AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 307

paul78701 · #**6121** Posted **Jun 11, 2019, 8:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

All of the news stories about the closing that I read say it will be another locally managed restaurant.

Yep, but that doesn't mean that they won't do a tear down and rebuild.

We vs us · #**6122** Posted **Jun 11, 2019, 9:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul78701

Yep, but that doesn't mean that they won't do a tear down and rebuild.

At one point not too long ago there was a proposal for a residential tower including (I think) the corner liquor store and the pizza joint -- but not including Hut's. Has anybody heard if that's still a thing?

EDIT: Trust Towers for some excellent coverage from Aug of last year. https://austin.towers.net/lets-catch...al-tower-plan/

Turns out there were rumors of Hut's closing even back then, even though the owner denies it at the time.

The tower -- 28 story residential -- was planned for 506-508 West Ave, but would've built around Hut's and the liquor store.

zrx299 · #**6123** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 2:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

The Alibi cocktail bar at 96 Rainey is planned for Demo. But not for a high-rise. From a site plan filed today:

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...pertyrsn=92510

No reason to keep an old bungalow structure around when the entire district is under siege.

Might as well replace with something modern & generic, or 'faux-storic'.

NYC2ATX · #**6124** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 6:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zrx299

No reason to keep an old bungalow structure around when the entire district is under siege.

Might as well replace with something modern & generic, or 'faux-storic'.

I don't understand, isn't this designated a historic district? Can anyone enlighten me/everyone as to which properties are actually protected, or if they even are protected, or how far-reaching such protections are? It seems like it's far easier than one would think for property owners to tear down the bungalows that basically made the district a thing in the first place.

zrx299 · #**6125** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 2:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYC2ATX

I don't understand, isn't this designated a historic district? Can anyone enlighten me/everyone as to which properties are actually protected, or if they even are protected, or how far-reaching such protections are? It seems like it's far easier than one would think for property owners to tear down the bungalows that basically made the district a thing in the first place.

My understanding is that "Rainey Street Historic District" is just a name coined by realtors and speculators about a decade or more ago. It means nothing and carries no weight.

MichaelB · #**6126** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 3:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYC2ATX

It seems like it's far easier than one would think for property owners to tear down the bungalows that basically made the district a thing in the first place.

Completely agree. Short sighted. Surprising how many people just can't see that simple statement. Killing the vibe that made it a "thing" is just crazy to me.

.... but it is not an official historic district.

Novacek · #**6127** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 3:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYC2ATX

I don't understand, isn't this designated a historic district? Can anyone enlighten me/everyone as to which properties are actually protected, or if they even are protected, or how far-reaching such protections are? It seems like it's far easier than one would think for property owners to tear down the bungalows that basically made the district a thing in the first place.

I know at least for Lustre Pearl, they moved it instead of tearing it down.

Even if they had historical protection, it seams like that would likely happen to "preserve" them.

zrx299 · #**6128** Posted **Jun 12, 2019, 3:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Completely agree. Short sighted. Surprising how many people just can't see that simple statement. Killing the vibe that made it a "thing" is just crazy to me.

.... but it is not an official historic district.

It's been discussed in several other threads, but I really am just dumbfounded they (the group of developers as a whole) are hell bent on destroying the character of the street. Whether accidental or not, it became something unique, in my opinion.

They could have very easily created a high density residential/commercial district that ringed actual Rainey Street (what is now Hotel Row East Ave, Red River, and the unnamed alley) with high rise residential & hotels, with actual human-scaled entertainment options as they mostly exist today fronting the street, but are on borrowed time now.

The biggest and first offender being the Millennium/Camden, and continued with the 90-92 Rainey tower that will turn Container Bar and Bungalow into a tacky circus sideshow by "including" them in the 2nd floor of the development. And once that other tacky looking tower goes up at 78-84 Rainey (the food truck park and two bungalows that flank it), and the tower that will take out Via 313, the destruction will be just about complete.

nixcity · #**6129** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 9:01 PM**

There is soil retention fencing around the site just south of the office building on the former Concordia site. Has that been there for a while or is that site finally getting redeveloped?

The ATX · #**6130** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 9:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nixcity

There is soil retention fencing around the site just south of the office building on the former Concordia site. Has that been there for a while or is that site finally getting redeveloped?

I've noticed several permits over the past few months for an apartment building somewhere on the site. It appeared to be the standard Texas donut design.

AusTxDevelopment · #**6131** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

I've noticed several permits over the past few months for an apartment building somewhere on the site. It appeared to be the standard Texas donut design.

It will be a 5-story L-shaped wrap style apartment complex called Aura University Park by Trinsic. The garage will face I35 and the "L" will wrap it on 2 sides - south and west sides.

427MM · #**6132** Posted **Jun 15, 2019, 2:05 AM**

I seem to recall one of those parcels at Concordia was zoned for a ~17 story hotel. Did they squander that right by putting up something short on that land or is there something there still undeveloped that can go one day?

The ATX · #**6133** Posted **Jun 15, 2019, 2:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 427MM

I seem to recall one of those parcels at Concordia was zoned for a ~17 story hotel. Did they squander that right by putting up something short on that land or is there something there still undeveloped that can go one day?

That was 10 years ago and pre-financial crisis, and I don't know if the zoning change/site plan with the 17-story Hyatt Andaz was ever approved. That developer went bankrupt during the recession. The developers who took over the the project were later convicted on Federal bank fraud charges, and IIRC the two of them were sentenced to a couple years in the pen.

To sum it all up, this project turned out to be a major failure compared to that original vision.

Urbannizer · #**6134** Posted **Jun 15, 2019, 3:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

That was 10 years ago and pre-financial crisis, and I don't know if the zoning change/site plan with the 17-story Hyatt Andaz was ever approved. That developer went bankrupt during the recession. The developers who took over the the project were later convicted on Federal bank fraud charges, and IIRC the two of them were sentenced to a couple years in the pen.

To sum it all up, this project turned out to be a major failure compared to that original vision.

I remember this proposal. I can't recall the name of the project at the moment but I'm sure there's still renderings online somewhere. The design was much better than what University Park has come to be.

Edit:

Project was named East Avenue.

More here: https://larryspeck.com/architecture/...e-master-plan/

AusTex · #**6135** Posted **Jun 15, 2019, 5:26 PM**

Someone, on a thread not too long ago posted a link that I believe was a City of Austin link to a map of all high rises in the city: built, under-construction, on hold and proposed. Each building had a colored dot for the category if its status that one could click on and a pop-up showing a picture of the building with info like height, etc. would appear. Sound familiar to anyone? I think this link needs to be on one of the Stickies at the top of the Austin Page. If you know the link please repost it here for Kevin. Thanks.

The ATX · #**6136** Posted **Jun 15, 2019, 5:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AusTex

Someone, on a thread not too long ago posted a link that I believe was a City of Austin link to a map of all high rises in the city: built, under-construction, on hold and proposed. Each building had a colored dot for the category if its status that one could click on and a pop-up showing a picture of the building with info like height, etc. would appear. Sound familiar to anyone? I think this link needs to be on one of the Stickies at the top of the Austin Page. If you know the link please repost it here for Kevin. Thanks.

That sounds like the City of Austin Project Map. It's linked to in the sticky thread. But it's not up to date.

KevinFromTexas · #**6137** Posted **Jun 15, 2019, 5:49 PM**

I looked for that, but I didn't see any photos attached. AusTex messaged me saying it was Google based. Could he be talking about the map that wwmiv made?

We also have something similar to that in the SkyscraperPage building database, but there aren't any photos.

Skyscraper map
http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/maps/?cityID=93

Development map
http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/map...&z=13&status=1

That map needs updating though. There are quite a few high rises missing from it. Austin's sprouting high rises faster than I can keep up.

AusTex · #**6138** Posted **Jun 15, 2019, 6:05 PM**

Neither or these maps are the one. The map had dots, not tear drops. It was up to date also.

AusTxDevelopment · #**6139** Posted **Jun 16, 2019, 1:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AusTex

Neither or these maps are the one. The map had dots, not tear drops. It was up to date also.

Maybe you are thinking of the biz journal's Crane Watch map? Except their markers are tear drops as well.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/maps/crane-watch

H2O · #**6140** Posted **Jun 16, 2019, 6:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Completely agree. Short sighted. Surprising how many people just can't see that simple statement. Killing the vibe that made it a "thing" is just crazy to me.

.... but it is not an official historic district.

Rainey Street is on the National Register of Historic Places, but that doesn't offer any protection without local historic designation. It only requires review by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) if a project applies for Historic Preservation Tax Credits.