The Wimberley Valley Visitors Center will soon be joined by another visitor’s center in town, thanks to the city of Wimberley’s impending purchase of property just off of the Square.
At its meeting on Thursday, March 23, the Wimberley City Council approved Ordinance No. 2023-07, authorizing the issuance and sale of its Hotel Occupancy Tax Revenue Bonds. Accepting an almost $1 million proposal from Frost Bank, the city entered into a bond agreement with the bank to finance its purchase of 280 Old Kyle Road, a 1008-squarefoot property on less than a quarter of an acre. This property would be used by the city as a tourism facility, housing its new tourism department, Visit Wimberley.
The bond itself is unique in that it would be entirely paid off through HOT revenue, which would also provide the security for the bond. This is atypical for a bond, which typically draws from a city’s property tax revenue, according to city officials.
Given the city’s HOT revenue over the past 10 months — and its projections for the future — council members expressed hope that the bond could be paid off in the next few years. From May 2022 to February 2023, the HOT raised over $670,000 for the city.
However, the larger significance of the bond is in its potential: a visitor’s center, closer and more walkable for visitors downtown.
The existing Wimberley Valley Visitors Center is run by the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce and is not directly affiliated with the city of Wimberley. Located off of RR 12 near the Wimberley Valley Museum, the center has long offered an art-filled lobby and knowledgeable staff to visitors. However, despite easy parking, the center is difficult to reach on foot or by bike, often requiring a separate trip from the stores on and around the Square.
That is where the city’s Visitor Information Center differs, Tourism Director Leanne Kirby said. With easier access, the building can be not only a source of information but also a public space for visitors and locals alike to congregate, relax and enjoy the city, she explained.
Kirby said the facility is also intended to integrate ecotourism: tourism directed toward natural environments, supporting conservation efforts and observing wildlife. While this involves the city’s status as an International Dark Sky Community, it also involves Wimberley’s Parks and Recreation department, whose trails run behind and around the property.
Surrounded by cityowned property on three sides, the new Visitor Information Center could integrate the Parks’ ongoing trails project with an elevated boardwalk nearby and possible birding platform on-property, according to Wimberley Mayor Pro Tem. Rebecca Minnick. It could also feed into future transportation projects, including a possible bike lane on Old Kyle Road, she said.
Asked whether the second center could be potentially confusing for visitors, Minnick said she could see that being a possibility but believes they would largely serve different purposes.
“With the Chamber [of Commerce], a lot of what they do is business-to-business,” she explained. “A lot of what chambers do is for their members, locals in the community. But this would be more business-to-consumer, more about bringing visitors in.”
Kirby shared a similar sentiment.
“Visit Wimberley is all about getting people to come to Wimberley and stay overnight,” she explained. “And that’s really what feeds into the HOT funds. Through advertisements, we’re reaching out to people across the state and even the country, and we really want them to come here and get the full experience.”
Minnick said she hopes to work with the Chamber to help find solutions that could lessen any potential confusion, ensuring that both the city and the Chamber are able to serve the local community as effectively as possible.
Becca Hancock, executive director of the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce, declined to comment at this time.
To stay up to date on the Wimberley City Council, visit cityofwimberley. com/231/ City-Council.
