Seguin staff seeks developer for Wells Fargo project
23 Aug 2024
City of Seguin, Downtown
Dalondo Moultrie | The Seguin Gazette
Seguin city leaders announced plans to find a developer interested in redeveloping an old bank building in efforts to also help revitalize downtown Seguin.
While amid attempts to change zoning around the old Nolte National Bank property, currently a Wells Fargo branch, the city announced Wednesday that it is requesting developers’ qualification packets to make the site a crowning jewel of the city, Seguin Economic Development Director Josh Schneuker said.
The plan is to rezone the property from a commercial zone to a planned unit development district identifying general land use, he said.
“That identifies the desired uses of this redevelopment project. That includes preserving and revitalizing the historic structures on the property today and also looking to incorporate new uses on the property which could potentially include retail, restaurants, a hotel, office space and town homes,” Schneuker said. “The rezoning establishes what the uses of the redevelopment project can be and we’re going to be seeking to partner with and bring in a developer to help bring those desired uses for this project to fruition.”
The property abuts Central Park in downtown Seguin. City leaders bought the Nolte property months ago and have worked with consultants from TBA Douglas Architects as well as a swath of the community to determine best next steps.
Beginning Wednesday, the city will accept requests for qualifications from experienced developers on the path to selling and guiding redevelopment of the property, Schneuker said.
“We here at the city of Seguin are excited and eager to work with qualified developers on this monumental project,” he said. “This property has great potential, and we have no doubt that it will be an asset to the residents of Seguin in whatever form it takes. We look forward to working hand in hand with innovative teams to come up with a plan for these great buildings.”
The property, located at 101 E. Nolte St., is an entire city block just south of Central Park. The site consists of four buildings lining East Nolte and a large surface parking lot to the south of the buildings.
Two historic buildings, the Nolte National Bank building and the post office, located at the north west corner of the site, will be major components of the redevelopment.
The property sits on 0.92 acres and in the current configuration, the buildings encompass 40,000 square feet across two stories.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our community to invite a new and exciting development to our city,” Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen said. “We are ready to work with qualified teams that will help us create a more fulfilling downtown experience for our residents and visitors.”
Following the issuance of the RFQ, the city of Seguin will host a site tour at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 for interested developers, city leaders said.
A formal Request for Proposals will be sent to selected teams at a later date. City Council plans to select a developer based on proposals, with the intent to negotiate the redevelopment of the property.
A review committee will evaluate the proposals and recommend the best one to City Council, Schneuker said.
“We’re anticipating all of this will wrap up and we’ll potentially start moving forward in the direction of our preferred developer in late quarter one or early quarter two of 2025,” he said. “Construction won’t start immediately. Once we select a developer, there’s still work to get the plans finalized and everything in place.”
Upon completion, city leaders, consultants and stakeholders envision a project that adds retail, potentially brings a boutique hotel downtown, incorporates open space and green space and more, Schneuker said. That’s partially why the city held community members to get residents’ and business owners’ feedback about possibilities for the site, he said.
“We want this project to be something the community is proud of,” Schneuker said. “It’s not something that’s just for visitors. This project is going to be for our residents as well.”
Anyone interested in attending the site tour should go to https://visitseguin.com/thenolte/receive-the-rfq/ and RSVP .
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