Q: Why are Knox Hall renovations the City’s concern?

A: A widely unknown fact is that The Texas Ranger Museum is a department of the City of Waco. That’s right—the city basically owns a state museum. The museum consists of the museum, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, a research library, the Texas Ranger Co. “F” Headquarters, Knox Hall, a retail store, and an Internet learning center and store.

Q: What will be the effect of renovating Knox Hall?

A: Guests who visit the Texas Ranger Museum leave $3.2 to $4.2 million in the local economy each year. The museum has had an estimated 3.4 million visitors since it opened in 1968. This adds up to more than $100 million over the history of the institution. Knox Hall ranks second to the Waco Convention Center in facility use. Its renovation would draw more banquets, wedding receptions, and conferences. The renovations would also enable the facility to host multiple events simultaneously, drawing in more revenue.

Q: Has there been any expressed demand for increased seating capacity at Knox Hall?

A: Yes! There has been a growing demand for increased seating in Knox Hall. Currently, the site has a limit of 500 guests, but the renovations would increase the capacity to 800. Requests have been growing for such a high-capacity facility.

Q: Does the Waco community benefit from these proposed renovations?

A: Each year, 150+ local businesses, civic groups, and families take advantage of this facility. The proposed renovations will increase the range of events the facility can host and will greatly improve the aesthetic appeal of the venue allowing even more Waco groups to benefit from this conveniently located facility.

Q: Why does Knox Hall need to be renovated?

A: Knox Hall is located on a piece of prime real estate on the banks of the Brazos. However, when it was built in 1982, the river wasn’t nearly as full and beautiful as it is today. Because of this, the design team decided that the building shouldn’t have a view of the river. Instead of the scenic river view that this facility could have, there is an entire wall without any windows. In addition, Knox Hall has water-stained interior woodwork, a primitive catering kitchen, inadequate restrooms and storage, and obsolete AV, electrical, and lighting systems.

The proposed renovations of Knox Hall will open up the facility to have a view of the river, and the interior will be completely redone. A primary reason Knox Hall doesn’t draw the events that it is actually able to host is because it lacks visual appeal. The renovations will drastically improve the beauty of the banquet hall.

Q: How much will these renovations cost me?

A: The Knox Hall proposal is the lowest priced bond proposition. It will cost the average Waco homeowner just 21¢/month in added taxes.