The city of Bastrop will purchase shade covers for the Mayfest Park Rodeo Arena that will cover the seating and pen areas.
The details
During a Jan. 21 meeting, Bastrop City Council approved a resolution that will allow staff to purchase the upgrades from ShadePro for up to $477,110—improvements that will be financed with series 2025 certificates of obligation, according to city documents.
“They’re cantilever covers that are custom made,” Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino, who met with ShadePro representatives onsite, said during the meeting.
Some background
Although the city of Bastrop initially sought a shade cover that would cover the entirety of the Mayfest Park Rodeo Arena, a feasibility study, which Freeland Turk Engineering conducted, determined an estimated cost of approximately $8.4 million.
Freeland Turk also provided an estimated cost of $4.2 million for a shade cover that would only cover the seating areas.
Both estimates factored in other improvements to the Mayfest Park Rodeo Arena, including:
- A new announcer’s booth
- Additional bleachers
- Enhanced lighting
- Sidewalk reconstruction
- Electrical upgrades
“Obviously, both of those costs are out of reach to the city,” Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino
said in a staff report.
What we know
The city of Bastrop is still planning seating improvements at the Mayfest Park Rodeo Arena, estimated to cost $130,000-$150,000, that would be paid for with Bastrop Economic Development funds, according to city documents.
Carrillo-Trevino told Bastrop City Council that she would like the shade covers, seating improvements and associated concrete work to be completed in time for the 2026 Bastrop Homecoming & Rodeo, which will be held July 28-Aug. 1.
Notable quote
“We have to start somewhere,” Bastrop Mayor Ishmael Harris said during the meeting. “This shade cover gets us going to where we can have more events.”
