AUSTIN | Projects & Construction III

[audiomuse]

Originally Posted by migol24

I also wonder why Austin isn't consistently flooded with pedestrian crowds throughout the day in Downtown. I'm sure better public transportation will probably change that, but that's also an entirely different topic.

We really need more shopping in downtown Austin. Affordable but trendy clothing stores like H&M and Forever 21 are great destination retailers and would bring a lot more people downtown. A City Target store would be great as well. These types of stores would draw large amounts of people walking around downtown on the weekend and strolling around for some shopping. It really promotes street-life and the "window-shopping" atmosphere. It would give suburbanites/people who don't live downtown a reason to go there during the daytime hours.

San Antonio... a city that has much less people living in its downtown has the Rivercenter Mall with all the typical suburban shopping mall type stores. People go downtown to shop there.

Instead of an enclosed mall though I'd like to see retailers locate at street-level. That or some open air shopping arcades/pedestrian streets. Downtown still really feels like a restaurant/bar dominated place. The shopping that is available is mostly specialty stores and boutiques that the majority of the population don't do the bulk of their shopping at. Whole Foods is great but I'm really looking forward to the more affordable Trader Joe's coming to the Seaholm. I'm a big supporter of all of the local shopping options available downtown right now but I personally think that the introduction of national retailers would only be a boon for everyone. It would draw more a more diverse group of people downtown.

It would be amazing to see the pedestrian traffic SOCO gets on the weekends in the downtown area

[lzppjb]

We always mention a downtown market that would be open 7 days a week. That would liven up the place. It's just a matter of figuring out where to put it. Browsing Google Maps, and remembering a question I had about how to utilize these 2 lots, made me think a market on 4th Street between Congress and Colorado could work. It's the large surface parking lot next to Frank.

They could dig down and give just 1 or 2 levels of parking/docks, then have a combination of indoor and outdoor areas, with the indoors going up a couple of floors.

I think it'd be cooler in the SW part of downtown with all the residents closeby, but what lot would be used? Convert Sand Beach Park by Gables?

[Syndic]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

We always mention a downtown market that would be open 7 days a week. That would liven up the place. It's just a matter of figuring out where to put it. Browsing Google Maps, and remembering a question I had about how to utilize these 2 lots, made me think a market on 4th Street between Congress and Colorado could work. It's the large surface parking lot next to Frank.

Per AusTxDeleopment's post below, there's already plans for a building on that 4th and Colorado lot:

Originally Posted by AusTxDevelopment

Yesterday Bury, who are the engineers for Lincoln Property Company, submitted AULCC transmittals for both this building (5th & Colorado Tower, 190,000 square feet) and a second office/retail building at 4th & Colorado (90,000 to 100,000 square feet). The AULCCs say that construction is estimated to start as early as 7/1/14.

The documents are on the City's FTP site here:ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/131121/

There is also a combined map showing the 2 locations here: ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...orado%20St.pdf

No site plans, renderings, elevations or construction drawings yet. I'm sure that will follow.

There's also an AULCC for a hotel at 7th & Congress (621 Congress). I can't remember off the top of my head which hotel this is, but there is a map included: ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...20Congress.pdf Feel free to move this part of my post to whichever thread is tracking that.

For those of you not familiar, AULCC stands for Austin Utility & Location Coordination Committee, and one of the early steps in preparing to develop a commercial building in Austin is to submit a request to this committee to locate and confirm the utilities in the area you plan to develop. They are they guys that spray-paint those orange (telecom), green (sewer), blue (water) and yellow (gas) arrows and lines on the roadways, showing where the utilities are. They also handle right-of-way disputes, crane approvals, etc.

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I think it'd be cooler in the SW part of downtown with all the residents closeby, but what lot would be used? Convert Sand Beach Park by Gables?

I disagree about putting the market in the SW part of downtown, or even the western part of downtown. I think a public market is a place that needs to unite the two halves of downtown. It needs to be a central part of Austin downtown life. So, in other words, somewhere near the current heart of downtown; Congress Ave. The lot you suggested is good, but it's taken. I still like the lot just north of the Austonian, across from Colorado Tower.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by Syndic

I still like the lot just north of the Austonian, across from Colorado Tower.

That could work for a small market. But I was thinking about something big and able to be used year-round (indoor/outdoor).

Of course, they'll probably just stick it east of 35.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

That could work for a small market. But I was thinking about something big and able to be used year-round (indoor/outdoor).

Of course, they'll probably just stick it east of 35.

What about the convention center garage ground floor?

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by audiomuse

We really need more shopping in downtown Austin. Affordable but trendy clothing stores like H&M and Forever 21 are great destination retailers and would bring a lot more people downtown. A City Target store would be great as well. These types of stores would draw large amounts of people walking around downtown on the weekend and strolling around for some shopping. It really promotes street-life and the "window-shopping" atmosphere. It would give suburbanites/people who don't live downtown a reason to go there during the daytime hours.

San Antonio... a city that has much less people living in its downtown has the Rivercenter Mall with all the typical suburban shopping mall type stores. People go downtown to shop there.

Instead of an enclosed mall though I'd like to see retailers locate at street-level. That or some open air shopping arcades/pedestrian streets. Downtown still really feels like a restaurant/bar dominated place. The shopping that is available is mostly specialty stores and boutiques that the majority of the population don't do the bulk of their shopping at. Whole Foods is great but I'm really looking forward to the more affordable Trader Joe's coming to the Seaholm. I'm a big supporter of all of the local shopping options available downtown right now but I personally think that the introduction of national retailers would only be a boon for everyone. It would draw more a more diverse group of people downtown.

It would be amazing to see the pedestrian traffic SOCO gets on the weekends in the downtown area

I'm on the fence with that one. I would never in a million years want Austin to strive to be like downtown San Antonio and their semi-urban touristy giant corporation stores/restaurants. It is the 3rd ring of hell (I can say that as a native san antonian). At the same time I agree that we need more practical and well known retailers. A large well known anchor tenant somewhere would be great.
Honestly, I can't shop on 2nd street or congress for almost anything... and those are supposed to be the main retail destinations. They're not. Over the years we've seen shops come and go almost over night on 2nd because they are NOT realistic stores for people who live downtown. I think downtown ATX needs to take note from Portland, OR http://downtownportland.org/