AUSTIN, Texas — Austinites have made it clear that they want Peter Pan Mini-Golf course to stay.
A petition was launched in August in an effort to preserve the iconic mini-golf course, which has been around for 75 years. According to the organizers, they hope by making the business a historic landmark, it could protect it for years.
So far, the petition has garnered more than 20,000 signatures.
"We just feel so encouraged. We knew there was great love for us and for the business and just what it means to Austin," owner Margaret Dismukes Massad said.
The State of Texas owns the land where the course and acts as a trustee, with Dismukes Massad and her husband, Julio Massad, leasing it. That lease, which is set to expire on March 31, 2024, has left the future of the mini-golf course hanging in the balance.
Dismukes Massad and her husband hope to renew their lease. A new trustee is set to be appointed and will ultimately decide if that will be the case.
Amid the uncertainty, Dismukes Massad and her husband said they are in the process of working with the Historic Landmark Commission in an effort to give it a historic designation. At a Sept. 9 meeting, the two spoke before the Historic Landmark Commission, highlighting their efforts to keep the business where it is and noting the outpouring of community support.
After the two spoke, Kalan Contreras with the Historic Preservation Office noted that because the State isn't technically a legal property owner, the commission "technically" has zoning jurisdiction over the property. But legally, the case is considered complicated.
"We're just covering everything we can," Dismukes Massad said.
Commission Vice Chair Ben Heimsath threw in his support and added that he was aware the community's interest, saying there could be opportunities for Peter Pan among the commission if they decide to move forward.
"I really hope that my grandkids get to go out there just like my kids did," Heimsath said during the meeting.
The owners don't know whether that will work in their favor when it comes to the renewal of the lease.
Dismukes Massad and her husband said they plan to speak at the Austin City Council's Sept. 14 meeting.
"If there's anything that's a legacy business, that has community value, we would think Peter Pan would be in that discussion," Massad said.