Bastrop, Tx–The Bastrop County Historical Society hit a speed bump Tuesday in its quest to turn the current Bastrop City Hall into a new downtown visitor center and museum when a city council member asked in public whether the city should sell the property instead to help pay for other urgent Bastrop needs.
The discussion emerged as the historical society, which already operates a visitor center and history museum in downtown locations, partly with city money, presented results of a $25,000 feasibility study–also funded by city hotel occupancy taxes–for converting the Main Street city hall building into a new museum and visitor center.
Construction is expected to begin later this year on a new city hall on Chestnut Street, with no approved plan so far for the future of the present seat of municipal government on Main Street. Frank Huffman, speaking on behalf of the historical society, said preliminary estimates suggest the Main Street site can be renovated for museum and visitor center uses, with internal changes and a modest addition on the west side of the structure for perhaps just under $1.2 million. The estimate assumes the city will lease the site to the historical society for a long term at nominal cost. Another assumption is that the city will cover much of the renovation and addition cost from its hotel occupancy tax revenue, said Huffman. The society will also undertake significant private fund-raising efforts to support the conversion, he said.
The speed bump emerged when Council Member Julie Hart agreed that the proposed museum/visitor center could be a “a wonderful addition” to downtown Bastrop, “but if it doesn’t make financial sense I have a real problem.” She added “This (city hall) is one asset we could use to relive the tax burden on citiens or help (restrain) water rates. I have a lot of concerns.”
Outside Tuesday’s council meeting, City Manager Mike Talbot said he is ordering a formal property appraisal for the present city hall site, a previously promised contribution to the ongoing discussion of the best use of the property.
In a telephone interview today, Hart told Bastrop-News.com that at the least she wants to collect more information and conduct a public hearing before the council decides what to do with the current city hall once a new municipal building is ready to occupy, perhaps sometime next year.