Seaholm Lakefront Facility Gets a Public Makeover
Neighbors can weigh in at a November 7 open house from 9-11 am or through an online survey.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Remote Work
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Do you support spending public money to turn the Seaholm facility into a community space?
Austinites who walk, bike or run the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail along Lady Bird Lake will soon have a new destination: the long-idle Seaholm Intake Facility at 707 W. Cesar Chavez St. The Trail Conservancy and Austin Parks and Recreation have launched Phase 2 of the Seaholm Waterfront project to turn the site into a community space.
Why it matters
The facility has sat unused since 1989, and the project's goal is a vibrant, everyday hub for neighbors rather than a one-time attraction. The design is still conceptual, so what the space ultimately offers, and when, remains open to public input.
The Seaholm Intake Facility has been closed since 1989, and the Studio Gang planning study that shaped the concept ran in 2017 and 2018. The conceptual design remains unfinished, and no construction schedule or budget has been set.
The players
The Trail Conservancy
The nonprofit partner leading Phase 2 of the Seaholm Waterfront project alongside the city's parks department.
Austin Parks and Recreation
The city department co-leading the Seaholm Waterfront project and its public engagement effort.
Studio Gang
The design firm that directed the 2017 and 2018 Seaholm Waterfront planning study and created the conceptual design.
Levy Dykema
The architecture firm working on the Seaholm Waterfront project, which also worked on Austin City Hall and the District Cooling Plant.
The details
Phase 2 is being carried out by The Trail Conservancy and Austin Parks and Recreation, working with Levy Dykema and Studio Gang. The conceptual design includes free wifi, a snack and coffee bar, an amenity porch, a courtyard, water access, and landscaping. Residents can weigh in at an in-person open house at the facility on Saturday, November 7, from 9-11 am, or through an online survey, and family-friendly STEM activities from Girlstart and Austin Energy will be offered at the open house.
Timeline
- The Seaholm Intake Facility stopped operating in 1989.
- Studio Gang led the Seaholm Waterfront planning study in 2017 and 2018.
- The community open house runs Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 9-11 am.
The Texas Context
The Seaholm Intake Facility sits on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, the lakefront route that already draws heavy weekend use along Lady Bird Lake. Phase 2 extends that corridor by turning a closed downtown utility building into a public destination, following Phase 1's rehabilitation of the property.
If you have ideas for what the waterfront should offer, the November 7 open house and the online survey are your chance to weigh in before the design firms finalize plans. The project is still conceptual, so the amenities you'd use on a Butler Trail walk are still open to suggestion.
The takeaway
Seaholm is still a concept, which means the next few weeks are when neighbors can shape it. Show up to the November 7 open house at 707 W. Cesar Chavez St. or fill out the survey to say what you'd want by the lake.
What happens next
A community open house is scheduled at the Seaholm Intake Facility on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 9-11 am, where residents can share programming preferences in person and through an online survey.
Further reading
For more on how the city's workplaces and neighborhoods are shifting, browse our Remote Work coverage in Austin.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CultureMap Austin.
Live Poll
Do you support spending public money to turn the Seaholm facility into a community space?
