The City of San Marcos will build a new combined public services and community services maintenance facility after voting to spend $2.5 million on land Monday.

The new facility, located at 2240 Clovis Barker Road off I-35, will house around 200 city personnel once built on nearly 21 acres. It will eventually house the city's electric, water, wastewater and drainage utility departments as well as the city's traffic and street divisions. Park maintenance and fleet operations will also be housed there.

Many of these departments are currently in a city building across from City Hall at 630 E. Hopkins St.

Assistant City Manager Steve Parker said construction would start in the next 18 months, and the facility will take one year to be built.

The funds come from council-approved certificate of obligation bonds. Parker said the city will also spend around $130,000 on closing costs for the land.

According to a memo from Parker, the first phase of the facility plan includes:

  • a 27,000-square-foot, two-story administration building with room for future expansion;

  • 36,000 square feet of utility bays with room for future expansion;

  • 16,500 square feet of vehicle canopy storage with room for future expansion;

  • 185,000 square feet of material storage and lay-down yard(s);

  • 14,000 square feet of covered material storage with room for future expansion; and

  • parking for 639 vehicles (visitor, employee and city vehicles).