The Seaholm Intake is an iconic Art Deco building that once was the pump house for the Seaholm Power Plant, which operated until 1989. In 1996, Austin City Council authorized the decommissioning of the plant and all the associated buildings in preparation for future adaptive reuse.
In the fall of 2016, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and key partners discussed strategies to achieve the greatest public benefit for the Seaholm Intake and surrounding parkland that could best harness the energy and resources of the non-profit and philanthropic sector. In 2018, Austin City Council approved the Seaholm Waterfront concept plan. Full access to the Intake will begin upon completion of Phase 2 of the plan, bringing the facility to life and providing the amenities and maintenance needed for daily operations. The Trail Conservancy launched a $15,000,000 capital campaign in late 2023 to fund Phase 2 and will begin the construction of this phase once the campaign goal has been reached.
In the fall of 2016, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and key partners discussed strategies to achieve the greatest public benefit for the Seaholm Intake and surrounding parkland that could best harness the energy and resources of the non-profit and philanthropic sector. A collaborative planning study led by internationally recognized architecture and urbanism firm Studio Gang began in June 2017 and was completed in 2018. The study provides PARD and The Trail Conservancy (TTC) with the programming, phasing, operational, and financial model needed to develop a world-class public facility that protects and celebrates the architectural and historical significance of the Seaholm Intake structure.
The Seaholm Waterfront concept plan, which relies heavily on public input via online platforms, stakeholder meetings, and public open houses, has served as a roadmap for future park improvements and repurposing the decommissioned Seaholm Intake structures for public use and recreation. The plan is ambitious and broken into several phases to bring the entire Seaholm Waterfront site to life incrementally. In 2018, Austin City Council approved the Seaholm Waterfront concept plan. This plan illustrates the full completion of the project. PARD and TTC are managing their project in phases with the ultimate goal of fulfilling the entire concept.
Phase 1 was completed in September 2022. Phase 1, funded through Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue and 2018 bond funding, restored the main intake building to a level that allows small groups to visit the site safely with the support of City or TTC guides, but does not yet support large-scale events. The scope of this phase included:
- Cleaning the building’s exterior and removing graffiti
- Restoring the original windows
- Enclosing large openings in the floor by installing new flooring atop a modular steel system
- Reducing interior noise reduction with the installation of acoustic ceiling tiles
- Addition of new interior and exterior lighting
- Improvements made to ADA accessibilityÂ
- Adding a new roof
- Updates to the accessory building, providing restrooms and a staging area.
In early 2023, The Trail Conservancy launched a $15 million capital fundraising campaign to fund Phase 2 of this project.Â
This phase will include detailed design, City of Austin permitting, and construction. Upon completion, the Seaholm Waterfront will be a community gathering space for daily public use.Â
The scope of Phase 2 includes:
- Enhancements to the Intake building enhancements, including the addition of a cafe, overhead doors, front porch, lake overlook, and public Wi-Fi
- Enhancements to the front lawn including seating areas, landscape plantings, Butler hike-and-bike Trail upgrades, and a food truck area
- Enhancements to the Pavilion building including increases to the restroom size and addition of catering and office facilities
Future project phases will be added based on funding availability. Those upgrades include:
- Adding water access points
- Creating a filtration garden and amphitheater area
- Upgrades to the Odom Pavilion
- Rerouting the Trail lakefront with a boardwalk-style path
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Ultimately, full access to the Intake will begin upon completion of Phase 2, bringing the facility to life and providing the amenities and maintenance needed for daily operations. The Trail Conservancy launched a $15,000,000 capital campaign in late 2023 to fund Phase 2 and will begin the construction of this phase once the campaign goal has been reached.
During the project’s current phase, The Trail Conservancy and the City of Austin Parks Department have planned various public programs that will allow safe, limited access to the space and surrounding parkland. These programs include, but are not limited to:
- TTC Music on the Trail series
- TTC Flow & Thrive fitness series
- TTC Scavenger Hunt
- TTC ecological restoration volunteer events
- PARD family-friendly open house and historic tour events
For more information about the campaign to fund Phase 2 of the Seaholm Waterfront, contact Sarah Story, Seaholm Waterfront Campaign Manager at sarah@thetrailconservancy.org.
The Seaholm Water Intake Building served as the pump house for the Seaholm Power Plant. The power plant consisted of two main structures built in phases between 1950 and 1955 – the Turbine Generator Building and the Water Intake Building. Water to cool the plant’s stream condensers were drawn from the Colorado River into the Water Intake Building, where it was filtered of river debris and pumped underground to the generator building. After serving its purpose, water exited the plant into Shoal Creek.
The Seaholm Power Plant was decommissioned, and the two main structures were closed.
The redevelopment of the Seaholm Power Plant Turbine Generator Building was completed, but the Water Intake Building remained abandoned.
The Trail Conservancy, the Austin Parks Foundation, and the City of Austin commissioned a study on how the Intake Building and adjacent land could serve a growing city. Internationally recognized architecture and urbanism firm Studio Gang led the study. The study included extensive public input and provided ideas for preserving the character of the historic building and the surrounding park while also imagining a future for the Seaholm Waterfront as a recreational, cultural, and community-oriented resource.
City of Austin invested $3 million of historic preservation funds to complete the extensive repairs needed to restore the building’s interior and exterior so that it could be visited safely. The scope included adding a new roof, enclosing large openings in the floor, repairing the original windows, adding interior and exterior lighting, improving ADA accessibility, cleaning the building’s exterior walls to remove graffiti, and updating the accessory building to provide restrooms and a staging area.
At the end of 2023, TTC launched a $15 million capital campaign to redevelop the abandoned site into a singular and thriving community hub at the water’s edge of Lady Bird Lake. Seaholm Waterfront will be a new public recreational and cultural destination for all of Austin that enhances Lady Bird Lake and the beloved Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.Â
All building photos courtesy of Austin Parks & Recreation Department.
