Equity for East Austin: Reopen the Givens Community Kitchen
The Issue
For decades, the working kitchen at Givens Recreation Center has helped East Austin families gather, cook, and care for one another — but the City of Austin has decided not to reopen it after renovations. This decision dismisses a vital community space in one of Austin’s most historic Black neighborhoods at the very moment when equity is supposed to guide park investments.
We urge Mayor Kirk Watson and the Austin City Council to reverse their decision not to reopen the Givens Recreation Center commercial kitchen and to fully fund a code‑compliant kitchen as part of the Givens Park renovation.
- Givens Park is a historic gathering place named for Dr. Everett H. Givens, a Black civil rights leader, World War I veteran, and one of Austin’s first Black firefighters. Its kitchen has long supported cookouts, senior programs, youth events, and holiday celebrations.
- The City recently spent $91.5 million — over $62 million in city funds — on The Confluence downtown, while a fully functional commercial kitchen at Givens is estimated at about $700,000, a modest investment by comparison.
- Austin Parks Foundation has identified $1.8 billion in park capital needs, and the Parks and Recreation Department is now using equity metrics to decide on project funding. Completing the Givens kitchen would be a baseline equity investment that directly benefits not only District 1 residents but all Austinites, rather than concentrating resources downtown.
By adding your name, you show Mayor Watson and the Austin City Council that East Austin is watching and that people across the city believe community priorities should be funded with the same urgency as tourism projects. Your signature helps build public pressure to restore this kitchen, honor Givens Park’s history, and ensure that children, parents, and elders in East Austin have access to the same quality public facilities enjoyed elsewhere throughout our beautifully weird city!
A detailed advocacy letter with references and an appendix has been submitted to City officials (see the Brown for Austin D1 "News" page for more information).
Photo Credit: City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (Givens Recreation Center)
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The Issue
For decades, the working kitchen at Givens Recreation Center has helped East Austin families gather, cook, and care for one another — but the City of Austin has decided not to reopen it after renovations. This decision dismisses a vital community space in one of Austin’s most historic Black neighborhoods at the very moment when equity is supposed to guide park investments.
We urge Mayor Kirk Watson and the Austin City Council to reverse their decision not to reopen the Givens Recreation Center commercial kitchen and to fully fund a code‑compliant kitchen as part of the Givens Park renovation.
- Givens Park is a historic gathering place named for Dr. Everett H. Givens, a Black civil rights leader, World War I veteran, and one of Austin’s first Black firefighters. Its kitchen has long supported cookouts, senior programs, youth events, and holiday celebrations.
- The City recently spent $91.5 million — over $62 million in city funds — on The Confluence downtown, while a fully functional commercial kitchen at Givens is estimated at about $700,000, a modest investment by comparison.
- Austin Parks Foundation has identified $1.8 billion in park capital needs, and the Parks and Recreation Department is now using equity metrics to decide on project funding. Completing the Givens kitchen would be a baseline equity investment that directly benefits not only District 1 residents but all Austinites, rather than concentrating resources downtown.
By adding your name, you show Mayor Watson and the Austin City Council that East Austin is watching and that people across the city believe community priorities should be funded with the same urgency as tourism projects. Your signature helps build public pressure to restore this kitchen, honor Givens Park’s history, and ensure that children, parents, and elders in East Austin have access to the same quality public facilities enjoyed elsewhere throughout our beautifully weird city!
A detailed advocacy letter with references and an appendix has been submitted to City officials (see the Brown for Austin D1 "News" page for more information).
Photo Credit: City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (Givens Recreation Center)
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Petition created on July 16, 2026