Innovation districts established

Emphasizing the current and potential roles for San Marcos in the Central Texas “Innovation Corridor,” the San Marcos City Council voted on Tuesday to create the San Marcos Innovation District. 

“I think we all hope much success for the innovation district in San Marcos, and I think this really does position us to help provide the types of jobs — knowledge base and creative economy jobs,” Mayor John Thomaides said. “Remember, 30 years from now, 80 percent of the jobs (that will exist) haven’t even been created yet.”

The resolution that council passed Tuesday night sets the boundaries for the innovation district — defined as a geographic area “where leading-edge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators and accelerators” offering transit accessibility, mixed-use housing, office and retail space. The approved map of the district does not have defined lines; rather, the general area of downtown from the university to the interstate is highlighted, as is the Texas State University STAR Park on Hunter Road. 

The resolution also creates a stakeholder advisory group made up of 10 members representing the city, the university, the business community and other entities. The advisory group members are Mayor John Thomaides, Hays County Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe, Central Texas Medical Center President/CEO Anthony Stahl, business owner representative Carina Boston-Pinales of Splash Co-Working, Texas State University Associate Vice President for Research Walter Horton, Main Street Board Chair Kayli Head, STAR Park Director Steve Frayser, Greater San Marcos Partnership Director Adriana Cruz, property owner representative John David Carson of Carson Properties, and Austin’s Innovation District Executive Director Christopher Laing. 

Mayor Pro-Tem Lisa Prewitt expressed concerns about setting the district’s boundaries before the stakeholder group had met. Thomaides pointed out the porous look of the boundaries on the map.

“It’s a little fuzzy,” he said, explaining that the lack of definition was on purpose. 

“Parts of the university wanted to be in,” Thomaides said, “but it had to be compact. If you took the whole university in … that’s not compact. That’s not walkable.”

Moreover, he said, “This by no means precludes any additional sections. … The intent, I think, is that at some point you’ve got to start some walkable geographical boundary that clusters activity like this.”

Council member Jane Hughson voiced concerns about one particular area included in the district.

“My concern, and this has been expressed to me by some residents, is the South LBJ-Guadalupe area that’s mostly residential,” she said, asking if that area had to be included in the innovation district.

“It doesn’t need to be,” Economic Development and Downtown Administrator Kevin Burke replied. “What we wanted to do was be inclusive and make it more than just downtown and the university,” he said. “... That southern section … is actually centered on the property that’s currently owned by the school district where Centro is located.”

Hughson suggested stopping the district at Lee Street to include Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos but leave the residential areas out of it.

“I would be OK if we ask the group that’s been appointed to look at this strongly,” she said.

“There are no hard lines for just that reason,” Thomaides said. 

Prewitt asked if council members could suggest more members for the stakeholder group. However, Thomaides cautioned against having too many members and said that some of the city’s institutional partners do not have representation in the stakeholder group but have been named as “key partner organizations.”

“It’s not, I think, intended to be the end-all, be-all,” Burke said of the stakeholder group. “... It’s the group that’s going to get the innovation district up and running.”

The next steps for the stakeholder advisory group will be to approve a governance structure for the innovation district, audit the district’s innovation assets and develop and action plan.

“We don’t know where this will lead,” Thomaides said, “but we’re very excited to kick it off.”