PRESENTER: Presenter
Jared Werner, Assistant City Manager
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SUBJECT: Title
Approval of a contract with C.H. Johnson Consulting, Inc. for the development of market viability study of an expansion to the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center, demand analysis for an adjacent hotel and conceptual site planning services.
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DEPARTMENT: N/A
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The existing Civic/Convention Center is not scaled or equipped to attract a broader market of events. The campus and adjacent area(s) also lack a full-service hotel, which limits our ability to accommodate conferences and overnight tourism. In addition, the demand for the facility significantly outweighs the supply of event space with large portions of the calendar booked as far out as 2029.
The South Castell Visioning Plan identified the Civic and Convention Center as a key redevelopment opportunity, and called for adjacent uses like hotels, residential units, and improved public spaces. In summary, this feasibility study with Johnson Consulting directly advances those goals by using up-to-date market and financial analysis to determine what’s viable and how best to move forward.
This effort will be broken down into four phases, which are summarized below
Phase 1: Market Viability Analysis
• Assess the regional and national demand for convention, meeting, and tourism activity in New Braunfels.
• Benchmark against peer cities and evaluate New Braunfels’ competitive positioning in the market.
• Identify target user groups and event types that the City is best positioned to attract.
Phase 2: Demand and Financial Feasibility
• Project usage, event volume, and hotel room demand tied to an expanded Civic/Convention Center.
• Develop long-term operating proformas for both the Civic Center and a potential hotel.
• Determine appropriate facility size and identify public/private revenue opportunities and financial sustainability.
Phase 3: Conceptual Site Planning
• Translate findings into 2D and 3D conceptual plans for the Civic Center expansion and adjacent hotel.
• Evaluate pedestrian access, parking, and integration with surrounding downtown infrastructure.
• Provide visual tools to support stakeholder engagement and early-stage development planning.
Phase 4: Economic Impact & Implementation Strategy
• Estimate economic and fiscal impacts of the project (jobs, tax revenue, visitor spending).
• Recommend funding mechanisms and implementation pathways.
• Deliver a strategic roadmap to guide decision-making and potential public-private partnerships.
As the information above suggests, this is a comprehensive analysis that ensures that a project of this size and scope is based on strong quantitative findings and qualitative feedback and evaluation.
A Request for Qualifications was issued February 2025 for a consulting team to support the South Castell Planning and Visioning. Eleven responses were received on March 13, 2025 and the evaluation team identified 3 candidates for interviews. C.H. Johnson Consulting was selected as the recommended consultant for this project.
ISSUE:
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
☒Economic Mobility ☐Enhanced Connectivity ☐Community Identity
☐Organizational Excellence ☐Community Well-Being ☐N/A
- Incentivize mixed-use developments and redevelopments in targeted locations to create a built environment with integrated housing, commercial centers, and opportunities for improved connectivity.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of this proposal is for an amount not to exceed $288,500. This project will be supported by the Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund, where there are surplus reserves available to support this effort.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval