Entertaining Williamson County

According to the plan, the facility will receive $1 million worth of improvements in the 2015-16 baseball offseason, including seal coating and re-striping the parking lot to prevent deterioration, converting parking lot lights to LEDs and installing a new sound system.

Other improvements in the plan include replacing the fire sprinkler system in 2016-17 off-season at a cost of $200,000, replacing field lights and general lights with LEDs at a cost of $840,000 and a full replacement of the stadium seating in 2018-19 at a cost of $1.2 million. The parking lot will see more improvements and repairs in 2019-20 under the plan. The plan will be updated annually, according to city staff.

The funds for the improvements will come out of the city’s hotel occupancy tax funds.

Susan Morgan, Round Rock chief financial officer, said Ryan-Sanders baseball will also invest about $750,000 in the stadium in the coming winter season. According to city documents, since the stadium was built the city has invested $3.4 million in stadium improvements, and Ryan-Sanders baseball has invested about $7 million.

Further providing the area with entertainment options, in September Mike Farr, owner of Austin live music venue Nutty Brown Cafe, announced he would move the business to Round Rock in 2017.

Kristin Brown, special events coordinator for the city of Round Rock, said the Nutty Brown Cafe would bring another level of talented performers to the city.

“It’s a great opportunity,” she said.

Options are increasing across the region as well. The Cedar Park Center in October began offering new concessions.

The Palace Theatre plans to expand by constructing a freestanding facility for its children’s program. Executive Director Marissa Austin said the facility will be located at the corner of Rock and Second streets when it opens in spring 2018.

Williamson County officials broke ground on a 48,000-square foot Expo Center on Sept. 25. The county is renovating an existing facility at 210 Carlos G. Parker Blvd. in Taylor to increase the number and types of events that can be held at the center.

Entertainment infrastructure

City leaders in Cedar Park, Georgetown and Round Rock hope to create a larger footprint for entertainment in their respective cities in the coming years.

In Round Rock, a proposal for an arts venue is on the table after a former bond committee recommendation. City Council hired an architecture firm to come up with a potential concept for the venue, which was presented to council members in July. The proposal included a 70,800 square foot arts facility with a performance hall and flexible theater with seating for approximately 1,125 patrons.

“Our findings show that there is no professional type arts facility north of Austin,” said Scot Wilkinson, executive director of the Arts in Round Rock.

In Cedar Park city officials are spearheading a project to revitalize a portion of Bell Boulevard, one of the city’s older areas of town, to create a destination for residents to eat, shop and work.

“The way that things have been designed, especially with the [new] park to be there, we’re looking at things like amphitheaters and large areas that would be suitable for farmers markets and festivals,” said Katherine Caffrey, Cedar Park assistant city manager. “As we look at the Bell Boulevard development, we do see a need for [smaller] events.”

In Georgetown, The Palace’s growing roster for its year-round children’s programs dictates additional space is needed, Austin said. This summer, The Palace rented an additional facility to accommodate the program. However it still was not sufficient, she said.

Austin said the program, which serves children throughout Williamson County, started in 2004 as a summer workshop, but as demand grew the program to be year-round training in dancing, singing and acting, she said. The expansion fits into the city’s vision to create more of an entertainment district in downtown Georgetown, City Planner Matt Synatschk said.

“We’ve had a little bit of a shift from that 8-to-5 type of business to having more of an entertainment area on and around the Square with the new restaurants and some of the other activities that are going on,” he said.

Competing for dollars

Area cities have been competing for fans and economic contribution since the build-out of venues.

Brown said The Dell Diamond helped put the city on the map in terms of minor league baseball.

“Their ticket sales are phenomenal,” Brown said. “Being a draw in North Austin for that sport venue is a major coup for us especially because we have the infrastructure to support it.”

Phil Brewer, Cedar Park economic development director, said when the CPC was built in 2009, it was intended to serve as an “economic engine for that quadrant of town in terms of generating economic activity.”

The economic downturn slowed the development of the 17 acres around the CPC, Brewer said, but within the next three to five years, the tract could receive restaurants, retail, hotels and offices.

“We’re seeing a lot of interest in projects in that area now,” Brewer said.

Nearby in Georgetown, Austin said The Palace attracts visitors by offering opportunities for the community to participate in its shows.

“We see ourselves as not only a theater but as a community service,” Austin said.