Elgin ISD outlines short-term uses for former Circle Brewing facility and plans transportation center at Stone Creek Ranch

The Elgin Independent School District told the Elgin City Council it intends to use two recently acquired properties for district operations: short-term office and training use at the former Circle Brewing facility and a planned transportation center within the Stone Creek Ranch Plan Development District.

Circle Brewing facility: School officials said the district purchased the former Circle Brewing site and proposed a minor change in usage under the site’s planned-development agreement to allow office occupancy and staff training. City staff and the Economic Development Corporation director reviewed the proposed temporary use and reported no objection; staff said no formal change to the PDD was required for this interim use. District representatives said most brewery equipment was auctioned off months earlier and only minimal furniture remains; the ISD plans to use existing office spaces for staff functions and training. The district said it will maintain the adjacent trail and signage indicating district ownership at both entrances; long-term uses — which could include career and technical education programs — would be brought back to the city in a future master-plan discussion. School officials said they do not anticipate immediate signage beyond district-property signs already in place at entrances.

Stone Creek Ranch transportation center: ISD staff presented conceptual renderings for a transportation center planned within the Stone Creek Ranch PDD. The district said Phase 1 would accommodate roughly 36 buses; district staff reported the current fleet is about 75 buses and the new facility would distribute east/west transportation operations (not replace the existing transportation site). The district and city staff said they are coordinating with TxDOT and adjacent development engineers to ensure traffic alignment with County Line Road Phase 3 and other arterial projects, and that the project will go through standard engineering and permitting reviews. City staff characterized the presentation as notice to council of the ISD’s planned use and said no PDD change is required at this time; the ISD committed to maintain the trail and keep the site cleared while it uses the facility.

Council members asked about traffic routing (the ISD said site access would be onto FM 1100) and about temporary signage and site maintenance; the district said that the site is cleared and being maintained and that training at the Circle facility would be staff-focused in the near term. City staff said a future master-plan presentation will be brought before council when the ISD has more detailed long-term plans.