1. Austin announces free pool access citywide through summer swim season
Austin's dozens of civic pools will be free to all through the remainder of this year's summer season amid a record-setting heat wave.On Aug. 8, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department announced it was dropping entry fees at all city aquatic facilities—with the exception of Barton Springs—through the end of September.
"In consideration of the ongoing excessive heat, the city of Austin Parks and Recreation Department will not charge admission fees to swimming pools from Aug. 9 through Sept. 30," the department said in a statement.
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2. Austin office market still facing high vacancies, scaled-down construction plans
Austin's office market continues to face rising vacancies and slowing enthusiasm for new construction as employers weigh their changing needs for in-person work and builders contend with financial uncertainty tied to new development.Local real estate firm officials said hundreds of thousands of square feet of offices are vacant across Austin in spaces that are both directly leased and subleased. The trend has continued from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic through this summer; data from Aquila Commercial shows overall office vacancies in the city have increased by nearly 2 1/2 times since mid-2020.
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3. Open house to be held for trail project in North Austin
An over 30-mile trail and transit corridor project—the Red Line Trail—is being developed that will link downtown Austin to the city of Leander.Along with Capital Metro rail lines, the project includes a walking and biking trail network. An open house for residents to provide feedback on a 1.7-mile segment of the trail connecting Braker Lane to the Northern Walnut Creek Trail in North Austin will be held in the coming weeks.
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4. UT launches program in West Campus aimed at safety, cleanup effort
A pilot program from The University of Texas will specialize in improving safety and cleanliness in the West Campus neighborhood of Austin.The West Campus Ambassadors program will consist of two teams—the safety ambassadors and the cleaning ambassadors.
Safety ambassadors will be in West Campus from 3:30 p.m.-3 a.m. and can escort residents in the late evening, monitor the area and work with law enforcement. Cleaning ambassadors will be in West Campus from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and will collect trash, remove graffiti, provide directions and outreach to the homeless population.
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5. Austin city manager ends Zilker Park Vision Plan process amid controversy
Weeks before Austin City Council was set to take a final vote on the controversial Zilker Park Vision Plan, city officials announced the proposed framework is effectively dead following more than two years of development and public debate.After three council members released a statement opposing the draft vision plan Aug. 7, Mayor Kirk Watson announced interim City Manager Jesús Garza had ended the planning process.
City officials said contention among Austinites over high-profile elements in the plan led to it being shelved. Going forward, Watson said the city will take a break before circling back to popular items while trying to reach common ground on more disputed aspects.
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