Bonham -- The regular meeting of Bonham Economic Development Corporation (BEDCo) Board of Directors opened with a brief presentation regarding the pending Bonham ISD $30 million bond election.

Dr. Marvin Beaty, Superintendent of Bonham ISD, and Scott Miller of the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee displayed an architect's depiction of proposed improvements, should voters approve the bond, however some elements of the design continue to be fine tuned.

Structural issues have plagued Bonham High School since it opened in 1971 and estimates to renovate the 45-year-old building now exceed 90% of the cost of a new building.

Miller described the local high school building as "structurally unsound."

Early voting begins April 25.

In other business, BEDCo board members debated the need to hire a development partner with multi-tenant retail-commercial expertise to market a BEDCo-owned 6.897-acre parcel on the east side of Hwy. 121 North.

Proponents believe an expert in commercial development would be more likely to find "the best fit for Bonham," while detractors questioned whether anything more than current market demands are needed to drive sales.

In a 4-1 vote, the board tabled the agenda item for closer study.  Ray Clark, Larry Moss, Teresa Stapp and Jack Lipscomb voted to table the item, with BEDCo President Emily Porter casting the opposing vote.

In a unanimous decision, BEDCo granted a two-year extension to Bonham Hospitality, LLC on implementation of the second phase of the agreement -- construction on the 40-room Reddy Extended Stay Hotel to be located east of Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Bonham.

The original agreement was predicated on Lower Bois d'Arc Creek Reservoir being permitted and under construction in early 2016, thereby creating increased demand for temporary housing for contract workers.

Under the new agreement, the construction timeline for the second hotel is extended until mid-September 2019.

Bonham city staff has been receptive to having the planned phase 2 hotel "flagged" as a Best Western.

GK Reddy and city staff are also in discussions regarding construction of multi-unit townhouses in Bonham.  

In another unanimous decision, BEDCo board members voted to participate in the Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG)-facilitated Bonham Vision and Zoning Plan proposal and to partially (25%-33%) fund the study from BEDCo's fiscal year 2016 budget for consultant/professional services.