The Trail Foundation to Introduce New Heron Creek Restrooms at the Butler Trail at Lady Bird Lake

AUSTIN, Texas — The Trail Foundation (TTF) today announced it is hosting a ceremony on February 21 to present the much-anticipated Heron Creek restrooms at the Butler Trail at Lady Bird Lake to the City of Austin and thank the donors. The event will take place on Saturday, February 21, starting at 9:00 am. The architecturally innovative restrooms are located just west of Lamar Boulevard and across from the TownLake YMCA. The restrooms will be open to the public in the coming weeks.

Local surveys have indicated that clean, aesthetically pleasing restrooms are the highest priority need for Trail users. TTF has responded with recent openings of the Miro Rivera restroom, the Johnson Creekrestrooms under MoPac and now the Heron Creek restrooms.

“We’re proud to be able to provide the Austin community with such nice restrooms for our beloved Trail, and we’re tremendously grateful to the donors who have stepped up make these facilities a reality,” said Susan Rankin, executive director of The Trail Foundation. “The restrooms along with our lakefront trailheads, gathering areas and native tree plantings will benefit Austin for years to come.”

Mell Lawrence Architects designed the restrooms with a deep sense of place. The stunning steel structures merge the realities of everyday Trail life with the architectural principles of light, art and sustainability. The project general contractor was Balfour Beatty, while Sarabi Studio created the structural and architectural steel.

The Heron Creek Restroom is sponsored by a TTF donor known only as “Anonymous Runner in Need of a Restroom.” An additional key sponsor is the family of Anthony W. “Tony” Skeen, a Trail regular, marathon runner and civil engineer specializing in the design and construction of water and wastewater systems. In July 2014, Tony lost his battle with cancer, and his family and friends are honored to sponsor the restroom project to celebrate Tony’s life and to support the lasting impact this project will have on the Austinites who enjoy the trail he loved.

“Tony was always passionate about preserving and enhancing the Trail, and I know he would have appreciated these beautiful restrooms that will help Trail users for years to come,” said Tony’s wife Judy Skeen. “TTF’s efforts to build such nice facilities across The Trail are benefitting our community by enhancing the experience for everyone.”

As the steward of the Butler Trail, TTF will continue to develop enhancements through careful improvements to the infrastructure and the environment. This restroom project will extend TTF’s legacy of visible, impressive and appreciated Trail enhancements that touch the lives of Austinites every day.

The ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 21, at 9:00 am at the new Heron Creek Restrooms, which are located on the Trail just west of Lamar Boulevard and across Cesar Chavez from the TownLake YMCA.

About The Trail Foundation

The Trail Foundation (TTF) protects and enhances the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake, Austin’s central green space that makes the city such a great place to live. Since its formation in 2003 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, TTF has fulfilled its mission through careful improvements to the Trail’s infrastructure and environment, such as adding new restrooms and water fountains and organizing native tree plantings to increase shade, habitat diversity and beauty. In a distinctively collaborative effort, TTF works in cooperation with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department to close the gap between what the City can provide and what the Trail deserves. The popular Boardwalk is a direct result of this unique partnership.

About the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake

The Trail is the heart of Austin, a lush, urban path that meanders along the water’s edge and passes by skyscrapers, neighborhoods, ball fields and cultural attractions. As the city’s most recognized and popular recreation area, the 10-mile Trail is visited more than 1.5 million times each year. Trail users come from all over the city; in fact, the average distance people travel to the Trail is 6.75 miles. The Trail is critical to Austin’s economy as both an important factor in attracting and retaining employees and as a key factor in Austinites’ quality of life.

For media inquires, please contact pr@thetrailfoundation.org.