Butler Shores Area Cultural and Climate Innovation District

Background

In 2021, Council passed a resolution directing the Parks and Recreation Department (Department) to work with appropriate City Departments to explore the creation of a City Cultural and Climate Innovation District for the South Shore/Barton Springs area including Butler Shores and surrounding South Austin cultural assets, by creating a plan and timeline inclusive of the following:  

• Inventory of assets and strategies to protect and enhance assets
• Diagnostic analysis
• Traffic impact analysis
• Bicycle/multimodal transportation strategies
• Outline of the community engagement process to support its creation

Documentation

• Resolution No 20210520-062 (PDF)
• Memo - City Cultural and Climate Innovation District (PDF)
• Culture and Climate Innovation District Final Report

Project Description

The Cultural and Climate Innovation District (CCID) would define the Butler Shores Park as a "Cultural Park”, as it is the location of the Zachary Scott Theater and the soon-to-be relocated Daugherty Arts Center (DAC). The area is also home to numerous other cultural assets including the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, the Zilker Botanical Gardens, and the Zilker Hillside Theater. Many of Austin’s cultural programming organizations reside here and attract residents and tourists from afar, for theatrical performances at the ZACH Theater to large spectacles like the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the Trail of Lights, and the Zilker Park Kite Festival.

These cultural assets have never benefited from a coordinated and comprehensive assessment to address the area's competing needs or leverage the public investments to full effect. A CCID would explore and analyze these conditions and recommend planning to address the area’s rapid transition due to private development, public investments for the DAC, transportation and mobility, and increasing population and density demands.

The goal for the proposed District is to leverage the cultural and park/ecological assets to coordinate activities, educate and entertain visitors, advance climate change resilience, and protect and preserve the district’s assets.

Anticipated Schedule

Community Engagement is anticipated to be complete in November 2022. Future project phases will be determined pending the final approval of the Zilker Metro Park Vision Plan and the final criteria established by the Economic Development Department for the creation of economic districts.

Community Engagement

Community Engagement Meeting #1 - September 14, 2022

• Meeting Presentation (PDF)
• Meeting Recording

Community Engagement Meeting #2 - October 7, 2022

• Meeting Presentation (PDF)
• Meeting Recording

Community Engagement Meeting #3 - October 26, 2022

• Meeting Presentation (PDF)
• Meeting Recording

Focus Groups

• Focus Group 1: September 22, 2022, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 
• Focus Group 2: September 22, 2022, 2 to 3 p.m. 
• Focus Group 3: September 23, 2022, 12 to 1 p.m. 
• Focus Group 4 (en español): September 24, 2022, 5 to 6 p.m.

Share Your Feedback

The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department welcomes your input on the proposed Butler Shores Cultural and Climate Innovation District. Please share your feedback by completing the stakeholder survey here:

Stakeholder Survey

Contact Information

For more information, contact Tim Dombeck, Business Process Specialist with Parks and Recreation by email or at (512) 974-6716.