Austin | River Park - 4700 Riverside (Formerly Project Catalyst) | Proposed
 

OMFG. The Chamber, City and State better be all over this as Amazon HQ2.


https://i.imgur.com/SoIJHiJ.png
https://i.imgur.com/6CoI5wO.png
https://i.imgur.com/CaBhn9o.png
https://i.imgur.com/W05pOVP.png
https://i.imgur.com/0t1z5f6.png
https://i.imgur.com/Z9wCXaq.png
Vimeo promo video: https://vimeo.com/182609285

Well, there we go.

• Video Link

That is completely NOT what I got from the initial marketing materials. So much bigger! Yowza!

Well then. Looks like the city can basically offer Amazon the chance to be a catalyst and essentially have their own downtown with mixed-used amenities for employees. We've been speaking of the domain as a sort of second downtown but this skyline would surely be more visible from the current core. If this vision can be even 50 percent filled, the Austin's downtown CBD will essentially have two focal points. And then imagine South Shore spurring more development across the river, downtown Austin's footprint could expand immensely.

Wow!

Here's another rendering and a building massing from the video linked to in the OP. The video features a lot of happy millennials. :haha: I can't imagine a better Amazon option than this one which just happened to be a thing already.

https://i.imgur.com/sZkHx3P.png
https://i.imgur.com/4rltVdS.png

For height are we thinking a lot of mid-rises with maybe a ~300 ft tower. Some of those slender buildings look to be 20 floors or so. I'd love to see it be city-style density rather than a more traditional campus. Assuming this is where Amazon decides to expand, which isn't written in stone by any means. I like our chances though haha

According to the ABJ article linked to through Reddit in my Amazon HQ2 post, they are looking for zoning for 20-story buildings. Amazon H2Q could change that though.

This also begs for a Riverside rail route to connect ABIA to downtown. I could see an elevated station straddling Pleasant Valley Rd. between the eastward and westward lanes of Riverside.

This. It really couldn't be more convenient for a rail expansion -- just go ahead and build that airport spur and plunk down an Amazon station or two while you're at it.

Honestly this is the kind of thing I would bet (hope?) Amazon is looking for . . . a city with public transportation prospects as much as a fully built out system. Let's face it -- very few American cities really do rail transit well, and virtually none save the usual suspects have rail transit that will serve 50k workers in any meaningful capacity. So if Amazon wants to consider a wider field it has to consider itself not only a user of transit but a partner in its development as well.

So remind me . . . all of this land is currently being used to house students, right?

Now this is what a "second downtown" should look like! That location is crying out for new development. NIMBYs not even a factor! Let's get this done. It will kick start the refurbishment of the entire area between Oltorf and Riverside too. This could make Austin a whole other place, a much better place. It would also pretty much guarantee rail to the airport.

Very cool.

Any thoughts on the video being a year old?

Only that I'm wondering why it took a year to find the video. :)

I'm going to throw cold water on this. I don't really buy it. Both as a "second downtown" and as the one true answer to Amazon's rfp.

I don't mean that it's not a positive and useful development, just that it seems like marketing is a little out of control on it.

It's 79 acres (though really only 49 acres according to reddit description, I guess due to the floodplain).
So it's 1/4 or less the size of the Domain. Just the Domain, much less the whole surrounding North Burnet Gateway development.

The ABJ article from last year talks about "Nine million square feet of total development potential"(no details, eg how much of that depends on affordable housing etc.), but they seem to have walked that back pretty significantly, since the more recent flyer is now down to 1.4M.

The original 9M estimate seems to assume a _huge_ up-zoning from it's already recent rezoning. From what I can tell from the ERC master plan, most of the tract is Neighborhood Mixed Use zoned with a ~60 foot height limits.


Now, could that change, sure. Especially if it actually is decided to advance this is as the Amazon answer. But it's certainly not turn key. Nor is it greenfield (there's a bunch of apartments there now).


Edit: Actually, it's worse than I thought. On second look, it seems like at least half of the current ERC zoning is urban residential, with a .75 FAR and 40 foot limit.

Nimes Capital owns this site, aka the Ballpark Apartments, and was working with JLL late last year to either sell it or find a partner to redevelop it. JLL made that video as part of the sales marketing. I have heard that the site is under contract to sell to an apartment investor. However, I would guess if Nimes sees the opportunity to make a play for Amazon and they are not already locked in on the sale, they might be able to cancel the sales contract depending on where they are in the process - there may be some fees involved. But as Novacek said there are a lot of hurdles with that land. If the existing contract goes through the buyer is just buying it for the apartments as an investment. They are not a developer and are not planning to demolish anything or redevelop.

Here's a link to the September 2016 ABJ article. It's not paywalled, but you need a free login to read it.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...st-austin.html

As nice as this would be, the area encompassing Pleasant Valley, Riverside, Wickersham, and Elmont is pretty small. On top of that, the amount of congestion there is already bad, especially without immediate highway or mass transport options. Riverside is already a 24 hour street and has heavy traffic well into the evening hours. On top of that, the amount of transients that live under the bridge on Riverside right here and in the woods, this area would require "The Ark 2".

With that said, the area is centrally located and is very close to both downtown and the airport. The area is also gentrifying quickly and there are numerous high budget apartments and residences going up in the area. It would be interesting to see this area transform into something like depicted.

This is obviously just a grand vision, and I never saw any permits or zoning change requests for 20-story buildings. But I am hoping the site is still available for a potential H2Q bid. This location seems like a better option than any other one that comes to mind IMO.

Poor Domain...... I'm sure they will be hurt that so many abandoned them as the "second downtown"!

Surely they would include "light rail" from the airport up Riverside into downtown in the proposal. The one major item Austin is totally lacking on Amazon's "checklist" for the potential location, is mass transit.

TOWERS sums this up. He did try to contact the parties involved with the project.

http://austin.towers.net/project-cat...e-next-domain/

Also, it will take the better part of a decade for Amazon to hire 50k workers. So there may be some time to get something implemented.

This project will not come to fruition (as currently proposed) without incentives. And with the council trying to back out of the Domain incentive deal...good luck at securing a deal for Catalyst.

Man, 10-1 definitely did not turn out like I had hoped. What a bunch of lunatics.

Any future incentives will no doubt be guaranteed by contract, not "optional", which is where the Domain gets into trouble.

TOWERS has a good article about this area:

http://austin.towers.net/more-than-1...s-south-shore/

An update from TOWERS:

https://austin.towers.net/project-ca...ast-riverside/

This could be such a great development. It expands the core of the city without doing much damage to surrounding neighborhoods. The development would be towards the airport and less developed areas where more affordable housing could be built without having a huge impact on gridlocked highways to the north of downtown. It would increase the probability that a light rail line gets built that would serve the airport. Most important, this development would easily integrate into the existing street grid making for a true urban environment rather that the faux urban mess that is rapidly congealing in the Domain area.

You say this based on what?

We've seen no indication (yet) that a new internal street grid will be developed/conveyed to the city.

It's a large unified project developed by a single developer. All apartments (no condos) so it seems likely the developer will keep control of the whole thing. Most likely it will look/feel exactly like the Domain (not that it's bad).

Wanna bet? Nothing could possibly feel as sterile and artificial as the Domain. I am pretty sure the city will make certain this development, if it happens, will be integrated into the existing network of roads in the area.

I dunno, the Mueller area's pushing pretty hard for the "Truman Show" award too...

Ha! Ha! You are right about that. Mueller leaves me feeling pretty cold, but the Domain just creeps me out. I hate going there for any reason. I am probably the most elderly customer you can find at H and M. They have great draw string pants that fit my sagging old body. Otherwise, I'd never go near the Domain.

This Catylist site has great bones with frontage on a revitalizing Riverside Drive and S. Pleasant Valley. There is almost direct access to the nearby lake, park, and trails. It is already bisected by at least three existing streets. I suspect the master plan will attempt to relate to all of these elements in a truly urban manner. Also, if it happens, Catylist will probably be built out by a variety of different developers over a decade or two. Current trends in urban design pretty much dictate walkability and connectivity. Transit options along Riverside are almost certain to improve dramatically over time. I don't think Catylist is likely to turn its back on Riverside Drive or S. Pleasant Valley. The latter is a direct connect into old East Austin. There will be quick access to bike trails as well, which might be a sexy sell to younger commuters. The new not-so-free "Airport Freeway" will make this area much more accessible to north central Austin. I think this concept is a real winner and a game changer for the larger neighborhood extending up to Oltorf. I really want this one to happen.

I'm re posting the link to the Austin Towers recent article on this proposal in case you missed it above.

https://austin.towers.net/project-ca...ast-riverside/

I agree, Catalyst has the potential of being a real game changer for Austin. Looking forward to hearing more details.

I also stand by my previous statement in another thread about VMU density. Please point out a corridor that has more VMU development than South Lamar or East Riverside. I'm not talking about West Campus or the Domain I'm talking about a stretch of road with the VMU development.

If the Catylist thing happens, I suspect that Riverside will be VMU on both sides all the way to IH35 within a decade or so. Big plots of lowrise commercial space like the HEB at the corner of Riverside and Pleasant Valley might see development similar to that being described for Catylist. An entire swath of the central city could emerge in urban form in fairly short order. The rundown apartment complexes going up to Oltorf would likely revitalize as well. I guess you could say I have an almost Jdawgian level of enthusiasm for this Catylist project.

Hey a new word definition! Love it!:cheers::multibow:

By the way have you seen those row townhouses that are going up along Tinnin Ford Road? They remind me of what you see in cities in the Northeast. I'd love to see more like that.

Here's a screenshot from Google Maps:

http://fs1.directupload.net/images/180315/umz5y482.jpg

What master plan? This is a simple upzoning, not a PUD. The only regulating plan is the existing east riverside corridor plan.

Which is good and all, but we don't have to guess about it. We know exactly what is required.

(as a side, I'll correct myself and say that the ERC corridor plan does require some new street dedications in these parcels, so yes that should be nice).

A decade or two? It's not big enough to require that much time.

In actual buildable area (remember a big chunk is undevelopable/isn't being developed), this is only slightly larger than Phase 1 of the Domain (if possibly slightly taller).

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice medium-sized project, but you're blowing it up to be something much larger than it is.

The brick is nice but the other three sides are awful!! They built some identical ones behind my work on 11th street, and they slapped on this horrible looking fiber cement synthetic looking panels on the sides and back (and also on those divider walls that extend up past the roof). Not even real stucco or even fake stucco. It looks really really terrible.

Those look nice! Love the full brick all the way around. Wait are we looking at the same project? I see brick on 3 sides?
https://i.imgur.com/1dwNQ4D.png

I'm with you. Hot garbage. I've toured them. The finish out is shit. Not 4 sides brick. Once the neighborhood fills in, it should look better, but it really needs to be in a mega-dense area.

The Domain is a terrible example to follow for urban planning. I'm really hoping this project builds actual city streets and incorporates with the rest of the city grid, instead of closing itself off like the Domain with only a few access points and parking garages galore.

The Domain has all the feeling of a place you go to just for the day, a bubble isolated, before you return to Austin. I'm hoping Catalyst is just a continuation of "Austin."

Yes, probably at least a decade. We are talking about:
4,709 apartment units
600 hotel rooms
3,987,300 square feet of office space
436,250 square feet of general retail space
60,000 square feet of medical/dental space

Hard to imagine a single lender or developer taking all that on at one time. There will eventually be a master plan or road map, if this thing progresses. Multiple developers will probably share in the building of this thing.

Not a bad concept, but the execution sounds sloppy. I like that they are built to the street. I have not been by there. Is parking in the rear or what?

This property already has access to the extended street grid. You would really just want them to extend Wickersham which they would have to do anyway to give road access to buildings on the northern part of the lot. It would be nice to extend Lakeshore into the property and connect it to Wickersham but it would have to go on top of existing parkland.

We badly need a corridor study of Pleasant Valley from Riverside to 7th. That corridor is already badly congested and it's going to get worse. They need to acquire some ROW at the PV and Cesar intersection and enlarge it considerably. It's going to get worse once the 183 south highway is done and more people are going to be coming down Cesar to turn left.

I think there are enough improvements you can make at the intersections that you don't need to look at widening the actual road. For instance, starting the right lane turn onto Lakeshore WAY earlier and look into taking away some street parking so it can have its own acceleration lane which then merges into the main lane.

Again, it's smaller than the Domain, which is almost built out at this point (~10 years), and was (after a short while) basically just Endeavor.

It's a nice development, but you're acting like this is some new unprecedented thing.

It's also much smaller than Mueller, and I believe that's been all Catellus so far.


*And that's _if_ they get the max zoning they're asking for (no sure thing) and build out to the max of the traffic analysis they're doing (also not guaranteed).

The CV/PV intersection seems fixable. What do you think could be done to improve traffic flow between CV and 7th? Seems like that stretch would benefit from some kind of improvements, maybe a turn lane, but there does not seem to be any room there for improvements.

BTW, on the Austin Towers Facebook page there have been a lot of negative comments about Catylist. Most of the concern seems to be the impact of increased traffic on Pleasant Valley. Usually feedback on the Austin Towers Facebook page is quite positive. Pleasant Valley traffic seems to be a hot button issue.

Here's the ones I'm talking about:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2695...7i13312!8i6656

Overall looks nice in the front. You can sorta see the awful fake stucco panels in the balconies. but...

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2694...7i13312!8i6656

You can somewhat see the awful white paneling job here. It looks just horrid in person. What's worse, they arbitrarily stopped the brick on the side of the building just before the back corner - to it makes the bricks look even more lick-and-stick. Finally, you can sorta see here, the rowhouses step down a hill, but the panels do not follow this stepping down. They just continue straight across.

Really it's PC/PV that kills the traffic flow between CV and 7th.

How do you propose to fix the CV/PV intersection? I think you need to take some of that bank's parking lot and add a left turn lane outside the regular lanes like at William Cannon and 71 so you can get through more left turns from 183 but I don't know if you have the space and turning radius.

The PV/Riverside recommendation was to get rid of the crossing entirely but there is a new corridor study of PV from Riverside to South Austin that'll probably re-explore the issue.
https://i.imgur.com/SeIq4NM.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HuGtDtD.jpg


Also as a reminder, preference (needs council approval) is for the section of Riverside is getting completely rebuilt. Every piece of median, road and sidewalk that you see from Southshore to Montopolis is being demoed and replaced so this really is the perfect place to put a project like this right now.


This project moving forward only makes the issue of the rebuild of the riverside overpass at 35 that much more important. It was originally suppose to start construction this year, then it got pushed into capital express construction scheduled which then got scrapped. That is going to be one of the biggest issues facing transit in this corridor. The overpass project would allow for longer E/W crossing times by reducing the number of N/S cars at the light by building frontage bypass lanes that travel under the bridge in both directions and a North to South U-Turn lane. The bridge would also add median space for transit bus/rail lanes.

https://i.imgur.com/lniur8e.jpg

I think the townhomes near Riverside are being confused with the other ones being mentioned. These don't look like they were built sloppily. Whoever is building them is taking their time and taking steps to preserve existing trees (probably due to city ordinances but still) real brick on the sides. I can't say how they look inside.

I believe those are the Intown Condos. They are a legit builder.

Nope. It's definitely the same crappy materials being used on both projects. You can see the same kinds of panels here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2414...7i13312!8i6656

Same builder, same type of building so same materials.