Court approves Travis County Master Plan

County Commissioners approved the new Travis County Master Plan on Tuesday with an amendment that allocates proceeds from its more than $500,000 sale of properties toward paying down bond debt, with a priority given to paying down debt on a new courthouse. With a possible $30 million generated in one-time real estate sales, County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said it could potentially cover 10 percent of the proposed $291 million Civil and Family Courthouse. Commissioners approved a concept and space program in January for the new facility. Plans for the proposed courthouse provide for approximately 520,000 square feet of building space and a four-level underground parking facility with over 500 spaces. The courthouse would be 14 stories and provide 28 courtrooms in the initial build-out, according to Travis County documents. Eckhardt also asked commissioners to propose suitable properties listed in the master plan that could be converted into affordable housing units.