Auditorium Shores to Get Major Overhaul From $3.5M Donation - Is the City Selling Out Our Parks? (Austin: rent, house)

[owlman]

I support the rejuvenation... the off-leash area grass could certainly use some TLC. Frankly I'm glad C3 is paying for these renovations rather than the city issuing a bond or stretching the PARD budget. It sucks that it will be closed off for a while, but that would happen regardless of who is footing the bill. And like others have said, it's not like there were no events there before, or are going to be fewer events in the future if this revamp falls through.

[AustinGuy]

Auditorium Shores definitely needs some attention.

My one question on this deal: shouldn't whatever fee the city charges promoters to use the park be high enough to maintain the park in good condition on an ongoing basis?

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by TexasVines

so you are saying it sees a major event three times a month (your words)

so 3X per month X 12 months = 36 days

36 days / 365 days per year = .0986 = .099 = 9.9%.......100% - 9.9% = 90.1%

so technically you are correct.....it is 90.1% of the time that nothing is going on there

threads like this are why Austin can't have nice things.....because some conspiracy type or some reactionary that has had a new "buzz word" like "corporatist" flushed into their head always wants to go get a picket (cut from a live tree that is now DEAD by the way) and a BLEACHED white poster board (also from a formerly living now DEAD tree) and a petroleum based ink marker and go stand around on the street somewhere making a fool of themselves with some silly sign while holding up people just trying to get through their day

and then when they are done with their buffoonery they fill the landfill with the picket and sign

I do not have the slightest idea of what your last paragraph means! But your math is off too!

A major event requires Auditorium shores to be fenced and at least partially off limits for 3 days (Friday, Saturday, and part, if not all of Sunday), even a short event like the Baby Walk this morning -- three hour event -- had Auditorium Shores fenced off all day Friday and the rest of the day today, a major MAJOR event like Fun Fun Fun Fest starts set up on Wednesday (same for Reggae Fest) and the fences do not come down until Monday, so nearly five days lost.

So 9 x 12 = 108 (using a low average of 3 days of park use lost for three events per month)

108/365 = .295 or 30%, so about 70% of the time there is nothing going on there! But that includes weekdays too!

As someone who is in that area daily, I appreciate the economic activity that these events bring (I wish I had the concession for the portable fencing, not to mention tents, security, EMS), there are clearly dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of people whose employment depends on these events. I am on the fence when it comes to whether or not this is an appropriate use of parkland, I can see both sides. I was just objecting to the notion that 90% of the time Auditorium Shores has nothing going on. Especially for people who can only use the area on the weekend -- the impact is not small. Thirty-six events a year that take out at least one weekend? There are only 52 weeks in the year. So 70% of the total weekends a year, something is happening that restricts public access to the park.

[atxcio]

I'm just pleased they are finally going to separate the off-leash area from the trail. I've already hit a few dogs running over the years... no damage done, heck the dogs don't even seem to mind. But one of these days I know I would turn an ankle or something during a collision.

[thesonofgray]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

A major event requires Auditorium shores to be fenced and at least partially off limits for 3 days (Friday, Saturday, and part, if not all of Sunday), even a short event like the Baby Walk this morning -- three hour event -- had Auditorium Shores fenced off all day Friday and the rest of the day today, a major MAJOR event like Fun Fun Fun Fest starts set up on Wednesday (same for Reggae Fest) and the fences do not come down until Monday, so nearly five days lost.

This.

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

I am on the fence when it comes to whether or not this is an appropriate use of parkland, I can see both sides. I was just objecting to the notion that 90% of the time Auditorium Shores has nothing going on. Especially for people who can only use the area on the weekend -- the impact is not small. Thirty-six events a year that take out at least one weekend? There are only 52 weeks in the year. So 70% of the total weekends a year, something is happening that restricts public access to the park.

And this. Narrow that down to "good weather" weekends and your chances of enjoying the park as a park are even more remote.

To be completely honest, I get most of my park needs met at Pease Park - my favorite Austin park. But I frequent Auditorium Shores many weekends for some canine fun, and it seems the area is becoming more and more occupied by tents and stages. I suppose this also could be said for downtown in general.

I love all the events in Austin (and guilty as charged for being at the Pecan Street Festival today and Art City Austin a few weekends ago), but I'm wondering if using public parks (and public right of way intended to serve transport in the CBD) is the best place to hold most of these functions. The Circuit of the Americas has a pretty nice event space, and maybe C3 and others need to consider locating their functions to a private location.

[OpenD]

So let me see if I got this straight...

Some weekends there is no organized event there, so HUNDREDS of people get to enjoy the use of the park free.

And then other weekends there is an organized event, and TENS of THOUSANDS of people pay to enjoy the event in the park.

And when there are organized events that various organizers apply for City permits for, and pay fees to the City in the THOUSANDS of dollars, TENS of THOUSANDS, even HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars for the privilege.

And one of those organizers is now willing to spend MILLIONS of dollars on improvements to the park that the cash-strapped Park Department cannot fund for itself, which will not only make the park nicer for all the planned events, but also nicer for the public on those weekends when nothing is planned, and HUNDREDS of them use the park for free...

And the problem with this is WHAT?

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by OpenD

So let me see if I got this straight...

Some weekends there is no organized event there, so HUNDREDS of people get to enjoy the use of the park free.

And then other weekends there is an organized event, and TENS of THOUSANDS of people pay to enjoy the event in the park.

And when there are organized events that various organizers apply for City permits for, and pay fees to the City in the THOUSANDS of dollars, TENS of THOUSANDS, even HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars for the privilege.

And one of those organizers is now willing to spend MILLIONS of dollars on improvements to the park that the cash-strapped Park Department cannot fund for itself, which will not only make the park nicer for all the planned events, but also nicer for the public on those weekends when nothing is planned, and HUNDREDS of them use the park for free...

And the problem with this is WHAT?

there is no free lunch, where is the catch?

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by OpenD

So let me see if I got this straight...

Some weekends there is no organized event there, so HUNDREDS of people get to enjoy the use of the park free.

And then other weekends there is an organized event, and TENS of THOUSANDS of people pay to enjoy the event in the park.

And when there are organized events that various organizers apply for City permits for, and pay fees to the City in the THOUSANDS of dollars, TENS of THOUSANDS, even HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars for the privilege.

And one of those organizers is now willing to spend MILLIONS of dollars on improvements to the park that the cash-strapped Park Department cannot fund for itself, which will not only make the park nicer for all the planned events, but also nicer for the public on those weekends when nothing is planned, and HUNDREDS of them use the park for free...

And the problem with this is WHAT?

The problem is the Citizens Against Virtually Everything can never be made happy.

Auditorium Shores is a great location for these events, makes for a dramatic backdrop, and is one of the reasons Austin is the most desirable city to live in Texas. Also, my god if you can't find a substitute park to enjoy on one of the event days then you aren't looking very hard.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Komeht

Indeed - there's a reasons it's called "auditorium shores" and it's not because they don't hold events there. . .

Actually, the reason it is called Auditorium Shores is because it is the land on the shores of Town Lake immediately adjacent to Municipal Auditorium, later renamed Palmer Auditorium. The use of that area for outdoor concerts dates back as far as 1980, when Aqua Fest outgrew its original location on Festival Beach in East Austin.

Municipal Auditorium has a unique place in music history - in September, 1965, it hosted the first ever public concert where Bob Dylan was backed by what came to be known as The Band.

[gpurcell]

Problem I have is when one of the events ends up taking the park out for months because of the damage (cough ACL Fest cough).