In April 2014, we shared an update about the future of The Backyard.
Well, today it looks like the road will go on forever and the party will never end. Yes, the future looks bright for this iconic Lake Travis landmark, so if you missed the interesting pre-Thanksgiving news, we’ll give you a rundown.
On November 19, Bee Cave planning and zoning officials said “green light, y’all” to the ambitious overhaul of The Backyard. This enormous project includes adding three state-of-the-art film and recording sound stages, two outdoor music venues (total capacity is 4k ppl), a hotel, condominiums and 11 office buildings with a whopping 700,000 square feet of office space.
And that, my friends, is the scaled down version.
Earlier this year this project was even bigger, but due to local concerns about the overall impact on the community, it was adjusted.
The vision is impressive because Austin is becoming a mecca of television, commercial and music recording work, so the idea is these new sound stages will be booked all year long based on needs in Central Texas alone. Right now, nobody thinks marketing to West Coast studios and film projects will be necessary to keep (new) The Backyard afloat.
The Backyard opened in 1993 and it has welcomed legendary performers like Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Willie Nelson. It currently has two open-air music venues, the Live Oak Amphitheatre, a large venue that holds 6,000 people (standing capacity) and The Glenn, a smaller venue for special events and parties. Obviously, this new project will change the landscape dramatically.
This aggressive project won’t be completed overnight, so don’t fret about construction and traffic just yet.
Another discussion will take place on Tuesday, December 9, so it will need another ‘green light’ from Bee Cave City Council. If they approve, dirt will be flyin’ by second quarter of 2015 and the first phase would be completed in 2017.
If you haven’t seen the renderings of this project, you should take a look at the website. It’s like having a mini Disney World (without rides and characters) in our own backyard … no pun intended.
What do you think about the proposed overhaul? “Bring it on!” or “No thank you, sir!”
Bring it on!!! Growth is inevitable so I’m happy to see a solid plan of action!!!