Five contractors awarded county Ike work

Five construction companies have been awarded the county’s $85 million Hurricane Ike home-reconstruction program contracts to repair or rebuild 800 houses damaged by the 2008 hurricane, county officials said.

With those contracts awarded, the county expects the first houses that were severely damaged by the hurricane to see repairs start by the end of the month, county housing director James Wilson said.

Of the companies awarded contracts, only two are based in Galveston County — Sullivan Land Services Ltd., of Galveston, and League City-based American Homestar Corp. The other construction companies were Houston-based Promenade Homes, Compass Point Homes, of Spring, and Georgia-based American Home Builder.

The first phase of work will focus on about a dozen homes before ramping up, Wilson said. The county wants to make sure the companies hired will be up to the task, County Judge Jim Yarbrough said.

“If we see they aren’t getting the job done, we will give that work to the next guy,” Yarbrough said.

Funding comes from federal community development block grants. Wilson said he expects the county will blow through its initial $85 million set aside for the construction work and will need at least $52 million more that is supposed to come from a second round of federal funding yet to be approved.

Meanwhile, the city of Galveston is a step closer in hiring the contractors that will repair and rebuild Ike-damaged homes on the island. The city has its own pool of federal dollars set aside for housing repairs.

Galveston officials are scheduled to meet with potential contractors Wednesday. Then the city will outline its requirements for companies to bid on contracts.

The city is operating its program differently from the county. While the county took bids based on the overall projection of work that would be required, the city is likely going to take bids on a house-by-house basis, officials said.

Reporter Rhiannon Meyers contributed to this report.

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At A Glance

WHAT: Galveston meeting with Ike housing contractors

WHEN: 2 p.m. Wednesday

WHERE: Galveston Island Convention Center, 5600 Seawall Blvd. in Galveston

DETAILS: Construction companies wanting to submit bids for the city of Galveston’s housing repair and reconstruction program must attend meeting to qualify.

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Ike Housing Assistance Programs

County

CALL: 877-221-8215

APPLY: co.galveston.tx.us/HousingDept/index.htm

• Galveston County Courthouse, 722 Moody, in Galveston

• Galveston County Annex, 946 Noble Carl Road, in Crystal Beach

• Bacliff Community Center, 4503 11th St., in Bacliff

City of Galveston

CALL: 409-797-3773

APPLY: galvestoncityrecovers.org

• Housing assistance center in Room 100 at city hall, 823 25th St., or Island Community Center, 4700 Broadway, in Galveston