Public Comments at the July 6, 2020, Council meeting included a call from Raquel Boujourne, the owner and president of A Status Construction LLC, the contractor responsible for the Spruce/Fifth project. Ms. Boujourne stated that her company has been blamed for the delays on the project and that the accusation was false and unacceptable.
She stated that ARKK Engineers is involved in a conflict of interest with Bellaire because James Andrews, a principal with ARKK, is employed by the City. ARKK is responsible for the construction management of that project. That she had problems with ARKK in Pearland. She claimed the majority of delays on the Spruce/Fifth project were caused due to the errors in planning, drawings, and blueprints.
Her company had submitted a list of over 300 delay days on what was supposed to be a 10 month, 300 day project (4/22/19 – 2/15/20) but has now been in progress for over 14 months. She mentioned the City’s legal counsel, that her company has submitted a request for additional delay days, and has submitted a request for additional funds of around $500,000. There’s more, including her Powerpoint presentation. Access the telephonic meeting here.
A Status Construction, a company new to Bellaire, was awarded contracts for Spruce/Fifth and Bolivar/Maple. Both projects were promoted by the City Manager and funded from the 2016 Bonds for Better Bellaire in the amount of $4,254,205. No word yet on how the City will proceed.
Ms. Boujourne’s mention of problems with ARKK in Pearland may be explained by this memo from May of 2017. It is uncertain if this information was made available to the City of Bellaire in 2018.
Read more about the Spruce/Fifth project here: City of Bellaire – Beautification or Boondoggle?
Find more information on the Bolivar/Maple project here: Bolivar Before and After
As of 9/30/2019 Bellaire’s Debt was $127.5 million, one of the highest per capita in the state.
Email comments to the Mayor and City Council via our City Clerk, Tracy Dutton, and request that Tracy forward your email: tdutton@bellairetx.gov
Construction on the new Bellaire High school is complete. The original building was demolished during the week of July 13-17, 2021. 
FEMA imposes requirements for new structures and limits on existing structures in flood zones. Check with Development Services for more information,
