More than $100K allocated for upgrades to Dick Nichols Park
AUSTIN, Texas - More than $100,000 has been allocated for long-needed upgrades to Dick Nichols Park in Southwest Austin with work beginning immediately.
Residents in District 8 will be able to soon enjoy a new splash pad, a resurfaced basketball court, a new combination pickleball and volleyball court, new seating, and more. The upgrades represent the single largest investment on parkland by an Austin City Council member to date, says CM Paige Ellis's office.
Renderings of the upgrades will be unveiled and tours will be available on Saturday, March 5 at 9 a.m.
Dick Nichols Park upgrades include:
- A new and improved splash pad, which preserves the beloved Dick Nichols Seal as the centerpiece
- A pickleball & volleyball combination court with an interchangeable net and new fencing, first court of its kind in Austin and the first public pickleball court in D8
- Basketball court resurfacing and restriping
- A mature live oak tree planted between the splash pad and playground
- Limestone block seating near the splash pad and sport courts
CM Ellis's office says the improvements are expected to take 2-3 months to complete and be ready by summer. The renovations will coincide with the reopening of the Dick Nichols pool, which has been closed for the last few years due to the need for repairs and a lack of lifeguards.
The funding is a cost-sharing collaboration between Ellis’s office and the Austin Parks & Recreation Department (PARD). The total expenditure for the upgraded amenities is $126,265, with $100,075 coming from Ellis’s council office budget and $26,290 from parkland dedication fees.
A future event at the park will be planned once the upgrades are complete, which is expected in May or June 2022.
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