West University Place City Council voted 4-1 Monday to award Austin-based Synth Construction a $629,538 contract to renovate the city’s recreation center, according to Community Impact. The council also approved a $56,843 alternate bid from Synth for upstairs corridor improvements and stair flooring replacement. The award followed a review of five bids, with council member Kalie Rainsberger casting the lone dissenting vote.
Five Bids, One Clear Favorite
City staff completed their evaluation of five bids on Sept. 24, according to Community Impact. Synth’s $572,695 base bid was identified as offering the most value for the city and the project’s scope. Parks and Recreation Director Susan White told council that staff found no issues with the company’s performance history, scheduling ability or financial capacity, and that its references were positive.
Synth Construction Principal Kenil Patel said the company drew on its network of specialty contractors to submit a competitive proposal. He told council he had worked at three multibillion-dollar general contractors, completed two skyscrapers in Austin and that Synth had finished a few similar projects in the prior year, according to Community Impact.
Rainsberger Pushes Back
Rainsberger questioned whether Synth’s limited operating history and project experience matched the contract’s size. She said the company had operated for about a year and four months and concluded, “I think we will be the most expensive project that they've ever completed.”
Rainsberger also questioned the city’s capacity to manage capital projects given public works staffing. White said she had no concerns about staffing for the renovation and did not plan to assign the public works project manager to it, according to Community Impact.
Construction Timeline and Rec Center Access
Synth's mobilization date is slated for the week of Oct. 26, per the same report, with the full project expected to finish by the end of April 2027. That timeline follows an earlier schedule update noted by Community Impact, in which construction and equipment upgrades at the recreation center had been shifted to begin Oct. 19 — a separate reference point from the mobilization date reported for Synth's contract.
The work is planned in two phases to limit disruption and preserve access to fitness equipment, White said. Phase one is expected to finish in late January 2027, with phase two beginning shortly afterward. The recreation center is expected to remain open for most of the work, though it may close for one or two days at a time for tile removal and noisy work.
The contract follows other recent investments in the facility. In July, council unanimously awarded a contract worth more than $350,000 to Texas-based equipment provider Marathon Fitness and approved a $389,852.80 expenditure from the Friends of West University Parks Fund to purchase new cardio and fitness equipment, according to the report. PGAL Architects is the design firm handling the broader recreation center project.
How the project fits the city’s capital plan
West University Place says its Capital Improvement Plan guides funding and construction for public improvements, including recreation facilities and parks, as well as roads, drainage and water infrastructure. The city’s plan places recreation projects within a wider program of public works.
Separately from the current renovation contract, the city’s proposed 2025-29 capital plan estimated $622,000 for parks projects, including upgrades to the recreation center playground and jogging track and the west end of Colonial Park, Community Impact reported.
