Jefferson Boulevard Viaduct Phase I Engineering (25-1515A)

Context: City Council approved the professional engineering services contract with Gresham Smith on May 28, 2025, specifically scoped for Jefferson Boulevard Viaduct demolition as part of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Master Plan.

Recommended: The $3.4M Gresham Smith contract covers only the engineering phase of Jefferson Boulevard Viaduct demolition — actual demolition and construction work will be bid separately once engineering deliverables are complete. Request a copy of the engineering scope of work now to understand pre-qualification requirements and expected bid timing.

Context: City Council authorized the $3.4M Gresham Smith engineering contract on May 28, 2025, scoped specifically for Jefferson Boulevard Viaduct demolition — a prerequisite step before physical demolition can be bid and executed.

Recommended: If you are targeting property adjacent to the Jefferson Boulevard Viaduct near the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, the now-contracted demolition engineering signals this infrastructure will be removed, potentially altering site access, street grid connectivity, and allowable development footprints in the area.

Context: All four were approved as part of the same master plan push on May 28, 2025, with no publicly available evidence in the meeting record that competitive procurement was used for each contract.

Recommended: Four contracts tied to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Master Plan — Beck Azteca (construction management, $200M Memorial Auditorium budget), Gensler (design supplement, $5.5M), Gresham Smith (viaduct demolition engineering, $3.4M), and a $90M State Infrastructure Bank loan application — were all approved at the same May 28 council meeting; file a public records request for the selection process, bid solicitation documents, and any sole-source justifications for each.