AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 22

Syndic · #**421** Posted **Apr 2, 2014, 8:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by IluvATX

The value of a city's downtown area has a lot to do with its culture. If we relocate Rainey street, we won't get its character back. I'm all for density and infill, but we have to be careful to preserve certain areas that keep Austin as vibrant as it is. Regarding gentrification, when you close local businesses for apartments with limited ground floor retail. That retail is almost always corporate owned eg. 7-Eleven, AT&T, etc. thus gentrification.

Gentrification isn't when (white) local businesses are displaced. It's when poor less wealthy people are displaced by more wealthy people. These (white) bars displaced/ran out the historical (brown) residents of Rainey Street. The gentrification card really can't be used here against Ziegler Cooper.

corvairkeith · #**422** Posted **Apr 2, 2014, 8:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MightyYoda

I would like to see the bungalows kept where it doesn't make financial sense to build a highrise and/or moved to East Austin where the scale is more appropriate. The plus side to these places is they can all be moved to a new location and preserve the character.

For the most part these bungalows are being moved rather than torn down. I don't know where they are being moved too but at least the structures are being saved.

austlar1 · #**423** Posted **Apr 2, 2014, 9:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

Gentrification isn't when (white) local businesses are displaced. It's when poor less wealthy people are displaced by more wealthy people. These (white) bars displaced/ran out the historical (brown) residents of Rainey Street. The gentrification card really can't be used here against Ziegler Cooper.

Some of the "brown" and "white" property owners did quite well selling their property on Rainey. As early as 2000, one developer was offering $400,000 per parcel plus free re-location of the structure to wherever the owner wanted it relocated. That was an offer to the entire neighborhood that was not met with much success at the time. There were several "white" residents on Rainey Street in the period leading up to the creation of all the bars. Some were long time residents and others were more recent artist/bohemian types. I think the racial mix of the street circa 2000 was probably 2/3rds Hispanic and 1/3rd Anglo.

I took a look at Rainey this afternoon. I have a feeling that a few of the bar/restaurant operations will survive into the future. Also, the new two story container bar is likely to be a survivor for quite a while. It is very interesting looking. Since Rainey is being developed parcel by parcel, it is likely that change there will be fairly organic and take place over a period of one or two decades. I think the scale of the Millennium project is right for the street, and the street level store fronts should offer a variety of neighborhood services. That is a good thing. I would like to see some taller buildings at the northern end of the street where the large vacant lot and the IHOP currently exist. I am also hoping that the Waller Creek project comes to pass. This would make an impressive transition from leafy Rainey St. into downtown.

Finally, I have a question or two about the construction sites on East Ave. Is the large cleared area on East Ave near the Millennium site. going to be the location of the recently announced mid-rise hotel? Is the smaller cleared lot to the south going to be the site of the little boutique hotel that was announced some time ago?

Jdawgboy · #**424** Posted **Apr 3, 2014, 5:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Finally, I have a question or two about the construction sites on East Ave. Is the large cleared area on East Ave near the Millennium site. going to be the location of the recently announced mid-rise hotel? Is the smaller cleared lot to the south going to be the site of the little boutique hotel that was announced some time ago?

If your talking about the empty lot between East and the southbound frontage road, thats all Millinum right there. Theres even a sign facing the access road with the Millinum rendering on it. Yes it will cover two blocks and I would think East Avenue through there will be removed which is another reason why I don't like that project.

JoninATX · #**425** Posted **Apr 3, 2014, 3:26 PM**

I'll be there next Wednesday, so I'll ask one of the foreman where the Bungalows are being moved to.

austlar1 · #**426** Posted **Apr 3, 2014, 5:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

If your talking about the empty lot between East and the southbound frontage road, thats all Millinum right there. Theres even a sign facing the access road with the Millinum rendering on it. Yes it will cover two blocks and I would think East Avenue through there will be removed which is another reason why I don't like that project.

Yeah, I guess I am talking about the Millenium (sp?) project. That sucker is going to be huge. It will close off the alley that runs behind Rainey. I guess they had to get approval for that.

I took a second drive through the area this afternoon. Looks like the Millenium project will have new hotel neighbors mid-block and at the south end of the block on East Ave. The mid rise Homewood Suites project is supposed to be built at 78 and 80 East Ave. and the Kimber Modern Rainey is underway (they have cleared the lot and put up fencing anyway) down at the southern end of the same block. The Kimber Modern location is surprisingly quiet given that it is just off of IH35. I think this is a pretty good mix for East Ave., which is essentially a service road for IH35 at this point.

KevinFromTexas · #**427** Posted **Apr 4, 2014, 4:22 AM**

Homewood Suites Hotels, they aren't all bad:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=205446

GoldenBoot · #**428** Posted **Apr 4, 2014, 9:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Homewood Suites Hotels, they aren't all bad:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=205446

That's a dual brand hotel (Hilton Garden Inn & Homewood Suites). I'm not sure if the one proposed for Rainey is dual as well.

Either way, I hope it looks that good. However, I have my doubts.

audiomuse · #**429** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 1:22 AM**

Anyone know what's under construction at 605 W. 4th St. across from La Zona Rosa?

LoneStarMike · #**430** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 2:00 AM**

^^I think it might be the Cirrus Logic Research Facility.

(See C84 on the emerging projects map

I noticed that one of the signs at that site is for STG Design. I happened to go to their website and found these two proposed(?) projects "in progress" but I don't recall hearing anything about them.

Capitol Study
Austin, TX
200,000 sq ft

And a second one:

CBD Study
Austin, TX
216,000 sq ft

Does anyone know anything about either one of these?

JoninATX · #**431** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 2:39 AM**

Thanks LoneStarMike! The top rendering I believe is for the lot east of the William P Clements State office building on 15th & Lavaca. There was an early version of the project that had a few more details. The 2nd one is off West St. Remember they had a similar project years ago but got shot down due to the nimbies thought it was to tall.

JoninATX · #**432** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 2:56 AM**

Quote:

audiomuse Anyone know what's under construction at 605 W. 4th St. across from La Zona Rosa?

http://neihiglass.com/exterior/

KevinFromTexas · #**433** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 5:00 AM**

Rainey Street parking and traffic improvement proposals

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/140417/PLANS/Rainey%20Street.pdf

austlar1 · #**434** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 7:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Rainey Street parking and traffic improvement proposals

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/140417/PLANS/Rainey%20Street.pdf

The maps of the area in this PDF label Waller Creek as being Shoal Creek. That is not very accurate to say the least.

lzppjb · #**435** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 2:53 PM**

http://www.kvue.com/entertainment/Way-So...ig-entertainment-district-253990471.html

"Awesome, TX" or "Way South Austin" the next Rainey Street? This is my neck of the woods.

Novacek · #**436** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 3:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

http://www.kvue.com/entertainment/Way-So...ig-entertainment-district-253990471.html

"Awesome, TX" or "Way South Austin" the next Rainey Street? This is my neck of the woods.

The next Rainey? No way in hell.
Rainey was central, this is way the hell out there. There's minimal transit, way less population density, etc.

This article is two guys who own property out there trying to talk it up.

lzppjb · #**437** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 3:44 PM**

It's already one of the busiest bars in Austin. More are coming. And there is a nice food trailer park.

Syndic · #**438** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 4:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

http://www.kvue.com/entertainment/Way-So...ig-entertainment-district-253990471.html

"Awesome, TX" or "Way South Austin" the next Rainey Street? This is my neck of the woods.

As someone who lives in "Way North Austin", this is practically in a completely different city than me. As a lifelong North Austinite, Way South Austin is strange and foreign to me. I seems like the neglected and forgotten part of Austin where no one ever goes. But this looks cool. I'm all for new entertainment districts popping up. I do like that it's more relaxed and carefree, but I think somewhere more central would be a better replacement for Rainey Street. Somewhere people from all over Austin can get to easily. This is more of a place just for South Austinites.

"Awesome, TX" is a bad name, though. It's really corny and dorky, and makes it sound like it's not part of Austin.

lzppjb · #**439** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 5:17 PM**

Agreed. I don't think it's meant to replace Rainey, it's just being compared to it. And I think the reporter is the one who made the comparison, not the owners.

And it's funny that you say South Austin is foreign to you. I feel the same way about North Austin.

kingkirbythe.... · #**440** Posted **Apr 5, 2014, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

"Awesome, TX" is a bad name, though. It's really corny and dorky, and makes it sound like it's not part of Austin.

I know. It should be Aus-some, TX!