Auction Oaks to get a boost

In a symbiotic bit of grant funding, the makers of Claritin have awarded $47,000 toward the preservation of the historic Auction Oaks at Republic Square. The money comes from the Clarity Parks Project and the Project for Public Spaces. The grant was announced by the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation, which maintains and operates the square. “The Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation is honored and grateful to Claritin, Clarity Parks Project and the Project for Public Spaces for granting us the funds and providing assistance as we intentionally design the area around the Auction Oaks to protect and enhance these 584-year-old trees,” Molly Alexander, executive director of the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation, said. “Republic Square is considered the birthplace of Austin and also became the center of Austin’s Mexican and Tejano communities. The preservation and enhancement of this treasured public space is paramount.” The Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans, Louisiana, and H.A. Chapman Centennial Green in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were also chosen to be part of the Clarity Parks Project by the Project for Public Spaces.