Travis County highlights $5 million in HUD-funded projects to improve roads, sewers and an inclusive playground

Travis County announced that five projects funded through HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program have delivered more than $5 million in infrastructure and amenity improvements intended to help low- and moderate-income residents.

A county agency official said the work includes road and sidewalk rebuilds, stormwater improvements, sewer upgrades and a new inclusive playground. "We're building projects that serve low to moderate income residents, making communities safer, more accessible, and more resilient," the official said.

County details show $2,500,000 in CDBG funding supported Austin's Colony bluff projects to rebuild unsafe, non-ADA-compliant roads and add sidewalks, ramps and pavement that officials said benefit nearly 9,500 residents. Charles Brown, a resident of the Forest Bluff neighborhood within Austin's Colony, said the changes have improved safety and access: "Ever since they started making new changes and new construction, it's been improving the neighborhoods, making things safer for people in the community," Brown said.

Officials said the Crystal Bend project used $1,800,000 in combined funding to rebuild a road crossing and address dangerous flooding, ensuring about 2,100 residents can travel safely during heavy rain. A Travis County resident identified by the reporter as Roger told the county team that after three straight days of rain there was no flooding at the new crossing and he hopes for more projects that reduce flooding around the county.

The Kennedy Ridge project, county officials said, used $1,900,000 in CDBG funding to install a low-pressure sewer line intended to improve system reliability and reduce service disruptions for nearly 3,000 residents.

A roughly $460,000 CDBG-funded Mosasaura-themed playground at Southeast Metro Park was described by the county as an inclusive space that serves more than 37,000 residents and earned a park design excellence award. Felipe Nunez, park supervisor for Southeast Metro Park, said the playground is popular with families and is busy on holidays: "They're real popular with families. This past Easter, we had a good turnout. There was no parking spaces available," Nunez said, adding that staff work to keep the site clean and welcoming.

Laura Fralick, introduced as a county resident, said she moved to Austin last June and praised the park's play structures and educational features for her young child: "It's a really, beautiful park...so we look forward to hopefully coming here for years to come," she said.

The county summarized the work by saying the five projects deliver over $5,000,000 in improvements benefiting more than 50,000 residents, with the stated goal of increasing safety, accessibility and resilience in affected neighborhoods. The announcements did not include a timeline for future projects or specific future funding commitments.