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A larger recreation center with fitness, youth programs and new athletic fields could be coming to Bastrop through a renewed partnership with the YMCA.
What happened
Bastrop City Council unanimously approved a $30,000 feasibility study on July 14, examining whether a YMCA facility could succeed in the community.
The study will be funded through certificates of obligation issued in 2025.
The city will work with the YMCA of Greater Austin on the study, which will be conducted by nonprofit consulting firm Triangle2 Solutions.
“You guys tasked me to go figure out how to make a rec center happen,” City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino told council members. “This is step one to a longer goal of hopefully having a functional recreation center that is partly managed by the Y.”
Why it matters
Community Impact previously reported that Bastrop’s existing recreation center has experienced capacity constraints as the city’s population has grown.
Mayor Ishmael Harris told Community Impact the potential YMCA campus could include typical recreation-center amenities and additional fields for baseball, soccer, softball and football.
“We are only in the beginning stages of the conversation to see if this is a good fit for the community,” Harris noted. “Our goal is to get something that works for the citizens of Bastrop, young and old, and families alike, that provides those amenities that are desired from what comes with the rec center and does not burden the citizens.”
Taking a step back
This is not the first attempt at a partnership between the city and the YMCA, Harris said, noting a partnership was explored in 2020.
"There were several factors that eventually led to them leaving Bastrop," he said. "COVID was going on, so that created some uncertainty. They needed to see certain things happening and developing, and progress was being made."
Harris said progress was being made but was unexpectedly terminated.
"Long and short: the partnership and relationship just wasn't handled responsibly," he explained.
What they’re studying
According to the plan, Triangle2 will conduct 400 phone interviews representative of the community’s age, income and family status.
The firm also proposed email surveys and interviews with potential partners and stakeholders.
The study will examine:
Potential services noted in the proposal include youth and teen programs, water-safety programs, child care and health-focused activities.
The timeline
City staff is now tasked with finalizing an agreement with the YMCA of Greater Austin before the study launches.
Once underway, Triangle2’s proposed 48-day process would end with a report and presentation outlining if and how a YMCA facility could move forward in Bastrop.
