Bryan city leaders update economic deal, swap utility assets with TMPA & more

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - The Bryan City Council met on Tuesday and approved updates to a major eastside development agreement, finalizing a multi-million-dollar utility asset swap and extended overnight security services at Travis Bryan Midtown Park— all as part of efforts to support growth, infrastructure, and public safety.

Hudson Oaks Economic Development

The amendment updates the city’s original 2021 deal with developers Ken Goodman and Mark Schulman. It allows the commercial portion— referred to as Phase 2— to include both retail and office use and gives developers more time to complete construction, citing delays caused by rising costs and state-imposed storm drainage requirements.

“The Hudson Oaks Senior Living Project or active senior living project—it’s like a mixed-use project with commercial in front and a several-story residential behind—is under construction,” said Joey Dunn, Deputy City Manager for Bryan. “The residential part is complete. Tonight (Tuesday), the City Council considered an amendment… to allow the developer to get reimbursed for public infrastructure, in particular off-site storm drainage infrastructure along Copperfield Drive.”

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Under the original agreement, the city offered up to $600,000 in property tax reimbursements if the developer met certain benchmarks, including a minimum of 24,000 square feet of commercial space and a total $24 million taxable value for the entire project. The updated deal maintains those benchmarks but extends the deadline to begin commercial construction from 12 to 24 months after completion of the residential phase, and requires the commercial portion be finished within 18 months after that.

“They’ve completed the residential over a year ago,” Dunn explained. “This gives them another 12 months beyond what we had before. I think we went from 12 to 24 months to complete. They’re already under construction. So, they’ll meet that timeline—they just didn’t meet the original timeline in the agreement.”

The amendment also accounts for infrastructure challenges. The city initially partnered with the developer to fund off-site drainage improvements to avoid on-site detention, preserving more buildable land. However, after the agreement was signed, the Texas Department of Transportation required on-site detention anyway.

“We did the agreement originally to avoid on-site drainage detention,” said Dunn. “Because this is very valuable property, we entered into this agreement to allow them to improve and upsize storm sewer downstream closer to a creek… that would reduce or actually eliminate the requirement for on-site detention.”

He continued, “With that combination of conditions, we felt like we needed to be able to reimburse them for a cost—again, only a portion of the cost... About one-third of the cost of what it was to them to improve the downstream storm drainage.”

City staff say the off-site improvements benefit the broader community, not just the development.

“The city gets a huge benefit from the fact that the private developer built some off-site improvements,” Dunn told KBTX. “It’s not just for the improvement of that site but for that whole east corridor.”

The commercial portion of the project includes two single-story buildings along University Drive, with one suite designated for a local homebuilder. While the original agreement restricted use to retail only, the council’s vote Tuesday expands that to allow office tenants as well.

“We wanted to create an opportunity for them to have a location in this corridor,” shared Dunn. “They will also meet or exceed their minimum valuation—$24 million is their minimum taxable value for the residential and commercial—and they’ve well exceeded that.”

The property sits along University Drive East near Copperfield Drive, next to Prosperity Bank.

City leaders say the Legacy BTX project is consistent with long-term goals for development in one of Bryan’s most visible commercial gateways.

“The University Drive East corridor for both Bryan and College Station is a very critical new development corridor,” Dunn added. “This has been a great public-private partnership… to kind of see something happen on that corridor.”

Asset Purchase Agreement between the City of Bryan and the Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA)

City leaders also approved a $978,281 asset swap agreement with the Texas Municipal Power Agency aimed at ending joint ownership of key electrical infrastructure. The deal transfers TMPA’s equipment at the Bryan East and Dansby substations to Bryan Texas Utilities, while TMPA will acquire BTU-owned transmission line assets between Gibbons Creek and Greens Prairie. TMPA will also reimburse BTU for the full cost of an ongoing transmission line reconductor project, estimated at $4.8 million. City officials say the agreement will eliminate regulatory and operational complications and improve system reliability.

Security Services at Travis Bryan Midtown Park

The Bryan City Council approved a first amendment to the services agreement with TNT Security Services, LLC, extending overnight patrol coverage at Travis Bryan Midtown Park through April 2029 at a total not-to-exceed cost of $603,587. TNT has provided nightly security at the park from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. since April 2024 under a one-year agreement. The amended agreement replaces the original four optional one-year renewals with a five-year term inclusive of the current year, locking in scheduled annual increases of up to 5%.

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The first year was previously budgeted at $133,371, with the next four years ranging from $140,040 to $162,115 annually. City staff said the security patrols have improved public safety by deterring vandalism, removing trespassers, assisting lost children, and securing city facilities after hours. Employees at park facilities have praised the city’s decision to provide overnight coverage, saying it has made guests and workers feel safer. Under the amended agreement, either party may terminate the contract with 30 days written notice, and the city’s obligations remain subject to annual budget appropriations.

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