The Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, which would create the second largest hotel and conference center in Central Texas, is another step closer to reality.

The City Council unanimously approved June 23 a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kalahari Resorts for the project. The company announced June 15 it intends to build a 1,000-room hotel, 150,000- square-foot convention center and indoor/outdoor water park on 350 acres it has under contract across U.S. 79 from Old Settlers Park and the Dell Diamond.

The MOU, a non-binding document, lays out the intentions of both the City and Kalahari Resorts, including the parameters of an incentive agreement that are expected to be repaid through project tax revenues.

“One of the reasons I’m really excited about this, is because of all the things we talked about that are in the MOU, because of the sheer magnitude of the project, that’s how (the incentives) get paid back,” Mayor Alan McGraw said. “It’ll be through the project itself. And thanks to Rep. Larry Gonzales for getting legislation passed in the House last year, we’ll get some state taxes to make the project work.”

For more on the MOU and the scale of the project, visit our Kalahari Project Blog. To learn more details about the proposal, including an extensive Q&A, visit roundrocktexas.gov/kalahari. Send comments or questions to kalahari@roundrocktexas.gov.

You can watch the City Council discussion and vote on the MOU on Round Rock Replay.