More than five years after the City of San Antonio approved its $850 million 2017 bond, 39 of the 179 projects included are still under construction — and eight others haven’t even made it that far.

According to data provided by the city, 132 of the 179 projects funded by the 2017 bond are complete. Of the remaining projects, 39 are currently under construction and six are in the design phase, meaning plans are in the works or under review.

Two of the projects, improvements to a street around the old Lone Star Brewery and upgrades to the natatorium at Palo Alto College, are still in the pre-design phase, according to the city.

The head of the city’s public works department said more complicated projects, increased public input and complications from Covid-19 have made projects take longer than previous bonds.

“This 2017 bond is not really the same as previous [bonds] because we are making projects much, much more complicated and more time-consuming,” said Razi Hosseini, director and city engineer for the City of San Antonio Public Works Department.

In his 33 years at Public Works, Hosseini has worked on six bond cycles. During that time he said the city has made many improvements to the way it approaches bond projects, such as instituting joint bids with the utility companies so that road projects aren’t torn up by the utility right after they’re complete. Some of the improvements can slow down the process, he added.

“It really helps the community significantly. … But in the meantime, it adds time,” Hosseini said of the joint bids. “It adds time for the design. It adds time for the construction. It can increase our project construction duration more than 50%.”

Many of the 2017-2022 bond package projects involved significant community input that helped shaped their direction — something Hosseini said has played a bigger role in each bond.

In the past, “we built these facilities and not many people attend [the input meetings], or maybe even we didn’t have a meeting,” Hosseini said.

Last year, five of the unfinished 2017 bond projects were adjusted in scope and included in the city’s $1.2 billion 2022 bond.

Among the unfinished projects, staffing and materials shortages related to the Covid-19 pandemic caused the city to swap contractors in some cases, Hosseini said. The city anticipates 18 of 47 unfinished projects will be completed by the end of the year, and another 16 will be completed by the end of 2024.

“Five years sounds like a lot of time, but it requires utility coordination, right of way acquisition on certain project permitting and other community input,” Hosseini said.

The city tracks progress on the 2017 bond projects here. Here’s a look at the eight projects that aren’t yet in the construction phase:

District 4 Heritage Community Center

The city planned to spend $14 million to construct a community center near the Heritage Pool. Work on the project began again this month after the city had to swap contractors due to rising material prices.

“They just said they couldn’t do it for their bid,” Hosseini said of the original contractor. “We met with them number of times and realized, there’s no point if they just can’t build the project.”

A new contractor began work on the site earlier this month, clearing overgrown vegetation, reinstating the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan and reinstalling the construction fence, according to the city. Construction is now expected to be complete in fall of 2024.

Wurzbach/Vance Jackson intersection

The 2017 bond included $2 million to leverage state and federal funds for intersection improvements on Wurzbach Parkway to Northwest Military Highway to Fredericksburg Road.

Given community feedback, city staff said, the state revised its project scope to include only surface street improvements, no longer requiring city funding. Instead the city will use its money for intersection improvements to be begin in fall of 2023 as part of the 2022 Bond Program.

Brackenridge Park projects

The bond included $9.7 million for park improvements and rehabilitation for Brackenridge Park’s historic river wall, restroom, trails and historic structures. Residents who dislike the planned tree removals and bird mitigation efforts have repeatedly sought to stop the restoration project at every turn, most recently through a federal lawsuit seeking to stall it on religious grounds.

City staff said the project was “significantly delayed due to extensive design refinements and coordination with Brackenridge Conservancy, Texas Historical Commission, and the Historic and Design Review Commission.”

The city estimates the project will be completed in fall 2026.

Roosevelt Avenue sidewalks

The 2017 bond included $8 million for continuous sidewalks, bike paths, turn lanes and lane reductions on Roosevelt Avenue between U.S. Highway 90 to Southeast Loop 410 as part of the World Heritage Trail. (The World Heritage Center, another 2017 bond project, is currently under construction.) Another $12 million was added for improvements to the street in the 2022 bond.

Because TxDOT will not turn over the road to the city as expected, the improvements between Steves Avenue and the San Antonio River needed to be redesigned without the lane closures that were intended to allow for bike lanes.

The city said this week it plans to put in shared-use paths and bike lanes running from the San Antonio River to VFW Boulevard, which can be done without closing lanes. Construction is expected to start in summer 2026 and be completed in spring 2028.

Probandt Street improvements

A plan to improve Probandt Street between South Alamo Street to U.S. Highway 90 received $5 million in the 2017 bond, money that was expected to cover pedestrian amenities, drainage and other improvements.

After the city received input from the community, those plans grew in scope and the 2022-2027 bond added another $5 million to fund Probandt Street renovations.

The project must first undergo a redesign to remove planned lane closures, however, because TxDOT will not turn the road over to the city as expected. The city now anticipates it will be completed in spring 2028.

Lone Star Boulevard

The 2017 bond included $5 million to reconstruct and widen Lone Star Boulevard, including intersection improvements, as well as pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

Since then prospects for redevelopment of the Lone Star Brewery have been put on hold and the property is once again up for sale.

The Public Works is “coordinating with city management” and the City Council on next steps, city staff said. The project is in the pre-design phase, with an estimated completion of spring 2028.

South Zarzamora Street overpass

Plans for an overpass to address traffic delays caused by freight trains at the intersection of Frio City Road and South Zarzamora Street initially drew criticism from residents who were concerned about the impact on neighborhoods and businesses.

After soliciting significant community input, city officials said the project is now in the environmental review process. They expect to gather feedback on aesthetics for the overpass from community stakeholders this coming spring.

This $30 million project will be paid for by a combination of local funds and money from the Federal Highway Administration, which has already been obtained.

It’s currently in the design phase, and the city estimates it will be completed by summer 2028.

Aquatic Center at Palo Alto College

This project is in the pre-design phase, and is expected to be completed in winter of 2027. It was included in the 2022 bond, which provides additional funding to create a multigenerational recreation facility.