Plus, UT's new plan for West Campus safety.
 
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69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.
 

Zilker Plan paused... indefinitely

Zilker Park Vision Plan “shelved,” Mayor Kirk Watson says
The Great Lawn at Zilker Park on a sunny day.
The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan will not be moving forward, Mayor Kirk Watson announced. | Photo by ATXtoday
The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan has been “shelved” indefinitely, Mayor Kirk Watson announced in his email newsletter yesterday.

“The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan will not be on the August 31st City Council agenda and there is no plan to bring it before the Austin Mayor and Council in the future,” Watson said.

A draft version of the expansive, ~$200 million plan was released last year, delineating what would have been the first master plan for Zilker Park in its 100 years of existence.

In addition to changing traffic on Barton Springs Road, the 254-page draft envisioned major additions to the park, including:
  • Three new parking garages
  • A land bridge crossing over Barton Springs Road, joining the north and south sides of the park
  • A new Zilker Hillside Theater, integrated with the new land bridge
  • A new pedestrian and bike bridge across Lady Bird Lake
  • A new picnic area near the Great Lawn with bathrooms and concession
  • A new welcome plaza, repurposing the current caretaker’s cottage on the south side of the park
A map of the overall draft zilker vision plan

The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan would have added several new fixtures to the 100-year-old park.

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Rendering via the City of Austin’s Zilker Park Vision Plan Draft Document

In the months since the draft plan was announced, residents have expressed concerns about the plan’s impacts on the park’s accessibility and ecology, sparking a campaign called “Save Zilker Park.”

City Council had plans to discuss these concerns later this month, before Watson’s announcement yesterday.

“My recommendation is that we cool off for a spell,” Watson said in his newsletter. “We could all benefit from a little time and perspective. And then, we can start working together on the recommendations in the plan that have consensus … this plan wasn’t the right course and it’s time for it to be ended.”
Head Over Heels c/o ZACH Theatre
 
Events
Tuesday, Aug. 8
  • “Dazed and Confused” | Tuesday, Aug. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $11 | Celebrate 30 years of the Austin-filmed classic.
Wednesday, Aug. 9
  • Free Week at The Jones Center | Now-Sunday, Aug. 13 | 12 p.m. | The Contemporary Austin, 700 Congress Ave., Austin | Free | Peruse The Jones Center’s collection for free until Sunday, Aug. 13.
  • ZACH Theatre Presents: “Head Over Heels” | Wednesday, Aug. 9-Sunday, Sept. 10 | Times vary | ZACH Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $25-$90 | Get ready to rock with Austin’s original Go-Go Kathy Valentine and a stellar cast in “Head Over Heels,” a joyful musical romp set to the hits of the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Go-Go’s.*
Thursday, Aug. 10
  • Cat Video Fest | Thursday, Aug. 10 | 3:15 p.m. | Austin Film Society Cinema, 6406 N. IH-35, Ste. 3100, Austin | $11-$14 | Enjoy a supercut of the world’s cutest and cuddliest cat videos — a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Austin Humane Society.
  • The Drop-In | Thursday, Aug. 10 | 7 p.m. | The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | Free | It’s your last chance of the summer to catch this free live music series at the Long Center’s new 3D-printed stage.
Friday, Aug. 11
  • slenderbodies | Friday, Aug. 11 | 7-11:55 p.m. | Empire Control Room & Garage, 606 E. 7th St., Austin | $25 | Celebrate a decade of Empire at this concert, which is part of a month-long series of shows.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
News Notes
Environment
  • Wildfires continue to rage across Central Texas, with crews currently battling a 400-acre blaze near San Marcos that destroyed one home over the weekend. Travis County is currently under a burn ban — brush up on fire safety guidance. (KXAN)
Announced
  • UT Austin launched a new, $1.8 million West Campus safety and sanitation program. The initiative will start with a one-year contract involving stationing safety and cleaning “ambassadors” in the neighborhood, which has some of the densest housing concentration in the city. (Austin American-Statesman)
The Word
  • Free. Tax-free, that is. This weekend — from Friday, Aug. 11-Sunday, Aug. 13 — school supplies, clothing, and more items will be sold without taxes in the state of Texas. Check out the guidelines before heading to the shops. (CultureMap Austin)
Development
  • A 33.9-acre tract of land in Lakeway may soon be rezoned to allow mixed-use development. Developers are eyeing the property — which has been recommended for rezoning by the city’s zoning and planning commission — for ~130 residences and 9,000 sqft of retail. (Austin Business Journal)
Coming Soon
  • West Campus favorite Kesos Tacos — a taco spot known for queso-laden bites — announced plans to open a second location at 3901 Spicewood Springs Rd. sometime in early 2024. (Eater Austin)
Award
  • Austinite Raeven Harris won audience winner at San Diego Comic Con’s Her Universe Fashion Show for her light-up gown based on “X-Men” character Storm. As winner, Harris will return to judge the same fashion show next year. (Austin American-Statesman)
 
Edu

📝 Perfect attendance starts here

Class is in session: Back-to-school dates in Austin
A group of people stand in a parking lot in front of Lehman High, as seen from above.
Pack up your backpacks and sharpen your pencils, because school is almost in session. | Photo provided by Hays CISD.
Starting next week, many Austin students will return to the classroom to kick off the 2023-24 school year. Whether your student is college bound, or bound to forget their homework, here are the start dates for 13 local schools and universities.

Psst — New to the city and looking for somewhere to enroll your bright young star? Check out our guide to 19 local school districts.

Elementary, middle, and high schools:

Colleges and universities:
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The Wrap
 
London Gibson

Today’s edition by:
London
From the editor
Back to school season is one of my favorite times of the year, and because I’m no longer a full-time student, it makes me yearn for the days of brand new notebooks and freshly printed course packets.

I love to learn and could genuinely go to school forever, if I didn’t enjoy writing for y’all so much. If you’re also a lifelong learner, let me know if you’ve found any great classes or lecture series locally.
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