Round Rock park sale clears way for music venue,

Round Rock City Council members last month approved the sale of McNeil Park on Aug. 13 to become the future home of the Hill Country restaurant and music venue Nutty Brown Cafe.

The city pursued bids for the 18.4acre McNeil Park this summer.

The property’s appraised value is $1.07 million and Mike Farr, owner of Nutty Brown Cafe, submitted the only bid on the property for $1.1 million. Voters authorized the sale of McNeil Park in a 2006 election.

“I started looking a couple years ago for different spots, and I’ve always sort of been fascinated by Round Rock,” Farr said.

“I think it is way underserved with regard to live music and food and drink, actually.”

Nutty Brown has been at its current location on U.S. 290 between Dripping Springs and Austin for 13 years, Farr said.

Farr began looking for property in the Round Rock area about three years ago and said he became “fixated” with the McNeil Park land over a year ago.

H-E-B closed on a 65-acre property along U.S. 290, which includes the current Nutty Brown site. But the grocery chain is allowing the restaurant to remain open until it moves to its new Round Rock location.

Farr said the city of Round Rock, H-E-B and Live Oak-Gottesman, the commercial real estate firm Farr worked with to acquire the land, have been incredible. He said H-E-B told him Nutty Brown could stay at its current location “as long as they like” until the Round Rock building was complete.

“H-E-B has been like off-the-chain cool,” Farr said.

Brad Wiseman, city director of planning and development services, said the city is excited for Nutty Brown’s move as the business will be “our only true outdoor music venue.”

“Right now, you know, Austin’s the live music capital of the world,” Wiseman said. “But folks that live in Round Rock or the surrounding areas — if they want that entertainment option they have to go drive down to Austin, which is fine. But it would be nice to have a tried-andtrue, great music venue option in the city, and that’s what we’re excited about.”

Farr said he isn’t worried about how his brand will be received in Round Rock.

“I think that Round Rock has grown so much and there’s a lot of people like me, you know. I’m 46 years old and 20-something years ago I moved to Austin to go to (The University of Texas),” Farr said. “I lived downtown and I went and saw music downtown and I drank downtown.”

Farr said although he got older, had kids and moved to the suburbs, he still enjoys the things he used to do for fun — he just doesn’t do them as frequently and doesn’t go downtown to do it.

“I think there’s something about our business model that appeals to suburban customers,” Farr said. “We’ve proven that in Dripping Springs.”

Wiseman said he expects Nutty Brown to bring more visitors to Round Rock and help increase other business in the area.

The new location is near the Round Rock Premium Outlets and IKEA, as well as multiple dining options and hotels.

Though Farr would love to have the new location built by the end of next year, he has set realistic expectations. If the venue isn’t finished by the end of 2016, he said he expects it will be fully operational by March 2017.

Farr said a groundbreaking should occur at McNeil Park sometime in the next six months.

City Parks and Recreation Director Rick Atkins said most existing features at McNeil Park will move to Old Settlers Park.

Currently, McNeil Park features two softball fields and two tennis courts, a concession area, restroom facilities, a playscape, a picnic shelter, tables, grills and a water fountain.