Harris County Archives Houston, Texas Finding Aid Facilities and Property Maintenance CR002 1922 – 2001 (Bulk: 1990 – 1999) Size: 15 cubic feet Accession Number: 2004.002, Restrictions on Access: None 2004.003, 2004.022, 2004.023, 2010.027 Restrictions on Use: None Processed by: AnnElise Golden, 2017 Acquisition: Facilities and Property Management, 2004, 2010 Citation: [Identification of Item], Facilities and Property Management, Harris County Archives, Houston, Texas. Agency History: Harris County traditionally appointed Superintendents to be responsible for the maintenance of county-owned buildings housing the operations of county government. Until World War II the Harris County 1910 Courthouse housed the majority of county offices and the civil and justice of the peace courts. W.A. Reiler was Superintendent (1920-1930) for being responsible for its maintenance and janitorial services. In 1928 Harris County built a new Criminal Courthouse. J.M. Prewitt was hired as the Superintendent. His responsibilities included not only the courts, but also space for the justices of the peace, sheriff, county jail, and housing for the insane. By 1940 Harris County needed more space for a growing county government. County departments were moved out of the courthouse to other facilities. For example, in 1939 the Harris County Public Library moved from the fifth floor of the courthouse to the old nurse’s residence on Elder Street. In 1943 with additional buildings to maintain, the Commissioner’s Court appointed George W. Stacey as Building Superintendent for Harris County. Stacey and his two employees would be responsible for all county owned and leased buildings. Charles K. Hopping became Building Superintendent in 1953, but by mid-year the responsibilities for maintaining the buildings in Harris County were overwhelming Hopping and his employees. The Commissioner’s Court named R.B. Richardson as Mechanical Engineer for all county buildings and the Building Superintendent was only responsible for janitorial services and building supplies. O.G. Albert was Director of Building Superintendents from 1959-1966, E.A. Cromwell from 1966-1972 and Floyd Miller from 1973-1974. In 1974 J.E McCain became Director of Building Superintendents. He began Page 1 of 15 COUNTY OFFICE – CR002 a program to expand the influence and capabilities of the department with hiring the first county electrician and assuming management of the telephone and elevator operators. McCain retired in 1995. Mike Surface was appointed director and the name of the department was changed to Facilities and Property Management in 1996. In 1998 Mike Yancy became Director. Some of the department’s responsibilities included lease of parking spaces, negotiating the lease of space in buildings or other facilities, repair, renovation, and maintenance of county owned or leased buildings, building security negotiations, Records Management, Fleet Services, and design and building capital projects. The retirement of Mike Yancey in 2007 marked a restructuring of and different emphasis for FPM. In March of 2007 the department merged with the Public Infrastructure Department and Kevin Hoffman was appointed director. Hoffman dismantled the infrastructure support departments and transferred Records Management to Information and Technology Services. Outside contractors and vendors were hired to do the work formerly completed by FPM. On February 14, 2012, Commissioners Court approved Facilities and Property Management to again become an independent county department effective March 1, 2012 with Jim Lemond as the director. Willie Loston was appointed Director effective March 1, 2014. The Weiser Security contract was transferred to the Constable Precinct 1 in connection with the Downtown Security Plan in October 2014. Robert Sprott was the interim director when Mr. Loston retired in 2016. The lease negotiations moved to the Office of the County Engineer in November of 2016. In January 2017 Facilities and Property Management reorganized to report to the Office of the County Engineer with the name changing to Facilities and Property Maintenance. Some of the responsibilities relating to security, parking, and utilities moved to Central Technology Services and Budget Management. Jacob Frazelle is the current director of the Facilities and Property Maintenance Division. The Facilities and Property Maintenance Division of Public Infrastructure maintains 149 diverse facilities, totaling 10.7 million square feet of space over almost 1,800 square miles of Harris County. Among the facilities are county annexes, libraries, office buildings, jails, courthouses, and community centers. Bibliography: Scrapbooks, various volumes, E. A. “Squatty” Lyons Papers, MC001, Harris County Archives, Houston, Texas. Collection Summary: Reports, minutes, correspondence, memorandums, printed materials, manuals, maps, building plans, archeological assessments, and photographs document the work of Facilities and Property Management 1974 – 2001. Page 2 of 15 COUNTY OFFICE – CR002 Archivist’s Note: The collection was processed using minimal processing standards. Records were rehoused in acid free boxes and refoldered when necessary. See also on http://harriscountyarchives.com/ Facilities and Property Management – CR02, Harris County Court House Plans (1922) and Time Capsule Inventory – CR02, 2004. Page 3 of 15 COUNTY OFFICE – CR002 Inventory Series: Reports Size: 15 Cubic Feet Restrictions on Access: None Restrictions on Use: None Subseries: Projects Range of Dates: 1977-2001 Projects document Facilities and Property Management involvement in construction, planning, purchasing, and maintenance of Harris County buildings. Of particular interest is the over 5 cubic feet of records concerning the Astrodome, Houston Sports Authority and the Downtown Ballpark (Enron Field and later Minute Maid Park) during a period of negotiation and at times, controversy. The records include contracts, correspondence, agreements, and plans. Harris County buildings are usually identified by an annex number. Title Date Location Design Development Downtown Jail Renovations 1977, 09 2018-X-01 Courts and Detention Facilities Expansion Plan 1985, 01 2018-X-02 Harris County Jail Facility – 701 North San Jacinto 1987, 08/18 2018-X-03 Harris County Detention Facility Warehouse Conversion Proposal 1985-1986 2018-X-04 Allen’s Landing Plan n.d. 2018-X-05 Harris County Judicial Facilities Project Synopsis of Recommendations 1979 2018-X-06 Harris County Judicial Facilities Project Volume 1, Sec 1-3 1979 2018-X-07 Harris County Judicial Facilities Project Volume 1, Sec 4 1979 2018-X-08 Harris County Judicial Facilities Project Volume 2, Sec 5 -8 1979 2018-X-09 Harris County Judicial Facilities Project Volume 2, Sec 9-10 1979 2018-X-10 Harris County Judicial Facilities Project Volume 2, Sec 11-13 1979 2018-X-11 Austin Court Administration – Cowherd Letter ADA Courts 1998 2018-X-12 Baytown-Baker Street Parking Expansions Pct. 1 Fonteno 1993-1996 2018-X-13 Annex 9 Report 809 1996 2018-X-14 Courthouse Annex 12 Health Department 2501 Dunstan 1994-1996 2018-X-15 Page 4 of 15 COUNTY OFFICE – CR002 Title Date Location IV –D Court Master 2018-X-16 Congress Plaza Renovation Annex M 1991-1995 2018-X-17 RTC Building 2221-2223 West Loop 1992-1996 2018-X-18 General Files 1993-1995 2019-X-01 District Attorney 1992-1995 2019-X-02 Court Master – Harrison Gregg, Jr. 1989-1995 2019-X-03 Bomb Threat 1994 2019-X-04 General Files 1994-1995 2019-X-05 Engineer Files 1994-1996 2019-X-06 Engineer and Air Quality 1994-1995 2019-X-07 Sheriff Department 1994-1995 2019-X-08 Schlumberge Files 1995-1996 2019-X-09 Schlumberge Working Files 1995-1996 2019-X-10 Schlumberge Working Files #2 1995-1996 2019-X-11 Schlumberge Working Files #3 1995 2020-X-01 Program 812 - Annex 12, Dunstan Street 1994-1995 2020-X-02 Program 813 - Annex 13, 17423 Katy Freeway 1993-1995 2020-X-03 Program 814 - Annex 14, Cullen Blvd. 1992-1995 2020-X-04 Program 815 - Annex 15, Sweeny Building 1995 2020-X-05 Program 816 - Annex 16, Pillot Building 1989-1992 2020-X-06 Program 817 - Annex 17, Cypresswood Dr 1994-1998 2020-X-07 Program 818 - Annex 18, Drug Building, 406 Caroline 1997-1998 2020-X-08 Program 819 - Annex 19 1997-1998 2020-X-09 Program 820 – Annex 20, Coffee Pot Building, 102 San Jacinto 1997-1998 2020-X-10 Program 821 – Annex 21, Wilson Building, 49 San Jacinto 1996-1998 2020-X-11 Program 822 – Annex 22, Central Jail 1997-1998 2020-X-12 Page 5 of 15 COUNTY OFFICE – CR002 Title Date Location Program 824 Security 1997-1998 2020-X-13 Program 825 – Annex 25, Kyle Chapman Annex 1997-1998 2020-X-14 Program 833 – Annex A, 7020 Antoine 1997 2020-X-15 Program 834 – Annex 34, Old Baytown Hospital 1997-1998 2020-X-16 Program 835 – Annex 35, 1721 Pech Road 1997-1998 2020-X-17 Program 836 – Annex 36, 3701 Cavalcade 1998 2020-X-18 Program 837 – Annex 37, Animal Shelter, 616 Canino Road 1998 2020-X-19 Program 838 – Annex D, Scanlon Building, 405 Main St. 1998 2020-X-20 Program 843 - Annex 32, Pasadena Savings and Loan 1997 2020-X-21 Program 827 – Annex 27 Old Peden Building, 700 N. San Jacinto 1994-1998 2020-X-22 Correspondence: Program 800 Annex41- Program 804 Annex 4 1225 1997-1998 2021-X-01 Elder –109 East Shaw Correspondence: Program 808 - Annex 8, 701 Baker Rd - Program 1997-1998 2021-X-02 811 Annex 11, 16715 Clay Road Correspondence: Program 813 - Annex 13, 17423 Katy Freeway – 1997-1998 2021-X-03 Program 823 - Forensic Center, 1885 Old Spanish Trail Correspondence: Program 829 AG Center, 2 Abercrombie Dr - 1997-1998 2021-X-04