Since its return to downtown in late 2025, Buda’s historic train depot has seen significant changes in both its physical appearance and practical use. The structure will soon house the city’s newest economic development project, The Depot on Main.
The interior of the train depot will be converted into a retail business incubator and community marketplace, according to the Buda Economic Development Corp., or BEDC. Participating business owners will have access to below-market-rate retail space to establish themselves in the city and grow their consumer base.
“It’s an opportunity for home-based businesses or startups to have a presence on Main Street at below market rental rate for a shorter period of time,” BEDC CEO Jennifer Storm said.
The program will prepare owners for a full-rent retail space and allow them to test their products in the market, Storm said. One-to-two-year leases will be available.
About the program
Retail incubator space in the train depot will be prioritized for businesses that have completed or are enrolled in the Buda HIVE Cohort, a training program that provides support to local businesses.
“We want to make sure they have business plans, financial documents and everything they need to succeed, and [The Depot on Main] just gives them a physical place to sell their wares,” Storm said.
The depot project offers a “crawl, walk, run” pathway of growth for business owners:
- Crawl: Producers sell their products in The Collective Marketplace without a full-time commitment.
- Walk: Business owners rent a dedicated incubator space in the train depot for one to two years.
- Run: After establishing a consumer base in Buda, owners move to a full-market-retail space.
“We have a lot of great entrepreneurs with great ideas coming through the HIVE,” said Brian Dyer, The Depot on Main development work lead. “I think it’s brilliant to give a pathway for these folks to true-up their product.”
Zooming in
Business owners who are selected to occupy a space at The Depot on Main will follow strict program timelines to prepare them for the eventual transition to a full-market-rate retail space in Buda.
“The hardest part is going to be that [leases] will have to last a short amount of time,” Storm said. “The goal is to really help businesses get their footing.”
The city of Buda entered a financial partnership with the BEDC for the project, Buda City Manager Micah Grau said. The city will assist with the site’s maintenance once complete.
“We have a wonderful, vibrant downtown now, but we need more retail and shopping opportunities to continue to drive people to our downtown,” Grau said. “We think this is going to be a driver for [the] downtown economy.”
Going forward
As a result of City Council approval in March, the train depot will be launched in phases, according to the BEDC.
Construction on the building’s interior will start by the end of May, followed by exterior site work, according to Dyer. The project is expected to be substantially completed by the end of October and fully operational in the first quarter of 2027.
