The Hays County Commissioners directed its legal team to negotiate a contract with the city of San Marcos to purchase the remaining property adjacent to Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos — located in Precinct 1 in a historic district at 211 Lee Street in San Marcos. The county would contribute up to $500,000 if the contract, which will be on the next meeting agenda, is approved. The property is currently owned by San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, and in court, Hays County Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe said there is an offer to buy the property by a developer that plans to build an apartment complex.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra dismissed what he said are rumors that the property would be donated to or operated by Centro Cultural Hispano.
“The intent is to support the city of San Marcos in buying this property from the Independent School District so that it will become a cultural center operated through a grant program, that it wouldn’t be a routine burden on any agency and not to be donated to any nonprofit or to be operated by any said nonprofit, specifically Centro,” he said. “This is purely an intent to create a one-time expense to help make sure that this culturally meaningful space doesn’t turn into a three-story apartment complex.”
