SAN MARCOS, Texas -- San Marcos City Council has approved funding for a downtown "mobility hub" that's been years in the making.
- "Mobility hub" coming to San Marcos
- Idea generated by community organizations
- Completion slated for August
The 6,000-square-foot space at 214 E. Hutchison St. may not look like much now, but by the end of August, it will be a public plaza the whole community can enjoy.
The city-owned property that's currently vacant is about to be revitalized to bring more beautification to the downtown area. It will feature a stage, public art, several new trees and landscaping, shade structures with tables and chairs, water fountains and a rain garden, cycling amenities, a bike repair shop, car-charging stations, and a new downtown bus transit stop.
According to council, the idea was brought up years ago from several different areas and organizations of the community.
The former council did not fully agree on what would be built at this space. At one point, there were talks of bringing more parking. However, the city has said the space is too small to fit a parking garage.
The plan was to bring a "transportation hub" aspect to beautify the lot. The designs for the green space were given the green light in January 2018.
On May 7, 2019, council allocated more than $360,000 to the project, with construction by T.F. Harper and Associates beginning in June.
The parks department is confident there will only need to be two to three months of good weather to get the space transformed.
“It’s really nice to see some color and something more than a gravel parking lot," said Parks Operations Manager Bert Stratemann. "It’ll just be a nice place to get out and relax and sit there and enjoy downtown.”
August 2019 is the tentative completion date.
