10 finalists chosen for Seaholm Intake Facility design competition

A new face for the Seaholm Intake Facility is getting closer to realization after the city of Austin announced July 29 the 10 finalists for the design competition to remodel the building. The intake facility is located on Lady Bird Lake near the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge on Cesar Chavez Street.

Lyn Estabrook, project manager with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, which is overseeing the competition for the facility, said the department is "really excited" about the competition, and there has been a good response from the public.

"We felt that this was one of those buildings that's sort of been around a long time, and everyone's seen it and knows about it and has an idea about what they'd love to see there, so we really wanted an opportunity for residents of Austin and the surrounding public to give their input on what they'd like to see there and what the possible designs could be," Estabrook said. "There are so many great designers here locally as well as [in] Texas and across the states. We really wanted to cast a broad net and let people have a chance to give us their ideas and concepts."

The competition opened May 25, and the city received more than 230 registrations and 76 submissions. Estabrook said the competition drew the attention of both local and international designers.