Round Rock City Council on Dec. 5 approved a two-year extension for the owners of Nutty Brown Amphitheatre to build a $10 million facility at McNeil Park, located off I-35.
The extension is tied to an April 2018 economic development agreement that stipulated the venue be built by Dec. 31, 2019.
While council’s action extends the construction completion date to Dec. 31, 2021, it does not change other key details of the incentive package. The agreement calls for Nutty Brown owners to invest $10 million and employ 40 in Round Rock. In return, the city will reimburse a percentage of property taxes over five years and waive up to $30,000 of development fees, per the agreement.
This is not the first time the project has been delayed. In 2014, Mike Farr, owner of Nutty Brown Cafe & Amphitheatre, first announced plans to relocate the venue from southwest Austin to Round Rock.
Farr initially projected the new venue would be ready to open in spring 2018. After facing delays negotiating with the Texas Department of Transportation for roadway access and construction, Farr said he pushed the anticipated completion to spring 2019. As of January, Farr revised his timeline again, saying he expected the first show to take place in spring 2020.
Despite the economic incentive agreement timeline extension until Dec. 31, 2021, the venue is now expected to be complete by spring 2021, said Nichole Vance, director of business attraction for the Round Rock Chamber.
“They should be ahead of the schedule that we put into place in the agreement,” Vance said.
Farr did not respond to a Dec.3 interview request from Community Impact Newspaper.
Plans for the Round Rock facility include a large outdoor music venue with capacity for about 7,000 people as well as a two-story restaurant and bar with a rooftop deck.
The south Austin music venue first opened in July 2000, according to the company’s website. The cafe portion of Nutty Brown traces its roots to the 1950’s when it was known as Nutty Brown Mills, a specialty flour and candy store.
