The lower 7-acre section of the park that stretches north from the intersection of West 15th Street and North Lamar Boulevard will be closed for about a year during construction.
According to the nonprofit group Pease Park Conservancy, the trail along Shoal Creek that winds through Pease Park will remain open, as will the remaining 70-plus acres of the park.
New features that will be added to the park when the Kingsbury Commons project is finished include a repurposed community gathering space, a splash pad, improved athletic courts, a treehouse and new restrooms.
The project, which is a joint venture of the city of Austin and Pease Park Conservancy, was funded by a grant from the Moody Foundation.
In October, local political and community leaders came together for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the park. Final permits were approved in the ensuing months, allowing construction to begin in February.
The origin of the project stretches back to 2014, when Austin City Council approved Pease Park’s master plan that laid out a 20- to 30-year vision for the park. In December 2018, Austin’s parks board approved the design and construction phase for the Kingsbury Commons project—the first phase of that master plan.
Kingsbury Commons is expected to open in spring 2021. According to Pease Park Conservancy, construction will not affect Eeyore’s Birthday Party, which is scheduled for April 25 in Pease Park from 11 a.m. to dusk, and will take place away from the work area.
