SPI Insights

Bastrop County invites contractors to attend a pre-bid meeting at 11 a.m. February 24 for a project to build a new community center that could double as a facility for disaster recovery teams in the event of a natural disaster.

The county plans to build an 11,884-square-foot facility on American Legion Drive that will act as a community center. In addition, it will house the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services Office and the Bastrop County Long Term Recovery Team.

County leaders intend for the center to serve the dual purpose of providing a large community assembly area as well as providing housing space for recovery team offices and residents in the event of a natural disaster.

Possible uses include space for offices, workrooms, restrooms, a kitchen, and a large multi-purpose room for projects, meetings, and community activities.

County officials have been planning the center for several years, originally appointing a committee in May 2017 to oversee the facility’s design and construction. This January, county commissioners changed two of the members to reflect personnel changes since the committee’s founding.

This project will be partially financed with a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. The grant will be matched with $1.3 million in local funds.