State and Local AEC Snapshots: Harris County, Texas

Harris County is the largest county in the state of Texas and the third-largest county in the United States. With a rising population exceeding 4 million residents, the county’s expenditures are rapidly increasing at a Deltek-estimated rate of 7.1 percent.

Harris County is also home to the largest medical complex in the world, the Texas Medical Center (TMC). As the county expenditure charts below illustrate, the county spends the most money on hospitals, and construction is a major component. For example, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center was estimated to spend $198 million on hospital expansions in 2014. The total size of the TMC is currently 45.8 million square feet and is estimated to reach 59 million square feet in the near future, according to the Greater Houston Partnership. 

Another category that pulls in high dollars is toll highways. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently awarded the SH 288 Toll Lanes Project in Harris County to Blueridge Transportation Group, which will be tasked with the development, design, construction, finance, operation and maintenance of tolled lanes, general purpose lanes, and associated facilities along a 10-mile stretch of SH 288 – from US 59 to the Harris County line at Clear Creek in Harris County.

 

Additionally, the Aggie Highway project involves work within Harris County and Montgomery County to provide a direct route from College Station to Houston. Harris County began constructing their portion of the toll way in 2013, and work is expected to be completed in 2015.

 

With both the population and spending on the rise, Harris County will also see an increase in construction and/or transit projects over the next several years. Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms should pay particular attention to the rapidly growing hospital and toll markets, and also take note that the county has set aside $145 million in the FY 2015-16 budget for infrastructure and systems projects.

 

 

You can learn more about Harris County in GovWin IQ’s government snapshot tool, which combines government data with Deltek’s expert analysis and forecasting tools. Our government snapshots provide vendors with key information on spending, population, agency contacts, employment, bids, and more so that they can make informed business decisions in their target markets. Not a Deltek subscriber? Click here to learn more about Deltek's GovWin IQ service and gain access to a free trial.