Engineer Joseph York, working on the H-E-B project through firm Jones and Carter, told the Austin Environmental Commission at a Jan. 19 meeting that the old amphitheater was built on 125,000 cubic yards of unpermitted fill, meaning earthen material was poured into dips in the landscape to flatten the area without permission from the city.
That illegal fill caused a disruption to the natural drainage of the area, York said. Beyond taking down the old music venue, H-E-B has also committed to restore the natural drainage of the area.
The old Nutty Brown space, with its iconic neon cowboy signage, started in the 1950s as Nutty Brown Mills, a specialty flour and candy store, according to the venue’s website. The music venue was founded in 2000.
Owner Mike Farr announced plans to relocate to Round Rock in 2014, but he faced construction and transportation development delays. Farr bought the former McNeil Park in 2018. The new $10 million Nutty Brown venue will open in 2022, according to the venue’s latest September 2021 announcement and Round Rock city documents.
