Buda Mayor Lee Urbanovsky said consistency in the city’s development process and collaboration among local entities have driven downtown Buda’s transformation from a quiet, empty streetscape into a bustling weekend destination. Urbanovsky made the comments on an episode of This Austin Suburb Was a Ghost Town. Now It’s Packed Every Weekend, hosted by Justin McKenzie. The conversation, also available on YouTube, highlights how the fast-growing city between Austin and San Marcos is planning decades ahead.
Urbanovsky, who has lived in Buda for more than 25 years, recalled that when he moved to the city in 2000, “about a month before H-E-B” opened, downtown “was a ghost town after about 6:00.” Today, he said, he likes to sit on Main Street on a Friday or Saturday “just watch people, because it’s people I don’t know, which is amazing.” The mayor, first elected in 2020 after twice declining requests to run, told McKenzie that consistency is what he is proudest of in the city’s approach to growth. “We can do it slow if we have to, but we need to be consistent and predictable,” he said, adding that his background in development and construction shapes how he talks about growth.
The episode outlines several projects stemming from that long-term view, including Garison Park, which will open access to Onion Creek; the expansion of Buda Championship Park to eight softball fields with grandstands and turf improvements; and 2021 bond projects on Goforth Road, Old Black Colony Road and Austin Street, which runs parallel to Main Street and could become a second downtown corridor.
Urbanovsky credited collaboration among the City Council, the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce and the Buda Economic Development Corporation for downtown’s revival, noting that the partnership began during COVID when the city found ways to support small businesses. McKenzie gave a “big shout-out” to Monica Davidson, CEO of the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce and a Buda City Council member, for bringing business collaboration back to life over the last two years. Urbanovsky agreed that “the collaboration between the chamber and the EDC and the city council as a whole has made huge strides,” adding that “Monica and Jennifer absolutely made a huge part of that,” referring to Davidson and Jennifer Storm, CEO of the Buda Economic Development Corporation.
The episode concludes with live music at the Buda Amphitheater & City Park, including September’s Railcar Revival music festival, and Urbanovsky’s invitation for residents to get involved through the EDC, the chamber or by reaching out to him directly. He advised new council members to “do your homework and be available.” The full conversation is available on The Building Texas Show.
