Jersey Village: Council approves $8.1M cap for City Campus Phase 1

Jersey Village City Council members approved a guaranteed maximum price of $8.1 million for the first phase of the City Campus project on Tuesday. The 4-1 vote passed during the regular meeting, with Council member Simon Hughes casting the sole dissenting vote. This authorization allows the city to move forward with construction under a fixed cost ceiling.

Meeting documents indicate the total cost for Phase 1, which includes construction, architecture, and engineering fees, is $9.3 million. No new city debt was issued for this project. The city adopted $9.5 million for Phase 1 funding in the fiscal year 2026-27 budget on Aug. 18. Finance Director Jennifer Brown stated the general fund balance is expected to reach $4.64 million by the end of the fiscal year after these costs are accounted for. This figure is $846,000 higher than the required reserves.

The City Campus project has previously faced three unsuccessful bond proposals in 1990, 2002, and November 2025. Following those rejections, the council adopted a pay-as-you-go strategy rather than issuing new debt. Council member Greg Holden noted the long delay in securing a new city hall. “The fact we need a new city hall, the fact we’re here today is not an accident… this is probably the single biggest deferred item the city has,” Holden said.

Council member Simon Hughes opposed the current approach, arguing that using bond funds for Phase 1 would allow the city to quickly advance to Phase 2 using the fund balance. He expressed concern that many community spaces will become unavailable once Phase 1 construction begins. City Manager Austin Bleess responded that staff has informed community members that their current use of these spaces is temporary. “We told each and every one of the people that are using that space, every time they talk to us about it, this is temporary, this will go away,” Bleess said. “Everybody agreed to it, so we let people use it.”

Holden requested that city staff explore alternatives or policy changes to accommodate affected groups during the transition. Hughes acknowledged the benefits of better administrative offices but noted the city's reliance on community spaces. “I think, while the city’s delighted to have better offices for the administration, and closer offices and facilities for public works, I think the city is really, you know, jonesing for these community spaces,” Hughes said.

According to meeting documents, the anticipated notice-to-proceed date is Dec. 1. Construction is scheduled to take eight months to complete. In other business, the council designated Connie Rossi as the Houston-Galveston Area Council representative and Michael Brittain as the alternate for the 2027 general assembly in December 2026. The council also approved several purchases, including vehicle replacements for the Jersey Village Police Department.