LCRA, City of Shiner award $50,000 grant for upgrades to KC Community Hall
Columbus Club will remodel meeting venue to improve energy efficiency, comfort
June 4, 2025
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $26,957 in matching funds from the Columbus Club of Shiner, will support upgrades including new insulation, sheetrock, wainscoting, ceiling tiles, energy-efficient LED lighting and heaters. The renovations will extend the useful life of the meeting hall and reduce energy costs while preserving the building’s historical value.
“We are incredibly grateful for this grant, as it will allow us to make long-overdue updates to the Shiner KC Hall, a space that has brought our community together for over 50 years,” said David Schmidt, Columbus Club secretary-treasurer. “This hall has hosted weddings, reunions, proms, graduation parties and countless other events, but it hasn’t seen any major updates since it was built in 1971.”
The building is a cornerstone of the Shiner community. As the largest meeting site in the area, it serves residents of Shiner and surrounding areas and hosts an average of 40 weekend events and more than 70 weekday functions annually.
LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said LCRA is proud to play a role in helping to upgrade and update the venue.
“Vibrant communities need community halls where people can come together to celebrate, share time together and discuss important issues,” Wilson said. “The KC Hall has been doing just that for people in the Shiner area for years, and we are pleased we can assist in bringing the building up to current standards and provide a more comfortable meeting spot for the many people who use the hall every year.”
During the renovations, new insulation and ceiling tiles will be added to reduce energy consumption, and 40-year-old heaters that now hang from the ceiling and require constantly burning pilot lights will be replaced with more energy-efficient models that meet current codes.
“With limited funds for anything beyond basic maintenance, these improvements wouldn’t have been possible without this support,” Schmidt said. “Thanks to LCRA and the City of Shiner, we can modernize the facility and provide the community with a clean, attractive space they can be proud to use.”
The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Shiner is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
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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