Austin Parks Get $180K In Grants For Improvements

AUSTIN, TX — Austin Parks Foundation officials announced on Friday it had awarded more than $180,000 in grants for improvement, renovation and upkeep of six park areas across the city's five districts.

The $180,400 in funds will help revamp Austin parks, trails, and green spaces throughout 5 districts with trail creation, new amenity installation, fencing and other improvements.

“We’re grateful to be part of these community-initiated projects that begin in individual neighborhoods and impact the greater Austin area,” Ladye Anne Wofford, chief mission officer at Austin Parks Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “The commitment of dedicated Adopt-A-Park leaders to improve these community assets for future generations is the driving factor of this program.”

Recreational areas benefiting from the foundation's largesse include:

• South Duncan Park/9th St BMX ($46,500) - Installation of park amenities including an informational kiosk, bicycle repair station, additional seating, landscaping/tree planting and a new art sculpture.
• Country Club Creek Greenbelt ($34,650) - Creation of a trailhead with a kiosk for a new hike & bike trail in South East Austin.
• Highland Neighborhood Park ($30,000) - Installation of water fountain, picnic tables, and additional demolition of old infrastructure. This is phase one of The Master Plan with the Parks and Recreation Department.
• MLK Station Park ($10,750) - Perimeter fencing around St. David's Foundation Community Gardens and Sustainable Food Center Teaching Garden to create separation between the gardens and Eastlink Trail.
• South Austin Neighborhood Park ($30,000) - Creation of a walking trail, which will be the first phase of a larger project.
• Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum ($28,500) - Collection tank and equipment to help with water conservation.

The Trust for Public Land recently released their rankings of the 100 largest cities' parks, foundation officials noted, and Austin moved down to 43rd from 42nd in 2018 (read more about that HERE). "Our parks are one of our favorite parts of living in Austin, but the reality is our greens spaces are vastly underfunded and lack the amenities and investment to meet the needs of the communities they're intended to serve," officials said in pointing to the need for grants.

As the anchor of APF’s ACL Music Festival Grants Programs, community grants are intended for larger community-initiated physical park improvement projects that require between $5,000 and $50,000 in funding like signage installations, trail building and planning, physical improvements and maintenance. The grants have been awarded since 2006 but became offered twice a year in 2017. Since inception, APF has donated over $3 million to Austin’s park system through Community Grants.

The deadline for the APF Impact Grant, an annual grant of $100,000 to support large, community-initiated, physical park improvements, is Oct. 30. The deadline for Fall Community Grants and Design Services applications is Sept. 30.

All potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a grants information class prior to applying. Classes take place throughout the year. To find out about upcoming sessions, visit the online calendar. To learn more about the Austin Parks Foundation’s ACL Music Festival Park Grants Program or Design Services and to apply, visit www.austinparks.org/grants.

ABOUT AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION

Founded in 1992, Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is dedicated to partnering with our community to enhance people’s lives by making our public parks, trails and green spaces better through volunteerism, innovative programming, advocacy, and financial support. APF is focused on creating equitable access to great parks for all Austinites and helps fill the City’s funding and resource gap in order to develop and maintain Austin’s 300+ parks. APF fosters unique public/private partnerships and, since 2006, has given over $3 million in community-initiated grants in service to the greater Austin community. APF is known for its annual flagship volunteer event, It’s My Park Day, and is a presenting partner and beneficiary of the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Metropolitan Park. For more information, visit www.austinparks.org.