City to hold gazebo ceremony for re-opening

AUSTIN (KXAN) - After a structural facelift, the Fannie Davis Gazebo will be re-dedicated and opened once again for the public to enjoy with a ceremony at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The gazebo sits at Auditorium Shores, west of the South First Street Bridge at Riverside Drive. The 900-square-foot single-story structure connects to the hike-and-bike trail by gravel paths.

Inspired by Lady Bird Johnson's national beautification initiative, the Fannie Davis Gazebo, along the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, stands as a remarkable reminder of an early Austin civic endeavor led by women in the construction industry. The gazebo marks a historic moment in the development of Lady Bird Lake and has remained an indelible part of the Austin skyline for nearly half a century, according to city officials.

City and community leaders will pay special tribute to the Austin Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction that originally funded and built this iconic structure in 1970 as a gift to the city of Austin and have continued to support its preservation.

Surrounding the gazebo is a kidney-shaped pond that will be enhanced as a water quality feature to treat parking lot runoff in accordance with Watershed Protection Department’s stormwater management practices. This work will be implemented under the upcoming trailhead renovation project.

Council members Laura Morrison and Kathie Tovo will join the Austin community to commemorate completion of approximately $126,000 in renovations, part of a comprehensive renovation of Auditorium Shores currently in the planning phase.

Renovations completed by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department include a new roof, replacing structure beams, electrical repairs, re-painting the structure to match the original color scheme, and anti-graffiti coating on the concrete benches.