AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[NYC2ATX]

Dear god, I hope so. With the ongoing transformation of South Lamar into a new-urbanist, mixed-used mecca, it irritates me more and more as time goes on that freestanding, one-story fast-food joints even exist over there. If they'd trash a few more of them, I wouldn't be upset.

I also wish that baseball player would stop dragging his feet with the Taco Cabana site. When I saw headlines last year about an athlete dabbling in real estate, I was already rolling my eyes, but this whole "waiting for the market" nonsense is just that: nonsense. If sales opened tomorrow, units would be snapped up at warp speed, and that market may not last. My opinion, develop the building or sell it to someone who will.

Okay, rant over.

[The ATX]

Apparently the Castillian getting a makeover. Here's permit filing from today to demo the facade at 2323 San Antonio:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11287120

[The ATX]

It is rather hideous...


From Streetview

[futures]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

Interesting. That Enterprise Car Rental is at

319 S Lamar

South of that is the Jack in the Box, and to the east of Jack in the Box is that plot of land at 1210 Barton Springs Road. It used to be the location of Jack and Adam's Bicycles before they moved across the street into The Cole. Before that, it was a KFC.

There were plans for 1210 Barton Springs Rd. The proposed project would have been an 80-room hotel, 30 condo units and an art gallery. It was shown on the map (C95) and listed under "planned" in the February 2014 Emerging Projects Report. In May, it dropped off the map, but was still listed as planned. In August it disappeared altogether.

I wonder if someone is slowly trying to piece together those 4 plots - Taco Bell, Enterprise, Jack in the Box and 1210 Barton Springs?

I've talked with the guys at Jack and Adam's and the guys at Enterprise about that Taco Bell lot. Jack and Adam's said that the owner was wanting to develop condos asap on that lot. The Enterprise guys said they'd been told the same. However, since it's been sitting there abandoned (and the fact that they painted the taco bell), makes me think it will sit longer than I'd like.

As far as the Enterprise lot being part of it, the employees there said the lots were different owners and weren't aware of any changes to their lot. But I see no reason why Enterprise or the landowner would necessarily tell the employees of upcoming changes...

Also, the guy that owns the pet shop at 1210 Barton Springs seemed pretty gung ho about his new brick and mortar shop.. who knows.

[futures]

Originally Posted by NYC2ATX

Dear god, I hope so. With the ongoing transformation of South Lamar into a new-urbanist, mixed-used mecca, it irritates me more and more as time goes on that freestanding, one-story fast-food joints even exist over there. If they'd trash a few more of them, I wouldn't be upset.

I also wish that baseball player would stop dragging his feet with the Taco Cabana site. When I saw headlines last year about an athlete dabbling in real estate, I was already rolling my eyes, but this whole "waiting for the market" nonsense is just that: nonsense. If sales opened tomorrow, units would be snapped up at warp speed, and that market may not last. My opinion, develop the building or sell it to someone who will.

Okay, rant over.

Couldn't agree with you more. That Taco Cabana site is by far the most attractive property on S Lamar. The pedestrian bridge from the hip new part of downtown literally walks straight to it, you can walk straight down to town lake, you have unobstructed views of downtown, it's right by auditorium shores, zilker, etc.... It's INSANE that dirt isn't moving on that lot.

[Mart65000]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Anyone know anything about why the Popeye's restaurant at Oltorf & South First closed?

Per Carly of G's Deli across the street; it's being remodeled and becoming a Starbucks.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by Mart65000

Per Carly of G's Deli across the street; it's being remodeled and becoming a Starbucks.

I can't tell if that was a sadistic joke or a telling tale of Austin's gentrification.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by Mart65000

Per Carly of G's Deli across the street; it's being remodeled and becoming a Starbucks.

But aren't there already two coffee places within a short walk of that intersection back down south 1st? I guess Starbucks wants to grab the drive-through crowd. I guess that makes sense.

[KevinFromTexas]

I actually heard a rumor that it was going to be a Starbucks as well, but I took that as sarcasm since another comment suggested it would be condos.

[ToTheSky]

Speaking of fast food joints being shuttered and the property fenced off for reasons unknown, anyone know what's happening with the Wendy's lot on South Lamar? It is located on the NE corner of South Lamar and Panther Tr, due South of the 704 Apartment complex and directly across the street from a project that has a short tower crane working, the name of which I forget. Anyway, it's totally fenced off as though it is to be torn down and redeveloped, hopefully NOT into a Starbucks seeing as they already have a location in the building next door to Sprouts across Lamar!

[sammyk]

Originally Posted by ToTheSky

Speaking of fast food joints being shuttered and the property fenced off for reasons unknown, anyone know what's happening with the Wendy's lot on South Lamar? It is located on the NE corner of South Lamar and Panther Tr, due South of the 704 Apartment complex and directly across the street from a project that has a short tower crane working, the name of which I forget. Anyway, it's totally fenced off as though it is to be torn down and redeveloped, hopefully NOT into a Starbucks seeing as they already have a location in the building next door to Sprouts across Lamar!

Maybe the In n Out is finally coming!

[LoneStarMike]

^^I noticed that Wendy's, too.

Here's the latest re: permit info for the In N Out Burger

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11208307

BTW, the project across the street is known as Eskew Place.

[Homecreek]

Don't get your hopes up too much, several of the Wendy's have been remodeled.

[Mart65000]

Originally Posted by austlar1

But aren't there already two coffee places within a short walk of that intersection back down south 1st? I guess Starbucks wants to grab the drive-through crowd. I guess that makes sense.

I have no inside source whatsoever. She was just pumped because that'd increase their lunch traffic.

I live near there and will use their drive-through regularly. So I hope it's true!

[kwinkles]

Here are some pictures of the development at green water treatment plant, the new library, seaholm, and the new 2nd street bridge.



full-res: http://imgur.com/a/0lEe6

[lzppjb]

DKR Renovations, basketball arena, etc.

Chip Brown had an update on the renovations to the south end zone of DKR and Moncrief-Nuehaus.

According to one of his 'best sources', Chip reported that estimates have been submitted for the renovations that include new football offices that overlook the playing field, new locker room, new training rooms, tearing down the Godzillatron and installing new replay video screens-most likely in the corners of the stadium, and a bunch of new suites in the south end zone.

Chip was told that a reasonable bid of 180 million dollars came in and that Patterson wants to raise 60 million of that before renovations could begin. The remaining 120 million could be bonded with revenue expected from suite sales.

To help raise this 60 million, Patterson is turning to DeLoss Dodds. According to Chip, Patterson knows his shortcomings and is aware that his strengths do not lie in the glad handing and schmoozing that comes with raising money. He is more of a numbers crunching, marketing and licensing guy.

Depending on how long it takes to raise the money, renovations could start by the end of the year.

Also, Brown had an update about the location of the new basketball arena. Word is that it could be built on Lot 80, the parking lot to the east of Jamail Swim Center, which could be demolished to make room.

Chip writes that this 5-8 years down the road and only if the Erwin Center and Cooley Center need to be demolished because of the construction of the new Dell medical school, but as of right now, there are still conversations going on about how the medical school might be built into East Austin, east of Dish Falk. Chip says that is more likely that the Erwin Center is demolished and new sports facilities, such as a new tennis stadium and swim center, and parking lost are built east of Disch Falk.

Chip writes that any construction planned east of Dish Falk would be contingent on UT coming to some agreement with Blackland Community Development Corporation, which represents the residents and business in that East Austin area. Any agreement between the two parties would not happen before June, because Bill Powers vowed not to pursue new development in that area while he is in office. Powers retires in June.

Another interesting note in Chip's piece, at one point under Dodds, UT was interested in building a new downtown arena in partnership with the City of Austin, where UT basketball games would have been played as well as hosting concerts and events. This plan died when UT official told Patterson that moving basketball games off of campus would lose connection with the UT student body and would be a failed venture.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business...acebook_2014_sfp#ce6f9d99.3643024.735634

Rebirth planned for 1930s South Congress warehouse
Posted: 4:57 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015

By Shonda Novak - American-Statesman Staff

A vacant, eight-decade-old warehouse at South Congress Avenue and Barton Springs Road is about to get a makeover that the new owner says will help attract office tenants and restaurant or retail users to the site.

Austin-based Cielo Property Group recently bought the 25,000 square foot building, at 220 South Congress Ave., for an undisclosed price and will launch a major renovation soon.

Constructed in 1936, the building has been empty since a high-end furniture store, Your Living Room, closed in 2009. Since then, new residential and commercial projects have sprung up in the area, adding to the appeal of the location, Cielo officials said.

[lzppjb]

Very cool!

[paul78701]

The DKR Wikipedia page has a section on the Future south end zone expansion. Here's a snippet:

The stadium's final seating capacity is expected to be between 115,500 and 125,000 when the south end zone is fully enclosed, supplanting The University of Michigan's Michigan Stadium as the largest football stadium in North America and also becoming the second largest stadium in the world.

Here's the List of American football stadiums by capacity.

It looks as if it will be second or third on the List of stadiums by capacity. Either way, it should be quite impressive!

[lzppjb]

That's old info. The newest plans call for more luxury suites and not much of an expansion of total seats. Also read that they want a club on the top level with views of downtown and the field.