AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by urbancore

I agree, upzoning is needed, but in my opinion, without an increase in FAR (currently 40%), a reduction in parking minimums, reduced setbacks, tree regulations (I just had to get a permit and tree review to cut down a large Ligustrum - which is a "bush" NOT on our protected tree list and considered invasive), height requirements, remodeling rules that force people to bring old structures up to new code incentivize blading older homes, and lastly one that is highly overlooked, a certainty from the city that when a developer applies to subdivide a large lot into multiple lots it will be approved (now it takes a truck load of money, a blessing from God or Jeff Jack, and at least a year with no certain outcome even if all rules are followed).....upzoning won't make one bit of a difference.

If you take the average 7000 sqft lot, it doesn't make much sense to build (3) 933 sqft units. (7000/3 x 40%) Most city residential lots are less than 8000 sqft.

10 years ago, builders in Zilker would take an average lot and build 2 units and sell them for $400/ft, now it's more profitable for them to just build one large house with a pool and sell it for $800-1000/ft. As of today, there are 4 SF houses on the market in Zilker...they sell as fast as they are built. In 20 years, Zilker will be untouchable for anyone new...I predict $1500/ft in the next 10 years...can you imagine?

All of this PLUS, council would need to tell the ANC to pound sand....we all know that will never happen. ANC is happy to fight every small change, let alone sweeping changes....and they use emotional scare tactics which are highly effective. As a co-founder of Friends of Zilker in 2012, I know first hand the challenges of fighting the old Austin, self-righteous, anti-everything crowd. The city/media never took FOZ's pro urban opinions over the ZNA. Good luck...

I think if they could get around to raising the FAR to 60% for duplexes/triplexes, and keep everything else as is (and raise the building height 5 feet)....that could make a HUGE difference, but I doubt that will ever happen.

Austin "proper", though I love it so, will one day be home to ONLY very wealthy or property rich (Austin has a lot of these people...not rich with cash...some actually struggling....but sitting on a $500k-1m tear down and won't sell). It's well on its way, and its damn shame. We need to make room for the missing middle.

BTW, I've had a couple long conversations with Kitchen and her staff. Kitchen's eyes glaze over, no exaggeration. She has ZERO idea of the rules and how they incentivize 3000 sqft homes and skip the missing middle. I offered to drive her and staff around to look at job sites, thinking maybe if she could see what the current code gives us and changes we should support to fill in market rate housing for teachers (I'm not a fan of gov housing as it robs people of generational wealth of homeownership) and the rest of the "missing middle". Kitchen would rather do what the ZNA sign off on. The ZNA is run by the same 6 people who rotate positions. It's so gross.

This was back in 2014-2015, when she was more concerned with shutting down Uber. I don't expect our leaders to be code wonks, but they should have a high level mastery of code and what it yields. Especially since she lives in Barton Hills, she must see what is happening all around her, and wonder what could be done.

Most of all, I was disappointed by her lack of caring. She's not a leader.....she's an out of touch bureaucrat. Honestly, either she likes the results the code gives, or she is completely incompetent. Either way, it's unacceptable. Our council is a joke.

[sjk]

New Apple campus construction in northwest Austin coming together

https://www.kvue.com/article/money/e...3-27a2397b785c

[The ATX]

Demo was approved on consent by the HLC yesterday.

Originally Posted by The ATX

This is probably going to be another big one with no CVCs on the site. 311 & 307 E. 5th at Trinity are up for total demolition at the 1/24 HLC meeting. This includes Russia House.

[We vs us]

Did they publish a demo date?

[kingkirbythe....]

Originally Posted by sjk

New Apple campus construction in northwest Austin coming together

https://www.kvue.com/article/money/e...3-27a2397b785c

Its great Apple is here, but I would've loved to have some (all?) that space built downtown. That much square footage would have had a HUGE impact. Most other Big Tech companies are snapping up space downtown. Large suburban corporate campuses are such old fashioned thinking. Hell, even the domain area would work short of a downtown location. Oh, well. It ain't gonna change now.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Did they publish a demo date?

Things like dates and project specifics are not usually part of HLC discussions. We'll have to wait for permits to be filed.

[papertowelroll]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Its great Apple is here, but I would've loved to have some (all?) that space built downtown. That much square footage would have had a HUGE impact. Most other Big Tech companies are snapping up space downtown. Large suburban corporate campuses are such old fashioned thinking. Hell, even the domain area would work short of a downtown location. Oh, well. It ain't gonna change now.

Going to disagree. Whether you like it or not, many people want to live in the suburbs, and getting downtown from there during rush hour is not fun. I work at a downtown tech firm, and "are we planning to open an office at the domain?" Is a really common question. I think we have pretty good balance with Meta/Google downtown, Amazon/Indeed at the domain, Apple up north, and now Tesla to the east.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Things like dates and project specifics are not usually part of HLC discussions. We'll have to wait for permits to be filed.

Fair enough. Going for demo approval struck me as a weird progression, not necessarily the thing you'd do first. Wouldn't you normally go to Design or Planning first? Though maybe you need to know if the the historical preservation folks will block you before you get too deep in the weeds.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Fair enough. Going for demo approval struck me as a weird progression, not necessarily the thing you'd do first. Wouldn't you normally go to Design or Planning first? Though maybe you need to know if the the historical preservation folks will block you before you get too deep in the weeds.

Whenever demo of a structure over a certain number of years (30, maybe?) is required for a project, the HLC is often the first stop. Otherwise you might be wasting time and money.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by papertowelroll

Going to disagree. Whether you like it or not, many people want to live in the suburbs, and getting downtown from there during rush hour is not fun. I work at a downtown tech firm, and "are we planning to open an office at the domain?" Is a really common question. I think we have pretty good balance with Meta/Google downtown, Amazon/Indeed at the domain, Apple up north, and now Tesla to the east.

I’ve worked in tech for many years, and even suggesting a move from downtown to the Domain is met with extreme vitriol. Just my own anecdote, but I would turn down any offer for a company that isn’t downtown or right around it.

[papertowelroll]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

I’ve worked in tech for many years, and even suggesting a move from downtown to the Domain is met with extreme vitriol. Just my own anecdote, but I would turn down any offer for a company that isn’t downtown or right around it.

We're on the same page personally, but I work with many people who live in the northern suburbs and would love if we were located where Apple is rather than downtown. I'm not saying that it's a majority (I honestly don't know), just that it's a sizable group. So my point is that there exists demand for employment opportunities in the suburbs and while I don't want to work or live there myself I think some companies being up there is better than having all of those people commute all the way downtown.

[drummer]

Ascension Seton Medical Center expanding in Austin with new tower dedicated to women's health

Construction on the Central Austin building is set to begin in the fall of 2022.

The new tower will be on the corner of 34th Street and Medical Parkway…

The 282,000-square-feet building will be located on the south side of the Ascension Seton Medical Center.

A few renderings in the link.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/as...b-325cec116549

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

I’ve worked in tech for many years, and even suggesting a move from downtown to the Domain is met with extreme vitriol. Just my own anecdote, but I would turn down any offer for a company that isn’t downtown or right around it.

The historical center of tech in Austin wasn't downtown. It was northwest.

IBM for decades (the Domain is built on their campus) and Pickle with all its associated spinoffs. National Instruments for decades. Dell in the early 90s, etc.

Downtown tech is a relative newcomer.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by Novacek

The historical center of tech in Austin wasn't downtown. It was northwest.

IBM for decades (the Domain is built on their campus) and Pickle with all its associated spinoffs. National Instruments for decades. Dell in the early 90s, etc.

Downtown tech is a relative newcomer.

Well, most people who work in tech are in their 20s/30s. Most want to be downtown.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Well, most people who work in tech are in their 20s/30s. Most want to be downtown.

That's not necessarily true. I would say that *many* want to be downtown. But I know many in tech who have no desire to be downtown. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with them, but many folks simply prefer the suburbs. Others are forced out due to higher costs in urban areas.

[clubtokyo]

Originally Posted by drummer

A few renderings in the link.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/as...b-325cec116549

Nice!

[jkconno]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Well, most people who work in tech are in their 20s/30s. Most want to be downtown.

30s developer here... 100% remote or bust.

[myBrain]

Originally Posted by drummer

That's not necessarily true. I would say that *many* want to be downtown. But I know many in tech who have no desire to be downtown. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with them, but many folks simply prefer the suburbs. Others are forced out due to higher costs in urban areas.

It's funny, I spent the first half decade of my tech career at what started as an early-stage startup with a downtown office where 35 year olds seemed middle aged and anything north of 35th was considered basically Round Rock.

After that I moved to a more mature startup where the average age was in the 30s and plenty of people had kids. We were in a suburban office complex on the south side of town, and numerous times had company-wide surveys on if and where we should relocate, and downtown was always vociferously shot down. The Domain, East Side, and some of the newer developments on the south side of town were preferred.

Look, tech is fueled by young talent and young people are generally going to prefer downtown, but people forget that Austin tech has been booming since at least the .com era and that was 30 years ago -- there are plenty of people in their 50s in tech here.

Also, I think that perceptions of the Domain have changed a lot in the past few years especially amongst newcomers who won't be as familiar with the stigma it had in the 00s-10s as a shopping mall. The entertainment district in Domain Northside, Q2, and the surrounding breweries are starting to provide reasons other than shopping at H&M to be in the Domain. It's also easily more urban than most Silicon Valley sprawl.

[Urbannizer]

Capitol Quarters

[drummer]

Originally Posted by myBrain

It's funny, I spent the first half decade of my tech career at what started as an early-stage startup with a downtown office where 35 year olds seemed middle aged and anything north of 35th was considered basically Round Rock.

After that I moved to a more mature startup where the average age was in the 30s and plenty of people had kids. We were in a suburban office complex on the south side of town, and numerous times had company-wide surveys on if and where we should relocate, and downtown was always vociferously shot down. The Domain, East Side, and some of the newer developments on the south side of town were preferred.

Look, tech is fueled by young talent and young people are generally going to prefer downtown, but people forget that Austin tech has been booming since at least the .com era and that was 30 years ago -- there are plenty of people in their 50s in tech here.

Also, I think that perceptions of the Domain have changed a lot in the past few years especially amongst newcomers who won't be as familiar with the stigma it had in the 00s-10s as a shopping mall. The entertainment district in Domain Northside, Q2, and the surrounding breweries are starting to provide reasons other than shopping at H&M to be in the Domain. It's also easily more urban than most Silicon Valley sprawl.

Exactly. I work in a tech-related field with other emerging technology. For what we do as a company, downtown simply isn't feasible. That said, I prefer urban living from my time in Asia, but I simply can't afford it here with my family. I can live with that, despite my preferences.