Brittany Kelley
BUDA — The city’s growth and upcoming projects were at the center of Buda’s annual State of the Community address.
Elected officials and business leaders throughout Buda and Hays County gathered in Driftwood Wednesday, Sept. 9, to hear about Buda’s latest achievements for the 2026 year.
“Henry Ford once said, ‘Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success.’ I think that quote significantly captures where we are as a community here in Buda,” said Mayor Lee Urbanovsky in his introduction.
City manager Micah Grau then took to the podium to discuss ongoing projects within the city. He shared that these projects wouldn’t be possible without both a council with direction and a united community vision amongst the various entities in the county.
“I’m going to share with you today some of the things that we are doing at the city to help build the infrastructure that supports the new growth, all the while clinging to the charm that defines the new development,” said Grau. “One of the ways that we expand infrastructure is through developer contributions. This is one of the most effective and lowest-cost ways for the city to add infrastructure. When a new, large development comes to the city, we use this opportunity to negotiate infrastructure contributions in exchange for the city-provided services, like water and wastewater.”
An example of this is the partnership with M/I Homes for the Colony at Cole Springs development. According to the city manager, in exchange for granting the developer zoning and utilities from the city, M/I Homes reconstructed approximately one-third of Old Black Colony Road, including a new traffic signal at RM 967. Additionally, a new bridge over Onion Creek was constructed, alongside rebuilding a section of Cole Springs Road.
These negotiations were strategic, continued Grau, as it was designed to alleviate traffic caused by the new development and to provide system improvements that were already planned and needed.
Another example is the Persimmon development, where Marathon Road, which has been in the transportation plans for years, is being developed by MileStone. The connector road is expected to be completed in 2027 and will provide an alternative to drivers traveling on FM 1626. There will also be direct access to SH 45.
“Along with privately constructed roads, the city continues to make progress on its 2021 bond program. [Currently], 58% of our transportation projects are either complete or under construction … The three largest transportation projects — West Goforth, Old Black Colony Road and Austin Street — comprise 71% of that funding. All three of thess projects are past the 60% design phase and the city is actively pursuing right-of-ways needed for the projects and is starting on utility relocation coordination,” said Grau. “Other projects, like the RM 967 turn lanes and the pedestrian crossing at Main [Street] and FM 2770 are in final design. We are patiently waiting for [the Texas Department of Transportation] to approve the plans and release us for construction, as these improvements are on state roadways.”
The city also recently learned that it was successful in obtaining a $10 million Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization grant to complete the full construction of East Main Street, which is expected to begin in 2028.
The other part of the bond projects were for quality of life improvements in parks, 100% of which are either complete or under construction, said Grau. More than two miles of trails along Onion Creek and Garlic Creek were added with this bond.
Garison Memorial Park is under construction and is expected to have swimming and kayaking opportunities, along with canopy walks, fishing and more.
“City council recently adopted a concept plan for the future East Side Park. Funding from the 2021 bond is helping lay the groundwork for the park’s major developments and the city is actively exploring funding and partnership opportunities to build upon that investment. These efforts could allow for a limited opening of the park in the future, providing the surrounding community access to the space, while we continued to explore the long-term vision of that space.”
Buda Championship Park, formerly known as the Buda Sportsplex, and the level of tourism it will bring was also a topic. Grau noted that the eight softball fields, 20 batting cages and four sports fields will bring upwards of 120 teams per weekend and approximately 3,000 visitors that will contribute to the local economy. It is expected to open in 2027.
Regarding utilities, the city is working on an elevated storage tank at the Colony at Cole Springs development, which will bring water storage for the Alliance Regional Water Authority water, as well as purple pipes, which can capture reclaimed water to use for services other than drinking water.
Next, the Buda Economic Development Corporation (EDC) CEO Jennifer Storm discussed the achievements of the organization.
“The city manager just showed you the foundation Buda is building for tomorrow — the roads, utilities, parks and infrastructure that make growth possible. My job is to talk about what we are building on that foundation,” said Storm. “We’re not simply trying to attract growth; we’re much more intentional about the kind of economy we want to build. We have the businesses already here growing and [ensure] those that are coming have a soft landing.”
So far in 2026, the EDC has had 49 requests for proposals, 74 businesses retention events, 35 new businesses open or relocate to Buda, six business expansions, awarded $350,000 in small business incentives to 65 businesses and more.
There are nine projects under construction that consist of business and retail opportunities for the city. One of which is the Roundabout in Buda — a retail development to be located off of RM 967 —the new H-E-B and the Onion Creek Trade Center, a 23-acre industrial development. Perseus Defense is also headed to the small town, said Storm. The company builds counter-uncrewed aircraft systems for the United States Department of War and Homeland Security.
She also shared that the historic train depot that arrived in Buda in late 2025 is being remodeled and will provide a space for entrepreneurs, visitors and residents. It is expected to open in the first quarter of 2027.
“No one in 2001 could have predicted every company, every building or every business we talked about today, but they built that foundation. Today, our responsibility is to do the same for the people who will be here 25 years from now,” concluded Storm.
