Portion of Pease Park set for year-long closure

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Roughly seven acres of Pease District Park will close for a year-long construction project to revitalize the area.

The southernmost section of the park, known as Kingsbury Commons, will be blocked off while crews work starting Wednesday.

Improvements include repurposing the Tudor Cottage. At present, the cottage is used as a storage unit for maintenance equipment.

Pease Park Conservancy officials have plans to turn it into a community gathering space that will be available for public for events, receptions, and gatherings. The conservancy will manage the facility under an agreement with the Austin Parks & Recreation Department.

“We think of Pease Park as Austin’s Central Park and we will really be evoking that as we open that great lawn with a great sort of backdrop of the skyline over the trees behind us,” Heath Riddles, the CEO of the conservancy said.

They also plan to add new terraced seating, a nature play area, a state-of-the-art water play feature, as well as a high school-sized basketball court, baseball diamond and multi-generational exercise equipment.

This section of the park will also feature a new treehouse that will allow park users to go up into the canopy where conservancy officials said they’ll be able to lay out on nets.

“I am just sad personally but for the city, I am super happy,” Cole Bennette, a runner and park-goer said after finding out about the temporary closing.

Conservancy plans also include numerous new native plantings across Kingsbury Commons.

The trail along the eastern side of this section of the park along Shoal Creek will remain open as well as the remaining 70-plus acres of Pease Park. Conservancy officials said Eeyore’s Birthday Party will still take place at Pease Park this upcoming spring.

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