The 1.6-acre park on Del Curto Road near South Lamar Boulevard includes a playscape, basketball half-court, an internal trail system and a picnic pavilion, said Ricardo Soliz, division manager at Austin's Parks and Recreation Department. The city obtained the property through a combination of parkland donation and a 1-acre land purchase, he said.
The South Lamar Neighborhood Association has been particularly involved in the park's planning process, Soliz said. The group has proposed naming the park the Del Curto Neighborhood Park or the South Lamar Neighborhood Park, he said. City ordinance also allows parkland to be named after an individual, alive or dead, or after a place or natural feature.
An application asks residents to provide a biography of any individual nominated for naming rights. Preference will likely be given to names of people associated with or responsible for advancing the Austin park system, Soliz said.
"We ask the community as a whole, primarily the south neighborhoods, to submit a name for this park," he said. "After 90 days, submissions will be put together and given to the parks board for recommendation to the City Council."
Austin City Council will have final say on the park's name, he said. For more information about the process, visit www.austintexas.gov/news/south-austin-park-naming-process-starts-today.