What it means
Williamson County owns the historic jail site at 102 W. Third St. and applied to rezone the property from split residential single family and mixed use downtown to fully mixed use downtown.
In November 2024, the county began deconstructing the nonhistoric additions near the jail and stripping the jail interior in order to repurpose the site and sell it.
Its proximity to downtown Georgetown and businesses off of Austin Avenue could allow the site to become a boutique hotel or restaurant, Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said in a November 2024 interview.
Zooming in
The mixed use downtown zoning can lend itself to a variety of residential and commercial uses, according to city documents, including:
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Single-family residential
- Parking lots
- Personal services
- Banking or financial services
While the jail is not currently occupied, it is a “high priority historic resource,” Planning Director Edgar Garcia said at the Jan. 13 meeting. This designation means the property has higher regulatory oversight in order to preserve it, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The history
The Williamson County Jail was built in 1888 and served as the county’s primary jail until 1989. It was then adapted for county and professional offices.
County officials stopped leasing or renting the historic jail in 2020 due to safety concerns.
What’s next
City Council will consider final approval of the rezoning at its Jan. 27 meeting.
