If awarded, the grant will fund the construction of a dining hall—estimated to cost $15 million—at Camp Moody, located at 1220 Old San Antonio Road in Buda.
What it means
The grant requires that nonprofit organizations partner with a local government or higher education institution, according to agenda documents. The city of Buda will serve as a statutory partnership in the agreement and support the YMCA's grant application.
"There's no cost from the city, but we would be a partner with them as they go through the development process," Buda City Manager Micah Grau said.
Diving in deeper
The new building would serve a variety of different purposes, including:
- Community programming
- Educational classes and meetings
- Dining or food distribution capabilities
The impact
The new building could also serve as a community resilience hub during extreme weather events and community emergencies, Doles said in an email to Community Impact.
YMCA Camp Moody already functions as a regional hub, drawing residents from the southern and southeastern parts of Travis County as well as Hays County residents east of I-35 and in Kyle, Doles explained.
He noted that Hays County’s 2018 Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies flooding, drought, extreme heat, severe winter storms and wildfires as major risks to the area. Buda’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan also identifies strategies to improve infrastructure and create resiliency hubs to serve residents during emergencies.
“With its location along I-35, the proposed project will provide immediate and easy access for residents of disadvantaged communities in the event of climate-related emergencies, such as flood, fire, extreme heat or power outages,” Doles said.
Check this out
The proposed facility would include decarbonization technology to minimize energy demand, which will be backed up with a low-carbon microgrid system. The system would be capable of supporting critical operations even when the local power grid is down, Doles added.
