The Trail Conservancy is preparing to implement various elements proposed in PARD’s Holly Shores/Edward Rendon Sr. Park Vision Plan, which designed a vision for revitalized open space that integrates redevelopment of the decommissioned Holly Street Power Plant site with existing open space. During the development of the Vision Plan, consultants worked with the neighboring communities through a series of public meetings and outreach efforts to identify priorities from as broad a constituency as possible. The Trail Conservancy desires to build on these successful engagement efforts to ensure the community continues its collaboration during the design of the Holly Project, an inaugural Corgan Canopy Fund project announced in 2018 as one of the 15 projects for TTF’s 15th anniversary.

Holly Project is located just west of the decommissioned Holly Power Plant at Festival Beach, adjacent to the lagoon and the baseball fields. The area is located in the East Cesar Chavez and Holly Neighborhoods, home to generations of Hispanic residents who have worked to preserve its character and culturally historic sites. A significant achievement for the community has been the recognition by the U.S. Department of the Interior to designate the Tejano Music Legends Trail as a National Recreation Trail. The Trail showcases many historical and cultural sites that honor Austin’s Latino musical legends from the 1940s and 50s. Part of the 5.6-mile pathway runs along the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, connecting the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Arts Center (ESB-MACC) and Holly Project. Neighborhood leaders are currently working with partners and area schools to improve the promotion of the trails for fitness, health, historic preservation, and cultural awareness.

Working with the community and the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department, The Trail Conservancy is anticipating the transition of the decommissioned Holly Power Plant into parkland and its impact on the realignment of the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. In addition to providing an ADA-accessible realignment of the Trail along the waterfront, the project will support the ecological restoration of the urban forest and natural areas and protection of the shoreline for wildlife habitat. The site improvements are expected to preserve the area’s natural character while providing seating under the tree canopy and along the waterfront.