Advocacy
The Barton Springs Bathhouse Rehabilitation Project should receive $2M-3M in hotel occupancy tax funds to help rehabilitate the existing Historic Bathhouse to provide a first class facility for Barton Springs visitors for the next 70 years while maintaining the historic integrity of the facility and meeting program needs. Indeed, the Bathhouse Rehabilitation project was also identified by PARD as the first project in a list of unique PARD historical and cultural assets that support Austin’s convention, tourism, and hotel industry. As a result, the Bathhouse Rehabilitation project is ideally suited as an historic restoration/preservation project for hotel occupancy funding as part of the FY2019 budget. That’s why we need YOU to speak up to make the Barton Springs Bathhouse a funding priority for our City Council.
Understanding the Needs
The Barton Springs Bathhouse was constructed in 1947 as a new masonry building with a central glass rotunda to grace Barton Springs Pool, Austin’s favorite swimming hole and Crown Jewel. An historical and architectural treasure of our community, the Barton Springs Bathhouse is designated as a Historic Landmark by the City of Austin, the State of Texas, and on the National Register of Historic Places.
In addition to housing restrooms and changing areas, the Barton Springs Bathhouse provides environmental education opportunities to the visiting public about the endangered Barton Springs Salamander, water quality, conservation, and related environmental concerns in connection with the Sheffield Education Center.
The Barton Springs Bathhouse has provided over 70 years of service, during which many of the internal features, as well as mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems of the facility have deteriorated and are in need of major repairs. With the toll taken from increasing pool attendance over the years, the Barton Springs Bathhouse Rehabilitation was identified as a major task in the 2009 Barton Springs Master Plan and further outlined in the 2016 Zilker Bathhouse Zone Feasibility Study. In addition, the Barton Springs Bathhouse Rehabilitation project was identified by PARD as the first project in a list of unique PARD historical and cultural assets that support Austin’s convention, tourism, and hotel industry. The identified rehabilitation project and will include major elements of work, including access/egress improvements at the bathhouse rotunda area, replacement of the plumbing systems, and structural repairs and restoration of critical parts of the entry rotunda and the changing rooms.
The Bathhouse Rehabilitation project was approved by the Austin City Council and partially funded by the 2012 Bond Package, but the Barton Springs Conservancy is committed to raising the additional required funds to complete the project. You can help us advocate for more funding to make the Barton Springs Bathhouse a priority with funding support to rehabilitate the 70-year old Historic Bathhouse to provide a first class facility for Barton Springs while maintaining the historic integrity of the facility and meeting program needs for the next 70 years!
Contact Your Council Member
Use your voice to advocate for funding for the Bathhouse Rehabilitation project on Facebook, Twitter and by mail. A list of each council member’s official social media channels, and their office addresses, are linked below:
Mayor Steve Adler (email)
512-978-2100
Facebook | Twitter
D1 – Ora Houston (email)
512-978-2101
Facebook | Twitter
D2 – Delia Garza (email)
512-978-2102
delia.garza@austintexas.gov
Facebook | Twitter
D3 – Sabino Renteria (email)
512-978-2103
Facebook | Twitter
D4 – Greg Casar (email)
512-978-2104
Facebook | Twitter
D5 – Ann Kitchen (email)
512-978-2105
Facebook | Twitter
D6 – Jimmy Flannigan (email)
512-978-2106
Facebook | Twitter
D7 – Leslie Pool (email)
512-978-2107
Facebook | Twitter
D8 – Ellen Troxclair (email)
512-978-2108
Facebook | Twitter
D9 – Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo (email)
512-978-2109
Facebook | Twitter
D10 – Alison Alter (email)
512-978-2110
Facebook | Twitter