Destination downtown

Destination downtown

Written by Christi Snow Saturday, 07 July 2007

Round Rock city staff has recommended an overhaul of plans for a future city hall.

In two years, city hall could be located behind the McConico Building near McNeil Road. It would serve as a policy center and a meeting point, be architecturally significant, provide an economic driver — and potentially help unite southwest downtown and old downtown into simply Round Rock’s downtown.

“We hope it will further spur development,” City Manager Jim Nuse said.

Voters passed a bond in 2001 with $11.8 million dedicated to future municipal facilities, including a 60,000 sq. ft. city hall that would sit on Bagdad Avenue behind the McConico Building.

At the time of the bond election, the neighboring Baca Senior Center and the new amphitheater did not exist, although the buildings fill a significant amount of landmass now. Still, enough land is available, but construction expenses have inflated since 2001, changing the overall anticipated cost of the facility to around $12 million.

“$11.8 million is not quite what it used to be, so with special challenges come special opportunities,” Mayor Nyle Maxwell said.

So far, Maxwell has supported the staff’s recommendations, highlighting the potential for the city hall to become an economic driver if it does indeed serve as a center point for community events.

Conceived on a model

Scottsdale, Ariz. is an example of what Round Rock wants to emulate, Nuse said. Along with its city hall, it has attractions such as an amphitheater, library and high-end hotels that draw tourists and shoppers.

“[Downtown] is a cash cow for the City of Scottsdale,” Nuse said.

This August, the city will have access to the bond money for the facilities, but instead of a 60,000 sq. ft. city hall, Round Rock could afford a 20,000 - 30,000 sq. ft. structure in the same spot for around $7.8 million. The leftover money would go to purchasing additional buildings at other sites.

A 1999 study predicted the city would need at least an additional 44,000 sq. ft. by 2020, according to assumed growth. These projections led to the 2001 bond with orders from the former city council to begin implementation in seven to eight years. At a recent council meeting, current council member Rufus Honeycutt recalled the council wanted to preserve historic downtown with a permanent and attractive city hall. It would also draw attention to a less traveled area.

Community center vision

Conceptually, the city hall will have an office for the mayor, along with an additional two or three rooms for council members to share. The rest of the square footage would go to administration and meeting space.

While the proposal does not meet all the city government’s needs to support municipal growth, Nuse said they could find the space other ways. Municipal facilities would be decentralized, but with related departments close to each other.

The current city hall, paired with a building next door the city is considering purchasing for around $4 million, provides more than 40,000 sq. ft. of additional space. Williamson County has also expressed interest in selling its Old Settlers Boulevard annex in Round Rock after completing its new building. That would add another 34,000 sq. ft.

Together, the proposed city hall and the two other buildings would provide enough space, Nuse said.

At the city council summer retreat planned for August, Nuse expects the downtown area will be a major topic of discussion. If the council gives its blessing, in the best case scenario it would take around nine to 10 months to design the city hall and then a year to 18 months to construct it.

Round Rock’s Berlin Wall

Building a recognized and community-used policy center is just one step in overcoming one of Round Rock’s downtown challenges, according to Nuse. Mays Street runs north-south and divides downtown in half, which stymies commerce.

“There’s a Berlin Wall between downtown and southwest downtown — and it needs to get resolved,” Nuse said.

Numerous business offices and city offices, including the McConico Building and the Baca Center, dominate southwest downtown with only a little bit of retail. The majority of the shopping and restaurants, along with the city hall and library, are across the street in old downtown. Round Rock Communications Director Will Hampton said it is dangerous to walk where Round Rock Avenue or Main Avenue intersects with Mays Street.

“Lord help you if you try to cross the street with all the traffic,” he said. “We need to have pedestrian-oriented development and right now there is a big gulf in the middle.”

Options for connection

Hampton said the city staff has considered several ideas to create cohesiveness, but each scenario has complications. Adding bridges might work, but those must have handicap access. To remedy that challenge, it might be possible to provide elevators, but that is expensive. Another option is building tunnels, but then the city would have to decide where to start and stop them without interrupting traffic.

Although nothing is finalized or even formally proposed, Nuse said another possibility would be redirecting RM 620 traffic at Mays Street and creating a park between a large oak tree and the old Round Rock water tower. It would be a square that serves as a central point for downtown. He acknowledges that brings new challenges to traffic flow, which is why the city continues to explore a variety of options.

“We really have to get united downtown if we want everyone to be prosperous down there,” he said.

Proposed Round Rock City Hall

• Cost: Around $7.8 million.
• Purpose: Center for community and cultural events. Serves as a policy center for municipal government.
• Includes: Office space for Round Rock City Council, specifically an office for the mayor and two to three offices for council members.
• Earliest time frame for completion: Two years.
• Project status: Requires city council approval, which could possibly come in late summer or early fall.

On the west side of Mays Street, offices and city facilities dominate most of southwest downtown. It does have a few retail stores, including Changes Day Spa and Salon. City staff would like to provide more continuity east-west with easier pedestrian access to the other side of Mays Street, which has more of downtown’s shopping and restaurants.