Georgetown Economic Development

What’s Next in Downtown? is the topic for the next Breakfast Bites quarterly meeting on November 16. Breakfast Bites is a quarterly business development event sponsored by the Georgetown Main Street Program.

The November 16 event features Michaela Dollar and Andreina Davila-Quintero, two City of Georgetown employees, who will talk about the City’s plan for development and retail recruitment.

Michaela Dollar is the director of economic development for the City of Georgetown. Before coming to Georgetown this summer, Dollar led business recruitment efforts for the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce and helped in the formation of the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership. Dollar previously worked for economic development organizations in Dallas, Cedar Hill, and Panama City, Florida where she focused on business recruitment, retention, marketing, and incentive negotiations.

Andreina Davila-Quintero has been a project coordinator with the City of Georgetown since 2013. Davila-Quintero worked for seven years as a municipal planner in cities in Texas, Florida and Venezuela before coming to Georgetown. In her current position, Davila-Quintero has played a key role in coordinating projects such as Georgetown’s Retail Strategy and Recruitment Plan and the Williams Drive Corridor Study.

The event on Wednesday, November 16 is from 8:30 to 9:50 a.m. in the Friends Room at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. Eighth Street. Breakfast snacks, coffee, and drinks will be provided. Networking starts at 8 a.m.

Attendees should pre-register by contacting Shelly Hargrove, Main Street manager, by 5 p.m. on Monday, November 14 at shelly.hargrove@georgetown.org or (512) 930-2027. Main Street is a program of the City of Georgetown.

After a year in business, Georgetown’s first brewery can’t keep up with demand and is set for a major expansion. Rentsch Brewery at 2500 NE Inner Loop is planning to triple its building footprint and increase production by ten-fold. In addition, the craft brewery plans to add an outdoor beer garden where patrons can socialize and enjoy entertainment.

Since opening, Rentsch Brewery has sold a variety of beers available by the glass at the brewery or on draft from kegs sold to restaurants. The expansion will include a canning operation that will allow Rentsch beer to be sold in packages in stores. Packaged retail sales will be a significant share of the increased production capacity, which will add 3,750 square feet of production space and 3,500 square feet of warehouse and storage space.

Rentsch Brewery was founded by father and son David and Andrew Rentschler, and is family-owned and operated. In selecting equipment for the brewery expansion, the Rentschlers opted for an electric boiler heated by electricity from the City electric utility. This will mean that the brewery will be powered by 100 percent renewable power when Georgetown moves to solar and wind energy next year.

“In May, the U.S. Census Bureau named Georgetown the fastest-growing city in the nation for cities of its size. Apparently the secret is out: Georgetown is a great place to raise a family, start or expand a business or retire” says Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross. “Rentsch Brewery is the latest example of an existing Georgetown business expanding its business operations in the greatest city on planet Earth. I wish David and Andrew Rentschler all the best in expanding their footprint in Georgetown and for them embracing the city’s move to 100 renewable energy.”

As part of the expansion of the brewery, the City Council approved a $70,000 performance agreement from the Georgetown Economic Development Corporation at their meeting last week. Funds will be used for electric and water line upgrades to serve the facility.

“Rentsch Brewery is thankful to the City of Georgetown for being so supportive of our growing business,” says David Rentschler. “We are also thankful for GEDCO’s support, allowing us to become one of a handful of breweries to brew with 100 percent renewable energy. Starting next year, our beers will be made with Texas sun, Texas wind, and Texas water.”

The brewery expansion is expected to be completed by the spring of 2017, according to David Rentschler. He hopes to be selling Rentsch beer in cans in retail locations soon after the expansion is complete.

Officials cut a big blue ribbon yesterday to mark the opening of the Sheraton Georgetown Texas Hotel and Conference Center.

The 222-room full-service hotel and conference center is at the Summit at Rivery Park development on Interstate 35. The hotel includes 30,000 square feet of meeting space with a 16,000-square-foot ballroom, four breakout rooms, and a state-of-the-art boardroom.

Other features of the hotel include a heated outdoor pool, a fitness center, the Lobby Lounge for casual dining, and the Brix and Ale, a restaurant offering classic comfort cuisine and drinks.

Paintings and sculptures from local artists are displayed throughout the hotel and conference center.

The Starwood hotel project by Novak Brothers and Hines was a public-private partnership including the City of Georgetown, Williamson County, and private investors.

The Summit at Rivery Park project also includes 223 apartment residences and 114 single-family brownstones.

Other restaurants and shops and are under construction at the mixed-use project.

An economic development professional from Round Rock will lead business recruitment and retention efforts as the economic development director for the City of Georgetown. Michaela Dollar starts in the position on August 8.

Dollar has eleven years of experience working for economic development organizations in Texas and Florida. Her role in business recruitment, retention, and marketing in those cities helped in the creation of more than 2,730 jobs and $659.7 million in capital investment.

Dollar leads business recruitment efforts for the Round Rock Chamber and Economic Development Partnership where she has been since 2013. In addition to developing incentive packages, reports, and marketing materials, Dollar played a key role in the formation of the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership, a regional economic development collaboration.

“Michaela brings over a decade of experience in economic development with strong skills in business attraction, retention, and marketing,” says David Morgan, city manager for the City of Georgetown. “With the knowledge of the Central Texas region, Michaela will be able to hit the ground running with a level of sophistication to take advantage of the economic opportunities for Georgetown today and in the future.”

Dollar previously worked for economic development organizations in Dallas, Cedar Hill, and Panama City, Florida where she focused on business recruitment, retention, marketing, and incentive negotiations.

Her marketing and program work for the Round Rock Chamber and Economic Development Partnership garnered awards from the International Economic Development Council in 2015 as well as a community economic development award from the Texas Economic Development Council in 2014. Dollar also serves on the board of directors for the Foreign Trade Zone of Central Texas and the Round Rock Area Arts Council.

“I am excited to join the City of Georgetown during this new wave of economic growth. I can tell that city leadership has developed a dynamic team, and I very much look forward to being part of it,” says Dollar.

Dollar has a master’s degree in communication from the University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s degree in business communication from Florida State University.

A downtown workshop to focus on the commercial downtown area for the Retail Strategy and Recruitment Plan for Georgetown will be hosted by the City of Georgetown and Catalyst Commercial on June 16.

The City of Georgetown and the Georgetown Economic Development Corporation (GEDCO) have partnered with Catalyst Commercial, a leading expert in retail recruitment, marketing, and strategy to conduct a retail market analysis and create a Retail Strategy and Recruitment Plan customized for Georgetown.  This project will measure the current retail environment, address the types and locations of retail outlets that will be most beneficial for the citizens and successful for businesses, and create a more diversified retail environment in our community.

The workshop on June 16 will be a venue for downtown stakeholders to share their thoughts about Georgetown’s opportunities to attract and retain retail establishments in downtown.

The event is on Thursday, June 16 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Friends Room at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. Eighth Street. A light breakfast will be provided.

Walk-ins are welcome. Help us prepare by RSVP to Andreina Davila-Quintero, City of Georgetown Project Coordinator, by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14 at Andreina.Davila@georgetown.org or (512) 931-7686.