CITY & COUNTY
News from Round Rock
COMPILED BY BROOKE SJOBERG
Round Rock City Council will meet May 11 and 25 at 6 p.m. 216 E. Main St., Round Rock 512-218-5401 www.roundrocktexas.gov MEETINGS WE COVER contingency plan. The updates amend scheduled watering times from midnight to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight on designated days when restrictions are imposed. The plan also includes language that encourages HIGHLIGHTS ROUND ROCK City officials approved $169,200 from its construction fund to replace damaged fencing at the city’s Shayla Dame Skatepark. The fence was damaged in March 2022 by a tornado, and the fence has been vandalized several times, Parks and Recreation Director Rick Atkins said. Atkins said city staff worked with the Round Rock Police Department to select higher-durability fencing to prevent future damage. ROUND ROCK On April 27 city officials approved updates to the Round Rock drought residents to observe voluntary Stage 1 restrictions at all times.
Support shown for arts and culture department overhaul
Historic Stagecoach Inn to receive renovation ROUND ROCK The city will remodel the interior and exterior of the historic Stagecoach Inn as part of the second phase of renovation. windows and doors; an electrical system. The project will also include various other interior improvements.
SEEKING FUNDING
Federal grants pay for about half of Round Rock’s bus and on-demand paratransit service.
• Assist nonprofits and artists via grants and assistance programs • Expand the department’s role to connect individual artists and arts organizations STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY • Create an arts and cultural space within the former library building • Establish and launch a neighborhood arts program • Create community space activations INCREASE CAPACITY • Rename Round Rock Office of Arts and Culture • Increase staffing • Establish creative funding program for artists • Revise city's public art master plan BOOST INNER WORKINGS FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM A city survey yielded four recommendations for the Round Rock Arts and Culture Department:
ROUND ROCK Following a community survey of more than 2,000 residents, the first update to the Arts and Culture Master Plan since 2013 calls for some changes to the Round Rock Office of Arts and Culture. The plan serves as a guide for boosting arts and culture programs and supporting economic development. Programs within the plan include the existing Downtowner Gallery, located at 231 E. Main St., Round Rock, events such as Beaujolais Nights, workshops and classes offered through the Round Rock Public Library. Martin Cohen, a consultant with the firm Cultural Planning Group, which conducted the survey, said during an April 13 City Council meeting the turnout for citizens responding to the city’s survey was on par with that of some local elections. “I’m not here just to advocate for the office, but the demand is clear,” Cohen said. “The role of that office has grown dramatically.” The survey utilized resident feedback about the importance of art programs in the city along with having performance and activation spaces, galleries and other arts-forward planning for residents to guide recommenda- tions for changes to the existing arts and culture program. The consulting firm made four recommendations as a result of these surveys, including an expansion of services the department provides to the community. City officials did not act on any recommendations at the April 13 meeting but will at a future meeting.
City: $1.31M
Grants: $1.03M
Total: $2.34M
The remodel will focus on aspects that will turn the building into a rentable event facility, said Rick Atkins, Round Rock parks and recre- ation director. At an April 13 meeting, Round Rock officials approved $714,371 for the renovation, which will replace the roof and add a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system; flooring;
The last major change to the historic building occurred when crews relocated it in 2018 to a perch near Chisholm Trail Road and Brushy Creek from 901 RM 620 to accommodate road construction. City records state the relocation of the 100-ton limestone structure took two days to complete and cost approximately $562,000. City officials had previously planned to pre- serve the building for future renovation projects. However, community interest and a recent increase in hotel occupancy tax funding allowed the city to move forward with the project sooner than planned. Council approved $60,000 for the project in March 2022, noting the unknown scope of work required to restore the inn. The building itself will not have bathrooms, Atkins said, but the nearby Memorial Park facilities will. The Stagecoach Inn will become part of the Heritage West Trail, an ongoing city project that recently faced significant delays due to the bank- ruptcy of its contractor. The project’s completion is now expected sometime in 2023.
SOURCE: CITY OF ROUND ROCK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
City seeks $1.03M grant for public transportation ROUND ROCK City officials will seek substan- tial federal funding to improve Round Rock’s public transit program. At an April 13 City Council meeting, officials gave Gary Hudder, Round Rock Transportation Department director, the go ahead to apply for $1.03 million in federal funding that Hudder said will fund both fixed-route bus service and on-demand paratransit. If approved, the federal funding combined with the city’s share of $1.31 million will bring the total cost of the program to $2.34 million. The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is an entity that awards grant funds to cities with populations between 50,000-200,000, city staff said.
A NEW FACE FOR THE INN The historic Stagecoach Inn, built in 1848, will undergo a renovation into an event space complete with: Replacing windows and doors Adding a new heating, Replacing the roof
INCREASE AWARENESS
Updating electrical work
• Create an arts and entertainment district in downtown Round Rock • Collaborate with businesses and community development organizations to attract artists
ventilation and air conditioning system
Installing new flooring
SOURCE: CITY OF ROUND ROCK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CITY OF ROUND ROCK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
ROUND ROCK 201 University Oaks Blvd (512) 341-9066
GEORGETOWN 1013 W University Ave (512) 868-6696
CEDAR PARK 13530 Ronald Reagan Blvd (512) 986-7681
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