Austin ISD will close Blackshear Elementary and relocate students to a new facility for Oak Springs Elementary in January of 2028.

What happened: AISD Superintendent Matias Segura announced his decision in a letter to families March 30.

In November, AISD announced it would close Oak Springs alongside nine additional campuses and merge the campus with Blackshear. Earlier this year, the district announced it would consider moving students once again by relocating both East Austin schools to a modernized campus for Oak Springs.

The update: After reviewing community feedback, Segura said he has decided to continue constructing the $47.6 million modernized Oak Springs campus. The new campus—funded by the district's 2022 bond—will serve as the permanent home for students from both Blackshear and Oak Springs elementaries.

The $50 million budget allocated for Oak Springs "would not be enough to bring the Blackshear site up to modern standards," Segura said.

The district will seek a historic designation for Blackshear and aim to maintain its fine arts programming at the new Oak Springs campus, according to the letter.

The South Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is officially shutting down March 31 after less than a decade in operation.

The details: The auxiliary terminal is being demolished to make way for new midfield taxiways as part of the multiyear "Journey with AUS" campus expansion. That includes the addition of the 26-gate Concourse B with a new connecting tunnel to the existing Barbara Jordan Terminal, and the development of a temporary six-gate southern terminal called Concourse M.

The South Terminal was initially expected to have a longer presence at ABIA, and its early closure led to costly legal proceedings between the city and former facility operator LoneStar Airport Holdings.

What else: Ahead of the South Terminal closure, Austin Aviation unveiled its initial designs for the nearly 38,000-square-foot Concourse M. Its gates on the west side of ABIA's airfield are meant for relief and diversions during Journey with AUS construction as the Barbara Jordan Terminal is expanded and improved, and while Concourse B remains in development.

Check out the latest updates on upcoming, ongoing and completed transportation projects across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
Austin’s I-35 cap-and-stitch vision faces uncertain funding future: The outlook for Austin's ambitious plans to cover stretches of the redesigned I-35 with public amenity decks remains unclear due to the high costs of constructing the project, which city staff advised not to fund as of this spring. City Council committed last year to pay the Texas Department of Transportation $104 million to add structural supports along I-35, which are needed for any future decks to be built. But no funding has yet been set aside for the development of caps and stitches or public amenities. 

Ongoing projects
Greenlawn Boulevard widening
Project: The city of Round Rock is reconstructing Greenlawn Boulevard from an existing four-lane divided roadway to a six-lane divided urban roadway with pedestrian and lighting improvements.
Update: Construction began in January, per city officials.

• Timeline: completion is expected by April 2027

• Cost: $13.95 million

• Funding source: type B sales tax revenue

City Council is seeking to limit the amount of new parking that can be build around future light rail lines.

The details: Under a resolution approved March 26, the city will explore limiting off-street parking in new development near Austin’s equitable transit-oriented development, or ETOD, districts. Those zones are being implemented near planned Austin Light Rail lines through Central, East and South Austin.

The proposed ETOD parking caps would follow the city’s recent elimination of minimum parking space requirements for new construction, a policy some officials have framed as a barrier to development and affordability.

Council member Krista Laine, the measure's sponsor, said a “soft cap” on parking is meant to encourage more intentional planning near transit, and support a more walkable and affordable city.

What else: Separately, council also approved a plan to begin splitting parking fees from residential rents in Austin. 

Deep Eddy Pool closed March 28 for its annual cleaning and maintenance.

The details: The pool will reopen April 11, according to a city of Austin news release.

The background: Deep Eddy Pool is a human-made swimming pool and the oldest swimming pool in Texas, according to the city's website.

The pool features spring-fed waters that remain at 68 to 70 degrees year-round, according to volunteer organization The Friends of Deep Eddy website. The pool is operated and maintained by city staff. Entrance to the pool includes a fee.

Keep in mind: Other pools in Austin will remain open during Deep Eddy's closure, including Big Stacy Pool, Bartholomew Pool, Springwoods Pool, Colony Park Pool and Barton Springs Pool during Deep Eddy Pool's closure. More Austin pools can be found on the city's website.

What else: Barton Springs closed Feb. 23 for maintenance and reopened March 21, later than originally anticipated, as previously reported by Community Impact.

• 401 Deep Eddy Ave., Austin