Lakeside Buildings To Be Repurposed

Back in 2010, Austin City Councilmember Chris Riley presented to the Parks Commission ideas for repurposing the old power plant structures on Lady Bird Lake.

The buildings belong to the City under the stewardship of the Parks Department.

The Statesman is reporting that Austin’s Parks department is ramping up its intent to repurpose these structures and issue a Request For Proposal.

The buildings are now mostly vacant concrete shells with graffiti and broken windows. But it’s easy to see their potential. They hug the shoreline and have open, dramatic interiors with grand views of the lake. And their history echos in details like big pipes that once carried lake water and are girded to the bedrock below.“They are pretty amazing architectural spaces. They have a lot of windows so there’s a lot of light. And there’s an opportunity for a new use or uses that relate strongly to the lake,” said Marty Stump, a project management supervisor at the parks department.