Dripping Springs officials celebrated the groundbreaking on renovations of the Stephenson Building, a historic building in downtown Dripping Springs, on Oct. 23. (Sienna Wight/Community Impact)
After 10 years of planning, Dripping Springs city officials broke ground on the Stephenson Building on Oct. 23.
The gist
The Stephenson Building is undergoing renovations to become a community performance center, as well as house some community offices. The building will be extended, and the parking lot will be more than doubled to accommodate the downtown area.
“It's going to give our community and visitors a place where we can localize and centralize,” Mayor Bill Foulds said at the groundbreaking Oct. 23.
According to the city’s website, the work will include:
Removal of hazardous materials
Roof replacement
Window restoration/replacement
Ceiling and wood floor restoration
Installation of acoustical ceiling
Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility
A new parking lot with more capacity
Construction will cost $4.89 million, as approved by City Council on Oct. 7, and will be completed by QA Construction. Foulds said the renovations should be complete in about a year.
“We are truly honored just to be a part of this project that has a lot of historical significance here to the city of Dripping Springs,” QA Construction’s Shay Traweek said Oct. 23.
The back wall will be taken down to expand the building. Behind the renovations is QA Construction. (Sienna Wight/Community Impact)
The background
The Stephenson Building was built in 1939 and operated as a high school until 1949. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
The building is located at 311 Old Fitzhugh Road, Dripping Springs, and is owned by the city.
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