Plans to restore the 92-year-old Palm Park Shelter House cleared an administrative hurdle last week, laying the groundwork for a forthcoming project that will see it fold into a brand new urban park in Downtown Austin.
Earlier this month, Historic Landmark Commissioners voted unanimously to
initiate historic zoning
on the site, which currently belongs to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and has for decades sat largely untouched. Once approved by the Planning Commission and Council, the zoning change will clear the way for plans for the renovation project, per the agreements of the city’s
Heritage Grant Program
.
Though their timeline remains vague, the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy aims to resurrect the former recreational structure as part of greater plans to revitalize Sir Swante Palm Park, a largely abandoned stretch of land sitting dead center of Downtown off of IH-35. Down the line, the project could see the Shelter House become a historic anchor among
a slew of amenities
including playscapes, restrooms, shaded picnic tables, and brand new spaces for community events.
Before the construction of the Interstate made the city’s East-West split a reality, Palm Park hosted a generation of children from diverse Waller Creek and East Austin neighborhoods, many of whom attended the still-standing but long defunct
Palm School
just to the park’s south. Once severed from the many Mexican-American families it had served to the east, the Palm School closed and the park has since floundered, despite high-rise developments encroaching on all sides.
“Palm Park is among the first parks in the City of Austin, and the Shelter House is among the first Parks and Recreation structures in the entire city,” said Historic Preservation Division Manager Kim McKnight. “So it’s very exciting that this park will have a shot at a new lease on life after a long period of dormancy.”
If realized, the Palm Park project will complete
phase two
of an ambitious, three-part plan for the Waterloo Greenway, which kicked off with the opening of Waterloo Park and Moody Amphitheater in 2021. Currently, the site is in use as a staging area for the construction of a new urban trail system dubbed ‘The Confluence’, which will see new pedestrian and bike infrastructure connect trails at Ladybird Lake along Waller Creek all the way up to 4th Street as early as next year.
As the Conservancy works to flesh out its plans, Palm School alumni and their descendants have voiced hopes that the park can pay proper tribute to its Mexican American heritage.
Among their suggestions
is reopening the Palm School building as a museum and cultural center, though this would involve some coordination with landowners at Travis County.
Waterloo Greenway Conservancy and Parks Department staff will return to the Landmark Commission on August 6th for a more thorough briefing on the forthcoming Shelter House construction and its place in the broader vision for Sir Swante Palm Park. In the meantime, readers can catch up to speed on all things Waterloo Greenway at the Conservancy’s
website
.
The
Austin Monitor
’s work is made possible by donations from the community. Though our reporting covers donors from time to time, we are careful to keep business and editorial efforts separate while maintaining transparency. A complete list of donors is available
here
, and our code of ethics is explained
here
.
You’re a community leader
And we’re honored you look to us for serious, in-depth news. You know a strong community needs local and dedicated watchdog reporting. We’re here for you and that won’t change. Now will you take the powerful next step and support our nonprofit news organization?