Sixteen acres at Gruene Road and Common Street in New Braunfels may soon be targeted for development. The land has been in the possession of the New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation (NBEDC) since 2016, and New Braunfels Director of Economic and Community Development Jeff Jewell presented an update on the property to City Council during its regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 12 at City Hall.
The 16 acres, which are located next to the offices of HD Supply, were initially acquired by the NBEDC for an adjacent business that had planned an expansion. However, COVID and changes at the corporate level “kind of iced those expansion plans,” according to Jewell. Previously-mentioned uses for the 16 acres included a light industrial zoning for storage or an RV park, but Jewell said that NBEDC’s 2022 strategic plan caused the organization to think more broadly in terms of the property’s potential.
Jewell presented three different development options that the property could be used for during his presentation — visitation, creativity and local focus. Each of the three possibilities included primary and secondary uses that took into account feedback from council members, as well as information provided by outside firm Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. The visitation option includes a convention center or meeting space with a boutique hotel, in addition to secondary features such as food and beverage businesses, luxury multifamily housing and parks/open space.
The creativity scenario included a film or TV studio and a complimentary boutique hotel, as well as a land bank and parks/open space. The final list of possibilities, local focus, included two new medical office buildings, in addition to for-sale housing, luxury multifamily housing and parks/open space. Jewell said that an item regarding the land use will be presented to City Council in the future, but New Braunfels resident David Warmke wondered aloud if any of the three options were actually the right choice.
“We’re having this money that’s pulled out, stuck in a bucket and really never directly comes back,” Warmke said. “Indirectly, some way it will, and that’s the argument — that we’ll have more money indirectly — but you have a lot of money sitting there for a while and now we have this, ‘What pie in the sky thing do we want to do next?’ Well, I think what we need to do next is be fiscally responsible and make sure we have police and fire protection, make sure our roads are right and make sure this is a livable place.” Prior to the report from Jewell, council approved several items on the consent agenda, including the repeal of an ordinance that established a volunteer fire department.
Council members also approved the second and final reading of an ordinance that updates the map of the city’s official boundaries. Council also voted to repeal the $50 reward for tips leading to the arrest of those who damage city property. Council Member Lawrence Spradley made a motion to approve the consent agenda items, and Mayor Pro Tem Andres Campos seconded the motion, which carried.
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