The development of Town Lake Park began in the 1960’s following the completion of the Longhorn Dam. Prior to the dam being built, the southern edge of the Colorado River was barren and eroded from floods that plagued the river south of Tom Miller dam. The stabilized lake edge provided by the Longhorn Dam made a public park space viable in this area. A visionary team called the Town Lake Beautification Committee was formed and spearheaded by Lady Bird Johnson. Lady Bird and her colleagues sought to beautify the lake edge with a trail and park improvements so that residents and visitors could enjoy nature in an urban setting for years into the future.

The Women in Construction Pavilion was dedicated in 1970 and kicked off the Town Lake beautification projects. It was during this series of construction projects that the Auditorium Shores terraces and the Bicentennial Fountain feature were built. Fund raising efforts provided money for trees & shrubs to be planted in the park. Rest points were added along an improved decomposed granite trail that ran along North & South banks of Lady Bird Lake. In 1975 the approval of the Capital Improvement Project bond money moved the Committee’s focus to the Festival Beach area along Town Lake, and the Auditorium Shores park site remained largely unchanged for the next 20 years.

In 1998, City of Austin residents voted in favor of proposition 11, which allocated rent-car tax dollars towards the creation of the Town Lake Park Master Plan, defined by the area bounded by Lady Bird Lake to the North, Riverside Drive to the South, South 1st to the East and the now abandoned Dawson Road to the West. Since the adoption of the master plan in 1999, two phases of construction have been completed which bring the city closer to reaching the goals established in the master plan. Palmer Auditorium was built in Phase I and Phase II work resulted in the green space known as Butler Park. With these two phases completed, Phases III & IV along Lady Bird Lake are the last phases remaining to be renovated in accordance with the master plan.

Source: City of Austin

Who’s behind the messaging on Town Lake Park?

My name is Bill Fraser and I moved to Austin 28 years ago.  My wife, Denise, and I have raised three (3) children in Austin.  Our family has been drawn to Austin’s parks for fitness and recreation. Austin’s parks are true treasures to the place we call home.

It’s now our turn to give back to the parks. Two factors within the park need to be addressed - Redevelopment and Safety. 

Redevelopment of Town Lake Park

Few or no improvements have been made to the park since it's dedication in 1973. The park was originally built as a Land and Water Conservation Fund Project, sponsored by the City of Austin in cooperation with the Department of Interior, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation and through the Texas State Parks and Wildlife Department. Today, almost 40 years later, the park is sadly changed. Wear and tear, missed investment opportunities and our city’s budget woes have left our favorite downtown park needing some love. 

Austin voters approved funding for redevelopment in 1998 and “the” master plan was commissioned and completed in 1999.  Unfortunately, the process has stalled. This delay is due to three primary factors: 1) funding obstacles, 2) lack of an orchestrated strategy to bring the project before the public, and, 3) growth in the downtown corridor.

The priorities before us is that of preserving open space, attracting private funding while avoiding conflict through contributions. To start, The park needs basic infrastructure.  Electrical and irrigation systems are outdated and in some locations inoperable.  Terrace walls along Auditorium Shores are damaged in numerous locations.  Night time lighting is either broken or inadequate.  Shoreline erosion is a growing problem and water for human hydration is limited to one drinking fountain within the entire park.

Dogs at Town Lake Park

Town Lake Park is a designated Off Leash Area (OLA) by the city of Austin, along with 10 other OLAs in the city. Yet, the park faces some general safety and wear and tear issues that need to be addressed. Dogs dangerously intersect with pedestrians on the trail, and due to the popularity of the dog park - turf is nonexistent at Auditorium Shores.

Get Involved

The road ahead will at some point challenge the community’s commitment to preserve and protect Auditorium Shores & Town Lake Park as the true “crown jewel” of Austin’s park system. How we approach the redevelopment of this park will impact our entire park system for decades to come. 

Funding for redevelopment of this park will come from two primary sources: the voter- approved bond (Proposition 11, November 3, 1989, increased rent-car fees) and donations from foundations and other outside interests. Private donations are essential to address the park's base infrastructure needs. To migrate the maze of redevelopment successfully, our goal should be to achieve balance between meeting the primary objective of addressing the Park's priorities, and acknowledging the generous gifts brought to this effort.

Funding gifts should also aid in establishing maintenance and art endowments. Key to attracting funding should be a clear commitment that gifted money will aid in park preservation for years to come.

As a community, we have a long journey ahead before ground is broken on the redevelopment of the park. The 1999 Master Plan serves as the starting point. Now, the community must be brought into the redevelopment discussion to help define the vision and direction for Town Lake Park.

I hope you will join me in efforts to redevelop the park and to be part of a marquee community outreach effort. 

Finally, I would like to recognize the people in Austin who already do a tremendous job in managing and supporting our parks. Thanks to Parks and Recreation staff, led by Director, Sara Hensley, the Austin Parks and Recreation Board, the Parks Foundation, and our City Council.

Please support our parks and all who work to make them unique to Austin.

Contact Bill Fraser Here