06-1: PARD Director's Update, July 2024 — original pdf

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PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DIRECTOR’S UPDATE DATE: July 2024 DEVELOPMENT UPDATES: Highland Neighborhood Park and Reznicek Fields: On July 19th, the Department hosted a ribbon- cutting event for the Highland Neighborhood Park and Reznicek Fields Phase 2 Development. This project included two 125’ kickball fields, park lighting, a loop walking trail, benches, a new drinking fountain, a new parking lot, utilities for a future restroom/community building, a new site irrigation system, and 45 additional trees. In late 2024, a pedestrian bridge will be installed over Waller Creek, connecting to the natural surface trail along Waller Creek. The park is now re-opened to the public. This project was funded through the 2018 General Obligation Bond, Parkland Dedication Funding, and was awarded an Urban Forestry Grant through the City of Austin Development Services for the planting of 25 additional trees. The Highland Park Neighborhood Association also successfully applied for an Austin Parks Foundation grant for supplemental improvements, including a drinking fountain and a pedestrian bridge to be installed later. District 4 1  New ball fields and bleachers at Highland Neighborhood Park and Reznicek Fields Rainey Street Trailhead: The Trail Conservancy (TTC) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 12th to celebrate the completion of the Rainey Street Trailhead project. This approximately 2-acre trailhead and park space includes multiple shaded seating areas, a new neighborhood lawn, a nature play area, a water access point, and protects the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail by adding new native restoration areas designed to prevent runoff and erosion from Rainey Street to Lady Bird Lake. Over 7,000 native plants and 130 new shade trees were planted in the restoration areas along with native grass and wildflower seeding. It also adds an ADA-accessible connection from the Rainey Street district to the trail, and components for increased safety, including lighting, signage, and wayfinding. This project was funded by The Trail Conservancy with support from Intracorp. A separate project focused on safety enhancements for the trail, as detailed in a 2023 memo, is in progress. The security camera was installed in November 2023, and new trail lighting, a sidewalk extension on East Avenue, and extensions to the split rail fence installed last year are expected to be completed by the end of the summer. District 9 Aerial view of the new Rainey Street Trailhead 2  2018 General Obligation Bond Program Proposition C - Parks and Recreation ($149 million) Update: The Department has spent $87 million (58.4%) of the $149 million authorized. It has a further $16.1 million (10.8%) under contract and $32.2 million (21.6%) assigned to projects already in progress. • Completed Projects  o Highland Neighborhood Park (District 4) was reopened to the public after the completion of construction on July 1, 2024. o Bull Creek District Park Restroom (District 10) was reopened to the public after the completion of construction on June 5, 2024. o Doris Miller Auditorium (District 1) parking lot and exterior entry ADA improvements were complete in March 2024. • Active Construction  o Construction of Colony Park and Givens Pools (District 1) started in May 2023. Project updates are available on their respective websites. o The 1.7 mile Violet Crown Trail connection between Circle C Metro Park and the Veloway (District 8) started construction in October 2023 and is expected to be completed in late summer 2024.  o Construction for the Parque Zaragoza Bathhouse Renovation (District 3) project started in February and is expected to be completed in late 2024.  o Construction of Oertli Neighborhood Park (District 1) started in November 2023. The park is expected to be open by fall 2024.  o Construction of Brownie Neighborhood Park (District 4) started in December 2022 and is expected to be reopened to the public in summer and completed by fall 2024. o ADA accessibility improvements at Gustavo “Gus” L. Garcia Recreation Center (District 4) are currently under construction and are anticipated to be complete by the end of 2024. o The Zilker Maintenance Barn (District 8) is anticipated to resume construction in August 2024. In Design  o The Beverly Sheffield Northwest (District 7) and Montopolis (District 3) Pool Renovation projects are both in the site development permitting process and are expected to begin construction after the 2024 summer pool season.  o The Walter E. Long and John Treviño Jr. Metro Park (District 1) Vision Plan phase one implementation projects have progressed to the design development phase.  o Givens Recreation Center (District 1) renovation project has permit documents in review. The project is expected to go out for bid in late summer 2024.  • • Vision Planning  o Stakeholder engagement for the Bolm District Park Vision Plan (District 3) started in October 2023. The third and final community meeting was held on May 14. Seven pop-up events have occurred to date and the final survey closed on June 24. The consultant is currently developing the vision planning report and making revisions to the plan based on community feedback. The plan will be presented to the PARD executive team in late summer/early fall 2024 and then to PARB for recommendation to the Director for approval of the plan. • Parkland Acquisition  o City Council approved $428K in parkland acquisition at the May 30 meeting:   59.563 acres which encompasses a significant portion of the greenbelt located along Davis Springs Creek and is adjacent to the existing Davis Spring Special Park (District 6). 3  MAINTENANCE UPDATES: Gus Garcia Recreation Center Bathroom Remodel and ADA Changes: Gus Garcia Recreation Center received approval in May for a bathroom remodel project. The project began on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The project will replace all the malfunctioning, irreparable toilets with ADA compliant, and new flushing systems. The remodel is currently underway for the bathrooms in the lobby of the recreation center. In addition to the bathroom remodel, the Gus Garcia Recreation Center is also undergoing changes for ADA compliance. A new railing has been installed outside one of the entranceways to the building. These changes will help the Gus Garcia Recreation Center better serve the community. District 4 From left to right: new railing installed near entranceway. Men’s and women’s bathroom found in lobby where remodeling is taking place. 4  Virginia L. Brown Recreation Center Weight Room: Virginia L. Brown Recreation Center’s Weight Room recently installed new flooring and was repainted. New workout equipment is also expected to be delivered by the end of the summer. District 4 Virginia L. Brown Recreation Center weight room floors before (left) and after (right) the renovation. PROGRAM UPDATES: Zilker Shuttle Program: The Zilker Shuttle kicked off Saturday, May 25th, and continues through Monday, September 2nd, running 12:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. The shuttle ran on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July (12-5 p.m.), and will run on Labor Day. After the July 4th weekend, 2,500 community members utilized the shuttle. Further reduction of the Polo Field parking area is under consideration to encourage shuttle use from the Stratford gravel parking lot and One Texas Center. Districts 5 and 8 5  Juneteenth Celebrations: Recreation Centers, Senior Centers, and Cultural Centers across the Department celebrated Juneteenth. Citywide Participants at Conley Guerrero participating in Juneteenth activities. Dittmar, Montopolis, Gus Garcia Recreation Center Juneteenth Events 2024 6  Delores Duffie Recreation Center: On Friday, June 28th the Delores Duffie recreation center teen program participants teamed up with other sites in the Community Recreation Division for the Teen fishing derby at Lady Bird Lake. The fishing derby challenged each site to catch and release as many fish as possible within a ninety-minute timeframe. Each fish caught was photographed and documented and was awarded a certain number of points. The site that caught the most fish won the fishing derby. A total of five teens from the recreation participated in the fun event for the day. At the conclusion of the challenge lunch was provided to all sites in attendance. District 1 Turner-Roberts Recreation Center: On Monday June 17th, the Turner Roberts Recreation center youth summer camp attendees participated in the Central Texas Food Bank’s Kids in the Kitchen program. The program, which included over seventy children ages five to twelve, taught a cooking and nutrition education curriculum to the youth participants. Cooking activities for the day ranged from strawberry granola yogurt parfait with fresh cut strawberries to fruit smoothies. District 1 Turner – Roberts Recreation center youth summer camp participants showcase their culinary skills during the Central Texas Food Bank’s Kids in the Kitchen program. Oswaldo A.B. Cantu/Pan American Recreation Center: Oswaldo A.B. Cantu/Pan American Recreation Center hosted its first Varsity Generation workshop that will be hosted one Saturday each month at the recreation center. The first event was held June 29th, which included festive arts and craft activities in celebration of Fourth of July. The event was free to the public for Varsity Generation participants, was held from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., and included seven attendees. The next scheduled event will be held on Saturday, July 29th from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. District 3 7  Oswaldo A.B. Cantu/Pan American Recreation Center Varsity Generation participants show if their recent craft projects for Fourth of July. South Austin Recreation Center: Just a typical Saturday at South Austin Recreation Center. Various groups of individuals meet at South Austin Recreation Center for various sports. Validation of flourishing community recreation at SARC. District 3 Pickleball players playing their favorite game Pick up Soccer Game of 4v4 with friends Adult Pick-up basketball games on both sides of the Court, 30 people looking to Hoop it up! 8  Summer Camps and Boredom Busters Programs: Recreation Centers, Nature Centers, and Cultural Centers are in mid-summer operations, offering camps and kids activities. Citywide Picture of some of Hancock’s Group 1 participants playing a game in the Ballroom and art time at Pickfair Community Center. Boredom Busters participants at Alliance Children’s Garden (left) and at the Texas Military Forces Museum (right). Inclusion Support Services – Summer Camp Support: Inclusion Support Services has provided assessments, modification plans, staff training and staffing support for an average of 66 participants per week of summer camp totaling 400 participants by the sixth week of camp. Inclusion Support Services has provided 2,354 staffing hours to support participants who qualify for ADA modifications. Additionally, Community, Nature, and Cultural Recreation Centers providing summer camp programming have provided an additional 1,760 staffing hours dedicated to supporting participants needing ADA modifications. The total temporary staffing hours dedicated to meeting the ADA modifications of participants in summer camp programming for the first six weeks of camp was 4,114. Inclusion Support Services has supported the Deaf community by providing 658 hours of interpreter services for youth and adult recreation programs and community events. 9  Brighter Bites Summer Nutrition Education Program: The Health Promotions Unit has partnered with Brighter Bites, a non-profit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, to provide 6 weeks of nutrition education this summer. At participating recreation centers, families will receive nutrition education and two bags of produce which includes approximately 50 servings of fruits and vegetables each week. In just four weeks, 1,610 sets of produce have been distributed to families. Participating sites include Rodolfo “Rudy” Mendez Recreation Center – 205, Delores Duffie Recreation Center -230, Montopolis Recreation and Community Center –205, A.B. Cantu/Pan American Recreation Center-220, George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center- 240, Turner-Roberts Recreation Center - 330, Gustavo “Gus” L. Garcia Recreation Center- 180. District 1, 2, 3, 4 Montopolis youth and Brighter Bites staff Teens at Turner-Roberts assist with bagging produce Austin Senior Softball League: The Austin Senior Softball League (ASSL) is an adult slow-pitch softball league that has been a staple in Austin since 2003. Players returned to the Krieg Athletic Complex in March to kick off the 2024 season. With over 150 players ranging in age from 55 to 85, the league welcomes all skill levels and features multiple divisions to accommodate varying levels of play. The ASSL season runs from March to October each year, culminating in barbecue at the fields with friends and family! District 3 Senior softball game at the Krieg Athletic Complex Senior player bats during softball game at Krieg Athletic Complex 10  Zilker Hillside Theater: Zilker Theater Productions Presents: Legally Blonde the Musical. From July 12 - August 17, Zilker Theater Productions put on its 65th Annual Summer Musical, Legally Blond the Musical. This fabulously fun, award-winning musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Zilker Theatre Productions is a 501(c)(3) non- profit organization that provides award-winning, free Broadway musicals at the Zilker Hillside Theater located in Zilker Park. Additional information can be found at the Zilker Hillside Theater webpage: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/zilker-hillside-theater Estimated Attendance: 45,000 | District 8 Zilker Theater Productions Rehearsing Legally Blonde the Musical Dougherty Arts Center: Wiley Dance & Design Presents: Non-Binary Joy: On Friday, July 5 –Saturday, July 6, Wiley Dance & Design held an immersive, interactive, queer dance experience, that blended a variety show into an ecstatic dance. Wiley Dance & Design is part of the Artist Access Program, through the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department, Division of Museums and Cultural Programs, and the Dougherty Arts Center. Additional information can be found at the Dougherty Art Center’s Program and Events page: https://www.austintexas.gov/page/dougherty-arts-center-programs-and-events Estimated Attendance: 75 | District 9 Participants at Wiley Dance & Design Non-Binary Joy Performance 11  Old Bakery & Emporium 3rd Annual Midsummer Festival: On June 29, the festival took place indoors and outside. In addition to the traditional Swedish festivities, there was a long-awaited preview of the mural by 5th-generation Austinite and artist Ruben Esquivel. This is the first-ever mural painted at the Historic Old Bakery and will visually represent the site’s rich culture and history. The mural is in partnership with the Downtown Austin Alliance and Austin Parks Foundation and results from an 18- month long community engagement project. Attendance: 477 | District 9 Midsummer event with Ruben Esquivel’s mural in the background. Oakwood Cemetery Chapel: Unificar, To Unite: Tejano Social Organizations. A new digital exhibit explores historical and contemporary Tejano organizations, their accomplishments, and their journeys in advocating for social change. Read the stories of multiple generations of Tejano social justice leaders. Exhibit Link (English): https://arcg.is/0195yj0 Exhibit Link (Spanish): https://arcg.is/1LSGDq0 Estimated Attendance (views): 500 | District 1 12  Emma S. Barrientos Awards of Excellence: On June 29th at the Long Center, the ESB-MACC held an intimate ceremony for family and friends of their Awards of Excellence winners. The ceremony featured heartfelt recognitions and remarks from the awardees and their loved ones. Host Yvonne Nava from KVUE-TV Austin shared some of the awardees’ greatest accomplishments, so attendees could celebrate their contributions to the cultural arts. Midway through the ceremony, Mariachi Relampago surprised everyone with lively mariachi tunes that entertained and reminded them of the power of the performing arts. It was a lovely afternoon! Attendees laughed, cried, and they celebrated excellence in the Latine community. Thanks to the ESB-MACC Advisory Board and MACC Staff for this special afternoon! Estimated Participants: 80| District 9 Awards of Excellence Winners 2024 The George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center: The George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center hosted the 2024 Austin African American Book Festival on Saturday, June 29, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. In partnership with the book festival, local and national authors, Black thought leaders and entrepreneurs, and community sponsors, the annual event was a major success. The festival hosted an impressive variety of presenters spanning from local to global, featuring Nikki Giovanni, Wade Hudson, Amanda Johnston, Terry P. Mitchell, China Smith of Ballet Afrique, and many more. In days following the book festival, the Carver was flooded with calls from the community sharing glowing reviews of their experience, including feedback labeling the event “the best Austin American Book Festival to date”. Estimated Attendance: 612 | District 1 Austin African American Book Festival attendee gets book signed by author. 13 Where You Belong, Park and Recreation Month: Parks and Recreation Department is celebrating Park and Recreation Month all July. This year’s theme of “Where You Belong” celebrates the many ways park and recreation professionals across the country foster a sense of belonging in their community by providing welcoming and inclusive programs, essential services for all ages and abilities, and safe, accessible spaces to build meaningful connection. Learn more about Park and Recreation Month. 14