Frequently Asked Questions

With pressure to reduce taxes, it’s getting harder and harder for cities across the country to maintain their parks; Austin is no exception. PARD has little funding to do preservation work or maintain staff for new or restored facilities, and in the past, Norwood never rose to the top of the long needs list for bond funding because its precise historic & cultural value was not well understood by the City. Because the house was in imminent danger of collapse, and because there was demonstrated, longstanding will to save it, NPF mobilized to negotiate an agreement. The intentions of the agreement were to stabilize the house first and foremost; then implement the full project over multiple years to get this important work done in public/private partnership with the City.

This is an unusually elegant 1922 California Craftsman bungalow, with exquisite features, in a spectacular setting that represents an Arts & Crafts ideal – a very rare thing. As the original, iconic element of Norwood Park – a prominent gateway to historic Travis Heights – the home was the centerpiece of an important cultural site for the city. And even though it’s still an ugly duckling for now, the house is not as deteriorated as it once was! Early donors made it possible to accomplish environmental remediation, a permanent new foundation on deep-drilled piers, and stabilization of the wood structure and roof. Accordingly, the house is ready to transform and wow people again.

Beyond the improved condition of the house is the fact that it possesses a view of the city that is quite simply astonishing, and can generate considerable revenue for the taxpayers to maintain the facility and the surrounding parkland. Win/win!

Yes, in some ways it is. The Clubhouse, like Norwood, is an historic Arts & Crafts structure on public parkland that has long been operated by PARD as a rental venue. Both structures overlook Lady Bird Lake – the Clubhouse is located to the west, near Mopac, and Norwood is more central, near I-35. The difference is that the Clubhouse is more rustic, and until a very recent update, was not air-conditioned, though it does have a fantastic terrace and view. Norwood would be a more refined, air-conditioned, newly-redone facility, with multiple rental spaces and its own terrace and knockout view. The Clubhouse is so popular you have to book a year in advance using a lottery system. We know that a restored Norwood would be just as much in demand!

• restore the house and repurpose it by completely opening up the interior
• add a rear terrace and new connecting outdoor spaces to supplement the historic gardens
• rebuild the historic “teahouse” gazebo
• build modest accessory structures that help the entire property function as well as possible
• in future, build a new, functional space that honors and reinterprets the former greenhouse
• improve ingress and egress at Norwood, and provide new parking

Updated 2023: expectations are for PARD or one of our city’s larger parks nonprofits to complete the restoration and operate the house as a premier rental venue and community meeting space, with reasonable open/museum hours so the public has an opportunity to see the property. Because the location and site are so desirable, operation of the Norwood House could be 100% self-sustaining.

Updated 2023: the Norwood Park Foundation was the evolution of many decades of Austinites who’ve fought to protect the house from demolition and retain the park for the people. Before NPF there was the Norwood Posse, and before that was the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and before that was the SRCC N’hood Association, and before that just regular old citizens who recognized how important this little house was and knew its potential for public benefit. NPF formed in 2011 as PARD was finishing its Feasibility Study for Norwood Park but lacked any funding to implement improvements. We worked with the City in a public process to halt deterioration that was rapidly occurring, then take on this daunting task in a way that conformed to PARD’s general plan for Norwood while being minimally dependent on the taxpayer. After getting the project all the way to shovel-ready, NPF’s efforts ended unexpectedly in late 2022 as a result of extreme changes in the Austin construction market brought on by the pandemic.

NPF’s project authority never extended to this area of Norwood Park; however, we were frequently asked about the old pool because it was a fantastic amenity back in the day (see “Vintage Photos” in the Gallery). Because of liability and lack of funding, the City filled in the pool with dirt long ago. Previous, tentative plans for PARD to beautify and naturalize the overall Norwood tract did include ideas to honor the spirit of the pool with some type of water feature, bocce lawn or other special amenity, and – ideally – connect the upper and lower areas of the site.

Updated 2023: many years of design & planning work including the most time-consuming part of all – the site & construction permitting – have been completed. Because the Norwood House is small, and the planned auxiliary structures are very simple, Phase 2 & Phase 3 construction (excluding the future Greenhouse) would take only 6-9 months if it could all be done at once. Full revenue-generating operation of the house could then begin.

Updated 2023: parking requirements are beginning to change in Austin, but at the time of NPF’s agreement, NPF was required to design and permit a landscaped parking lot directly across the street (Edgecliff Terrace) from the house, where a tennis court was once located on the estate. This lot would provide much of what is needed for the small-to-medium sized events for which the Norwood House is ideal. The use of ride-sharing resources and shuttle systems was anticipated as well. As planned, the new parking lot was intended to be available for general park visitors when the house was not being rented.

* Fun fact: as of 2023, all versions of the Blue Line of the City’s planned light rail system still include a stop at Travis Heights Blvd., right in front of Norwood! Event guests would be able to “take the train” directly to the venue – how convenient is that?!

NPF never had any jurisdiction over the area of the current dog park, which was NOT a part of the original estate. The “Preferred Alternative” for Norwood Park, adopted in 2011 by the PARD Board, does call for the current OLA (off-leash area) to be reduced in size to a section in the southeast part of the overall Norwood tract, and for PARD to restore vegetation and improve other parts of this lower area so that this amazing open space is usable by ALL visitors, not just dog owners. Co-existence between the Norwood House venue and any dog park user group(s) was always anticipated. Ultimately, the people of Austin will decide what happens with all of the acreage of the Norwood tract, and whether a dog park (of any size) is an appropriate “highest and best” use of this waterfront parkland.

Updated 2023: with the active project currently halted and NPF no longer leading, the best way to help is to ADVOCATE for Norwood. Your voice can make a difference! Find out here.