At its Nov. 6 meeting, San Marcos City Council voted to transfer the ownership of the Mitchell Center on Valley Street, which is currently unused by the city, to The Calaboose African American History Museum.
According to the museum’s website, “the Calaboose African American Museum serves as a home of the ongoing Black history and culture in San Marcos and Hays County.” This monument, established in 1990, serves as an amplifier of Black history in the city of San Marcos as well as Hays County.
“This is a very significant thing that we’re doing, it’s really going to benefit our community, putting that building back into use. I think the end result is gonna be great for our community.” Mayor Jane Hughson said.
The rest of the council approved the decision to expand in a 7-0 vote.
“It’s about time that we start going that direction of museum districts and recognizing these neighborhoods that are so important to our culture,” Councilmember Matthew Mendoza said.
In another 7-0 vote, San Marcos City Council also agreed to approve a resolution that will assist in the construction of a new city hall. The motion involved a partnership with Economic and Planning Systems, Inc., which will advise the city on how best to proceed with the project.
“Economic and Planning Systems have some pretty impressive other public-private partnerships that they’ve worked on before, so I’m glad we’re moving forward,” Councilmember Jude Prather said. “This is some of those concrete first steps we’re making.”
Other council members also expressed excitement for the new building, alluding to the lengthy approval process.
This project is part of the larger Vision SMTX Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted on Oct. 15. It aims to heavily take community input into account when creating infrastructure as the city continues to grow. However, it also is set to protect the natural environment of San Marcos.
The San Marcos City Council meets at 6 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of each month. For more information, visit its website.
