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Lockhart approves 40-year lease with ISD, accepts $750,000 state grant for new aquatics facility
Summary
City council voted unanimously to approve a 40-year interlocal lease with Lockhart ISD for about 8.1 acres to build a new aquatics facility and accepted a $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife grant; city will manage operations and assume construction costs estimated at $8 million.
The Lockhart City Council on a 7-0 vote approved an interlocal agreement with Lockhart Independent School District and accepted a $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife Local Park Grant to fund construction of a new aquatics facility on district property.
The interlocal agreement, introduced by Travis Hughes, Director of Parks and Recreation, establishes a 40-year initial lease of roughly 8.1 acres of Lockhart ISD land with two optional 20-year extensions and allows the city to construct and operate an aquatics facility and a potential future recreation center adjacent to it. "An interlocal agreement between the City of Lockhart and Lockhart ISD is necessary to authorize and memorialize the placement of this facility on the Barrow Elementary School property," Hughes said.
The nut of the decision: the city will assume operation, maintenance and staffing costs for the facility, while the school district will receive priority use during school hours and will financially support programs that are provided specifically for students. The presentation said the ISD recognizes a planned city investment of $8,000,000 in constructing the aquatics facility and that the ISD property contribution was appraised at $925,000.
Hughes told the council the interlocal is required to finalize the $750,000 award from Texas Parks and Wildlife. On the grant he said the program provides 50% matching grants on a reimbursement basis and that "all grant assisted sites must be dedicated as parkland in perpetuity, properly maintained, and open to the public." Staff indicated a second application for an additional $750,000 will be submitted in the next grant cycle.
Council members asked practical questions about the facility address, entrances and parking. Hughes said entrances will be off Center Street and San Jacinto Street, not Medina Street, and that parking will be provided on site to avoid street parking. He also said the site will receive its own address once the survey is filed with the county.
After the council vote the staff will proceed with the contracted architectural firm, HALF, to finalize design work and move toward construction. Hughes noted that the ISD board reviewed the interlocal on April 28, 2025 and voted unanimously to approve it at the May 19, 2025 meeting.
The council approved the interlocal agreement (Resolution 2025-19) on a motion seconded and passed 7-0, and separately approved the state grant agreement with Texas Parks and Wildlife, also by a 7-0 vote.
For now, timelines remain preliminary: staff said design and permitting are next and that parts of the facility may be targeted for use as early as next summer, depending on final design and construction scheduling.
Votes at the meeting recorded the interlocal resolution as approved and the grant agreement as approved; council directed staff to move forward with design and grant reimbursement processes.
