Soon you’ll be asked to vote on $442 million worth of city bond projects, some for the Downtown Sports and Entertainment District.

The News 4 I-Team Waste Watch is digging into previous bonds and uncovers projects that are still unfinished almost ten years later.

Protests and a lawsuit prevented the city from making upgrades and repairs to the river wall and historic 1878 pump house in Brackenridge Park. One of three projects that still haven’t been completed from the 2017 bond.

Voters approved $7.7 million back in 2017 to stabilize the river wall, renovate the pumphouse and other improvements.

But there were protests over the impact on trees and birds in the park.

“It’s not about what the city wants or these private interests it’s about what we want, and we’ve told you, we want those trees for our children,” said project opponent Alesia Garlock in 2023.

Members of a Native American church sued arguing the project would block them from performing spiritual practices at the site, a suit that may end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The delays have increased the cost of construction.

“All the construction costs have doubled and insurance. Ten years later, the project still hasn’t started and it’s still not under construction,” said Chris Maitre, CEO of the Brackenridge Park Conservancy.

The 2022 bond added $2.5 million to the project, and Maitre says another $15 million will be needed from the upcoming 2027 bond.

Meanwhile, two large road projects have been sitting idle.

Probandt Street was supposed to receive $9 million in improvements as part of the 2017 bond, and another $5 million from the 2022 bond.

People using Roosevelt Avenue were promised a pedestrian and bicycle bridge and other enhancements paid for with $8.3 million from the 2017 bond and $12 million more from the 2022 bond.

But TxDOT reversed its approval to turnback both roadways to the city’s control.

The city told us: “Both projects are now being redesigned to TxDOT standards. Roosevelt is scheduled to begin construction in summer 2027, and Probandt in 2028.”

The city says 98 percent of the 2017 bond projects have been completed, and the first phase of construction finally began earlier this year on the pump house in Brackenridge Park.