The Backyard at Bee Cave, Bee Cave's legendary music venue, split into an "old" location and a "new" location in 2008 when former owner Tim O'Connor sold the old property, moving the music venue to 13801 Bee Cave Parkway.

"I love the place to pieces," said Hala Ballouz, wife of the old Backyard's newest owner, Dr. Marc Ballouz, who also owns Austin-based Electric Power Engineers Inc. "I love all the oak trees. We want to bring it back to life."

The key is keeping the spirit of the former venue, she said.

The Backyard opened in 1993, playing host to Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, David Bowie and The Allman Brothers, to name a few. There was nothing out there then, just a bunch of cows and fields, said Jessica Peel, an employee at the new Backyard music venue.

"[O'Connor] wanted it set out in nature," Peel said, elaborating on the former owner's vision for the venue. "He decided it was time for a change when the Best Buy sign was put up right behind the stage."

With development and construction increasing nearby, O'Connor felt it was encroaching on the venue, Peel said. After purchasing the property, Marc Ballouz went to City Council in mid-September to present his plans for the 1.7-acre site. He planned to convert the old Backyard into a mixed-use space with offices and a restaurant.

"We are trying to get a permit for a facelift, a little bit of a facelift," said Hala Ballouz, speaking about the original building, which the Ballouzes plan to keep intact. "We were going to move our engineering offices, electrical and civil, there. The plan is that they will be in the top office, and what is a restaurant will continue to be a restaurant with a little more retail and businesses."

A rendering of the 8,100-square-foot building shows the original structure with modifications that include larger windows, stone pillars and a central tower. The Ballouzes hope the permit process will be complete by the end of November and that the project will be finished by the end of the year.