ve worked hard to deliver on our promise from the 2019 GO Bond election.”
Staff will notify affected residents and adjacent property owners through HOA meetings and newsletters, the city’s website, door hangers, one-on-one communications, social media and portable roadway signs.
For more, visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/gobond.
Sugar Land City Council recently approved a $6.5 million construction project for the second phase of drainage improvements in the Sugar Creek subdivision.
The first phase was completed in 2022 and included a new storm sewer and a new water line from the end of Montclair Boulevard to Wellington Drive. The second phase will extend the new drainage line and water line from Wellington Drive to Country Club Boulevard along Montclair Boulevard and from Montclair Boulevard to Power Court along Country Club. The project also includes the replacement of street pavement on Country Club Boulevard from Sugar Creek Boulevard to the city limit.
The construction is expected to begin in March and take about a year to complete.
The drainage work was included in four general obligation bond propositions totaling $90.76 million decisively approved by Sugar Land voters on Nov. 5, 2019.
The projects covering drainage, facilities, mobility and safety included in the propositions were selected based on extensive planning through various master plans, City Council input and the results of citizen satisfaction surveys that indicated drainage, public safety and traffic/mobility are the top three priorities for residents.
Voters approved more than $47 million for drainage improvements, including the $8.8 million Sugar Creek project that includes the upsizing of existing storm sewer pipes, outfall and inlets along with pavement replacement along the entire stretch of Montclair Drive from the outfall at the Centerpoint easement up to Country Club Boulevard.
For more, visit www.sugarlandtx.gov/gobond.
Sugar Land City Council recently approved an $8 million construction contract for phase two of the city’s Public Safety Training Facility.
The facility is located west of Sugar Land Regional Airport on city-owned land that was previously part of the Central Prison Unit.
The expanded facility will accommodate simulation training involving close-quarters, non-lethal, force-on-force practice in a short-range environment. An apparatus and shoot building will include six bays for department vehicles, some of which are currently stored in covered storage areas, and an indoor shooting range for the police department. The enclosed space will allow for consolidated storage of various pieces of equipment that are stored throughout the city at various fire stations and other city facilities. This space will also allow for advanced indoor training regardless of weather conditions.
The new building will accommodate incident command simulation training, EMS training, smoke diver and “saving your own” safety programs and a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus confidence course. The facilities will also include a driving pad to enable various skills training with motorcycles, ambulances, fire engines and public works vehicles.
Other phase-two improvements will include outdoor classrooms, restrooms, site drainage, a water line loop, electricity service and a septic system.
Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of year 2024.