At the October 19 Lakeway City Council meeting, a resident who has played pickleball on the city's courts for several years asked for the City Park redesign to include more of them. "Pickleball is fun because it's social," he told council, according to Lake Travis View's report on the meeting. "There's a lot of players, and I think we'd have even more if we had more courts."
At the same meeting, the city heard that the current Lakeway City Park design is over budget by roughly $1.9 million.
That pairing explains the whole bond. In May 2024, Lakeway voters approved $22 million for five parks projects, with 67.85% voting yes in the unofficial results. The $22 million total is fixed. The features inside it change, and they get adjusted one park at a time as each project reaches design and meets current construction prices. "We are trying to hold these as close to budget as possible," parks and recreation director Andra Bennett told council.
The One Word in the 2024 List
Before the vote, Community Impact's rundown of the bond listed the Lakeway City Park items this way: "4 possible pickleball courts, basketball court." It also listed a skate park for all skill levels, a beginner skills bike park, trail improvements, an all-abilities playground renovation and a picnic pavilion.
The word "possible" now carries a lot of weight. Lakeway already has four pickleball courts at City Park, 502 Hurst Creek Road. In October 2023 they moved to the former basketball court site, across from the dog park near the lower parking level, and the courts along Sailmaster went back to basketball. They are free and first come, first served.
The Statesman described the current plan as replacing those four courts in the park's south area and adding two more. Many residents have asked for four new courts, and Bennett said that with the design already over budget, two more courts may not fit the final plan. Another resident told Community Impact that players were "very surprised" when a September meeting floated the possibility of "zero to two new pickleball courts," and added, "We just want to have an opportunity to engage before a final decision is made."
The gap is large. Molly Pell, the project manager from the engineering firm Dunaway, said construction is estimated at $11.4 million. Her team is looking for ways to bring that down to the $9.5 million construction budget.
Butler Rough Hollow Park Already Went Through This
The new park in Rough Hollow shows how this process tends to end, because it went through the same squeeze a year earlier.
The 2024 bond materials described a 9.5-acre "Butler Park" with two ninja courses, three pickleball courts, an amphitheater, an all-abilities playground and sports fields. When the first plan came in, it cost about $3.5 million, roughly $1.5 million over budget. In July 2025 council approved a leaner $2.6 million version, revised to cut costs and reflect community feedback, as Lake Travis View reported.
The park now under construction at 708 Tomichi Trail, off Crosswind Drive near Rough Hollow Elementary, sits on 11 acres. Its planned features, according to Community Impact's groundbreaking preview, are:
- An amphitheater with limestone seating
- A mountain bike course
- A ninja course
- A Bankshot and basketball play court
- A multisport field with baseball and soccer equipment
- An accessible, shaded playground with slides and swings
- A pavilion, restroom, picnic tables and benches
That list has one ninja course instead of two, and no pickleball courts appear on it. The amphitheater, the bike trails and the playground made it through the cuts.
Ground broke on July 6, 2026, and in his July column Mayor Tom Kilgore called "Butler Rough Hollow Park" a temporary name. In October, Varsha Gudla of Pape-Dawson, the engineering firm overseeing the work, told council the project is on schedule, with crews installing utilities and pouring concrete. The city expects the park to open by summer 2027. In September, council accepted a $50,000 donation for the park from RH Lakeway Development, Ltd., the primary developer behind the Rough Hollow neighborhood.
The Project That Finished First Was the Smallest
The only finished project is the playscape at the Lakeway Activity Center, 105 Cross Creek. It was completed in September 2025, with a ribbon cutting on September 27. It has an all-inclusive playground with natural play features, new landscaping and picnic areas. Its budget was $508,771, a small fraction of the $22 million total.
Bennett told council it has since been recognized as one of the top seven playscapes in the Austin area. The Lake Travis Rotary Club donated $50,000 toward it.
So far, both completed or active projects have drawn a $50,000 private gift: Rotary for the Activity Center and RH Lakeway Development for Butler. Neither gift comes close to closing a $1.9 million gap at City Park. They show the city taking outside money where it can while each design gets cut back to its budget.
Where All Five Stand in November 2026
| Project | Location | Status | Next milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activity Center playscape | 105 Cross Creek | Open since September 2025 | Complete |
| Butler Rough Hollow Park | 708 Tomichi Trail | Under construction since July 2026 | Opening expected by summer 2027 |
| Lakeway City Park | 502 Hurst Creek Road | In design, about $1.9 million over budget | Construction fall 2027 to summer 2029 |
| Lakeway Swim Center | 3103 Lakeway Boulevard | Early talks with design firms | No date set |
| Live Oak Tennis Courts | 509 Lakeway Drive | Design not started | No date set |
The Two Projects That Haven't Met Current Prices Yet
City Park's overrun is a clue to what may come next. The Swim Center and the Live Oak Tennis Courts are further back in line than City Park was when its estimate came in high.
For the Swim Center, the 2024 concept listed a splash pad, a lazy river and catch pool, an eight-lane lap pool, an obstacle course pool, a playscape, lawn games and a sports field. Staff have started preliminary discussions with engineering and design firms. Bennett expects it to be the hardest of the five to plan and build, because the center hosts classes year-round.
At the Live Oak Tennis Courts, next to the Live Oak Driving Range, the concept calls for replacing the existing courts, adding one court, replacing the retaining wall, and adding a practice wall and a sports plaza. Design has not started. Staff have talked with the United States Tennis Association about grant funding.
Both lists date from 2024 and have not yet been through design. Butler's list has. City Park's list is going through it now.
What City Park Is Holding Onto
The City Park items still in the design show what the city is protecting. Community Impact's October 2 report on the concept listed a vehicle loop, a pedestrian loop, a skate park, a pump track, new pickleball courts and lake overlooks. It also proposed moving the sand volleyball court and the dog park, with separate areas for large and small dogs. Pell said accessibility is a major focus. The loop road would make it easier to get around the park, and the proposed design would more than double the number of parking spaces.
In September, staff held a feedback meeting specifically for the people who would use the proposed skatepark and bike park. That fits how the bond began. Before the 2024 vote, Lake Travis Trail Coalition president Mike Girard and local young riders pushed for beginner-friendly trails, and Girard told Community Impact, "There just aren't really any places for kids to ride their bikes."
The design phase is targeted to finish by January, with construction bids expected in fall 2027. The city's October staff report says staff will keep updating council and seeking community input as plans and cost estimates are refined. The city's 2024 Parks Bond page carries project updates. Between now and January, the City Park plan can still change.
Nearby, a privately built option is in progress. Pickleball Grove first announced a July 2026 opening. Community Impact reported that Pickleball Grove at 5411 Reimers Peacock Road in Spicewood broke ground on four outdoor courts on October 12. It is targeting mid-to-late December for those courts and late February for its indoor facility.
If you are weighing a home near Rough Hollow or Hurst Creek Road and want to know how these park timelines fit your plans, Greg Walling can go through the details with you. Schedule a private consultation.
