COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Major improvements are swinging into the College Station area as voters will decide whether or not to pass $56.3 million dollars worth of capital projects meant to fund local parks and recreational facilities.
City officials are asking voters to consider propositions C,D, & E, which all focus on the improvement of parks and recreational facilities in the area.
Here is an outline of the propositions:
Proposition C: An issuance of $30 million dollars is focused on the sports and tourism industry that will renovate Veterans Park and Texas Independence Ballpark.
The funds will add an additional four baseball fields to Veterans and Texas independence parks and renovate six turn fields at Veterans Park. David Higdon, Co-chair of the College Station Citizens Bond Advisory Committee, looks forward to the expansion these propositions will bring if they are approved.
"That went forward to look to expand that so not only so we can handle additional not only our expanding and local little league teams and softball teams but also the tournaments that we think we can compete," Higdon stated.
Proposition D: $22 million dollars will fund renovations for six parks throughout the city.
Proposition D is set to use $22 million to upgrade restrooms, basketball and tennis courts for six different parks in the city. Higdon believes the renovations will become an investment that the city will be thankful for.
"Revenue that we anticipate is going, these additional parks are going to be driving that we're gonna be able to, they'll pay for themselves and that will get a great return on that investment," Higdon said.
Higdon also said that he hopes College Station won't be so dependent on the seven football weekends that bring in so much revenue for the area during the Texas A&M Fall football season.
Proposition E: The issuance of $3.9 million in bonds for a new swimming pool at Mabel Clare Thomas Park and creation of a new tax to pay for the bonds.
The final proposition, proposition E, will bring changes that Higdon says are long overdue. Over $3 million of the funds gathered by the proposition will help pay for a new swimming pool and restrooms at Mabel Clare Thomas Park.
While the total to improve these three projects exceeds $56 million, the added value it will bring to College Station may end up being priceless.