The city of Kerrville is expected to announce today that it's in a contract to purchase 7.1 acres of land to build a public safety building — that's if voters approve a bond measure May 7.
Three sources with knowledge of the proceedings provided The Lead with the property's details along Rio Monte Drive and Clearwater Paseo. There's currently a Brinkman Commercial Real Estate sign on the property — advertising the 7.1 acres. The vacant lot is across the street from the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, Kerr County Jail and district attorney offices.
Kerrville voters will decide about the proposed $45 million, 69,000-square-foot structure to house the police department, fire administration, municipal court and information technology department. By locating it on Rio Monte Drive, the city essentially creates a public safety corridor with the adjacent county facilities.
Brinkman lists the property for $748,448 and notes zoning for residential development. The City Council authorized City Manager E.A. Hoppe to negotiate to acquire the land last month.
While some had hoped the city would acquire the former Hal Peterson Middle School site, the Rio Monte Drive location checks several of the city's boxes, including the acreage to accommodate the single-story building and parking. The Kerrville Independent School District is still looking for a buyer for the more than 20-acre school site on Sidney Baker Street.
In 2019, the city commissioned a cost study to build a public safety building on three city-owned sites, including the current police station —all demonstrated problems with parking and building size.
That plan was made obsolete by Kerr County's aggressive land purchases around the existing police station, changes in the building code that required features not available during the 2019 study and the coronavirus pandemic.
And then, the City Council faced opposition from a citizens group over using certificates of obligation to start the process. A petition by the group, dubbed "Let Us Vote," gathered enough signatures to block the City Council from using the certificates of obligation to begin the process.
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