REMINDER: PARKS AND RECREATION AND THE TRAIL FOUNDATION ENCOURAGES AUSTIN: "LET'S MAKE DRAKE!" ON APRIL 27

The Trail Foundation (TTF), in partnership with the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), is calling on some old Austinites to help announce the Drake Bridge Commons Project.

Bill Drake, namesake of the Drake Bridge, Emma Long, and Walter Seaholm invite Austinites to the first community input event for the Drake Bridge Commons, located at the footsteps of City Hall, which will transform the space under the 1st Street Bridge and the surrounding hillsides into a public amenity linking downtown to the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and Lady Bird Lake.
 

Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Drake Bridge 
(under First Street Bridge, North shore of Lady Bird Lake)
Saturday, April 27, 2019
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

These three important Austinites will be celebrated as actors take on their characters and their legacies. William (Bill) Drake, Emma Long, and Walter Seaholm were all key city leaders in Austin during the mid-1950s. The South 1st St. bridge was renamed “Drake Bridge” in 1956 after Bill Drake, who was the mayor at the time it was built. Drake was elected to City Council in 1949 and served as mayor of Austin from 1951 to 1952. One of Drake’s key interests as mayor was the increasing traffic problem and the rapid growth of Austin. He was known by many for the energy he brought to the city, his diplomacy and civil attitude, and for his dedication to his family. Drake died in 1967, but TTF won’t let that keep Austin from getting to know him!

The community will be able to drop by to learn more about Austin’s history from these actors as well as share ideas for the future of Drake Bridge Commons. Feedback will help create a plan for improvements that reflect our community’s needs. This engagement seeks to bring members of Austin’s diverse communities under the same bridge to see how far we have come and where we can go.

Residents unable to attend this event are encouraged to take an online survey about the future of the facility and to visit www.drakebridge.org for information about upcoming meetings. We encourage all Austinites to learn more about Mayor Bill Drake by visiting the Austin History Center.

Representatives will be available for interviews. Photo ops include improv actors, Trail-users giving feedback with an interactive site model, and colorful wheat paste posters signaling a new community destination on Lady Bird Lake.