As a website that’s all about finding unique, hyper-local, and cool things to do, we’ve written a lot about Austin’s famous HOPE Gallery over the years. For the uninitiated, decades ago a condo project was abruptly abandoned leaving behind a sloping concrete foundation on a prominent hill in the city’s historic Clarksville neighborhood. Over time it became a destination for partying teens and a huge draw for neophyte street artists. As the murals and graffiti accumulated, it became a mandatory stop on the tour of iconic Austin places.
Rechristened as the HOPE Outdoor Gallery in 2011 with the help of famous contemporary artist Shepherd Fairey, the wall also served as a compelling educational project—a place for school field trips, live art projects, and gardening classes, among many other benefits to the community. But one year ago the gallery was closed so the owner could develop that incredibly valuable plot of land. As Curbed reported at the time:

“HOPE, which had known the redevelopment was inevitable and has a seemingly congenial relationship with Ayad, embraced the opportunity to move from a site that had become increasingly hard to reach and to maintain as its popularity grew alongside Austin’s population and tourist economy.
HOPE found a place to build a new home near Carson Creek Ranch, a space near the airport that has become popular as a venue for camping-style weekend music festivals and other events.”

Now after a few rumors about the timeline, their website confirms the new space will open in 2020 at a location near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Check back for progress updates and more specifics on an opening date. We love stories about Austinites banding together to preserve the weirdness of this amazing town. This is one of the best.