The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), along with the Trail Foundation and the Austin Parks Foundation, has announced a new collaborative planning study for the Seaholm Waterfront. Chicago- and New York-based Studio Gang has been selected to lead the effort.
The Seaholm Waterfront, which has been the subject of redevelopment attempts for several years, consists of the Seaholm Intake Facility and some three acres of surrounding parkland. The organizations intend for the facility to be used for public recreation and will begin a planning process involving public comment sessions soon.
Studio Gang has worked on similar urbanism projects in Chicago, including boathouses on the Chicago River and the framework plan for Northerly Island. “We’re excited to help unlock the potential of this historic building, nested in an incredible system of parks and trails, along one of the great downtown waterfronts in the United States,” says Gia Biagi, principal of urbanism and civic impact at Studio Gang.
Other firms contributing to the project include Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Datum Engineering, and Urban Design Group. This next phase of planning has been fully funded. PARD anticipates it will be completed in Fall 2017.