As Bastrop’s population increases, there is a growing need for physical and economic amenities to support the community.
The strain on existing infrastructure can be seen in the city’s need for a new community recreation center and local sports facilities, according to city officials.
The Bastrop Recreation Center team had to start implementing capacity limits and class registrations, which Recreation Director Terry Moore said fills up within minutes.
Bastrop youth sports leagues struggle with limited facilities, hindering local and visiting teams, said Bridgette Rosenauer, Bastrop Youth Soccer Organization registrar.
City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said the city is exploring financially viable ways to address the demand, including a potential hotel-convention center development—which could free up the current convention center to house a new community recreation center.
Sorting out details
In September, the Bastrop Economic Development Corporation commissioned a $60,000 feasibility study to explore the potential for a regional sports complex located near the junctures of state highways 71, 95 and 21. Hunden Partners, a real estate consulting firm, was selected to conduct the study, with the Windsor Group managing the project for the EDC.
Carrillo-Trevino said many residents mistakenly think the complex will address the need for a larger recreation center and improved sports facilities.
“This venue would not be either of those two things, and we need to clarify that,” she said.
If the complex comes to fruition, Mayor Pro-Tem John Kirkland said there could be limited opportunities for local leagues to use it when tournaments are not happening; however, that would need to be leased through the operator of the complex, which would not be the city.
According to the most recent update from Hunden Partners, the purpose of the complex is to attract visitors to the area through sports tourism, which Carrillo-Trevino said would be a financial benefit for the area through hotel occupancy tax funds and sales tax revenue.
“The return on investment and partnership has to be right,” Carrillo-Trevino said. “This cannot be borne on the backs of the taxpayers. It must make financial sense.”
One option
Bastrop youth sports leagues hope to get dedicated, permanent facilities to replace aging and limited fields.
According to an update from Hunden, Bastrop’s sports teams are underserved, noting that aside from those owned by Bastrop ISD, there are no court facilities. Additionally, Bob Bryant and Fisherman’s parks have limited fields to support outdoor sports.
Rosenauer said although they are grateful to lease the Bastrop ISD-owned soccer fields near Buc-ee’s, having a long-standing, dedicated space with amenities to accommodate their needs would be ideal.
Bastrop Little League President Ruth Campion said a combination of regional and local sports facilities would be the best of both worlds.
“Right now there’s nothing around this area that hosts tournaments,” Campion said. “A lot of people have to go to Round Rock, College Station and further, so having something regional here that local teams could also use would help youth sports and draw more revenue to the city.”
According to Hunden, the closest indoor/outdoor regional youth sports facility is at Mission Concepcion Sports Complex in San Antonio—about two hours from Bastrop.
Another option
Bastrop County’s population grew over 21% between 2019 and 2023 and is not projected to slow down anytime soon, according to the latest numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Bastrop Recreation Center team is seeing this reflected in its enrollment and ability to serve everyone as they would like.
“Our membership exceeds the space that we have,” Moore said. “Do we need a bigger space? Absolutely.”
Recreation center member Pamela Vear addressed this at a February 2024 council meeting, asking for an expedited plan to build a new recreation center.
“We know Bastrop is growing by leaps and bounds,” Vear said. “But we really don’t have anything to offer the new citizens moving here, much less for the wonderful people who have been living here for so long and have helped to build and nurture their loving city of Bastrop. We very much need a new recreation center. Please consider our beggings; yes, we are begging.”
Moore said the benefits people get from the recreation center are not only fitness-related but also social and familial.
“We are all like family here,” she said. “We create a space where people feel welcomed and included and valued. Our building is basically just one room, with the fitness gym in the back. ... We could offer a lot more to a lot more people if we just had the space. ”
Stay tuned
Bastrop City Council member Kevin Plunkett said the city is looking into ways to fund a new convention center.
“That would give us room to host larger, more diverse events, and free up our current convention center to be turned into a community recreation center,” Plunkett said.
Plunkett said one way to help fund that is through House Bill 5012, which allows municipalities to use the state’s portion of the area’s HOT funds generated by a hotel and convention center site.
Bastrop Gateway, a 31-acre project proposed just east of Buc-ee’s, had the potential to fit into this category; however, it did not make it far enough in the planning to be considered, said Colin Guerra, Bastrop public information officer.
“The shortest timeline and best chance to get a new recreation center would be for an outside entity to come in and build a hotel and convention center that is run by them,” Guerra said. “There’s no request for proposal out right now, but the dream is still alive.”
