The city of San Marcos is exploring the potential development of a new city hall, along with possible improvements to the Hopkins Street corridor and nearby community assets.

Along with consulting firm Freese and Nichols, the city will host three open house meetings for residents to gain insight and provide feedback on the Hopkins City Center-New City Hall Project.

The gist: The city is considering three project locations for the new city hall project, including the city-owned Armory property, the current city hall site and a downtown location, according to a city news release.

The open house meetings will be structured as come-and-go events and will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the following dates:

• Oct. 19, Bowie Elementary cafeteria

• Nov. 18, San Marcos Public Library

• Dec. 9, Dunbar Recreation Center

Community members will complete feedback worksheets and share comments at the meetings. Those who cannot attend a meeting may complete the feedback worksheet online. The form will be open from Oct. 19 through Dec. 9.

In 2001, Buda residents voted to create the Buda Economic Development Corp., or Buda EDC, to strengthen the city’s economy. The organization celebrated 25 years of operation by unveiling a new city landmark.

The overview: Over the last 25 years, the Buda EDC has awarded 351 incentives, supporting more than 225 businesses, according to a news release. The organization has invested $72.6 million in the community, including $3.1 million in incentives for local offerings.

Major projects with 10 or more employees supported by the Buda EDC generate $668.6 million in economic impact and more than 4,450 local jobs each year, according to an independent study by The Perryman Group.

Also of note: The Buda EDC celebrated its 25th anniversary on Oct. 10. The organization unveiled its newest addition to the city: the largest wiener dog in Texas.

The 19-foot-long, 10-foot-tall steel sculpture was designed and built by public art studio Art Seen Alliance and is located in Buda City Park. The statue honors the city’s long-standing tradition of the Buda Wiener Dog Races.

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Developers for the Co-Op Marketplace, a 2.5-acre mixed-use project on Castell Ave. in downtown New Braunfels, hope to start construction next year.

Once complete, the Co-Op Marketplace will consist of about 27,000 square feet of leasable space. About 13,000 square feet of that space will be dedicated to a public market for local small businesses.

The overview: The New Braunfels Economic Development Corp. granted a five-year extension for performance deadlines outlined in the development’s incentive agreement during a regular meeting on Oct. 15.

A $4.5 million incentive agreement, approved by City Council in 2024, outlined several public improvement requirements to be completed by Dec. 31. No incentives have been paid to the project, according to the presentation. 

Developers requested the five-year extension due to rising capital costs, tenancy issues and project redesigns, according to previous reporting by Community Impact. 

Project construction has not progressed beyond initial demolition. Mike Myers, one of the project's investors, said construction would take about a year.