Fair Oaks Ranch Community Center

Project Overview

The proposed Community Center was aimed at providing a versatile and highly functional space for meetings and events located on City Hall Campus. The Community Center would serve as a central hub for City Council meetings, Commission/Board/Committee gatherings, FORHA/HOA meetings, townhall events, elections, and more.

Project Location

The planned location for the proposed Community Center was to be on the City Hall Campus, making it easily accessible for all residents.

A Brief Project History: 2018-2025

Discussion of a combined City Hall renovation and community center began in 2018 as City leaders wanted to improve City Hall and create a new civic engagement and gathering space for residents. Early on, they shared designs and debated whether to renovate an older, empty building already on the property or start fresh with new construction.

In 2020, the City took a big step forward by hiring a construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) to help guide the project. That summer, the first funding agreement with the Municipal Development District (MDD) was secured, locking in $600,000 for the Civic Center. At the time, city officials believed the combined cost for City Hall and the Civic Center would be around $1.2 million. 

In 2021, with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs, the City decided to break the project into two phases:

• Remodel City Hall first.

• Build the Community Center later, including space for council meetings.

Key milestones in the project included:

• March 3, 2022: The City awarded a CMAR contract for the City Hall remodel for $952,945.

• March 17, 2022: The Council asked the City Manager to restart planning for the Community Center and gather new cost estimates.

• March 2023: The City invited architects to submit designs; five firms responded.

• June 15, 2023: Lopez Salas Architects (LSA) was selected. A design contract was signed for up to $299,440.90, including a 10% contingency.

• July 12, 2023: MDD approved up to $1.2 million in new funding for the Community Center, covering about half of the total expected cost.

Throughout the summer of 2023, Lopez Salas Architects (LSA) and City staff met with council members and community groups to discuss potential uses for the new building.

The project progressed through a series of workshops:

• July 19, 2023: LSA presented ideas for building features and uses.

• September 7, 2023: Discussion focused on site selection and general layout.

• November 16, 2023: Focus shifted to exterior design options.

• February 15, 2024: LSA shared updated floor plans and exterior designs based on feedback and provided a revised schedule aiming for completion by November 2025.

Public involvement played a key role:

• February 27, 2024: The City held a Town Hall where residents reviewed designs and shared feedback on both the Community Center and a new Gateway Feature. Surveys were also distributed. View survey results here. 

• March 21, 2024: The Council reviewed the feedback gathered from the Town Hall.

• April 18, 2024: The City approved moving forward with the Gable Roof design, allowing the project to proceed through the design phase. 

Further progress in 2025 included:

• January 16, 2025: LSA conducted a final workshop with City Council to review the final project design, updated project schedule, and an estimated construction cost of $2,452,000.

• February 28 - April 3, 2025: The Community Center RFP was advertised. Staff received 13 proposals ranging from $2.62 million to $3.85 million.

• April 22, 2025: An Evaluation Committee, including staff, a Councilmember, and MDD board members, was formed to review proposals and select the best value.

• April 30, 2025: The Evaluation Committee interviewed the top two firms and selected Crawford (CHC) as the highest-ranked proposer based on price, company experience, project team, and approach. The proposal amount was $2,675,044.11.

• May 29, 2025: Negotiations with CHC finalized with a cost savings of $211,321.30, bringing the new construction total to $2,463,722.81.

Postponement and Termination:

• June 5, 2025: City Council considered a resolution to submit an amended Grant Application to the MDD to cover the full construction cost. A presentation was prepared to review key milestones and the proposal selection process. Click here to view a copy of the June 5th presentation.

  • At this meeting, City Council voted to postpone the Community Center Project indefinitely to allow for further examination of concerns, questions, and possible alternatives.

• June 19, 2025: City Council approved a resolution to terminate the Chapter 377 Project Funding Agreement between the City of Fair Oaks Ranch and the MDD for the Community Center.

Project Costs