LCRA awards $50,000 grant to Bronte Community Center for major upgrade
Renovations will help restore vital emergency shelter, community gathering space
MAY 1, 2025
The LCRA Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $51,715 in matching funds from Coke County and the Restoring Bronte Foundation, will help restore the 50-year-old facility, helping it reopen and ensuring it continues to serve as a vital civic, social and emergency resource for Bronte and the surrounding area.
“Our mission has always been to serve local families, and we have needed a major renovation on the Bronte Community Center for years now,” said Nick Arrott II, foundation president. “Without this funding, we would have been forced to slow or even halt our progress. Now, we’re on track to complete these much-needed improvements in time for summer and Bronteoberfest in the fall, creating a more welcoming and engaging space for our youth and residents.”
The community center has served as a place for residents to gather for town hall meetings, health clinics, school banquets, weddings, family reunions and festivals. It also serves as the area’s official emergency shelter and has been used during wildfire evacuations, winter storms and school emergencies.
The center was temporarily closed in 2024 because of substantial issues with the building foundation. Those repairs were completed thanks to the foundation and Coke County.
The LCRA grant will help pay for additional repairs to bring the building back to a usable state. Upgrades will include critical electrical work, new energy-efficient windows and doors, a new ceiling, and LED and solar lighting. The grant also will enable the center to add an automated external defibrillator, upgrade its restrooms to make them ADA compliant and install a new xeriscaped entryway where local students will help plant drought-resistant landscaping as part of an educational community project.
“The Bronte Community Center has served the community for more than 50 years, and we are delighted to play a role in helping to upgrade and reopen the center,” said Phil Wilson, LCRA general manager. “We are pleased to help the center upgrade to today’s safety codes, with energy-efficient appliances and ADA-accessible facilities so it can continue to host family reunions, weddings, school groups and so much more for generations to come.”
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July 2025. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.
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