Burnet chooses architects for new city hall

Image
  • Burnet has chosen the Austin firm of Seaux & Price as architects for the renovation of the vacant Bealls building on Polk Street as a new city hall. File photo
    Burnet has chosen the Austin firm of Seaux & Price as architects for the renovation of the vacant Bealls building on Polk Street as a new city hall. File photo
Body

By Phil Reynolds Contributing Writer Burnet Bulletin

Burnet City Council members cleared the way for two major projects Tuesday, July 13, approving the Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) use of part of the city sales tax for a development project and giving their OK to an Austin firm of architects to work on the new city hall. They also filled three city committee positions.

The EDC needed formal council approval to use part of the sales tax to repay a $1.4 million loan from First State Bank of Burnet. That money will be used to develop a 13.51-acre tract on South Water Street which the EDC owns and hopes to sell to a commercial developer.

City Manager David Vaughn told the council the resolution was required by the bank and was the final step in getting the loan.

An Austin construction firm was the low bidder and was awarded the development contract by the EDC board.

Seaux & Pierce, of Austin, was chosen as the architects for the renovation of the vacant Bealls building on Polk Street. The recommendation was made by a committee the council set up to advise on redoing the building after a $1 million contract to buy it was successfully negotiated by the city staff.

Vaughn has said he hopes to know as soon as next month what the renovation will involve. Chad Pierce, a principal of the architectural firm, said his company designed the Market on H Street in Marble Falls as well as the new Community Resource Center.

He said the firm is handling the renovation of the Lone Star Capital Bank in Johnson City.

“We really enjoy working in Marble Falls and we know we’ll enjoy working in Burnet,” he said.

Two members of the city’s Airport Advisory Board came up for renewal of their terms and the council unanimously approved new terms for them. They are Dave Hargett and James Wreyford; both terms will expire in June 2023.

The council also agreed to appoint Cheryl Howell to one of the vacancies on the city’s Historic Preservation Board. Her term also will expire in June 2023.