Nov 19, 2025
People Behind the Parks: Girard Kinney
A Leader Whose Vision Helped Shape the Heart of Mueller
Lake Park is getting its official namesake - and with that comes an exciting new chapter in our People Behind the Parks series! This time, we’re shining a spotlight on someone whose influence is woven into nearly every phase of Mueller’s evolution. Architect, neighborhood organizer, and long-time community advocate: Girard Kinney.
Girard isn’t just connected to Mueller’s story - he helped write it!
Rooted in Austin From the Start
Although Girard Kinney was born at Walter Reed Hospital in 1943, Austin became home just a few years later. His family settled in the Zilker neighborhood in a historic house built in 1873 - a property with as much Austin history as character.
Long before he ever drew a building, Girard was fascinated by reptiles and amphibians. His teenage years were spent collecting and even milking snakes to sell venom to the U.S. Navy for anti-venom production. It’s an unusual start, but a very Austin one.
A high school teacher eventually nudged him toward thinking about careers, and when Girard listed math and art among his strengths, architecture started to make sense - and ultimately became his lifelong path.
The Making of an Architect
Girard entered the University of Texas School of Architecture in 1961, where he learned under well-known professors like Alan Taniguchi - whose father would later inspire the name of Isamu Taniguchi Park right here at Mueller.
His early years weren’t easy. To put himself through school, Girard held three simultaneously demanding jobs:
License clerk at Texas Game & Fish (now Texas Parks & Wildlife)
Draftsman for Calcasieu Lumber Company
Manager of a model car racing track
In protest of UT’s stance on the Vietnam War and the removal of mature live oaks on campus, he stepped away before finishing his degree - but returned in 1978 to complete the final course needed to graduate.
Designing Spaces That Put People First
Girard’s architectural contributions stretch across the city. His work includes:
Symphony Square along Waller Creek
The Whisenhunt theater-in-the-round at Zach Scott Theatre
The Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge across Lady Bird Lake
Austin’s Great Streets program, developed with Sinclair Black
These projects share a common thread: creating places where people feel connected, welcomed, and part of something larger - the same ethos driving Mueller’s neighborhood design today.
A Driving Force Behind Mueller’s Redevelopment
When Girard moved to the Cherrywood neighborhood in 1983, he found himself just south of the old Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. What began as concern over potential airport expansion soon evolved into decades of community leadership.
He became a key voice in Citizens for Airport Relocation (CARE), the group that not only pushed for the airport to move but also proposed how the 700+ acres could be transformed into a new kind of Austin neighborhood.
His leadership continued through:
10 years on the Airport Advisory Board
Serving as the first chair of the Mueller Commission
Consulting for the redevelopment team, assessing the Browning Hangar’s reuse and how to open the former control tower for public access
Every time someone walks through the Hangar, enjoys the trails, or relaxes in one of the parks, they’re experiencing part of Girard’s vision.
A Legacy Felt Across Austin
Girard’s influence extends far beyond Mueller. He has served on boards for:
The American Institute of Architects (Austin Chapter)
The City of Austin History Center
The City of Austin Design Commission
He also founded:
The Cherrywood Neighborhood Association
The Austin chapter of Scenic America
His career is a testament to what happens when design and community advocacy go hand-in-hand - and Austin is immeasurably better for it.
________________________________________________
Learn More About the Namesakes of Mueller Parks
Girard Kinney's story is part of the People Behind the Parks series, which highlights the remarkable individuals whose names grace Mueller’s green spaces and Austin’s most cherished public places. Discover more of their stories here:
