02-01-10 Regular Meeting of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors minutes

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drawing on those Bond funds in August and September of 2009 to prepare a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit proposals from qualified consultants who will then help TPWD execute the dry berth project. Prospective bidders on the RFQ met with key TPWD personnel in late September; bids were delivered to TPWD in late October 2009. At this writing, TPWD is in the process of negotiating a contract with the successful bidder for the design, engineering, environmental review, and construction of the dry berth. Starting from TPWD's formal presentation ofthe "Project Plant for the Dry Berthing ofthe Battleship Texas" to the LBB in mid-July 2008, the clock has been running. The Bonds have now been sold; the RFQ has been issued and bids received; the contract should be in place before the end of March 2010. Engineering work on dry-berth alternatives could be completed by late June 2010; the environmental assessment and cultural clearances could be completed by July 2011; detailed engineering of the dry berth could be completed by Spring 2012; and physical construction of the dry berth could begin in the Summer of 20 12 with completion in the Fall of2013. That schedule would place the Texas in a permanent dry berth after the Centennial of her launching (May 18, 1912 - May 18,2012) and before the Centennial of her Commissioning (March 12, 1914- March 12,2014). Q7. In addition to the work on the Texas, what else is included in TPWD's "Master Plan" for the San Jacinto Battleground? A7. TPWD's plans include the design and construction ofa Visitors Center. Five possible locations for the Visitors Center, all located on San Jacinto State Historical State Park grounds, are in the process of being evaluated. Public meetings, to secure comments about the five possible locations and the unique designs for each location, have already been held. Additional meetings, also to secure public comment, will take place in the near future. The BTF favors locating the Visitors Center on the west side of Independence Parkway South (formerly Battleground Road) and north of the existing ship's berth. For those of you who are familiar with recent history in East Harris County, the location we would prefer is the site of the old San Jacinto Inn, which burned several years ago. In that location, the Visitors Center will be located as far away as possible from any of the San Jacinto Battleground. The Visitors Center will improve the historical interpretation of all aspects of the San Jacinto State Historical Park, including the San Jacinto Battleground, the San Jacinto Museum of History and the Battleship Texas within her new dry berth. At this time, there is no location where a visitor can see how the Battle of San Jacinto was waged. The Visitors Center will address this deficiency while providing services needed for the entire Park (centralized ticketing, gift shop, restrooms, etc.). In addition, the new Visitors Center will have classroom space, where visiting students can learn about the Battleground, the Museum and the Battleship as a comprehensive whole. Q8. What plans does the Battleship Texas Foundation (BTF) intend to implement as part of the dry-berth project? 4