Proposed Library at New Randall’s Site and a video about Quinlan Crossings

As many of you know, one of the Hill Country Education Foundation’s primary missions is to bring a Community Library to the Four Points area. To this end, HCEF has funded a legal-fees retainer to a prominent Austin law firm to initiate the formation of a Community Library District in the Four Points area. This Community Library District must be passed by popular vote under an Initiative and Referendum Election in the near future. HCEF has given thought to possible locations for the library should the election pass.

On August 30, HCEF prepared and delivered a Proposal Request to the Randalls’ Shopping Center developer who is an affiliate of Safeway Corporation, the parent company of Randalls. The Proposal Request was for the developer to construct a 12,000 sq ft Community Library facility with 40 parking spaces and then to give it to the community for use as a Community Library, within their proposed shopping center development in the front of Steiner Ranch.

The HCEF Proposal extolled the benefits of the library as an economic engine within the community at large and as a draw for their shopping center; suggesting the library clientele would bring prime potential shoppers into their stores. HCEF suggested that if the developer were to agree to this Library Donation Proposal, much of the grass roots opposition to Randalls would change to support. A similar situation has taken place in nearby Bee Caves. Developers of the Hill Country Galleria incorporated a library to help placate area residents.

The HCEF Proposal Request was made on behalf of the Four Points community at large. The Proposal Request has neither been rejected nor agreed to by the developers. Since it is a $3.5 million dollar facility, the donation of such a valuable site and building would surely not be taken lightly. HCEF has consulted with real estate professionals who have explained that the value add to the shopping center development by the library as an attraction to customers shoppers is a sales point to potential tenants and creates a value add to offset the substantial cost. HCEF hopes to hear from the shopping center developers, but realizes the developers have no obligation to respond at all.

Community support could be shown by simply attending the developer’s town meeting on Monday, September 27 at 7:30 pm in the Steiner Ranch Elementary cafeteria. While we do not expect an announcement at the meeting, we do believe a strong turnout will show the developers the high level of involvement our residents have in our community. (See details on the meeting below and link to RSVP).

A copy of the HCEF Proposal is attached.

Below is a YouTube link that gives an overview of the proposed development.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv6tt_tB1gs

If you would like a complete Library Status report from the Hill Country Education Foundation, please let me know by requesting a copy from this message.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Michelle Beck
______________________
www.hillcountryedfoundation.org
mlbeck@hillcountryedfoundation.org