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Kingsbury Commons opened to the public on July 2nd and has a two-story tree house. (Courtesy Ashley Nava-Monteros / Pease Park Conservancy)
Visitors are now welcome to the southern part of Pease Park known as Kingsbury Commons. The park’s novelties include a two-story tree house, amphitheater and water feature.
The project is the first phase of the Pease Park Conservancy Vision Plan, which was approved by the Austin City Council in October 2014.
The renovations began on February 19, 2020 and opened to the public on July 2. There were minor delays due to the particularly rainy spring in Austin. The 84-acre park is east of North Lamar Boulevard and runs from West 15th Street to West 24th Street.
Laura Bryant, chairman of the board of the Pease Park Conservancy, said the project aimed to highlight some of the park’s existing features, including the dense tree canopy and historic architecture.
“It always embodies that kind of magical, quirky character,” added Bryant. “And that’s why I think the new design is really based on that. It shows the natural beauty of Austin, but also has those incredible first-class amenities that the city can take advantage of. “
Bryant said the project was largely carried out by people from the Austin area, which makes Kingsbury Commons an excellent place to showcase the city’s talent. It also meant that the people working on the project understood the importance of the park to the city’s culture, including its role as host of Eeyore’s Birthday Party. Austin-based Ten Eyck Landscape Architects led the design effort.
The project cost $ 10 million to build, with an additional $ 5.3 million allocated for operations, maintenance, and programming. The project received a $ 9.7 million grant from the Moody Foundation. Pease Park Conservancy will work with the City of Austin to maintain the site.
Looking ahead, the Pease Park Conservancy plans to build a similar gate to the park east of Shoal Creek near East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. These plans are still in the preliminary stage.
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