Greater San Marcos Partnership Relocates To Downtown San Marcos

“The Greater San Marcos region is a unique place with a quality of life that rivals few,” said GSMP president Adriana Cruz.

San Marcos, Tex. – Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP), the economic development organization serving the center of “America’s Next Great Metropolis” (Forbes 2016), is going downtown.

GSMP announced that it has relocated to the historic McKie-Bass Building in downtown San Marcos located at 113 N. Guadalupe Street. The McKie-Bass Building was built in 1893 and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historical Places.

“The Greater San Marcos region is a unique place with a quality of life that rivals few,” said GSMP president Adriana Cruz. “The McKie-Bass Building has a long history as an anchor of commerce in San Marcos and the region – first as home to a myriad of businesses and most recently to Independence Title Company. GSMP has matured and grown into a change-agent for jobs and economic strength in the region – this new office is a symbol of how far we’ve come as an organization and a region.”

Dr. Denise Trauth, Texas State University President and GSMP Board of Directors Chair, added that the move is about deepening the organization’s connection with the Greater San Marcos community.

“Our region is at the center of the Innovation Corridor and GSMP’s physical office location will reflect that,” said Dr. Trauth. “This move to a historic building downtown mirrors the organization’s respect and appreciation for the history and culture of this special region. The new office will allow GSMP to showcase one of the nation’s best town squares to prospects and visitors while also allowing our staff walkability to area amenities and proximity to the University.”

The move downtown comes after two years of planning with a team of volunteer leaders from GSMP’s Board of Directors and Investors.

Volunteer efforts ranged from donating time, services, and design to providing supplies at-cost to keep the move as cost-efficient as possible. In 2016, San Marcos City Council unanimously voted to increase their investment in GSMP in an effort to help make the move to a building in the city’s downtown financially feasible.

“The San Marcos City Council believes its important to have the GSMP office downtown to encourage engagement and local visibility of the organization, while bringing more office jobs to the bustling creative center of our community,” said San Marcos Mayor John Thomaides. “I’m proud to support the move to the new location and look forward to benefits the change will bring.”

In 2011, GSMP moved into its former location at 1340 Wonder World Drive thanks to the generosity of Robert McDonald at McDonald Development Group.

There are many volunteers who made the new office possible. Lead contributors to GSMP’s downtown office include:

• Sabre Commercial, Inc.
• Fuse Architecture Studio
• EEA Consulting Engineers
• City of San Marcos
• McCoy’s Building Supply
• Ace Relocation Systems, Inc.
• Hays County
• Mochas & Javas
• Hart Properties
• Sign Arts

In addition to the team of volunteers leading the move, a team of ten sub-contractors worked on the new buildings – many going so far as to offer special rates and timing to keep the project moving forward – including: AAR Demolition; Austin Stone and Tile; Commercial Flooring Systems; Intertech Flooring; Lone Star State Mechanical; Southstone Group; Spider Wall; Tex Door; Valcour Inc.; and Verde Electric. 

GSMP is leasing the building from ForrReal LTD and financed the building’s renovation through Frost Bank.

About Greater San Marcos Partnership

Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP) is the 501c6 regional economic development organization serving the city of San Marcos, and Hays and Caldwell Counties focused on positioning the region for a wider diversity of quality jobs for all with higher wages. The GSMP mission is to promote sustainable, responsible and comprehensive economic development in the greater San Marcos region by implementing a five-year economic development strategic plan. Visit greatersanmarcostx.com for more information.