I was thinking it might be a good idea for FAN to weigh in on this issue, since it’s coming up soon. The only time that we’d probably be able to vote on it would be when we vote on city council races and ballot issues, I assume. We could just vote on something simple like the below and then the board or someone that’s interested in this issue could draft the letter/email position with more detail.
FAN recommends that the University of Texas cancels its lease with the City of Austin associated with the Lions Municipal Golf Course and develop or sell the land in order to create a dense, walkable, mixed-use community with an abundance of housing, jobs, and a diversity of housing types and sizes, including an emphasis on affordable housing.
That’s good, but given the historical reference below I would add, “The club house for Lions will be considered by the Austin Historic Landmark Commission for landmark status given its history with racial integration.”
This will allow development of the bulk of the property - hopefully at higher densities than the surrounding neighborhoods there now - and preserve a piece of Austin history.
Side note: I did not realize the Texas State Historical Association was right across the street.
“Muny” was the first public golf course in Austin and the first public golf course in the southern United States to racially integrate." - Save Muny website
Friends of Austin Neighborhoods (FAN) recommends that the University of Texas cancels its lease with the City of Austin associated with the Lions Municipal Golf Course and develop or sell the land in order to create a dense, walkable, mixed-use community with an abundance of market rate housing, affordable housing, and jobs. Landmark status should be considered for the single club house building given its history with racial integration.”
It may be that one building, but we might need an SME (subject matter expert) to get a grasp of this part of Austin history. From wiki: “the course clubhouse, designed by Edwin C. Kreisle, opened in 1930.”
Some historic Google/Sanborn maps might help.
Just be ready to hear the argument from some community activists that the entirety of the golf course should be designated historic. I am sure Fred McGhee will be there promoting this from the equity lens.
Bumping this thread because something resembling this resolution should probably be among those in an upcoming FAN vote (after the poll of November election preferences).
I personally think we need to be very careful about the way we treat historical assets and preservation - careful in the sense that some of the tools (e.g. landmark status?) can be blunt instruments that are misapplied or don’t allow for creative redevelopment that preserves and incorporates historic assets instead of barring any sort of change whatsoever.