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Seniors press for Gus Garcia senior center; Elizabeth Ney advocates seek $500,000 for accessible restroom
Summary
Multiple members of the public urged the task force to include a senior center at Gus Garcia Recreation Center in the 2026 bond, Elizabeth Ney Museum advocates requested $500,000 for a standalone accessible restroom, and another speaker proposed an aquifer-fed pool in East Austin.
Several citizens used the public-comment period March 24 to press the Bond Election Advisory Task Force for facility investments to include in the 2026 bond package.
Gus Garcia senior center request
Martha Langford, representing seniors who use the Gus Garcia Recreation Center and Park in Northeast Austin, said the area has lacked a dedicated senior facility for decades and urged the task force to include a senior activity center for Gus Garcia in the 2026 parks bond funding. Langford told the task force the Parks and Recreation Department and the PARD Board have identified the need; she said staff indicated Gus Garcia is one of the centers under consideration for the upcoming budget presentation in April. Another commenter, Armando Delgado, also urged a senior center, describing growing participation and the need for more dedicated space.
Elizabeth Ney Museum accessible restroom request
Jack Noakes and Anne Graham spoke for the Friends of the Elizabeth Ney Museum, asking the task force to consider adding $500,000 in bond funding to construct an accessible, standalone restroom near the historic Elizabeth Ney Museum. They said the museum, built in 1892 and owned by the City of Austin, is undergoing an $3.4 million renovation funded from a 2012 bond and other sources; Noakes and Graham said an additional accessible restroom and site improvements are needed to make the museum facilities ADA-compliant and usable for visitors when the museum reopens. Graham described the existing museum bathroom as “in a basement down a narrow, tiny staircase” and said the planned $500,000 would cover infrastructure and construction without compromising the historic character of the site.
Other public comments
Chris Flores proposed that the city consider an aquifer‑fed swimming pool at a park east of Highway 183—citing equity as no aquifer pools currently exist in that portion of East Austin—and said the idea had support from Council Member Fuentes and a UT architecture professor planning student work on the concept. Scott Johnson and other commenters urged prioritizing investments that improve indoor air quality, electrification and partnerships with private developers to enhance parks.
No formal vote was taken on these public requests; staff noted they will be considered during departmental project development and budget discussions.
Sources: Public comments from Martha Langford, Armando Delgado, Jack Noakes, Anne Graham and Chris Flores during the Bond Election Advisory Task Force meeting.
