Bastrop, Tx–After a public hearing Tuesday the city council seems no closer to deciding what to do with a vacant lot it owns fronting 921 Main St. downtown.
As expected, the council heard competing visions of the best future use of the property which the city bought last year. The entire property extends from Main to Water Street, and the city has long planned to use most of the site for parking improvements. The 110 feet closest to Main is too narrow to use for parking, according to City Manager Mike Talbot.
The site was formerly home to the Texas Mercantile craft and antique outlet. That building burned in 2003 and was never rebuilt.
Speaking on behalf of the Bastrop Main Street Advisory Board, Steve DeWire laid out a vision for a downtown plaza and visitor comfort station on the site, including rest rooms, landscaping and shade trees. Such a public space would attract visitors to stay longer in the area and boost downtown sales, he argued.
He estimated the initial cost at $259,000 plus some $4,400 annual maintenance expense, chiefly rest room upkeep.
The Bastrop Economic Development Corp. offered a different vision. The board is ready to work with the council to redevelop the space for commercial use, returning the property to the tax roll and generating salex tax income, said BEDC President Joe Newman.
For instance BEDC could buy the site from the city for market value and then negotiate with potential developers with far more flexibility than state law permits the city to offer, said Newman.
More than one potential developer is awaiting a city decision, he said.
At the end of public testimony, Council Member Joe Beal said he still has little evidence about the likely economic impact of either choice.
Mayor Terry Orr noted that grant funding could help pay for a public use project, and the site “looks like a festival space to me.”