Mueller celebrated a major milestone on March 29 with the grand opening of Roger Lavon Taylor Sr. Plaza, the final named park in the 20-year redevelopment of the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport.
The ceremony marked one of the last phases in the transformation of the 700-acre district and featured appearances by city officials, community leaders and the family of the park’s namesake. Local aerial dance group Blue Lapis Light gave a surprise performance during the event, using the historic control tower as the backdrop for their descent.
A tribute to a community advocate
The plaza sits directly beneath the iconic control tower, a structure Roger Lavon Taylor Sr. helped preserve during the early stages of the redevelopment. A lifelong East Austin resident, Taylor was a U.S. Army veteran and dedicated civic leader who founded the J.J. Seabrook Neighborhood Association and played an active role in planning groups like the Mueller Coalition and RMMA Advisory Committee, helping shape the vision for the area’s future.
Designed by Studio Balcones, the plaza features two sculptural landforms that create elevated paths for viewing the tower and the Austin skyline. Native Blackland Prairie vegetation surrounds the sloped walkways, which lead to a ground-level gravel plaza and open lawn with shaded seating and dining areas. The space invites recreation and reflection while honoring the land’s past as Austin’s former airport.
A neighborhood shaped by history and vision
The event also underscored the broader legacy of Mueller’s two-decade transformation into one of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods. Home to residential communities, retail, offices, restaurants and green spaces, Mueller is now recognized for its walkability, sustainable planning and public art.
Roger Lavon Taylor Sr. Plaza joins a network of parks in the area named after notable Austinites, including educator Mary Elizabeth Branch, garden designer Isamu Taniguchi and civil rights advocate Eva Carrillo de Garcia. Each park reflects the contributions of individuals who shaped the city’s history.
The opening of the new plaza marks one of the final steps in Mueller’s redevelopment, a project that has transformed a large section of East Austin while preserving key pieces of its history.
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