Holly Project with The Trail Conservancy

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with The Trail Conservancy (TTC) to implement elements proposed in the Holly Shores/Edward Rendon Sr. Park at Festival Beach Master Plan. District 3

Image near proposed Holly Project showing green space under a large tree looking toward lake

Background

The Holly Project with The Trail Conservancy (TTC) is located just west of the decommissioned Holly Power Plant at Festival Beach, adjacent to the lagoon and baseball fields. The area is located in the East Cesar Chavez and Holly Neighborhoods, home to generations of Hispanic/Latinx residents who have worked to preserve the area’s character and its culturally historic sites. A significant achievement for the community has been the recognition by the U.S. Department of the Interior designating the Tejano Music Legends Trail as a National Recreation Trail. The trail showcases many historic and cultural sites that honor Austin’s Latino musical legends from the 1940s and 50s. The other trail, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake, is a major connection to other culturally significant spaces nearby.

Project Description

Working with the community, the Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and TTC expect this project to provide area residents and visitors with an ADA-accessible realignment of the Trail along the waterfront with an expanded view and use of the water for fishing or recreation, including the restoration of the wetland habitat along the shoreline, seating under the heritage oaks, and parkland improvements with gathering space that meet the community’s needs. For additional information, visit TTC's project webpage.

Anticipated Schedule

Please note that as in any construction project, schedules are projected as accurately as possible. All dates are subject to change due to the nature of construction and the weather.

Spring 2019: Gather data and research (Complete)
Summer 2019: Design phase begins (Complete)
Summer 2021: Design phase ends (Complete)
Fall 2021: Fundraising and Permitting (Ongoing)
Spring 2024: Construction Phase (Anticipated)

Community Engagement

Past community engagement for this project includes:

Community Meeting #1: Open House
June 8, 2019

Meeting Boards (PDF)

Community Survey #1 Results(PDF): open from June 8 to July 5, 2019

Community Meeting #2: Open House
December 7, 2019

Responses from Questionnaire #2 (PDF)

Community Meeting #3 (Virtual)
July 24, 2021

Meeting Presentation (PDF) | Presentación en español (PDF)
Meeting Recording (YouTube)
Questionnaire Results (PDF) (closed August 31, 2021)

Additional Engagement

April 2019: In-depth interviews with community leaders
April 29, 2019: ETLNCA Town Hall
May 18, 2019: Project Kick-off Event at Camacho Activity Center
June 12, 2019: Festival Beach Community Garden Group Presentation, Terrazas Branch Library
June 15, 2019: Tabling Intercept Activity at the Trail
June 19, 2019: East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Contact Team - Group Presentation
August 1, 2019: ETLCNA Neighborhood Meeting