AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[KevinFromTexas]

Actually, the State owns most of its buildings. Most government buildings from the state level on up to the federal level are very tight on security. Using simple office buildings next to a highway are not secure enough for government offices. Of course there are the exceptions, mostly for "light" departments or offices. Most of the large departments in state government though occupy buildings that the state not only owns, but built specifically for themselves. The Capitol Complex for instance, which occupies 40 blocks in downtown, employs about 50,000 people. It covers an 8x5 block area on the northern edge of downtown. The state also owns 5 or 6 midrises in Central Austin, about 30 blocks north of downtown, among others here and there.

[jordan]

Originally Posted by gardensoul

This is an important conversation about Austin's reality versus our self image. While I love Austin, and frankly wouldn't care to live anywhere else in Texas, we do need to face some big issues in our community.

We are a sprawling sunbelt town that is only now beginning to develop real density - like the West Campus area which is supposed to be the most densely populated neighborhood in the state. Our highway system is incomplete, we need a LOT more alternative transit, and we are in denial about the poverty and inequalities that exists in our city.

While East Austin is gentrifying and is a safe neighborhood when compared to say, Houston's 5th ward, there is still a tremendous amount of poverty there. What is happening as a result of the gentrification is that the poor are being forced out of central East Austin and are moving northeast, southeast, east of Airport and 183 and into north Austin (Rundberg area.) Some of these areas may look suburban when you are driving at 50 MPH, but there is deep poverty settling into a lot of sprawling neighborhoods and large apartment complexes where the working poor live.

We need to get serious about making some cultural and political interventions that will impact the next generation - most importantly to turn the dropout rate around for minority youth and provide affordable housing for the working poor. If we don't do this the "cool" Austin we all love will become the land of the haves and have-nots only. Not a pretty picture.

Gardensoul

I could not have explained that any better. If you start to work your way from just north of Rundberg south to I.H. 35 and then south east down U.S. 183 to Montopolis you can see Neighbooods around Dobie Jr High, East of Reagan High School, and then over to LBJ High & Pearce Jr High Schools area, then further down U.S. 183 around Johnston High School then across the river to Montoplis. If you just get off the freeways you can see where these areas are beginning to look poverty stricken. This did not start to change until the late 80's. and by 2000 you can defintely tell the diffrence. And you are right this is do to the re-gentrifying of Central East Austin. I know this because I am from E.Austin. and the above areas I speak about were, nice areas Once called and some may still have the same subdivision names, such as Colony Park, University Hills, Craigwood, Stonegate, Cavalier Park and Las Celbas. You go into these areas now and you can truely see what 15 to 20 years have done.

[KevinFromTexas]

Posted my Austonian tour pics. Here's a few of the highlights. See the rest here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=180690

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by jordan

and then over to LBJ High

From experience (I went to LASA), I can tell you the neighborhood that LBJ is in is not ghetto by any definition of the word. I'm sure that if you see just the streets adjacent to the school you could easily adopt such a view, but walk another street over and it looks just like any other lower-middle-class neighborhood. I really think that some people here need to readjust their thinking about what a ghetto is. You want to see a ghetto? Fly in to the poor and degraded parts of Detroit, or Paris, or Rio. Imagine Harlem fifty years ago. Those places are ghettos. Describing the lower-middle-class areas of places like Austin as ghettos is errant.

[spw1965]

Great pictures Kevin. Did anyone else notice that it looks like they are only watering half of Republic Square Park!

[JACKinBeantown]

Nice pics, Kevin.

Q: Now that Austin has the Austonian, will San Antonio get the Santinite?

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by spw1965

Did anyone else notice that it looks like they are only watering half of Republic Square Park!

I think Republic Square Park is still being renovated and the half that isn't being watered is the half that they're working on right now.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by spw1965

Great pictures Kevin. Did anyone else notice that it looks like they are only watering half of Republic Square Park!

From what I remember, they were going to remove some berms that were in the park. They said they were there to help soundproof the park a bit, but really they created a problem because they blocked the view of the park from the surrounding streets. The idea of fixing the park was to make it more open. As the surrounding area starts to develop with new residential projects, it's going to be a neighborhood. They wanted to make it more open and friendly.

[mars-man]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

I think Republic Square Park is still being renovated and the half that isn't being watered is the half that they're working on right now.

The renovation is done, at least the most recent phase. That dead-looking side is the new sod they've laid. It's perked up quite a bit since that pic was taken.

A great time to visit Republic Square is on Saturday mornings when the Farmers Market is there. Lots of good food and free music. Also, various fitness groups have been making use of the park, including the Weds noon yoga class that I saw there today.

[Dan Denson]

Originally Posted by jordan

Gardensoul

I could not have explained that any better. If you start to work your way from just north of Rundberg south to I.H. 35 and then south east down U.S. 183 to Montopolis you can see Neighbooods around Dobie Jr High, East of Reagan High School, and then over to LBJ High & Pearce Jr High Schools area, then further down U.S. 183 around Johnston High School then across the river to Montoplis. If you just get off the freeways you can see where these areas are beginning to look poverty stricken. This did not start to change until the late 80's. and by 2000 you can defintely tell the diffrence. And you are right this is do to the re-gentrifying of Central East Austin. I know this because I am from E.Austin. and the above areas I speak about were, nice areas Once called and some may still have the same subdivision names, such as Colony Park, University Hills, Craigwood, Stonegate, Cavalier Park and Las Celbas. You go into these areas now and you can truely see what 15 to 20 years have done.

That area along Braker Lane from I-35 west to about Kramer is really showing a change as well.

[jordan]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

From experience (I went to LASA), I can tell you the neighborhood that LBJ is in is not ghetto by any definition of the word. I'm sure that if you see just the streets adjacent to the school you could easily adopt such a view, but walk another street over and it looks just like any other lower-middle-class neighborhood. I really think that some people here need to readjust their thinking about what a ghetto is. You want to see a ghetto? Fly in to the poor and degraded parts of Detroit, or Paris, or Rio. Imagine Harlem fifty years ago. Those places are ghettos. Describing the lower-middle-class areas of places like Austin as ghettos is errant.

Ok, I graduated from LBJ Hig school. Yes their maybe a street or two over there that might look ok, but the over all neighborhood has been run down. And of course it is nothing like (as you mentioned Ghetto). There are a lot of cities across, the country that is not like Detroit N.Y. etc, it does not mean, that there are not any people, in other cities, who are not in lower income or almost proverty stricken neighborhoods.

[Schertz1]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Actually, the State owns most of its buildings. Most government buildings from the state level on up to the federal level are very tight on security. Using simple office buildings next to a highway are not secure enough for government offices. Of course there are the exceptions, mostly for "light" departments or offices. Most of the large departments in state government though occupy buildings that the state not only owns, but built specifically for themselves. The Capitol Complex for instance, which occupies 40 blocks in downtown, employs about 50,000 people. It covers an 8x5 block area on the northern edge of downtown. The state also owns 5 or 6 midrises in Central Austin, about 30 blocks north of downtown, among others here and there.

I understand many are owned by the State, but my point is many offices only lease space.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by jordan

Ok, I graduated from LBJ Hig school. Yes their maybe a street or two over there that might look ok, but the over all neighborhood has been run down. And of course it is nothing like (as you mentioned Ghetto). There are a lot of cities across, the country that is not like Detroit N.Y. etc, it does not mean, that there are not any people, in other cities, who are not in lower income or almost proverty stricken neighborhoods.

What?

[WAustinResident]

Does anyone know when the 4 seasons will start opening for residents to start moving in? It should be pretty soon now.

I can't wait to see actual photos of the interiors.

[jordan]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

What?

I can't explain it any better for you to understand.
I don't know if you are from Austin or not. However I was born and rasied there, so what I am saying is not satistics, it is fact.

Do you know of any of the other areas or subdivisions, I mentioned besides LBJ High School area? If you go back and take a look at my original post. I was reffering to areas that are spread, across Northeast far East, and a portion of Southeast Austin. That is a large area.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by jordan

I can't explain it any better for you to understand.
I don't know if you are from Austin or not. However I was born and rasied there, so what I am saying is not satistics, it is fact.

Do you know of any of the other areas or subdivisions, I mentioned besides LBJ High School area? If you go back and take a look at my original post. I was reffering to areas that are spread, across Northeast far East, and a portion of Southeast Austin. That is a large area.

I think he was referring to your sentence structure and grammar. I had a hard time trying to figure out exactly what you were saying too.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

I think he was referring to your sentence structure and grammar. I had a hard time trying to figure out exactly what you were saying too.

Bingo.

There are plenty of lower middle class neighborhoods in Austin. There are plenty of extremely poor people as well. However, there are no tried and true ghettos in this town.

[WAustinResident]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Bingo.

There are plenty of lower middle class neighborhoods in Austin. There are plenty of extremely poor people as well. However, there are no tried and true ghettos in this town.

or maybe our ghettos are not ethnic ghettos, and the low income areas tend to be areas that have lots of character, so people don't associate them with low income.

For example new orleans had lots of low income areas that gave the city much of its character from the artists and musicians who lived and worked there, but they were still low income.

[Dan Denson]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Bingo.

There are plenty of lower middle class neighborhoods in Austin. There are plenty of extremely poor people as well. However, there are no tried and true ghettos in this town.

What about that enclave off of St. John just east of I-35? I haven't been through there in about 15 years, but back then it was in pretty bad shape.

[spw1965]

Originally Posted by WAustinResident

Does anyone know when the 4 seasons will start opening for residents to start moving in? It should be pretty soon now.

I can't wait to see actual photos of the interiors.

I was told to be ready to close in the June/July range. The lower floors should be a little sooner. I toured the building a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed with the interior details. Some of the things I noticed were the marble and granite thresholds used between different floorings and the matching outlet covers for the different wall surfaces. For example they used black outlets and covers for the black granite. The closets are nicely finished in the style of the More Space Place. The kitchen cabinets include several drawer styles and have many pull-out shelves in different sizes and for different functions. The front doors look like mahogany but I'm not a wood expert. I'll try to post some images when I get the opportunity.