Buda City Hall will have a new address, and so will the city's public library and police department.
On Jan. 6, Buda City Council approved ratifying documents in connection with the $1.7 million purchase of 8.6 acres on Main Street, near downtown. The city purchased the land from D.L. Jardine Foods, a food producer whose headquarters on Chisholm Trail is near the city's Stagecoach Park.
The property is bound by four streets: Main, E. Loop Street, Chisholm Trail and Hawk Lane.
Mayor Todd Ruge said he was elated the city was able to find a good property for its new facilities, which will be bankrolled by $27.75 million in bond money approved by voters in November. A total of $55 million in capital improvement projects will be funded by the bond.
"I think [the piece of property] really hit all the marks," Ruge said. "It's important to have that Main Street address. This piece of land is going to help us build for the future."
The city began the process of searching for real estate on which to build its new facilities several months ago, but none of the properties on the market quite fit the citys needs, Ruge said.
Either the price-point was not right or there was very little land, he said.
The city received the land for $4.53 per square foot, which Ruge said was below market, as a property across the street sold for $4.81 per square foot.
The committee that recommended projects for the bond program had suggested the city find two separate pieces of land for the facilities because having a public library near a police station would raise safety and privacy concerns.
But Ruge said the property has enough land that the campuses for the co-located city hall and public library and the police department will be distinct.
City Manager Kenneth Williams, who negotiated the deal along with the city's real estate broker, said the land acquisition was a great next step in fulfilling the recommendations of the bond program.
"It's ideal," Williams said. "It's a great location for us. It keeps us centrally located [and] accessible to everybody."
