The next phase of the Waterloo Greenway parks system will begin construction this spring, with Jay-Reese Contractors Inc. winning the contract for the two-year-plus project. The Waller Creek Local Government Corp., the entity that manages much of the administration for the system, approved the contract this week for the section that will be known as […]
Parks
Posted inParks
PARD tries again to approve long-awaited cemetery rules update
For nearly a decade, the city has worked to overhaul the nearly half-century-old rules governing grave ornamentation and maintenance of Austin’s five municipal cemeteries, which are under the stewardship of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. PARD says the new rules are needed because the cemeteries are in a state of disrepair. Employees have been hurt and […]
Posted inParks
Vision plan authors hope for a more sustainable future for Zilker
The current state of Zilker Park, from an ecological perspective, is about what you would expect for a 100-plus-year-old metropolitan park in a city with a population just shy of 1 million. With 2.6 million visitors enjoying nature and amenities in the park each year, Zilker is in dire need of the more than 91 […]
Posted inParks
Three finalists make a splash as they vie for position of Aquatic Division manager
Last Thursday, the Parks and Recreation Department held a public meeting to introduce the three remaining candidates in the running to become Austin’s next Aquatic Division manager, who the department expects to name in early January. The Aquatic Division manager is responsible for staffing and recruitment, public pool operations, instructional swim programming, aquatics maintenance and […]
Posted inParks
Zilker Park plan brings worries over parking, ecology, athletic fields
Concerns about athletic fields, ecological impacts, and plans for major accessibility and transportation infrastructure were among the issues discussed during a recent feedback session with planners working on the future of Zilker Park. Last month the city unveiled its draft vision plan for the 351-acre park, with stated goals including improving and rehabilitating areas of […]
Posted inParks
Trail Conservancy seeks Council feedback on annual programming plan
This week City Council will consider an item to approve the Trail Conservancy’s 2022 annual programming plan for the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail at Town Lake Metropolitan Park. This update on annual programming at the trail comes as a condition of the agreement Council signed with the Trail Conservancy in June. […]
Posted inParks
Clogged wells, ongoing drought gum up Deep Eddy Pool’s opening hours
Deep Eddy Pool is facing delayed opening hours due to drought conditions and the clogged status of two of the wells the city uses to keep the spring-fed pool in operation. Although regular maintenance scheduled for January may alleviate some of the problem, there is a limit to what the city can do while water […]
Posted inParks
City eyes major upgrades, parking garages for Zilker Park
The city has released the draft of its vision plan for the future of Zilker Park, which splits the major enhancements proposed for the park into five regions that include the seven primary activity zones for current public use and programming. Some of the most substantial improvements likely in store for the 351-acre park include […]
Posted inParks
Council hears push for offices, senior space at Nash Hernandez building
City Council could help decide the future of the Nash Hernandez building in East Austin in the coming months, as debate continues over whether to convert the long-idle building into office space or a senior center. At Thursday’s meeting, Lori Cervenak-Renteria, a community activist and wife of Council Member Pio Renteria, spoke about the conflicting […]
Posted inParks
City leaders focus on the importance of green space
As the ambitious $5 billion plan to lower the downtown sections of Interstate 35 moves slowly forward, those who have lived through a similar effort in Dallas emphasize the need and opportunity to emphasize green space in any cap-and-stitch plan that materializes. Members of the local real estate and planning industries heard some of the […]
Posted inParks
With new lakeside access, Lady Bird Lake trail is ‘finally fully complete’
The city of Austin has officially opened a new section of the hike and bike trail along Lady Bird Lake. The quarter-mile stretch of trail connects what officials said was the last remaining gap in the 10-mile lakeside loop. Before Wednesday, the trail along the lake’s northeast shore turned away from the water near the […]
Posted inParks
Council rejects renaming Pan American park but adds plaque to honor Castillo
Toward the end of its Thursday meeting, City Council decided not to add the name of Tony Castillo to Pan American Neighborhood Park in East Austin, but to honor him with a plaque at the park instead. That vote was in line with a recommendation from the city’s Parks and Recreation Board. Council Member Leslie […]