HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda_LAB_05.19.2014Notice of Meeting for the
Library Advisory Board
of the City of Georgetown
May 19, 2014 at 6:30 PM
at Staff conference room, Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. 8th Street
The City of Georgetown is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you
require assistance in participating at a public meeting due to a disability, as defined under the ADA, reasonable
assistance, adaptations, or accommodations will be provided upon request. Please contact the City at least four
(4) days prior to the scheduled meeting date, at (512) 930-3652 or City Hall at 113 East 8th Street for
additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711.
Regular Session
(This Regular Session may, at any time, be recessed to convene an Executive Session for any purpose
authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code 551.)
A Citizens wishing to address the Board. As of the deadline, no persons were signed up to speak on items
other than what was posted on the agenda.
B Consideration of minutes of April 21, 2014 meeting.
C Consideration of Library Director's report -- Eric Lashley
D Consideration of the library's policies regarding reconsideration of materials -- Eric Lashley.
E Consideration and possible action regarding the City Center Plan that will be presented to City Council
on May 27. Eric Lashley
F Report on the meeting of the chairs of the Arts and Culture Board, the Convention and Visitors Bureau
Advisory Board, the Main Street Advisory Board, and the Library Advisory Board on April 30, 2014.
Linda Nix, Eric Lashley
G Consideration of dates of future Board meetings -- Eric Lashley
CERTIFICATE OF POSTING
I, Jessica Brettle, City Secretary for the City of Georgetown, Texas, do hereby certify that this Notice of
Meeting was posted at City Hall, 113 E. 8th Street, a place readily accessible to the general public at all times,
on the ______ day of __________________, 2014, at __________, and remained so posted for at least 72
continuous hours preceding the scheduled time of said meeting.
____________________________________
Jessica Brettle, City Secretary
City of Georgetown, Texas
SUBJECT:
Citizens wishing to address the Board. As of the deadline, no persons were signed up to speak on items
other than what was posted on the agenda.
ITEM SUMMARY:
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This item has no direct financial impact.
SUBMITTED BY:
Judy Fabry
City of Georgetown, Texas
SUBJECT:
Consideration of minutes of April 21, 2014 meeting.
ITEM SUMMARY:
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This item has no direct financial impact.
SUBMITTED BY:
Judy Fabry
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
April 21, 2014 minutes Backup Material
Minutes of the Meeting of the
Library Advisory Board
of the City of Georgetown
April 21, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
in the Staff conference room
Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. 8th Street
The Library Advisory Board met on Monday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the staff
conference room at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. 8th Street.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Linda Nix, Tom Hagen, Michael Barnes, and Stephanie
Blanck.
Regular Session – began at 6:30 p.m.
A. Citizens wishing to address the Board. There were none.
B. Consideration of minutes of the March 17, 2014 meeting. – Michael Barnes
made the motion to accept the minutes of the March 2014 Library Advisory
Board Meeting and Tom Hagen seconded the motion. The motion passed
unanimously.
C. Consideration of Library Director’s report – Eric Lashley – Director Lashley
reported circulation and visitations were up for the month of March over the
previous fiscal year. Bookmobile circulation equaled 2,464, e -book circulation
equaled 1307, and downloadable audiobooks equaled 352. Lashley noted
the library had 976 hours donated by volunteers. Director Lashley reported
the Anne Frank exhibit was going extremely well and a Holocaust survivor will
be speaking at the library on Sunday, April 27 at 2:00 p.m. He reported the
library now has WiFi printing capabilities for patrons who bring in their own
laptops or mobile devices. Lashley also noted the next speaker in the
Friends’ author series will be James Magnuson, on May 8, 2014. The director
noted the $1,000.00 donation by PEC and Blanck asked about the $1,806.81
donation by Bonnie Stump. Lashley didn’t know about the donation, but said
he would find out and report back to the board. The director passed out a
draft copy of the Georgetown City Center plan, written by Nore Winter and
Company, and informed the board that the draft plan will be presented in a
Council workshop session on May 13, 2014. He wanted the board members
to see the plans before the story hit the newspapers.
D. Consideration of the Georgetown Reads! Program for 201 4 – Eric Lashley –
Director Lashley announced the 2014 Georgetown Reads! Selection is
Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. The book is about a
family that spends a year eating only food that they have raised themselves
or acquired locally. The library will be sponsoring book discussion events in
May and will have other programs relating to the book in September.
E. Report on library’s budget for 2014-15 – Eric Lashley- Director Lashley
reported he is requesting additional funds for program ming, library materials,
temp on call employees, travel and training as well as a new marketing
position. He noted the large number of programs the library is producing as
well as the added responsibility of promoting programs on social media is
justification for the new position.
F. Report from Staff regarding Texas Library Association annual conference –
Eric Lashley – Lashley did not have a report since he had just returned from
vacation and had not had a chance to discuss the conference with the staff
members who had attended.
G. Consideration of the library’s policies regarding reconsideration of materials
and art – Eric Lashley- Director Lashley asked to defer this discussion until
more board members could participate in the discussion.
H. Consideration of dates of future Board meetings – Eric Lashley – Lashley
noted this particular agenda item allowed for meeting dates to be changed if a
quorum would be difficult for future meetings. No accommodations needed to
be made, so no changes were made to the future meeting schedule.
Chair Linda Nix adjourned the meeting at 7:47 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Eric Lashley, Acting Secretary Linda Nix, Chair
City of Georgetown, Texas
SUBJECT:
Consideration of Library Director's report -- Eric Lashley
ITEM SUMMARY:
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This item has no direct financial impact.
SUBMITTED BY:
Judy Fabry
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
April 2014 library statistics Backup Material
director's report Backup Material
memorials log Backup Material
GEORGETOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Comparative Fiscal Year Statistics
2013
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr Annual Total
Patron Visits
Current Year 26554 29893 24808 29552 28508 32771 29993 202079
2012-2013 26729 27473 19786 27227 27534 32142 29052 350225
2011-2012 30822 27674 22499 35123 32409 47620 39433 396094
2010-2011 31410 27524 28878 27363 29232 31269 33018 362923
Circulation 2013
Current Year 46597 42212 40366 44732 40648 46748 42575 303878
2012-2013 41909 42277 38971 44973 40288 45324 44749 550683
2011-2012 45280 42854 38880 44006 41925 45073 42285 552032
2010-2011 40965 40697 35963 42919 40488 44139 40729 527746
Children's Programs Annual Total
Attendance 1351 789 612 854 1031 1178 989 6804
Programs 11 5 11 4 11 12 5 59
Story Time 27 19 12 22 20 18 23 141
Other (Tour, Movies, Crafts)8 4 0 0 0 4 4 20
After School Programs 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 29
Other Services
ILL Ordered 64 38 38 52 36 28 29 285
ILL filled 41 32 31 26 31 17 21 199
Internet usage (persons)6130 5002 4453 5428 5020 5661 4862 36556
Overdrive usage (E-books)1129 1188 1278 1370 1294 1307 1213 8779
Overdrive usage (audiobooks)237 282 282 292 280 352 316 2041
Bookmobile circulation 2979 2609 2466 2038 2941 2464 2695 18192
Volunteer Hours
Adult 667.25 692.50 559.50 716.85 634.50 770.75 601.75 4643.10
Teen 44.00 11.00 52.00 75.50 79.75 15.50 40.00 317.75
Community Service 42.00 55.75 130.25 107.50 72.25 141.50 204.00 753.25
Total 753.25 759.25 741.75 899.85 786.50 927.75 845.75 5714.10
Registrations
City Residents-new 142 95 97 94 185 150 139 902
GISD Kids' Cards 8 6 0 1 12 10 11 48
Non-residents-new 26 21 28 39 40 39 27 220
Total 176 122 125 134 237 199 177 1170
Cash Receipts
Fines/Misc. Revenue 3302.99 3042.65 2996.25 3923.26 3253.24 3645.42 3151.51 23315.32
Non-resident fees 2060.00 1880.00 1905.00 3090.00 2555.00 2630.00 2220.00 16340.00
Donations 2868.85 1115.53 2197.52 389.70 1216.10 1850.90 1313.30 10951.90
Gifts/Memorials 125.00 2525.00 1182.50 9171.25 5273.50 4154.81 18928.75 41360.81
Meeting Room Use
persons attdg meetings 3542 3009 2396 2744 2868 5500 4410 24469
Library Collection Changes
Copies Added 1851 890 1278 967 1220 1299 1416 8921
Copies Discarded 473 389 394 701 629 449 572 3607
212 75 138 138 77 132 133 905
Notes:Count taken early in July 2012 so August had 6 extra days
Bookmobile did not run the last week of January 2014--maintenance time
2014
2014
FY 2013-0214Statistics
Donations Added
DIRECTOR’S MONTHLY REPORT
GEORGETOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
APRIL 2014
HIGHLIGHTS
Staff members attending the annual Texas Library Association conference in San
Antonio, April 8-11, included Sally Miculek, Sally Bernier, Bethni King, Brenna
Normann, Melissa Mote, and Leslie Bradley. This is the one conference each year
that all of the librarians are encouraged to attend. Each year, usually no more than two
of the professional staff may attend national conferences such as those of the
American Library Association or the Public Library Association. Opportunities to attend
rotate among the staff members.
The Austin Pastel Society showed some 60 pieces in the galleries during April.
Cactus Groove, a local 3-piece jazz ensemble, played in the lobby on Sunday, April
13.
Melissa Mote, the teen librarian, has been using a small grant from the Friends of the
Library to redecorate the teen area. It has a new coat of paint, new area rugs and new
wall décor.
Among the other recent gifts from the Friends is a portable canopy t hat Michele
Harber, the bookmobile librarian, can use this summer to create a shady spot for the
children’s activities she hopes to provide to her young patrons. The Friends also
provided funding for food and crafts for the bookmobile’s kids programs.
The changes that the local chapter of the Texas Native Plant Society made to the
library landscaping are beginning to take root and fill in. During Earth Week the
chapter members had a beautiful display of information in the library lobby.
Sally Miculek and Bethni King attended the meeting of the Sun City Georgetown
Kiwanis on April 27 where they were given a check for $1000 for children’s
programming.
PATRON COMMENTS FOR APRIL 2014
1. The library is fun but just for my opinion you need more headphones for the
computers and some of the computers are messed up.
2. More books about chupacabra, Big Foot and Yeti.
3. Dear Director, My name is Patricia Funes. I congratulate most excellent group of
people working in the library. But especially for Gloria. She is grea t personality.
Thanks.
4. Thanks to Rita for getting me my interlibrary loan materials.
DONOR DONATION
Mary Overstreet Copy of her book, The Women: They Walked to Texas , in honor of
John Berry Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas
The Woman's Club $150 in honor of their speakers
Nellouise Stewart Copies of Daniel Boone ; My Father, Daniel Boone ; Daniel Boone, Master
of the Wilderness ; The Life of Daniel Boone ; The Wooldridge Family ,
volumes 1 & 2; The Boone Family ; Jamestowne Ancestors 1607-1699 ,
in honor of John Tom Stewart, Jr.
Anonymous $300 for renewal of nonresident student cards for the summer
Jean Brashear Copies of her novels, Texas Roots , Texas Wild , Texas Dreams , and
Texas Rebel , in memory of her mother, Diane Roberson
Hanna Davidson Pankowsky Copy of her book, East of the Storm
Sun City Georgetown Kiwanis $1000 for children's programs
GEORGETOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
DONATIONS -- April 2014
City of Georgetown, Texas
SUBJECT:
Consideration of the library's policies regarding reconsideration of materials -- Eric Lashley.
ITEM SUMMARY:
The library has policies in place to handle requests from the public to remove library materials or art that
is on display in the building. A copy of the reconsideration policy and copies of the forms that requestors
must complete are attached to this agenda item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This item has no financial impact.
SUBMITTED BY:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
reconsideration of materials Backup Material
CITIZEN’S REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIAL
(1 form per title)
Author: __________________________________________________________________________
Title: ____________________________________________________________________________
Person making request: _____________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number: ___________________________________________________________________
E-mail: __________________________________________________________________________
This request is being made on behalf of:
Person making request _______ A family member _________
Group or organization (please designate) ______________________________________________
PLEASE TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW
1. How did you become aware of this item?
2. Did you read or review the entire material?
3. What is your objection to the item?
4. What would you like the library to do about this item?
Request for Reconsideration Process
After the completed request form is received, the Library Director will review the material in question
and will attempt to answer the complaint to the patron’s satisfaction. If the patron is not satisfied with
the Library Director’s action, a request may be made for the material to be reviewed by the Library
Advisory Board.
If the material is viewed by the Library Advisory Board, an agenda item will be placed on the earliest
monthly board meeting agenda. The Library Advisory Board meets the second Monday of the month at
6:30 PM in the first floor staff conference room of the library. The Library Director will send an
invitation to the patron to attend the monthly meeting.
The patron whom made the request will be allowed 3 minutes to explain why they would like to have
the library material reconsidered. The Chair of the Library Advisory Board may grant additional time at
their discretion. Library Advisory Board members may ask questions of the patron, but the patron
cannot speak during the deliberations of the agenda item unless they are responding to a direct
question. No action will be taken at the initial board meeting.
After the initial Library Advisory Board meeting, the material in question and any other materials the
patron would like to include in their request will be kept at a designated location within the library for
Library Advisory Board members to review prior to the second meeting. The same rules and procedures
will apply for the second board meeting. The patron will be granted 3 minutes to speak on the agenda
item. The Chair of the Library Advisory Board may grant additional time at their discretion. Members of
the Library Advisory Board may ask questions of the patron. During deliberations, the patron is not
allowed to speak unless to answer a direct question from the Board. The Board will make a decision
regarding the patron’s request.
If the patron is not satisfied with the Library Advisory Board’s decision, they have the right to appeal the
decision to City Council. If the patron indicates they would like to appeal, the Library Director will
contact the City Manager and Mayor to have the item placed on a future Council agenda. The Library
Director will send an invitation to the patron informing them of the date and time of the Council
meeting and the procedures which will follow.
City of Georgetown, Texas
SUBJECT:
Consideration and possible action regarding the City Center Plan that will be presented to City Council on
May 27. Eric Lashley
ITEM SUMMARY:
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This item has no financial impact.
SUBMITTED BY:
Judy Fabry
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
city center plan Backup Material
1
Municipal Center Concepts
GEORGETOWN CITY CENTER
APRIL 28, 2014
A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR CONSOLIDATED CITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SPACE
2
City of Georgetown, TX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION3
PROJECTNEEDSANDPROGRAMREQUIREMENTS 7
EXISTINGCITYASSETS9
EXISTINGSITECONDITIONS12
ALTERNATIVESCENARIOS&PHASING14
PROJECTCOSTS&FUNDING25
CONCLUSIONS30
APPENDIXA1
PROJECT CREDITS:
Winter&Company
Boulder,CO
www.winterandcompany.net
3
Municipal Center Concepts
INTRODUCTION
TheCityofGeorgetownseekstoprovideanenhanced“citycenter”forthecommunity
withconsolidatedservicesinthedowntownwheremanycitygovernmentoperations
canbeconductedandwherespecialeventsandtheenjoymentofpublicopenspace
canoccur.Specificneedsforafuturecitycenterareidentifiedinthe2014Downtown
Master Plan Update.Theyinclude:
•Outdoorpublicspaceforcivicevents
andgatherings
•Indoorpublicspaceformeetingsand
smallperformances
•Anoutdooramphitheater
•Publicparking
•Consolidatedcityfacilities
•Renewedinvestmentonthewestside
ofdowntown
Newopportunitieswithexistingcityas-
setscouldhelpmeettheidentifiedneeds.
Currentcity-ownedlandincombination
withalreadyvacatedandsoon-to-be-
vacated,city-ownedbuildings,formthe
basisforthisfeasibilitystudy.Inaddi-
tiontocity-ownedproperties,thetiming
isrighttocoordinatesomeofthepublic
improvementsthatareenvisionedwith
existingfundingsources(CIPstreetscape
workandParksbond.)Thisfeasibility
studyseekstotestthepotentialforcom-
biningtheidentifiedneedsintoacentral
locationbyusingexistingcityassets,as
wellaslookingatlong-termopportunities
fortheentirestudyarea.
Outdoor public space for civic events and gath-
erings was a major need, as expressed in public
workshops.
4
City of Georgetown, TX
STUDYAREA
ThestudyareaforanewGeorgetownCity
Centerisadjacenttoandsurroundingthe
CentralLibraryat8thandRockStreets.
Thestudyareaisboundedby7thStreet
tothenorth,9thStreettothesouth,Rock
StreettotheeastandMartinLutherKing
Streettothewest.Italsoincludestwo
city-ownedblockswestofMLKStreet
between8thand10thStreets.
Thisstudyfocusesoncity-ownedprop-
erties,butalsoillustrateswaysinwhich
theCountyandnearbyprivateproperty
ownerscoulddeveloptheirproperties
tostrengthenthebenefitsofanewcity
center.Notethatthepossibledevelop-
mentconceptsshownoncountyand
privately-ownedlandaresimplyopportu-
nities.Eachofthesealternativeswould,
Figure 1 - Study Area Property Ownership
County-owned
Property
City-owned
Property
City Center
Study Area
Central
Library
County
Courthouse
Au
s
t
i
n
A
v
e
.
Ma
i
n
S
t
.
Ro
c
k
S
t
.
Fo
r
e
s
t
S
t
.
ML
K
S
t
.
We
s
t
S
t
.
8th St.
7th St.
9th St.
10th St.
ofcourse,occuronlyiftheCountyand
privateownersweretodeterminethat
doingsowouldbetotheirbenefit.
Fourpossiblealternativesarepresented,
alongwiththeirprosandconsandfinan-
cialanalyses.Preliminaryspaceneeds
forcivicfacilitiesandopenspaceare
providedalsoprovided.Theoverallintent
istoillustrateoptions,andnotnecessar-
ilycommittoonespecificplan.Ineach
scenario,however,thefirstphaseofim-
provementsisthesame,allowingasig-
nificantamountofworktobeginassoon
asfundingcouldbesecured.
Notethatadvancedplanningstageswill
needtooccurfollowingthisstudy,inor-
dertoprovidemoredetaileddesignsand
publicoutreach.
5
Municipal Center Concepts
PREVIOUSPLANS
Initialideasforacitycenter,withconsolidatedcityofficesandpublicspace,came
fromthe2003Downtown Master Plan.ThePlancalledforanewCentralLibraryalong
8thStreetbetweenRockandMLKStreets.EighthStreetwasenvisionedasa“festival
street”thatcouldbetemporarilyclosedtoautomobilesforpurposessuchasfarmer’s
marketsandotherspecialevents.Thelibraryisnowinplace,withenhancedsidewalk
andstreetscapetreatments,andcouldbenefitfromthesynergyofothermunicipaluses.
Central Library
Public Parking Structure
Retail Wrap
Retail Wrap
City Hall
ParkPlaza
Festival Street
2014 EXISTING CONDITIONS
Central Library
Plaza
Plaza
Streetscape Improvements
2003 MASTER PLAN CONCEPT
Figure 2 - 2003 Master Plan versus Existing Conditions
6
City of Georgetown, TX
AspartoftheDowntown Master Plan
Update(2013/14)process,newalterna-
tiveconceptsforacentralCityCenter
wereexplored.Verybroadconceptswere
developedbycommunitymembersand
designersinapublicworkshop.Specific
needswereidentified,aslistedonpage
3,alongwiththepopularideaofutilizing
theexistingcity-ownedproperties:
•Theoldlibrary(presentlyvacant)
•ThehistoricLight&WaterWorksbuild-
ing,soontobevacated,asthepolice
headquarterswillrelocateinlate2014,
and
•The1stflooroftheGCATbuilding,
whichwillalsobevacatedaspolice
dispatchserviceswillalsorelocatein
late2014.
FullDraftMasterPlanscenariosforacity
center,asdevelopedbythecommunity,
areincludedasanappendixtothisreport.
Additionalplanningforthefeasibilityof
aCityCenterwasexploredfollowingthe
masterplanupdate.Interviewswithcity
staffandstakeholderswereconductedin
ordertounderstandfutureprogramming
andspatialneeds.CityCenterconcepts
wererefinedfromtheinitialdraftmaster
planexercises,basedoninformation
gatheredfromthisprocess.Thisreport
summarizesthefindingsofthisadditional
exercise.
Concepts for a Municipal Center in different con-
figurations were explored by community workshop
participants.
7
Municipal Center Concepts
PROJECT NEEDS AND PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS
Throughpublicforumsandmeetingswithstaffandstakeholders,thefollowingproject
needsandprogramrequirementsweredeterminedfortheGeorgetownCityCenter:
1. OUTDOOR CIVIC SPACES
Downtowncurrentlylackssufficientcivic
spacesforthegeneralpublictoenjoy.
TheTownSquareisagreatplacetohost
civicevents,howeveritiscurrentlythe
onlyplacetoholdeventsdowntown.Itis
sometimesover-crowdedforevents,and
itisnotamenableforstagingotheractivi-
ties.Thereisaneedtoprovideadditional
high-qualityspaceforeventstorelieve
thepressureonthesquare.Analterna-
tivelocationthatiseasiertoprogram
anddoesnotdisrupttrafficisdesired.A
keyconceptwhichwascarriedoverfrom
theoriginalvisionandsupportedbythe
community,istocreatea“festivalstreet”,
whichcouldbeclosedtoautomobiles
temporarilyforspecialeventssuchas
farmer’smarkets.Asdowntownbecomes
amoredesirableplacetolive,moresmall
parksandplazaswillbeneeded.ACity
Center,asenvisioned,couldbeaperfect
locationtoprovidetheseoutdoorcivic
spaces.
2. COMMUNITY MEETING SPACE
Currently,thelibraryisoneoftheonly
placesdowntownwithflexiblecom-
munitymeetingspace.Theexisting
meetingroomsinthelibraryareheavily
programmed.Providingadditionalindoor
meetingandeventspacewasidentifiedas
amajorneedwithindowntown.Inaddition
togroupmeetingspace,aflexiblespace
thatcouldhostsmallperformancesforthe
artsisalsodesired.Thisprogramrequire-
mentwouldfitwellwithinacitycenter.
A “festival street” could be closed to automobiles to
hold special events such as farmer’s markets (web
image - Franklin, TN).
Additional indoor meeting and event space is
needed downtown.
8
City of Georgetown, TX
3. AMPHITHEATER
Anamphitheaterhasbeendesiredfrom
thecommunityforalongtime.Originally,
anamphitheaterwasenvisionedalongthe
river.However,communitymemberswere
excitedaboutthepossibilityofincluding
anamphitheaterintheCityCenter,asit
wouldprovideaprominentlocationto
hostspecialeventsandperformances
thatismorewidelyaccessible.
4. PARKING
Citizensparticipatinginplanningwork-
shopsrepeatedlystatedthatconvenient
andaccessiblepublicparkingwestofthe
squareisneeded.Thelibrarycurrently
demandsmoreparkingthanisprovided
andtheoverflowlotacross8thStreetis
oftenused,althoughtheconditionofthe
lotcouldbeimproved.Somedowntown
advocateshaveenvisionedanewparking
structurewithinthearea.Acitycenter
couldbeaperfectlocationtoprovidethis
service,asitcouldservecityfunctionsas
wellasdowntownbusinesses.
5. CONSOLIDATED CITY FACILITIES
Amorecentralizedlocationformanycity
officesisdesiredinordertobetterserve
customers,aswellastoimproveoverall
efficiencyofoperationamongcityde-
partments.Althoughitisdifficulttopre-
dictfuturegrowthofgovernment,what
isknownisthatthecityisexperiencing
significantpopulationgrowth.George-
townisbecomingadesirableplacetolive
andappealstoawidevarietyofpeople:
seniors,families,andyoungprofession-
als.Aspopulationisexpectedtonearly
doubleby2030(from52,700to101,700),
itcanbeassumedthat,evenwhenoperat-
ingtohighlevelsofefficiency,citystaff
andserviceswillalsogrow.Twogrowth
A parking structure could be beneficial to the down-
town and could serve multiple users and functions.
An amphitheater could help activate downtown
and provide an alternative location for events and
performances (web image - Independence, OR).
scenarioswereusedasastartingpoint
fordeterminingspaceandprogramneeds
forthefuturecitycenteroffices.Afull
descriptionofstaffgroupings,including
adjacencyneedsandfuturesquarefoot-
agepredictionsisprovidedasanappen-
dixtothisreport.
6. RENEWED INVESTMENT WEST OF
DOWNTOWN
Inadditiontopublicspaceandservices,
theareasurroundingtheCentralLibrary
couldbenefitfromrenewedprivatein-
vestment.Oftentimes,privatedollars
followpublicimprovements.IftheCity
Centermovesforward,itcouldcreatea
marketforotherprivateimprovements
throughoutdowntown.
9
Municipal Center Concepts
EXISTING CITY ASSETS
CITY-OWNEDPROPERTY
PROPERTIES TO BE KEPT AND REUSED
Apopularideaamongstcommunitymembersandcitystaffwastoreuseexistingcity-
ownedpropertiesaspartofthenewGeorgetownCityCenter,atleastuntilsignificant
growthoccurredandtheneedforanewCityHallisrequired.Eachoftheseexisting
buildingsaregenerallyingoodcondition,howeversomerepairandrenovationswould
needtooccurtoaccommodatemodernuses.Theyare:
1. HISTORIC LIGHT AND WATER
WORKS BUILDING
TheGeorgetownPoliceiscurrentlyhead-
quarteredinthehistoricpowerplant.It
includes11,000totalsquarefeetofspace
withapproximately8,500squarefeeton
thehistoricfirstfloorofthebuildingand
2,500squarefeetofspaceinthesecond
flooraddition.
Thepolicedepartmentisrelocatingto
alargerfacilityoutsideofdowntownin
late2014,leavingitavailableforanew
cityuse.Itishighlydesiredtoreusethis
buildingaspartoftheCityCenter,orfor
anotherpublicfunction.Artspacesand
galleries,andpublicmeetingroomand
eventspacearepotentialusestocon-
sider.
2. OLD LIBRARY
Theoldlibrary,locatedat8thandMLK
Streets,wasbuiltin1987andwasvacated
whenthenewCentralLibrarywasbuilt.It
includes17,000squarefeetofspaceon
asinglefloorwithauniquecentralspace
thathas“zig-zag”rowofwindowsover-
lookingacourtyard.Ithasbeenutilized
forstorageinrecentyearsandthepark-
inglotisusedforoverflowpoliceopera-
tions.Withtherelocationofthepolice
headquarters,theparkingwillnolonger
The Historic Light and Water Works building should
be reused as part of the City Center or other func-
tion for public benefit.
The old library could be reused as part of the City
Center or other public use.
10
City of Georgetown, TX
beusedandstoragecouldberelocated.
Indiscussionswithstaffandthepublic,
somefeltstronglyaboutreusingtheold
library,eitheraspartoftheCityCenter
orforotherpublicfunctions,suchasper-
formingarts,artgalleryspaceorpublic
meetingrooms.Growthscenarioscould
includeaddingontothisbuilding,orde-
molishingitandreplacingitwithanew
building.
3. GEORGETOWN COMMUNICATIONS
AND TRAINING BUILDING
TheGeorgetownCommunicationsand
Training(GCAT)Building,locatedat9th
andMLKStreets,waspurchasedand
renovatedin2007bythecity.Itcurrently
housesInformationTechnologyandLegal
ServicesonthesecondfloorandPublic
SafetyDispatchandAncillaryPoliceuses
onthefirstfloor.Atrainingroomalso
servesasthecurrentEmergencyOpera-
tionsCenteronthefirstfloor.
ThefirstflooroftheGCATbuildingisan
ideallocationforthefutureMunicipal
CourtandCourtAdministrationoffices,
oncethepolice-relatedusesrelocate.The
trainingroomcouldbeconvertedintothe
courtroomsinceithasaseparatepublic
accessandisdirectlyadjacenttoasur-
faceparkinglot.Thefronthalfofthefirst
floorcouldthenbededicatedtocourt
administrationoffices.
EachMunicipalCenterdevelopmentsce-
narioassumesthattheMunicipalCourt
willrelocatetotheGCATfirstfloorinlate
2014orearly2015.
The first floor of the GCAT building could become
the City’s new Court Administration offices and
Courtroom. It would benefit from exterior facade
improvements, such as a new entry, to highlight
the building as part of the City Center.
RENOVATIONS REQUIRED
Renovations that would be required
to reuse existing buildings include:
• Historic Light and Water Works
building - minor interior renova-
tions to accommodate modern
uses.
• Old Library - exterior and interior
renovations, as well as the poten-
tial to construct a 2nd floor for
additional space (constructing a
2nd floor would require structural
improvements - see Scenario C.)
• GCAT building - exterior facade
improvements and interior renova-
tions to accommodate new uses.
11
Municipal Center Concepts
PROPERTIES TO BE VACATED AND SOLD
Currently,citydepartmentsarescatteredthroughoutdowntowninvariouscity-owned
buildings.WhentheconsolidationtoaCityCenteroccurs,itwillleaveafewcity-owned
buildingsavailableforotheruses.Thecityshouldconsidersomeoftheseproper-
tiesasassetsthatcouldbesoldtohelpfundthefutureCityCenter.Thisadditional
revenuecouldhelpreducetheamountthatmaybefundedbyabondissueorother
means.Theyare:
1. HISTORIC POST OFFICE (CITY HALL)
ThecurrentCityHallislocatedat113E.
8thStreetinthehistoricU.S.PostOffice.
Thebuildingwasconstructedin1931and
renovatedin1991-92andhasservedas
CityHallsincethen.Asthedepartments
withinCityHallarerelocatedtoanewCity
Center,thisbuildingcouldbesoldtohelp
payforit.Thecurrentvalueisestimated
tobe$1.048Million(source:Williamson
CentralAppraisalDistrict.)
2. VISITOR’S CENTER
TheexistingVisitor’sCenter,whichalso
housesofficesfortheConventionand
Visitor’sBureau(CVB)andtheDown-
townGeorgetownAssociation(DGA),is
locatedat103W.7thStreet.Whilethe
CVBandVisitor’sCentershouldstaynear
thecourthousesquareinordertoremain
highlyvisible,thisbuildingisprimereal
estate,andcouldbesold.
ThecurrentplanisfortheCVBandthe
Visitor’sCentertomoveto101E.7th
Street-directlyacrossMainStreetfrom
thisbuilding-whenMunicipalCourtand
CouncilChambersrelocateintotheGCAT
building.Thiswouldallowthecurrent
buildingtobesoldwhileallowingCVBand
theVisitor’sCentertohaveacontinuing
presenceonthesquare.Theestimated
valueoftheVisitor’sCenterbuildingis
$380,200(source:WilliamsonCentralAp-
praisalDistrict.)
The Historic Post Office (current City Hall) could
eventually be sold to help pay for the City Center.
The Visitor’s Center on the square is a real estate
asset for the City.
3. ALBERTSON’S BUILDING
TheoldAlbertson’sbuilding,whichislo-
catedjustnorthofthedowntownbetween
I-35andAustinAvenuewasownedbythe
cityandrecentlysoldtoaprivatedevel-
oper.Whilenotinthedistrict,thiscity
assetcouldstillbeusedtohelpfundthe
futureCityCenter.Itsoldfor$3.5Million.
12
City of Georgetown, TX
EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS
TheCityCenterstudyareaislocatedoneblockwestofthecourthousesquarealong
8thStreet.Itconsistsoffourcityblocks:tworegularblocksandtwoexpandedcity
blocks.RefertoFigure3belowforanaerialphotographwithnotes.Blockdescriptions
areprovidedonthefollowingpage.
1
23
4
Williamson County
Courthouse
GCAT building
Flower shop
Old library
Historic Light and Water
Works building
Central Library
Private buildings
Library parking
Temporary County
buildings
Overflow library
parking
Private professional
offices
Figure 3 - Existing Conditions
Ro
c
k
S
t
.
Au
s
t
i
n
A
v
e
.
Fo
r
e
s
t
S
t
.
ML
K
S
t
.
We
s
t
S
t
.
Ma
i
n
S
t
.
8th St.
9th St.
7th St.
10th St.
13
Municipal Center Concepts
BLOCK ONE
Blockoneincludesamixtureofcounty
andprivateproperty.Theexistingcounty
buildingsaretemporarymetalstructures
andcurrentlyhouseofficesandrelated
functions.TheCityandCountyhavean
agreementtodeconstructthebuildings
andusethisareaasatemporarysurface
parkinglot.
TheexistingprivatebuildingsalongRock
Streetincludeprofessionaloffices.
Block one consists of temporary metal buildings
that house offices and other related functions for
the County.
BLOCK TWO
BlocktwoincludestheCentralLibraryand
PoliceHeadquartersinthehistoricLight
andWaterWorksbuilding,aswellasafew
privatelyownedbuildings.TheCentral
Libraryisasignificantanchorofactivity
forthecommunity,butoftenexperiences
burdensfromover-programmedcommu-
nitymeetingspacesandlimitedparking.
Thecountypropertyonblockone,as
mentionedabove,iscurrentlyusedfor
overflowparkingforthelibrary.Thelibrary
includesacentralatriumspaceandim-
provedstreetscapingtreatmentalong8th
Street,aswellasalocalcoffeeshopand
courtyardwithcafeseatingandawater
feature.Themainparkinglotisaccessed
from9thStreetandthatentranceincludes
asmallsculpturegardenandplaza.
ThehistoricLightandWaterWorksbuild-
inghousesthepolicedepartment,which
willbevacatedinlate2014.Thisbuilding
alsoservesasabeaconforthecommunity
withit’siconicsmokestack.Atemporary
buildingisusedforauxiliarypurposes.
Thesmall,privately-ownedbuildingson
blocktwoarelocatedalong8thStreet
andincludecommercialretailspaceand
asmallautomechanic.
BLOCK THREE
Blockthreeconsistsofthevacatedformer
library,whichwasconstructedin1986.It
iscurrentlyusedforstorageandthepo-
licedepartmentusestheparkinglotfor
theirautomobiles.
Block three includes the old library and parking
lot. The parking lot is currently used by the police
department for extra storage of police vehicles.
BLOCK FOUR
BlockfourincludestheGeorgetownCom-
municationsandTraining(GCAT)building
whichhousescityandpolicedepartment
services.Asmallflowershopisalsolo-
catedonthisblock.
14
City of Georgetown, TX
ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS & PHASING
Fouralternativescenariosprovideoptionsfortheconfigurationandpricingofanew
CityCenter.AphasedapproachallowstheCityCentertoevolveovertime.Eachsce-
narioisdesignedtomaximizeuseofcity-ownedpropertyinPhase1,savingtheCity
andtaxpayersmoney.Whenexpansionisnecessary,optionallocationsforafuture
CityHallandpublicparkingstructureareshowninPhase2.Notethatsomeofthese
optionswouldrequiretheCityacquiringland(eitherbypurchasingorswappingland)
fromtheCountyorprivatelandownersinordertodoso.Inaddition,eachscenario
showshowothernewdevelopmentbytheCountyandprivateownerscouldoccur
aroundtheCityCenterinPhase3(orasthemarketdemands.)Thefirstphaseis
generallythesameforeachscenario(seeexceptionsonpage15,)allowingimprove-
mentstobeginimmediately.Phasestwoandthreeincludethephasinginofafuture
CityHall,parkingstructureandnewsurroundingdevelopment.Figure4explainsthe
phasingoptions:
ALL SCENARIOS
• Outdoor public-
realm improve-
ments
• Surface public
parking lot
• Renovations of
existing buildings
SCENARIO A
• City Hall North
+ public parking
structure
ALL SCENARIOS
• New infill devel-
opment on County
and private land (as
market demands)
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
SCENARIO B
• City Hall East +
public parking
structure
SCENARIO C
• City Hall West
(addition) +
public parking
structure
SCENARIO C2
• City Hall West
(new) + public
parking struc-
ture
Figure 4 - Alternative Phasing Scenarios
PHASE 3
15
Municipal Center Concepts
PHASE1
ALL SCENARIOS
Phaseoneincludespublic-realmimprovementsandrenovationstoexistingbuildings.
Allimprovementsoccuroncity-ownedproperty,orpropertythatisalreadyunder
agreementfortemporaryuse(parkinglotoncountyland.)Relocatingexistingcityde-
partmentsintotherenovatedbuildingsalsoprovidesanopportunitytosellcityassets
tohelpfundtheseimprovementsintheshort-term.Itisdesignedinsuchawaythat
thecitycouldmoveaheadwiththisstage,whilecontinuingtoevaluatethealternative
laterstages.Phaseoneimprovementsinclude:
Figure 5 - Phase One Improvements (Plan)
1
3 4
6
5
PHASE 1 EXCEPTIONS
Depending on which scenario is chosen, the
old library (#3) may or may not need to be reno-
vated in phase 1. Scenario C suggests using
the old library as the new City Hall by adding
onto the existing building. This decision may
need to be made up front so that construction
can take place all at once. Scenario C2 does
not require renovating the old library because
it would be demolished in phase 2.
2
Ro
c
k
S
t
.
9th St.
8th St.
7th St.
Fo
r
e
s
t
S
t
.
ML
K
S
t
.
We
s
t
S
t
.
16
City of Georgetown, TX
Amphitheater Large plaza behind
library
Shade corridor
Children’s play area
Reading gardens
Expanded sculpture
garden
Outdoor cafe
seating
9th Str
e
e
t
Fore
s
t
S
t
.
MLK St
.
Festival Street
200-space surface
parking lot
Entry Plazas
Pedestrian Corridor
Shade corridor
8th Stree
t
For
e
s
t
S
t
r
e
e
t
MLK St.
5
Figure 6 - Phase One Improvements (3D Renderings)
1
2
1
2
3
4
6
17
Municipal Center Concepts
1. SURFACE PARKING LOT (200 SPAC-
ES)
Apublicparkinglotisdesignedtobecon-
structedoncountylandonthecornerof
MLKand8thStreets,aspreviouslyagreed
uponbytheCityandCounty.Thisparking
lotwouldservethelibraryandcitycenter,
andotherdowntownservices,untilafu-
tureparkingstructurecanbebuilt.Thislot
shouldbedesignedmuchliketheoneon
thecornerof9thandMain,withlandscap-
inganddecorativesidewalks.Itshould
alsobedesignedtobeflexibleinuse,
perhapsaccommodatingspecialevents.
Apedestriancorridorcouldbeprovided
throughtheparkinglotthatconnectsinto
the“shadecorridor”andamphitheater(as
describedin#5.)
2. FESTIVAL STREET
Duringweekends,8thStreet(between
RockandMLK)andMLKStreet(between
8thand9th)couldtransformintoa“fes-
tival”atmosphere.Thesestreetscould
betemporarilyclosedtoautomobilesfor
specialeventssuchasartfairs,concerts
orfarmer’smarkets.Thestreetshouldbe
designedtoappearasaspecialplace,
perhapswithuniquepaving,andshould
alsoincludepoweroutletstoaccommo-
datethespecialevents.Sidewalksand
streetscapingtreatmentsalongthese
streetsshouldalsobedesignedwitha
high-levelofdetail.
The surface parking lot should be designed much
like the existing surface lot at 9th and Main Streets,
with improved streetscaping and signage.
The “festival street” could host events such as
farmer’s markets and art fairs and be designed with
unique paving to make it appear special.
The surface parking lot should be designed to
accommodate special events and link into other
amenities in the City Center area, such as the
“shade corridor.”
18
City of Georgetown, TX
3. OLD LIBRARY (17,000 SF)
Theoldlibrarycouldberenovatedto
serveasaninterimlocationforthefol-
lowingservicesuntilanewcityhallis
constructed:
•CouncilChambers&offices(6,000SF)
•CityManager’soffice(2,800SF)
•CitySecretary’soffice(1,400SF)
•HumanResources(1,750SF)
NotethatforscenariosCandC2,the
decisionaboutthefuturelocationofCity
Hallmayneedtobemadeupfront.For
scenarioC,itmaybemoreefficienttoalso
constructtheadditionatthistime.Other-
wise,thelistedcityservicesmayhaveto
relocateonceagain,whentheadditionis
constructed,orelselivethroughamajor
constructionproject.AsforscenarioC2,
theoldlibrarywouldnotneedrenovated,
asitwouldbedemolishedinordertobuid
anewCityHallonsite.
4. HISTORIC LIGHT AND WATER
WORKS BUILDING (11,000 SF)
ThehistoricLightandWaterWorks
buildingcouldberenovatedafterpolice
headquartersrelocate(late2014)toac-
commodatethefollowingservices:
•FinanceandAdministration(4,200SF)
•PublicCommunications(700SF)
•EconomicDevelopment(1,000SF)
•DowntownCommunityServices
(1,400SF)
5. GCAT BUILDING (6,500 SF)
The1stflooroftheGCATbuildingwould
berenovatedafterpoliceheadquarters
relocate(late2014)toaccommodatethe
followingcityservices:
•MunicipalCourtroom(5,000SF)
•Courtadministrativeoffices(2,100SF)
PHASE 1 ESTIMATED LIFETIME
Square footage assumptions are gen-
erally estimated at 350 square feet
per employee. The square footage
(SF) listed adjacent to each depart-
ment to the left is representative of
existing space needs, not projected
needs. It is estimated that the exist-
ing building renovations would serve
city services for the next 5 to 7 years
before expansion is needed. Refer to
Figure A1 in the Appendix for a full
square footage analysis of existing
versus future needs.
OTHER PHASE 1 OPPORTUNITIES
By temporarily moving city depart-
ments into the existing city-owned
buildings, it could allow the following
to occur:
• The Visitor’s Center, CVB and
Downtown Georgetown offices
could relocate into the building at
101 E. 7th Street when Municipal
Court and Council Chambers re-
locate.
• The Visitor’s Center building could
be sold (estimated value: $380,200)
• The existing historic post office
could be sold (estimated value:
$1,048,000)
• The existing staff located on the
2nd floor of the Downtown Art
Center (Finance and Administra-
tion, Public Communications and
Downtown Community Services)
could relocate, allowing the Art
Center to expand.
19
Municipal Center Concepts
6. PUBLIC-REALM IMPROVEMENTS
Asstatedpreviously,amajordesireof
communitymembersistohavemore
parksandopenspacetoenjoyindown-
townandtoprovideanareaforspecial
eventsinordertorelievepressureonthe
square.Theseimprovementsshouldhap-
peninphaseonetoaccommodatepublic
wishes.Theyinclude:
• Small entry plazasattherenovated
formerlibraryandpolicestationbuild-
ings.
•A“shade corridor”,orlinearpedes-
trianplaza,wheretheexistingservice
roadexists.Thisspaceshouldbe
designedwithshadestructuresto
bringauniqueidentitytotheareaand
provideshadedoutdoorspacesforthe
publictoenjoyduringthehotsummer
months.
•Alarge plazabehindthelibrary.This
areawouldbuildoffoftheexisting
sculpturegardenwithexpandedar-
easshowcasingpublicartandareas
forrespiteandreading.Smallreading
gardensareplacedadjacenttothe
library’ssouthwallandachildren’s
playareaisenvisionedforthisarea,
perhapsincludingapop-upwaterfea-
turetoenjoyduringthehotweather
months.Apicnicareacouldbelocated
southoftheoldpolicestationbuilding
forstafftoenjoy.Thisareaflowsinto
thefinalpublicfeature:
•Anoutdoor amphitheaterattheter-
minusoftheshadecorridor.Anamphi-
theaterwouldprovidespaceforspe-
cialeventsandoutdoorperformances
tooccur.Itcouldbedesignedwith
integratedshadestructures,muchlike
theshadecorridortotieinthedesign
themeforthearea.
A “shade corridor” could be designed to bring a
unique identity to the area and help tie in other
features such as the amphitheater and plazas.
A children’s play area could be integrated into the
public plaza to activate the area.
20
City of Georgetown, TX
PHASES2&3
Phasestwoandthreeassumethat,as
growthcontinuesinGeorgetown,anew
CityHallwillbeneededtosupportgrow-
ingstaffandcitydepartmentservices.
Additionally,itisassumedthatapublic
parkingstructurewouldbebuilttosup-
portthenewCityHallandGeorgetown
CityCenteraswellasdowntownbusiness
patrons.Thefollowingscenariosillustrate
differentoptionsforthelocationofthese
services.Inaddition,newinfilldevelop-
mentisshowninordertodemonstrate
howtheareacouldtransformover-time,
asthecountyandprivatepropertyown-
ersredeveloptheirsitestoaccommodate
theirowngrowth.
•
“FestivalStreet”
Hard-scapedpublicimprove-
ments(sidewalksandplazas)
Soft-scapedpublicimprove-
ments(parkareas)
CityHall
FuturedevelopmentbyCounty/
privateowners
3-DIMENSIONAL
ILLUSTRATIONS LEGEND:
21
Municipal Center Concepts
SCENARIO A
PHASE 2
ScenarioAplacesanewCityHallnorthofthelibraryalong8thStreet,betweenRock
andForestStreets,inphasetwo.AparkingstructureisplacedbehindCityHallatthe
cornerofRockand7thStreets.
PHASE 3
Phasethreeshowshowfuturedevelopmentcouldoccuroncountyandprivateproperty
whenthesurfacelotisreplacedbytheparkingstructure.
New City Hall
New public
parking structure
New private
development
New county
development
For illustrative pur-
poses only. Not intend-
ed as actual develop-
ment proposals.
22
City of Georgetown, TX
SCENARIO B
PHASE 2
ScenarioBplacesanewCityHalleastofthelibraryadjacenttothecoffeeshopin
phasetwo.Apublicparkingstructurewouldreplacetheexistingbanksurfacelotsouth
ofthenewCityHallatthecornerof9thandRockStreets.
PHASE 3
NewdevelopmentoncountyandprivatelandisshownnorthofthelibraryandCity
Hallinordertoactivate8thStreetandthesurroundingCityCenteruses.
New City Hall
New public
parking structure
New development
on county and
private property
For illustrative pur-
poses only. Not intend-
ed as actual develop-
ment proposals.
23
Municipal Center Concepts
SCENARIO C
PHASE 2
ScenarioCplacesthenewCityHallontheoldlibraryblockinphasetwo.Thisoption
couldeithertakeplaceasanadditiontotheoldlibraryorbydemolishingtheoldli-
braryandconstructinganewbuilding(scenarioC2.)Apublicparkingstructurewould
beconstructedatthecornerof8thandRockStreets,justeastofthelibrary.
PHASE 3
Newdevelopmentisshownoncountyand
privatepropertynorthofthelibraryon8thStreetoncetheparkinglotisreplacedby
thestructure.
New City Hall
New public
parking structure
New development
on county and
private property
For illustrative pur-
poses only. Not intend-
ed as actual develop-
ment proposals.
Note that the old library
is not load-rated to carry a
2nd floor. Therefore, in or-
der to construct a 2nd story
addition, the steel trusses
and columns would need to
be replaced.
24
City of Georgetown, TX
SCENARIO C2
PHASE 2
ScenarioC2isanalternateofscenarioC.Itusesthesamecity-ownedlandforCity
Hall,butinsteadofaddingontotheoldlibrary,itisdemolishedinordertoconstructa
newbuilding.Thepublicparkingstructurestaysatthecornerof8thandRockStreets,
justeastofthelibrary.
New City Hall
New public
parking structure
New development
on county and
private property
For illustrative pur-
poses only. Not intend-
ed as actual develop-
ment proposals.
PHASE 3
Newdevelopmentisshownoncountyandprivatepropertynorthofthelibraryon8th
Streetoncetheparkinglotisreplacedbythestructure.
25
Municipal Center Concepts
PROJECT COSTS & FUNDING
Preliminarycostingforeachscenariohelpsdeterminewhichoptionismostfeasible
fromafinancialperspective.Forthepurposesofhelpingtoanalyzefuturecostsand
funding,specificallyannualbondingcapacity,thefinancialsarebrokendowninterms
ofproposedphasing:
COSTSPERPHASE
PHASE 1 - ALL SCENARIOS
CONSTRUCTION EXPENSES
RenovateMunicipalCourt/CouncilChambers $500,000
RenovateGCAT1stFloor $650,000
*RenovateOldLibrary $1,700,000
RenovateOldPoliceStation $1,100,000
200-spacesurfaceparkinglot $400,000
FestivalStreet $3,500,000
SoftscapedParkSpace $188,000
HardscapedPlazas $750,000
Amphitheater $250,000
TensileStructures $600,000
PlayAreawithFountain $56,000
CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY
15%contingency $1,454,000
LAND LEASE EXPENSES
LeaseCountylandforparking $20,000
PROPERTY SALES REVENUE (LESS BROKERAGE FEES)
Visitor’sCenterbuildingonsquare $358,000
ExistingCityHall/HistoricPostOffice $985,000
Albertson’sbuilding $3,500,000
TOTAL PHASE 1 COST (EXPENSES MINUS SALES)$6,325,000
*not required for scenario C2.
26
City of Georgetown, TX
Further planning with full construction documents is needed to allow for
exactness about such items as utilities, lighting, structural, interior fittings
and furnishings, exterior furnishings and materials, and other such details.
Full spreadsheets for each scenario are provided in the appendix.
PHASE 2 - SCENARIO A
CONSTRUCTION EXPENSES
NewCityHall(approximately45,000SF)$9,281,000
Furniture,Fittings,Equipment,andSecurityfornewCityHall $2,250,000
Newparkingstructure $7,875,000
CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY
15%Constructioncontingency $2,911,000
LAND ACQUISITION EXPENSES
LandfornewCityHallandparkingstructurenorthofLibrary $1,654,000
PROPERTY SALES REVENUE (LESS BROKERAGE FEES)
Sellcity-ownedpropertyatNWcornerof9th&RockStreets $226,000
TOTAL SCENARIO A COSTS (EXPENSES MINUS SALES)$23,745,000
PHASE 2 - SCENARIO B
CONSTRUCTION EXPENSES
NewCityHall(approximately45,000SF)$9,281,000
FFE,SecurityfornewCityHall $2,250,000
Newparkingstructure $7,875,000
CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY
15%Constructioncontingency $2,911,000
LAND ACQUISITION EXPENSES
LandfornewCityHalleastofLibrary $255,000
TOTAL SCENARIO B COSTS $22,572,000
27
Municipal Center Concepts
PHASE 2 - SCENARIO C
CONSTRUCTION EXPENSES
CityHall-additiontooldlibrary(approximately28,000SF)$5,775,000
FFE,SecurityfornewCityHall $1,400,000
Newparkingstructure $7,875,000
CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY
15%Constructioncontingency $2,258,000
LAND ACQUISITION EXPENSES
LandfornewparkingstructureeastofLibrary $254,000
TOTAL SCENARIO C COSTS $17,562,000
PHASE 2 - SCENARIO C2
CONSTRUCTION EXPENSES
NewCityHall(approximately45,000SF)$9,281,000
FFE,SecurityfornewCityHall $2,250,000
Newparkingstructure $7,875,000
CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY
15%Constructioncontingency $2,911,000
LAND ACQUISITION EXPENSES
LandfornewparkingstructureeastofLibrary $255,000
TOTAL SCENARIO C2 COSTS $22,572,000
28
City of Georgetown, TX
TOTALCOSTCOMPARISON
Acostsummaryforeachscenarioisprovidedbelow
Summary
of
Options A B C C2
Renovations
Council
Chambers/Municipal
Court $500,000 $500,000 $500,000 $500,000
GCAT
1st
Floor $650,000 $650,000 $650,000 $650,000
Old
Library $1,700,000 $1,700,000 $1,700,000 $0
Old
Police
Station $1,100,000 $1,100,000 $1,100,000 $1,100,000
New
Construction
City
Hall $9,281,000 $9,281,000 $5,775,000 $9,281,000
Furniture,Fittings,Equipment,
Security $2,250,000 $2,250,000 $1,400,000 $2,250,000
Parking
Temporary
Surface
Lot $400,000 $400,000 $400,000 $400,000
Parking
Structure $7,875,000 $7,875,000 $7,875,000 $7,875,000
Open
Space
Festival
Street $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $3,500,000
Park
Space $187,500 $187,500 $187,500 $187,500
Plaza $750,000 $750,000 $750,000 $750,000
Amphitheater $250,000 $250,000 $250,000 $250,000
Tensile
Structure $600,000 $600,000 $600,000 $600,000
Play
Area
with
Fountain $56,000 $56,000 $56,000 $56,000
Subtotal
of
Construction
(Rounded
to
Thousands)$29,100,000 $29,100,000 $24,744,000 $27,400,000
Contingency $4,365,000 $4,365,000 $3,711,600 $4,109,925
Total
of
Construction
(Rounded
to
Thousands)$33,465,000 $33,465,000 $28,455,600 $31,509,425
Acquisitions/Leases
Land
for
City
Hall/Parking $1,653,600 $254,400 $254,400 $254,400
Legal
for
Ground
Lease
(allowance)$20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000
Subtotal
$1,674,000 $274,000 $274,000 $274,000
Total
of
Construction/Acquisitions $35,139,000 $33,739,000 $28,730,000 $31,783,000
Dispositions
NW
Corner
of
9th
&
Rock $225,600 $0 $0 $0
CVB
Building $357,000 $357,000 $357,000 $357,000
City
Hall/Post
Office $985,000 $985,000 $985,000 $985,000
Albertson's $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $3,500,000
Total
of
Dispositions
(Rounded
to
Thousands)$5,068,000 $4,842,000 $4,842,000 $4,842,000
Cost
Less
Dispositions
(Rounded
to
Thousands)$30,071,000 $28,897,000 $23,888,000 $26,941,000
Figure 7 - Cost Comparison Summary
29
Municipal Center Concepts
PROJECTFUNDING
Theusualfundingforsuchprojectsisbonding.Currentratesformunicipalbondsvary
from±3.5%to±5.5%andup.Forthepurposesofunderstandingtherangeofannual
debt,amediumvalueof4.75%wasusedfora25-yearbondappliedtothecostafter
dispositions.Thedebtcoverage,asrequiredinGeorgetown,is1.5.Figure7showsa
breakdownofbondingcapacityneededforeachscenario:
Bonding
For
Improvements A B C C2
25
yr
Bond
Debt
Service
at
4.75%$2,080,000 $1,999,000 $1,653,000 $1,864,000
Debt
Coverage 1.50
1.50
1.50
1.50
Cash
Flow
Needed
for
Bonding $3,120,000 $2,999,000 $2,480,000 $2,796,000
Annual
Ground
Lease
from
County $105,000 $105,000 $105,000 $105,000
Annual
Total
for
Bonding
and
Ground
Lease $3,225,000 $3,104,000 $2,585,000 $2,901,000
Figure 8 - Bonding Comparison Summary
Thevarianceincostbetweentheoptionsisapproximately$6.2million,andtherevenue
neededtosupportbondingandagroundleasevariesbyapproximately$640,000.The
rangeofoptionsthusappeartooffermultiplechoicesthatallowforafuturecitycenter
witharelativelysmallvarianceinthebondingcapacityneeded.Assuch,theoptions
presentchoicesthatmayhingelessdirectlyuponconstructioncostthanuponpublic
prioritiesfortheurbandesigndesired,anduponconsiderationsoffuturepublicneeds.
30
City of Georgetown, TX
CONCLUSIONS
Withtheanalysisprovidedinthisreport,doesoneofthedevelopmentscenariosstand
outasapreferredoption?EachoftherefinedoptionspresentedasA,B,CandC2
areviable.Theanalysisofpotentialspaceneeds,preliminaryestimatesofpotential
constructioncostsandconsiderationofthelandareathatmaybeavailableinthe
studyareaprovidessomeusefulinformation:
OPPORTUNITIESANDCHALLENGES
Eachoptionhasuniqueandfavorableopportunities,aswellasdifficultchallenges.
Intheend,multiplevariableswilldeterminethechosenoption.Theoverarchingop-
portunitiesandchallengesforeachscenarioare:
SCENARIO A
ScenarioApracticesgoodurbandesignbyflankingbothsidesof8thStreetwith
active,civicuses-anewCityHalltothenorthandtheCentralLibrarytothesouth.
Thisisoneofthenegativeaspectsof8thStreetasitexiststoday,asonlythesouth
sidecontributesactivitytothestreet.ThedownsidetoscenarioAisthatitrequires
significantpurchase(ornegotiation)ofCountyandprivatepropertyinordertodoso.
SCENARIO B
ScenarioBbuildsonthesynergywiththelibrarybyplacingCityHalldirectlyadjacent
toit.ThisgivesCityHallprominentexposureandadjacencytothecourthouse,another
civiciconindowntown.ThisscenariorequireslesslandacquisitionthanscenarioA,
buttheplacementoftheparkingstructureonbankland,mayormaynotworkout
dependingonthebank’sfutureneeds.
SCENARIO C
ScenarioCfullyutilizescity-ownedpropertyandisthemostconservativeapproach,
butitfallsbehindonoverallbestpracticesforurbandesign.Itismakingbestuseof
existingcityassets,butmayrequireanupfrontdecisionontheplacementofCityHall
inphase1,however.Anotherpotentialopportuniyisthattheplacementoftheparking
structure,mainlyoncity-ownedproperty,mightallowthecitytomoveforwardwith
thestructuresooner,ifitprovedtobefeasible.
SCENARIO C2
ScenarioC2alsoutilizescity-ownedproperty,butinvestsinanewbuildingtoserve
long-termneeds.LikescenarioC,itmayrequireanupfrontdecisionabouttheplace-
mentofCityHallinphase1.Again,thesameplacementoftheparkingstructuremight
allowthecitytomoveforwardwiththestructuresooneraswell.
31
Municipal Center Concepts
Figure8offersamoredescriptiveanalysisofthepotentialopportunitiesandchal-
lengesforeachscenario.Thislistconsistsoffactorsthataffecturbandesign,location,
acquisitions/partnerships,program,andoverallprojectcosts.
SCENARIOS:
CATEGORIES:A B C C2
URBANDESIGN
Activatesbothsidesof8thStreet X
SynergywithLibraryandotherpublicimprovements X X
RockStreetisactivatedwithcivicuses X X
Providesamplecivicoutdoorspace X X X X
LOCATION
CityHallisclosetoTownSquare X X
ParkingStructurelocationidealfortrafficflow X X X X
ACQUISITIONS/PARTNERSHIPS
CouldpartnerwithCountytobuildparkingstructure X
Couldpartnerwithbanktobuildparkingstructure X
Landacquisitionrequiredisrelativelylow X X X
PROGRAM
Enablesallexistingbuildingsinstudyareatobeuti-
lizedinphase1
X X
OVERALLCOSTS
1=mostexpensive;4=leastexpensive 1 2 4 3
Figure 8 - Opportunities
32
City of Georgetown, TX
OTHERCONSIDERATIONS
Nowthatmultipleoptionshavebeenanalyzed,itistimetotakethenextsteptoward
bringingtheGeorgetownCityCentertoareality.Somefinalthingstotakeintocon-
siderationareasfollows:
1. Sufficient land is available for any of the potential scenarios. Are the necessary
acquisitions worth pursuing?
Evenwithprojectedgrowthinspaceneedsbyincludingothercivicfunctions,thearea
canaccommodateallofthedevelopmentenvisioned,andevenhavelandavailable
forothercomplementaryprivatedevelopmentorcountyuses.Someoptionsrequire
landacquisitionofCountyandprivateproperty.Whilethismightposeachallenge,
thefinaloutcomemaybeworthit.
2. As with any major public project, there are lots of moving pieces. Consider
the timing of when certain parcels might become available to influence the final
selection.
Momentumforbuildingacitycenterispresent.Ifascenariodependsonthewilling-
nessofotherpropertyownerstosellorjoininsomeofthedevelopment,itcould
extendtheprojectscheduleandthecitymightrisklosingtheexcitementandsupport
thatcurrentlyexists.
3. Each scenario can be phased, and should begin with public improvements.
Eachscenariohasthepotentialtobephased,beginningwiththeutilizationofexisting
buildingsforcityservicesandthebeautificationofpublicspaceandenhancement
ofservicessuchaspublicparking.Buildingpublicimprovementsfirstwillassurethe
communityofthismajorinvestment,especiallyasbondingwillmostlikelybethemost
relevantfundingsource.Italsohasthepotentialtospurprivateinvestmentsooner.
Fundingwillalsodeterminehowtheprojectgetsphased.
4. Exploring the construction of a parking structure in phase 1 could help support
later phases.
Iftheobjectofcreatingaparkingstructureistocreateadistrictsolutionforparking
thatenablesfutureprivatesectordevelopment,buildingthestructureimmediately
couldreassuretheprivatesectortomoveforwardwithpotentialdevelopment(shown
inPhase3.)Whilethebondingcostforthetemporarylotisonlyapproximately$32,000
annually,overthelifeofthebondthisisatotalcostofapproximately$800,000that
couldbeeliminatedbybuildingthestructureimmediately.
5. In choosing any scenario, changes should be anticipated.
Finally,itisimportanttorecognizethatalloftheinformationgeneratedforthisstudy
isbasedonbroadestimatesgeneratedata“highlevel,”andthatchangesinanysce-
narioshouldbeexpectedasinformationbecomesmorerefined.
City of Georgetown, Texas
SUBJECT:
Report on the meeting of the chairs of the Arts and Culture Board, the Convention and Visitors Bureau
Advisory Board, the Main Street Advisory Board, and the Library Advisory Board on April 30, 2014.
Linda Nix, Eric Lashley
ITEM SUMMARY:
The chairs of the City advisory boards that are concerned with downtown issues met to discuss shared
interests.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This item has no financial impact.
SUBMITTED BY:
Judy Fabry
City of Georgetown, Texas
SUBJECT:
Consideration of dates of future Board meetings -- Eric Lashley
ITEM SUMMARY:
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This item has no financial impact.
SUBMITTED BY:
Judy Fabry