Monday was a big day for Whitesboro when community members and civic leaders gathered together at the site of the forthcoming elevated water tower for a groundbreaking ceremony.
At 6 p.m., a large group met at the construction site at 1395 W. Main Street. City Administrator Phil Harris gave a benediction before Mayor David Blaylock addressed the crowd.
In his speech, Blaylock recounted the history of the highly anticipated water tower and its need in response to the growth of Whitesboro. The city’s current 250,000-gallon water tower, built in 1965 at Godwin Park, is near capacity.
“Today’s a big day for the City of Whitesboro,” Mayor Blaylock said. “A desperate need for the city is now in progress, being a 1 million-gallon water tower. We will now be able to handle the growth that is coming and still support the needs for the longtime citizens of this great city.”
The mayor explained that in 2022, the city council (who at that time consisted of Blaylock, Ben Edwards, Jim Keller, Colby Meals and John Moore with Dee Welch presiding as mayor) was approached by Bradley Williams (Whitesboro’s public works director) and John White (city water employee) regarding concerns of being in fault with TEQC (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) on water availability.
A new well had been approved in 2017, but action had not been taken. So the ‘22 council approved a 16-inch water line to connect the east side of town to the new well site on the west side of town. Shortly thereafter, aldermen Barry Keller, Stacey Miles, Carla Woolsey, and then-City Administrator Julie Arrington joined the team to help set the project in motion.
Blaylock said the project is now being carried out by the current council (aldermen Ronnie Fielder, John Moore, Mike Pack, Su Welch, Carla Woolsey and Mayor Blaylock) and current City Administrator Harris. In January of this year, the council awarded $7.2 million to begin construction.
“We have in our making great progress in our wonderful little city. It has taken three years to get to where we are today on this water tower, and I’m proud to have been just a small part of it,” Blaylock said. “I want to thank all the great employees that have had a big hand in making this happen. We appreciate you and all that you do.”
The current council then used golden shovels to dig into the ground for a series of photos before Harris invited past council members to join in the photo. Next, members of the Economic Development Corporation (whose sales tax funds are helping to build the tower) posed for photos before city workers and then community members were invited to join in the photo opportunities.
According to a handout provided to attendees, work officially began on the construction site on March 3 with the installation of erosion control. Foundation excavation began this week, and foundation is expected to be poured on April 10. Steel erection is set to begin in August with project completion expected in late April 2026.
According to Harris, cameras will be located at the construction site providing real-time progress of the build. Citizens are encouraged to follow along as construction develops.
