‘Rose from the ashes’: Crisis Center of Comal County hosts groundbreaking for new facility

The Crisis Center of Comal County held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 13—two years after a fire burned the previous center—marking a new chapter toward providing safety for survivors of sexual assault and violence.

The details

The new center, located at 655 Landa St., New Braunfels, is “in the heart of the community right here in the middle of town,” said Alice Jewel, CEO of the McKenna Foundation, a nonprofit that supports other community organizations throughout New Braunfels.

Members of the New Braunfels community came to “celebrate breaking ground on a project that literally rose from the ashes,” said Julie Strentzsch, CEO of the Crisis Center of Comal County.

The new $11 million facility will be a 30,000-square-foot building with administrative offices, a shelter and a transitional living center. Other amenities will include:

• Counseling space
• Common areas

“The new shelter will provide flexible housing arrangements to ensure children can remain with their primary caregivers,” said Sean Williams, president of the Crisis Center of Comal County.

The center has a 15-month build-out time, officials from the organization said, and it is set to be open in summer 2025.