Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park gains accessible features, play structures

After years of advocating and planning, Southeast Austin residents can now access an improved neighborhood park. 

Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park, which stood for decades as a wildflower meadow, now includes functional amenities, with more improvements to come over the next few months.

The big picture

The Austin Parks Foundation, along with Austin Parks and Recreation and Friends of Grand Meadow, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 15 to celebrate the first phase of Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park improvements. 

The almost 10-acre park features:

• Natural surface trails

• Accessible concrete walkways

• A play area

• A shaded pavilion

• Grass fields

"There are [about] 400 parks in the  city of Austin," Austin Parks Foundation CEO Collin Wallis said. "I'm here to tell you that the grass in this park is nicer than 400 of them, by a factor of 10."

Phase I is funded by the Urban Forest Fund, the city of Austin Parkland Dedication Fund and APF.

The next phase of park development will add a community garden and a food forest. 

Looking back

The city of Austin acquired most of the land that makes up Grand Meadow in 1988, before acquiring two additional parcels in 2004, according to the Friends of Grand Meadow website. Friends of Grand Meadow is a park steward organization founded in 2021 with the purpose of transforming the land into a park that benefits not only the surrounding residential area, but also the plants and animals that live there.

In 2022, the organization applied for and was awarded a design grant from APF. With the input of APF, APR and residents, Friends of Grand Meadow created a concept plan which APR adopted in March 2024.

What they’re saying 

"I'm very proud of the work that we've done to make sure that regardless of what zip code you live in that everyone deserves access to a safe, healthy and well-shaded park," Austin city council member Vanessa Fuentes said.

State Representative for District 51—which encompasses most of Southeast Austin—Lulu Flores also spoke at the ribbon cutting. She commended the civic engagement of residents that helped turn the park into a reality.

"Parkland hasn't always kept pace with the growth here the way it has in other parts of Austin or the rest of the state," Flores said. "So, we're super excited to make sure that this is finally here."

Looking ahead

Later this fall, Friends of Grand Meadow will host an event celebrating the opening of the community garden and food forest, complete with wildflower seeding, live music, art activities and food. 

• Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 

• 8022 Thaxton Drive, Austin