Kevin O’Connor Kommentary December 1

College Station City Council Awards Multimillion Dollar Construction Contract For Bachmann Park

Demolition and replacement of two concession and restroom buildings at College Station’s Bachmann Park is scheduled to start after Labor Day. The city’s capital projects director, Jennifer Cain, presented the nearly $7 million dollar construction contract that was approved at last week’s city council meeting. Cain said the contract, which is $400,000 dollars over budget, includes $750,000 dollars for contingency expenses. The new building serving four little league fields will get more restroom stalls, a dedicated family restroom, storage rooms, drinking fountains, and an official’s room. The little league fields will also get new dugouts and bleachers with covered seating. The new building area serving senior league baseball and soccer fields will also receive larger restrooms, storage rooms, drinking fountains, new bleachers, and added shade. The project was approved by voters in a November 2022 bond election. The contract was awarded nine days after the 12th anniversary of the murder of constable Brian Bachmann….who was associated with College Station Little League as a coach, safety officer, and board member. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials from the August 22, 2024 College Station city council meeting. Click HERE to read and download background information and the contract that was approved at the August 22, 2024 College Station city council meeting. Click below to hear comments from the August 22, 2024 College Station city council meeting.  

Comcast Is Entering The Bryan/College Station Market

Another provider of internet and entertainment is coming to College Station and Bryan. The addition of Comcast was brought up at the end of last Thursday’s (August 22) College Station city council meeting. College Station city manager Bryan Woods said that Comcast representatives asked to make a presentation at a future meeting. Mayor John Nichols added that Comcast has representatives in the twin cities that will “oversee installation of their facilities.” Click below to hear comments from Bryan Woods and John Nichols during the August 22, 2024 College Station city council meeting.   Comcast was part of Tuesday’s (August 27) Brazos County commission meeting agenda. Without discussion, commissioners unanimously approved Comcast’s request to install more than three miles of fiberoptic cable along I&GN Road and Greens Prairie Trail. The project also includes road bores going under North Graham Road, Capstone Drive, South Dowling Road, Koppe Bridge Road, and three locations under I&GN Road. Click HERE to read and download the document approved at the August 27, 2024 Brazos County commission meeting. College Station city officials and a Comcast representative told WTAW News they had no additional information to share at this time.

College Station ISD School Board Takes Next Step Towards Starting New High School Construction Projects

The College Station ISD school board held a special meeting Tuesday (August 27), in part to approve taking the next step towards starting $40 million dollars of improvements at the football stadiums at Consolidated and College Station High Schools and the Consolidated fieldhouse. Board members voted 6-0 to adopt the administration’s recommendation to pursue a construction manager at risk (CMAR) to oversee the project. A memo to the superintendent did not give a timeline to the voter approved “Proposition A” bond issue in May 2024. Click HERE to read and download the memo administrators composed for the August 27, 2024 College Station ISD school board meeting. Additional information about what CSISD’s “Proposition A” covers comes from CSISD’s website. A&M Consolidated High School Field House Addition of approximately 8,000 square feet to accommodate the growing population of student-athletes, as well as renovate the interior of the existing structure. The building addition would be located in the small parking lot due west of the current building and include a new and enlarged Sports Medicine facility (currently inadequate to treat all AMCHS athletes), baseball locker rooms and offices, concessions and restrooms for the baseball facility, and two classrooms. Interior renovations to the existing structure would create a freshman football locker room, relocation of the coach’s office area to be able to monitor the weight room, weight room expansion and upgrades, and interior finish upgrades (paint, floors, etc.) Site improvements in the area will also be included in this project due to the field house addition and access between it and the baseball stadium. A&M Consolidated Tiger Stadium Renovations/Expansion This project will increase the stadium capacity from 5,238 to 6,300 by adding additional seating on both the home and visitor side of the stadium, which will be needed with the increased student capacity of the school. New press box, concessions, and restroom structures will be constructed on the home side of the stadium to resemble those at College Station High School. The current concessions building, and other old structures will be removed. New home and visitor ticket booths will be constructed and both entrances will be renovated. This project also includes removal of the bleachers at the south end of the stadium, turfing of the north “D-Zone,” resurfacing of the track, and adding a digital scoreboard. College Station Cougar Stadium Renovations/Expansion This project will increase the stadium capacity from 4,573 to 6,300 by adding additional seating on both the home and visitor side of the stadium, which will be needed with the increased student capacity of the school. Due to code requirements, additional restrooms will be added to accommodate the increased stadium capacity. Due to chronic water intrusion, this project includes funds to repair existing press box exterior walls and to replace the roof of the press box. Concrete around the visitor’s baseball and softball concessions area will be replaced due to extensive heaving. This project also includes turfing of the north “D-Zone,” resurfacing of the track, and adding a digital scoreboard.