BMDD OKs land sale for future housing development

The Brownwood Municipal Development Directors Board of Directors on Tuesday afternoon approved the sale of up to 26.369 acres of land to Trafalgar Homes for development of housing dependent upon a fair market price.

The MDD owns some property south of town off FM 45 and we have a housing developer, Trafalgar Homes, interested in buying it for development,” said Ray Tipton, BMDD Executive Director. “They haven’t worked out their entire development yet, but they’ve asked us if we’d be interested in selling some property to them. That’s what the approval was today, subject to fair market appraisal, it’s contingent on that.”

The BMDD Board of Directors also approved a Building Improvement Incentive Program grant to Willie’s T’s not to exceed $4,500 for a property located at 909 Pecan Street.

Among information provided in reports:

  • The plans for the Food Plaza project at the intersection of Coggin and Austin Avenues have been approved, but utility work must be completed before going forward.
  • Common Grounds continues to work on the construction of its new location at the intersection of Austin and Main, the former fire station. Plumbing related issues led to a delay in the project, and the hope now is it will completed by August or September.
  • An undisclosed business from out of town is looking to relocate to downtown Brownwood and will soon receive a tour of available properties.
  • Picnic tables for Pat Coursey Park are expected to arrive by the end of June.
  • Bids for Phase 1 of construction on the downtown events center – the icehouse and outdoor portions – should go out later this summer.
  • The most recent unemployment figures in Brown County were 5.5 percent, a slight improvement. BMDD board members stated sign on and referral bonuses have attracted more job seekers.
  • The most recent sales tax numbers are up 15 percent and from this time last year, and for the year sales tax numbers are up 10 percent.