Fredericksburg City Council ends 14-year relationship with Former Texas Rangers Foundation

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas - The Fredericksburg City Council unanimously agreed to end its 14-year relationship with the Former Texas Rangers Foundation (FTRF) during its Regular Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The Texas Ranger Heritage center is located on the east side of Fredericksburg along Highway 290 and next to the historic Fort Martin Scott. 

The Original Agreement

The backstory:

The original agreement, which granted a lease for $1 per year for the 12-acre property at 1618 E. Main St. for 99 years, was established in February 2011. It required FTRF to construct a major museum facility on public land by February 2018. 

After missing that deadline, the City granted a seven-year extension to the group. That extension with the city wasn't set to expire until February 2025. 

Officials with the group have spent $8 million on phase 1 of the project, which was completed.

There is a large multipurpose pavilion, a tower, a memorial ring walking path and multiple bronze statues. But construction on a museum, the main part of the project, was never started.

The city of Fredericksburg has given the foundation three extensions to the lease deadline. 

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Fredericksburg Texas Rangers museum not happening; group developing site denies default claim

The City of Fredericksburg will not move forward with a plan to build a Texas Rangers museum and the group developing the site is disputing the notification that they're in default of a 99-year lease with the city.

The other side:

After the November notice about the ground lease default, officials from the foundation posted a response on the foundation's website.

The group says they have worked to raise the necessary funding for Phase II and, in 2020, a construction company was on board to start building the museum but "several factors delayed the project." They say COVID-19, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and inflation are some of what have hindered their progress.

They say they have tried unsuccessfully to present the city a "dynamic development plan for the property."

Officials are saying abandoning the site is a "terrible loss of about $8 million in FTRF improvements to the property."

Executive Session Decision

In Executive Session, the Council rejected FTRF's request for a 14-day lease extension. This decision concludes a process that began in September 2024, when the Council issued a 90-day Notice of Default to the FTRF Board, allowing them until December 5, 2024, to address the default.

On December 3, 2024, the Council directed the City Manager and City Attorney to take all necessary actions for the immediate termination of the 380 Economic Development Agreement and Ground Lease with FTRF, effective December 5, 2024. 

The Council also authorized actions to protect and preserve the City's property and interests, plus a 60-day lease extension, which extended the lease to February 5, 2025.

What they're saying:

"This action by the Council is simply holding the Former Texas Rangers Foundation accountable for their obligations under a contract they sought with the City in 2011," Mayor Jeryl Hoover said. "The land they've occupied belongs to the citizens of Fredericksburg. They failed to produce what they agreed to, and after 14 years, it's time to part ways." 

"The FTRF Board and leadership chose to be non-responsive to our notification that we found them in default," Hoover said. "We gave them 90 days to contradict our finding, and they did not respond. We asked them last month for an accounting of public funds we gave them. They did not respond."

"I was mayor when the deal was struck in 2011, and I still believe what the FTRF offered would have benefited heritage tourism," Hoover added. "But they've had ample time to produce, and unfortunately, they didn't, nor could they show evidence they were capable of it."

According to the FTRF website, "Since its founding in 1971 as a 501c3 non-profit to support the efforts of the oldest officially recognized Texas Ranger Organization – the Former Texas Rangers Association, the FTRF has focused its sights on serving current and former Texas Rangers, their families and their rich and storied contributions to Texas history."