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Parks

Balcones Canyonlands gets ready to welcome a new visitor center

The Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP) Coordinating Committee heard an update from Travis County on May 12 about the plans for a new visitor center at the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP).  Kimberlee Harvey, the committee’s secretary, delivered the update, which…

Why are parking garages a part of the Zilker Vision Plan?

City Council’s Mobility Committee learned more about the mobility aspects, in particular the proposed parking garages, of the Zilker Vision Plan at its meeting Thursday. The city released the draft of the vision plan in September. The document, which runs…

C3 announces ACL Fest economic impact, with $7.2M donated to parks improvements

In a clear sign of the resilience of outdoor music festivals after the Covid-19 pandemic, data released yesterday show the 2022 edition of Austin City Limits Music Festival produced $447.9 million in economic impact. That number represents a substantial jump…

The Confluence marks next phase for Waterloo Greenway parks system

Wednesday’s groundbreaking of the Confluence – the second phase of the ambitious Waterloo Greenway effort – marks the latest move in the city’s work to revitalize the area around Waller Creek and turn the frequently flooded waterway into a community…

Parks board recommends park safety task force

The Parks and Recreation Board is calling for City Council to establish a parks safety task force to evaluate park safety, consider whether to reinstate a parks police unit and recommend ways of supporting the growing number of homeless residents…

Parks board hears update on project to convert Nash Hernandez building into intergenerational community hub

The city’s Parks and Recreation Board reviewed progress in the ongoing effort to convert the Nash Hernandez building in East Austin into an intergenerational resource and activity center. At the board’s April 24 meeting, members of the Intergenerational Resource and…

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City on track with lifeguard hiring, director says

Great progress has been made in the hiring of lifeguards, Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley told City Council at Tuesday’s work session. In addition to the $20 per hour salary, McNeeley said those who complete their training and…

Environmental Commission recommends Zilker vision plan along with list of conditions

The city’s Environmental Commission voted last week to approve a resolution recommending the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan – albeit with a lengthy list of recommendations that include further public engagement and environmental monitoring. The resolution notes that the vision…

Zilker advocates form nonprofit to take lead as vision plan moves forward

Leaders from nonprofit groups attached to Zilker Park have formed a new nonprofit group intended to enhance and preserve the 351-acre metropolitan park that is expected to be transformed in the coming years. The Zilker 351 group announced its formation…

Austin is short lifeguards every year. One problem is the application process.

Austin consistently struggles to fully staff its public pools. A report out last week from the Office of the City Auditor suggests part of that struggle is due to an overly complicated – and unreliable – application process to become a lifeguard. To fully…

A closer look at the park spaces included in Waterloo Greenway phase two

The city’s Parks and Recreation Board learned more this week about the park spaces included in the next construction phase of the Waterloo Greenway. Phase two, which kicks off this spring, will focus on the 14 acres along Waller Creek…

New plan will bring more art to hike-and-bike trail

Visitors to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail may soon have the opportunity to enjoy more art along Lady Bird Lake, thanks to a new plan that lifts an almost decadelong moratorium on new public art.  Monday’s regular meeting…

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