We’ve had a good stretch of sunny days in the past few weeks and have made excellent progress – I thik we’ll be seeing rain tonight and tomorrow, but we are hopign to wrap up work on Republic by December 1st!  Here’s a view of the deck C-channel/nailers going in and the stone continuing to be laid on the sides of the deck structure.  This is a view from atop the pile of granite gravel that was our surrounding pathway and will be again soon.

Over 100 more trees (complete with in ground irrigation) were installed by volunteers today at Pease Park.  Thanks to Richard Craig and Trees for Pease, as well as the City of Austin Parks Forestry Division, TreeFolks and our many volunteers.  We have another 40 or so trees to be planted sometime in the next month or two that we could not get to the park today.

 

 

Stone cladding on the "front" of the deck structure

We’re making great strides with the most of the stone cladding now in place on the outside of the deck structure, most of the major steel beams set in place in the interior, with interior stone cladding about to begin as well as the deck steel supports to be installed once all of the big steel beams are welded into place.  We’re thinking, barring another wave of rainy days, about two more weeks of work until completion.  Our fingers continue to be crossed.

 

Major Steel Beams in Place

 

 

 

The limestone panels (several inches thick) are going into place around the exterior of the deck at the Auction Oaks site at Republic Square.  Picture from yesterday afternoon:

 

Limestone panels in place on both sides of stone pier

Side view showing how the panel fits into place

 

 

After a press event for the Zilker Medians Project – the rejunvenated and replanted center medians of Barton Springs Road from S. Lamar Blvd to Barton Creek, I went over and checked out the reopened Great Lawn.

No, its not as green as it was, but despite the cooler weather, it is greening up nicely.  There are a few muddy areas where the water drains and collects and those (about 1 acre total) will be resodded in the spring. (Please stay out of the muddier areas – as we say in mountain biking  - just say no to mud.)

The “higher elevations” of the Great Lawn seem be recovering quicker than the lower lying areas.  The parks dept aerated the much of the site as well.

 

Lower Area, facing east

 

 

The sun beginning to break out of the clouds again in downtown Austin as the cool front pushes the storms east. But despite the fact that this continues to postpone work at Republic Square, Barton Creek is amazing with a lot of water flowing downstream, temporarily closing Barton Springs Pool as they continue the big clean-up.  In other news, the Parks Department is re-opening the Zilker Great Lawn tomorrow (Friday, Oct 30th)  You’ll still see some standing water and some areas that need work, but despite the cool weather, the grass is greening up.  They are estimating that they’ll have to replace an acre of grass.

 

stone waiting to be set on the sides of the concrete deck beams

Here’s a few shots of our Auction Oaks @ Republic Square project.  Hopefully, things will dry up enough so our contractors can return tomorrow and Saturday.

 

All of the rain is making our new grass very green!

 

 

Out for a look at upcoming work with the Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Assoication Parks committee, a few photos of the trail and the abundant wildflowers now in bloom.  A beautiful day today!

Trail along West Bouldin Creek

Root Rx with Airspading and compost nearly complete. Mulch is next.

The central auction oak got a fresh Root Rx treatment (fluffing soil, injecting compost and nutrients, fresh application of mulch) and Cleanscapes is beginning to lay the limestone caps atop the new rock piers.  After a few days of rain, its great to able to continue the project.

Limestone pieces waiting to be set.

Rosie and Claire from the Austin Parks Foundation visit Carl Brockman of Natural Texas, using his foresty mower to cut a trail through dense cedar (ashe juniper) trees at Mary Moore Searight Park.  The mower cuts and grinds up the trees into mulch on site, greatly reducing the time it would take to cut, drag, chip and distrbute the wood chips.  It also has great weight displacement, with a light footprint on the soil.  Watch our “rough cut” 1 minute video:

Draft of Open Space and Parks Plan

The Waller Creek District Master Plan Town Hall Meeting is being held this Saturday from 9 am to noon at the Austin Convention.  Come see a presentation by the City and the Waller Creek Master Plan Consultants, the ROMA Design Group.  There will be ample opportunities for questions and discussion.

Details:

Saturday, October 24, 2009
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Austin Convention Center, Ballroom C
500 East Cesar Chavez Street