AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 114

Urbannizer · #**2261** Posted **Jul 13, 2015, 10:48 PM**

Space 24 Twenty

A new retail concept by Urban Outfitters. Space 24 Twenty will feature 15,000 square ft or retail, restaurants, a courtyard and live music. There are only two other retail concepts like this by Urban. Opening date is set for Fall 2015.

Sorry for the poor images, they were taken from a booklet.

A few buildings have already been cleared from the site, most sat vacant.

The ATX · #**2262** Posted **Jul 14, 2015, 9:33 AM**

A zoning change request was filed yesterday to change the zoning of the 1500 block of Nueces to Downtown Mixed Use. Here's the filing:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11384504

Here's the site as seen on Streetview:

Urbannizer · #**2263** Posted **Jul 17, 2015, 8:46 AM**

Fencing and a trailer has been set up on the former site of Marimont Cafeteria. Not sure what's going to be being built here.

austlar1 · #**2264** Posted **Jul 17, 2015, 7:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Fencing and a trailer has been set up on the former site of Marimont Cafeteria. Not sure what's going to be being built here.

It's about time for that parcel to get something new. It is a prime piece of real estate and currently kind of an eyesore. Too bad those butt ugly power lines and huge concerte poles (just out of view on the left in the pic above) tower over everything in that area.

The ATX · #**2265** Posted **Jul 20, 2015, 12:05 AM**

Here's my latest count of tower cranes around Downtown. This is what I counted on Friday. Does anyone have any updates for the list?

U.T. Dell Medical Center - 8
U.T. School of Engineering - 2
U.T. Rowling Hall Business School - 2
U.T. System Headquarters - 2
Seaholm Development Site - 2
Green Water Development Site - 3
Millennium Rainey Apartments - 1
Fairmont Hotel - 3
Hotel Indigo - 1
Aspen Heights Apartments - 1
5th & Colorado Offices - 1
East Side Village Apartments -1
University House Apartments - 1

Total = 28

The ATX · #**2266** Posted **Jul 20, 2015, 5:07 PM**

Here's a filing from today for a CVC height determination for 701 Red River. This is where Elysium is:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11387864

Jdawgboy · #**2267** Posted **Jul 20, 2015, 10:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

Here's a filing from today for a CVC height determination for 701 Red River. This is where Elysium is:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11387864

Ugh not another music venue! There are plenty of empty surface parking lots still, they need to leave the entertainment venues alone.

The ATX · #**2268** Posted **Jul 20, 2015, 10:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Ugh not another music venue! There are plenty of empty surface parking lots still, they need to leave the entertainment venues alone.

If I had my way the city would protect the Red River, Rainey St. and what's left of the warehouse district with zoning; then have no height restrictions on everything else outside of the CVCs.

KevinFromTexas · #**2269** Posted **Jul 20, 2015, 11:20 PM**

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/r...k-tour-the-new-littlefield-lofts-in.html

Quote:

Sneak peek: Tour the new Littlefield Lofts in downtown Austin (Slideshow)
Jul 20, 2015, 2:03pm CDT

Jan Buchholz
Senior Staff Writer
Austin Business Journal

The Littlefield Lofts short-term rental project is open, and Austin Business Journal has the first look inside the redeveloped space at East Sixth and Brazos Street.

As ABJ first reported earlier this year, Owner Chereen Fisher, through her company Top Trip Rentals, invested more than $2 million to transform 24 units in the quirky property that for years has included apartments, retail shops and the Littlefield Garage.

The property is near the center of downtown across the street from The Driskill hotel. Prices at non-peak times are an almost unheard of $199 a night and includes full kitchens.

ahealy · #**2270** Posted **Jul 21, 2015, 3:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

Here's a filing from today for a CVC height determination for 701 Red River. This is where Elysium is:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11387864

O Cool, another venue is closing

I'm really hoping my fear of elysium shuttering for some vertical KB home/is just a bad dream. What will all the hotel bodies visit on RR when they arrive? Other hotel lobbies?

drummer · #**2271** Posted **Jul 21, 2015, 7:35 AM**

The only way I'd support taking up music venues is working new replacements into the designs of these towers. Obviously, that'd be a big undertaking (structural designs, acoustics, keeping the noise level down for residents/hotel guests, etc.), but I think it could actually work out in the favor of the developers and still keep music downtown for everyone. I agree with others' thought on here - music is one of the reasons Austin is Austin.

KevinFromTexas · #**2272** Posted **Jul 21, 2015, 6:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummer

The only way I'd support taking up music venues is working new replacements into the designs of these towers. Obviously, that'd be a big undertaking (structural designs, acoustics, keeping the noise level down for residents/hotel guests, etc.), but I think it could actually work out in the favor of the developers and still keep music downtown for everyone. I agree with others' thought on here - music is one of the reasons Austin is Austin.

Of course they could. The W Hotel & Residences figured it out. Granted they had a full block to work with, but most of these places don't need a large space like the Moody Theatre, so they should be able to figure something out. I wish that these kind of spaces were considered more often for projects that have part of their property within a CVC so that the venue could occupy the space under the corridor while allowing the tower to rise on the portion that isn't prohibited by the CVC.

drummer · #**2273** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 2:20 AM**

The W is a great example. Of course, more smaller venues is actually better for the music industry at large because most shows are smaller anyway - especially for up-and-coming musicians. Other musicians simply prefer more intimate performances. In any case, I wish there was some sort of encouragement from the city to include these ideas in developments - it could be seen as improving the city at large from a cultural and an economic standpoint.

the Genral · #**2274** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 2:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummer

The W is a great example. Of course, more smaller venues is actually better for the music industry at large because most shows are smaller anyway - especially for up-and-coming musicians. Other musicians simply prefer more intimate performances. In any case, I wish there was some sort of encouragement from the city to include these ideas in developments - it could be seen as improving the city at large from a cultural and an economic standpoint.

With over 530 bars / restaurants in Austin with 50 or so on 6th st., tourists won't really notice the attrition of a handful to developement, not the way we do, especially some of the well known favorites. I know not all of them are live music venues, but there are still a plethera of those around town. I'm not sure the COA feels the need to encourage developers to add more even if we lose a few more.

pscajunguy · #**2275** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Genral

With over 530 bars / restaurants in Austin with 50 or so on 6th st., tourists won't really notice the attrition of a handful to developement, not the way we do, especially some of the well known favorites. I know not all of them are live music venues, but there are still a plethera of those around town. I'm not sure the COA feels the need to encourage developers to add more even if we lose a few more.

I totally agree with you. Who needs culture? We need far more Hyatt Places for Austin to be a normal city. Long live the Cultural Revolution! We need our very own Gang of Four. Perhaps we could start with Laura Pressley? Oh, and let's not forget Alex Jones. Let's return Austin to the People who will make it truly great...our famous conspiracy theorists! Everybody has live music, but only WE have Laura Pressley and Alex Jones!

The ATX · #**2276** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 3:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pscajunguy

I totally agree with you. Who needs culture? We need far more Hyatt Places for Austin to be a normal city. Long live the Cultural Revolution! We need our very own Gang of Four. Perhaps we could start with Laura Pressley? Oh, and let's not forget Alex Jones. Let's return Austin to the People who will make it truly great...our famous conspiracy theorists! Everybody has live music, but only WE have Laura Pressley and Alex Jones!

Far right ringers like those two help keep it weird too.

The ATX · #**2277** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 3:40 AM**

The recent hysteria about music venues seems to be about clubs and new projects not getting along - not about clubs actually closing. The Austin Music Hall looks like it will close for sure, but that's not the same as a popular nightclub that has live music almost every night of the week.

Tech House · #**2278** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 2:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

O Cool, another venue is closing

I'm really hoping my fear of elysium shuttering for some vertical KB home/is just a bad dream. What will all the hotel bodies visit on RR when they arrive? Other hotel lobbies?

Thanks for providing some comic relief to the sad demise of Austin's downtown music scene. Hopefully the city can get its act together to establish a safer zone for this essential component of our culture and reputation. Is the Red River cultural district just a meaningless name designed to create an appearance that the city cares about anything that has historically defined its character?

Quote:

Originally Posted by pscajunguy

Let's return Austin to the People who will make it truly great...our famous conspiracy theorists! Everybody has live music, but only WE have Laura Pressley and Alex Jones!

Yeah, we keep losing the wrong oddballs. I really miss Leslie Cochran and Jennifer Gale, and the many musicians who've died before their time. Whereas, if these conspiracy nutters would realize that Austin is a hotbed of socialist gun-disliking, ecofascist Obama-voting spies for the New World Order, maybe they'd move to their own colony somewhere out by Marfa.

Tech House · #**2279** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 2:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Of course they could. The W Hotel & Residences figured it out. Granted they had a full block to work with, but most of these places don't need a large space like the Moody Theatre, so they should be able to figure something out. I wish that these kind of spaces were considered more often for projects that have part of their property within a CVC so that the venue could occupy the space under the corridor while allowing the tower to rise on the portion that isn't prohibited by the CVC.

While the W is a great contribution to the music scene, it would be more in keeping with Austin's quirky indy scene to preserve as many of the unique funky venues as possible. This is what really struck me when I first moved to Austin in 1990, that every imaginable type of space was being utilized for live music. I recall the first time I walked "into" a venue that was just a space between two buildings, a vacant lot with no roof. I'd never seen such a thing.

Replacing funky weird venues with slick sterile corporate venues is a form of gentrification we can ill afford if we want to remain attractive to the creative types who've helped make Austin a destination for musicians looking to find a unique community where their talents can blossom.

I was so proud of us when the Hard Rock Cafe failed to find success here. That spoke volumes about Austin. The investors in that deal probably thought this would be the perfect market for it, because they didn't understand Austin. But I fear that a Hard Rock Cafe is becoming increasingly viable here.

MichaelB · #**2280** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 5:32 PM**

Dreading the next wave of cool old spaces going away. I've been kinda oK unil now.
The buiding Elysium is in has a really cool history.
I'll withhold that and see what folks find. ( yes, A homework assignment !)
I really don't think we've seen "Hysteria" yet.
But I'm hoping people in Austin will wake up... and we will!