October 5th, 2010
San Marcos downtown redevelopment project in planning stage

SUBMITTED REPORT

The City of San Marcos Capital Improvements Department held the third public meeting concerning the Downtown Redevelopment project on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at the San Marcos Activity Center.

More than forty downtown property owners, business people and city staff joined contracted consultants from HNTB and Bain Medina Bain for a project update and roundtable discussion.

The presentation explained that project design plans are in the preliminary stages with final plan completion scheduled for spring 2011.

The project is likely to be completed in phases, due to funds availability, with first phase construction estimated to begin fall 2011.

Meeting attendees completed comment sheets to be incorporated into the project design and additional comment forms are available at www.sanmarcostx.gov (click on Departments and then Capital Improvements.)  The Downtown Redevelopment meeting presentation and project displays are also posted.   Comment forms may be emailed, mailed or delivered to the Capital Improvements Department in the Municipal Building at 630 E. Hopkins.

The Downtown Redevelopment project had its beginnings in 2005 as a proposed drainage project along Hutchison Street with limited roadway repair and ADA sidewalk improvements.

Since then, the project has expanded to include street reconstruction, streetscape additions, drainage, water, wastewater and sidewalk improvements on:

• East Hutchison Street from North Guadalupe Street to CM Allen Parkway
• North Guadalupe Street from East Hopkins Street to Concho Street
• North LBJ Drive from East Hopkins Street to University Drive
• University Drive from North Guadalupe Street to North LBJ Drive
• Pat Garrison Street from Fredericksburg Street to North Guadalupe Street
• Fredericksburg Street from Pat Garrison Street to Lindsey Street
• Guadalupe/LBJ Alley from University Drive to East Hopkins Street
• LBJ/Edward Gary Alley from University Drive to East Hopkins Street

In accordance with these improvements, the City and Texas State University are partnering on a Downtown Underground Electrical project along University Drive and Hutchison Street that would most likely be built in conjunction with the first phase of the Downtown Redevelopment project.

Additional public meetings will be held in 2011 as project design plans are finalized and pertinent construction information is available for downtown businesses and property owners.

For more information on the Downtown Redevelopment project, please call the City of San Marcos Capital Improvements Department at 512-393-8130 or email cip@sanmarcostx.gov.

— FROM THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS/MELISSA MILLECAM