Brackenridge Tract
Overview
On June 17, 1910, George W. Brackenridge, philanthropist and longest serving regent for the University of Texas at Austin, donated approximately 500 acres of land along the Colorado River to the University. This parcel of land is commonly known as the “Brackenridge Tract.” Over the past century, some of the tract was conveyed for streets and public purposes, including residential development. Today, the area includes approximately 485.5 acres of undeveloped and developed land containing the Lions Municipal Golf Course, UT student housing, the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, a youth sports complex and various commercial buildings. Given the area’s historical significance, the City and the University have been working collaboratively to thoughtfully and strategically plan for future development and preservation within the Brackenridge Tract.
Brackenridge Tract
Site Boundaries
The tract is located due west of the North Mopac Expy. It is bisected by Lake Austin Blvd with much of the non-university property located to the west and the Lions Municipal Golf Course to east of the road. It is also mostly south and east of the Tom Miller Dam, and just east of Red Bud Isle. The portion of the area that contains the Lions Municipal Golf Course also includes the West Austin Youth Association (WAYA). This section is bordered by Enfield Rd to the northeast and Exposition Blvd to the southeast.
Brackenridge Tract
The Development Agreement and City Council Actions
The 1989 Brackenridge Development Agreement is the formal intergovernmental document that sets the regulations for the non-university development within the tract. The BDA has been amended several times, most notably to extend the term of the agreement, which was originally set to expire in 2020. The BDA was amended to a rolling month to month basis, allowing either party to terminate the agreement by providing 5 months of written notice.
Resources
Brackenridge Tract
Historical Significance of Lions Municipal Golf Course
The Lions Municipal Golf Course opened in 1924 and has welcomed in the community for rounds of golf for over 102 years. It is the most used golf facility in the City, with 75,000 rounds played each year. It is also located in treasured green space near the Colorado River that is also home to century-old live oak trees.
What makes this golf course so culturally important is that it was the first desegregated golf course in the South. In 1950, during the Jim Crow era, two Black youths walked onto the Lions Municipal Golf Course to play a round. The Muny staff called City Hall, seeking advice on what to do about the young trespassers. Mayor Taylor Glass famously said, “Let them play.” This simple act fortified the Lions Municipal Golf Course as a significant site of Black History in the state of Texas and in the overall Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America. On January 15th, 2009, the City Council approved a Resolution supporting an application to the Texas Historical Commission for a historical marker at the Lion’s Municipal Golf Course in recognition of the site’s historic importance. On April 30, 2009, the Texas House of Representatives approved a Texas Historical Marker at the Lions Municipal Golf Course. In 2016, it was entered in the National Register of Historic Places.
Brackenridge Tract
Lions Municipal Golf Course Lease and Land Background
In 1924, the Austin Lions Club leased property from UT, designed and constructed the golf course in 1928, and began serving Austinites since 1934. In 1936, the Club transferred the lease and improvements to the City of Austin. In 1937, the University’s Board of Regents approved the transfer of the golf course lease to the City of Austin; the lease was $1.00 per year. The City has operated the Municipal Golf Course since.
In 1972, UT Chair of Regents, Frank Erwin sought to cancel the lease, prompting the “Save Muny” campaign. Public pressure led to negotiations preserving the lease through its 1987 expiration. On October 1, 1987, a new lease agreement was signed with stipulations, including the renovation and redesign of portions of the course, Red River Street rerouting for the Moody Center construction, and that the City had to share the cost with UT. Amendments in 1989, 2014, and 2018 extended the lease. When the lease expired in 2019, UT proposed redeveloping the site for mixed commercial and residential uses, and in 2020 the lease shifted to a month-to-month basis. On October 16, 2008, the Austin City Council approved a Resolution supporting Lions Municipal Golf Course as a permanent facility and supported the opportunity for UT to give the City the option to purchase the facility, exchange land, or extend the current lease.
Brackenridge Tract
Community Involvement
The Brackenridge Tract has a long history of community involvement, participation and advocacy. Much of the community participation in this area has involved the Muny Conservancy, which has been organizing efforts to preserve the historic Lions Municipal Golf Course for over 50 years. The “Save Muny” campaign began in 1972 when the University planned to break the lease that was scheduled to end in 1987. Their mission has been ensuring the preservation and restoration of the golf course, pledging to keep it affordable and accessible to everyone. The group has organized tournaments, special concerts and fundraising events to bring attention to saving the course and green space. Early in the preservation effort, "Save Muny" representatives encouraged using the City’s support for the University Medical Center as leverage in discussions with the University of Texas. Additionally, the Muny Conservancy has continually championed for a State Historical Designation for Lions Municipal Golf Course, due to its rich and culturally significant history.
Brackenridge Tract
Planning for the Future
The City and the University of Texas at Austin have been working collaboratively over several years to address potential development within the Brackenridge Tract. Today, current conditions are aligned for both parties to pursue a mutually beneficial agreement. As UT explores future development that will serve the Austin community, their students, and Texas for years to come, the City is working in partnership to ensure preservation of environmental, impervious coverage, safety, infrastructure, and water protection standards.
Proposed Amended Agreement
In advance of the City Council meeting on November 19, 2026, City staff will brief the Environmental Commission and the Planning Commission regarding plans to convey Muny to the City alongside amendments to the original BDA. If the City Council approves these changes, staff will return to both commissions in early 2027 so they can review and make recommendations on the corresponding regulating plan.
The amended BDA will describe the general process for:
• The conveyance of Muny,
• A proposed update to the University’s lease of property at Mueller,
• The exchange of City rights-of-way,
• The proposed creation of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, and
• The development of a mutually agreed regulating plan.
The terms of the regulating plan and the TIRZ will be prepared during the months between City Council action in November and when staff returns to the City Council next spring for consideration. The updated BDA will define the parameters of any future private development of the 190 acres of land in the University-owned Brackenridge tract.
These parameters include:
• Building heights cap at 65 feet when viewed from Lake Austin Boulevard,
• Impervious cover limits set at 75% sitewide, and
• Maintaining a 200-foot setback from Lady Bird Lake.
Next Steps
The amended BDA will be presented for City Council consideration at its November 19, 2026 meeting. Pending City Council approval, staff will prepare the regulating plan to reflect the BDA. The regulating plan will then be forwarded through the Boards & Commissions process and City Council consideration in Spring 2027.