Fort Bend County Courthouse Turns 100 In 2009
On Jan. 19, Fort Bend celebrated the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the
Fort Bend County Courthouse located at 401 Jackson Street in Richmond. Built
for $75,000 ($1.7 million in 2007 dollars), the courthouse, now popularly known
as the Old Courthouse, was actually the fifth courthouse built in Fort Bend
County, and it is the only one of those five courthouses still standing.
Now designated a National Historical Landmark, the original building with its
distinctive three-story rotunda was designed by C.H. Page and Brothers and
features a mix of brick and stone, with turrets and a copper dome, mosaic-tile
flooring and green glazed-tile wainscoting. Two additions were made to the
original structure
—one in 1935 and the other in 1957. Over the past 100 years, the courthouse has
been the scene of many high-profile civil and criminal cases, and it has been
used as a setting for several documentaries and movies.
While the courthouse was built in 1909 to serve a county with a population of
18,168, it now serves 529,000 people. In 2008, Fort Bend County residents voted
to construct a new Fort Bend County Judicial Complex to meet the judicial needs
of the county
’s growing population.
The new complex will consolidate all courts and judicial support functions at
one location. It will also house the offices of the District and County Courts
of Fort Bend County, the District Attorney, the District Clerk and the County
Clerk
’s judicial support staff. Room to add additional courts that will be created by
the state legislature as the county continues to grow has been included in the
design of the new complex. And for the first time in many years, adequate
parking
will be available. When the new complex opens in late 2010 or early 2011, the
old courthouse will be carefully restored and preserved for future generations
to enjoy as part of Fort Bend
’s rich history.
Sugar Land Artists Commemorate City’s Golden Anniversary
Sugar Land’s award-winning annual calendar pays tribute this year to the city’s heritage and its upcoming 50th anniversary with original artwork created by
area artists.
Fourteen members of the Artists’ Alliance of Sugar Land created images depicting important events, landmarks or
milestones achieved by the city during the last 50 years since its
incorporation on Dec. 29, 1959. The images are displayed during each month, on
the cover and as part of a special centerfold.
The 2009 calendar highlights the past while readying the community for a
year-long celebration of activities recognizing the city
’s golden anniversary. Within the calendar design, additional historical
photographs have been utilized that depict the rich history and diversity of
Sugar Land.
The Sugar Land calendar is mailed to each residence and business within the
corporate city limits. Sugar Land
’s calendar has been the recipient of numerous state and national awards since
its inception more than eight years ago. The original calendar artwork will be
exhibited at City Hall during the month of February.
Renovation Plans for Missouri City’s City Hall
During a special meeting of the City Council on Jan. 5, representatives of
Pierce Goodwin Alexander
& Linville, the architecture firm renovating portions of the City Hall complex at
1522 Texas Parkway, made a presentation on the two-phase plan to remodel the
building.
“City Council has reviewed options for renovating City Hall with the goal of
making the city government more accessible to citizens,
” said Assistant City Manager Bill Atkinson. “The major objective of the construction is to move the Council Chamber to the
first floor: a location that allows for additional seating and is more
convenient for our residents
’ participation in their city government operations.”
Chris Casey, senior associate with the architecture firm, said the first phase
of construction would move the Information Technology Department from City Hall
to the Public Safety complex at 3849 Cartwright Road, where emergency
operations are centered.
“Hurricane Ike offered a valuable lesson in centralizing technology operations in
a hardened facility that is hurricane proof,
” Casey said.
In the spring, the city plans to go out for bids for Phase I construction to
renovate the Emergency Operations Center to house the city
’s Information Technology personnel, offices and equipment. Construction should
be complete by early summer.
As a result of Phase II of construction, the city council chamber will be moved
from the second floor of City Hall to the current first floor lobby. The city
plans to go out for construction bids in the summer, with anticipated
completion of construction in the first quarter of 2010.
The City Hall complex renovation is a Capital Improvement Program project. Phase
I construction is expected to cost $140,000, while the City Hall renovation is
estimated to cost $1.6 million.
Missouri City and CenterPoint Energy Partner to Build Power Line-friendly Tree Trail
The city of Missouri City and CenterPoint Energy have teamed up to create the
first
“Right Tree Trail” in CenterPoint Energy’s nine-county service area.
Representatives of CenterPoint Energy and the city, along with area volunteers,
planted more than 30 new, power line-friendly trees along the
“Right Tree Trail” in Ridgeview Park, 3902 Ridgeview Dr. The arbor trail will be lined with trees
that can grow to maturity without coming into contact with overhead power lines
and disrupting electric service.
“As residents are replanting trees after Hurricane Ike, we want them to pay
attention to choosing the best trees for their property,
” said Missouri City Forester Paul Wierzbicki. “This demonstration trail will show the types of trees that can grow to their
fullest potential without interfering with overhead utility lines.
”
Prior to the establishment of this first-of-a-kind trail, several trees in
Ridgeview Park frequently stretched into power lines.
“Those trees would grow into the power lines and have to be pruned regularly by
CenterPoint Energy tree trimmers,
” Wierzbicki said. “Replacing them will be better for the long-term reliability of electric service
and the safety of the park patrons.
”
None of the new trees will ever need to be pruned after they reach maturity,
according to Wierzbicki.
In addition, the city and CenterPoint Energy installed two permanent education
panels adjacent to the Right Tree Trail. The panels illustrate proper pruning
standards, appropriate tree sizes and safe planting distances for trees away
from power lines.
Wierzbicki, other city staff and CenterPoint Energy representatives were
available during the Right Tree Trail event to answer questions pertaining to
this important initiative to maintain the city
’s safety and beauty.
