AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 158

MichaelB · #**3141** Posted **Jun 8, 2016, 2:52 PM**

Note: the buildings on that campus are occupied by many state agencies. Not just the hospital. For years the extra building have been used for other agencies needing room.
The state will have to find or build that extra room as well.
It could certainly be done with less acreage.

HOWEVER:
I would work towards maintaining part of the land as a Park. I would not want to see all of it developed. It will soon be a very needed relief to our density in the center of the city.
I would also work to see the original historical hosiptal maintained (19th century building) It is also on the most open and "park-like" part of the site on the south end.

I'm All about developing the north end. Have at it.

Also of note.... some of the 30s/40s building are used often for movie sites..... there goes part of our loacations list. They would make great lower density conversions to housing and they are on the south end already!

ATX RE Attorney · #**3142** Posted **Jun 8, 2016, 3:39 PM**

I live a stone's throw away from the site across from Camp Mabry. While I know that Tarrytown will elicit little sympathy citywide, our neighborhood has a huge need for retail options now that Tarrytown Center has effectively been closed. Certainly not against preserving some of the acreage for parkland, but the site as a whole is extremely underutilized given it's location and value. Hopefully an agreement which benefits all can be reached.

urbancore · #**3143** Posted **Jun 8, 2016, 4:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATX RE Attorney

but the site as a whole is extremely underutilized given it's location and value.

It currently serves a few hundred patients at any one time.

Definitely need to preserve the cool old buildings, and build another park, although the park at Central Park is underutilized (playground at CM notwithstanding, that place is always packed) The smaller park space at the Triangle across the street is well utilized.

Then fill in as much as reasonably possible, we need much more density. We have less than 1/2 the density of Portland, Or.

We vs us · #**3144** Posted **Jun 8, 2016, 5:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Note: the buildings on that campus are occupied by many state agencies. Not just the hospital. For years the extra building have been used for other agencies needing room.
The state will have to find or build that extra room as well.
It could certainly be done with less acreage.

It's actually amazing how much land is lost to inefficient gov buildings along North Lamar. I've been salivating over an underused parking lot on 51st between Lamar and Guadalupe. It just screams "develop me!"

austlar1 · #**3145** Posted **Jun 8, 2016, 7:52 PM**

Will the State Hospital property be developed and owned by a private outfit, or would the city be involved in the initial ownership of the property? Also, is the park associated with the Central Market development immediately south of ASH owned by the city or by a private entity? I think it would be wonderful to expand that park north onto the ASH campus all the way up to about 42nd St, allowing for entrance to the park from both Guadalupe and Lamar. Ideally it would be a municipal park. The historic original structure would be part of the park. There is really nothing else of architectural significance on the campus. I would love to see an enhanced street grid north of 42nd that connects with Guadalupe, Lamar, and 45th St. with multiple entry points to these busy roadways. It would be a great way to introduce needed density and attracive urban development in the area. Hopefully the Hyde Park crowd would not voice too many objections to some buildings with a bit of height similar to the recent tallish addition to The Triangle just to the north along Lamar, but that is asking a lot of them. I guess this is likely to be a long drawn out process, but with a bit of luck we'll see some nice changes to the ASH area in the coming decade.

urbancore · #**3146** Posted **Jun 8, 2016, 11:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

or would the city be involved in the initial ownership of the property?

I doubt the city will have the cheddar for that lot. If memory serves the city tried to purchase the dirt where the "the Grove" will be......and they couldn't swing it.

I figure this property will be hella-expensive. Maybe the state could do a 99 yr lease to try to keep the city out of the process.

If it goes down, this will be amazing.....no matter how it is developed. I really hate to see underused property in central Austin. I'm looking at you Camp Mabry.

austlar1 · #**3147** Posted **Jun 8, 2016, 11:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dcbrickley

I doubt the city will have the cheddar for that lot. If memory serves the city tried to purchase the dirt where the "the Grove" will be......and they couldn't swing it.

I figure this property will be hella-expensive. Maybe the state could do a 99 yr lease to try to keep the city out of the process.

If it goes down, this will be amazing.....no matter how it is developed. I really hate to see underused property in central Austin. I'm looking at you Camp Mabry.

You are probably right about the city not being able to pay. Too bad because I doubt a private developer is going to be terribly interested in creating a cohesive park space that would hook up with the existing park in the Central Park development. That would be a missed opportunity to create a prized amenity for that area. Still, I think just about anything would be an improvement over what is there now. Ditto for Camp Mabry and the State School parcels. They are screaming for development, which I am sure will be vigorously opposed by affluent neighbors to the south, west, and north of those areas. That is how things are in Austin.

jbssfelix · #**3148** Posted **Jun 9, 2016, 5:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

It's actually amazing how much land is lost to inefficient gov buildings along North Lamar. I've been salivating over an underused parking lot on 51st between Lamar and Guadalupe. It just screams "develop me!"

Glad I'm not the only one that curses that parking lot every day I go by it!

ivanwolf · #**3149** Posted **Jun 9, 2016, 6:10 PM**

Rant: The Domain is not just stupid. There are three shopping areas, housing areas, and office areas thrown around, do not connect (walking) and it takes like 10 stop signs to get to anything. IMHO its really poorly planned.

Tech House · #**3150** Posted **Jun 9, 2016, 8:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanwolf

Rant: The Domain is not just stupid. There are three shopping areas, housing areas, and office areas thrown around, do not connect (walking) and it takes like 10 stop signs to get to anything. IMHO its really poorly planned.

There's a lot not to like about most of the new planned developments. All of them, actually. I can't think of anything that has been built in recent years that even begins to approach the appeal of how cities were built prior to the dominance of the private auto. I'll never understand why grids went out of fashion, being replaced by inefficient tangles of broken spaghetti that go nowhere and force more people to travel longer distances on more-crowded roads. Ugh. All of it. I'm 60, I can't take another decade of this —.

austlar1 · #**3151** Posted **Jun 9, 2016, 9:42 PM**

And yet there are a lot of local SSP forumers who always jump to defend The Domain. I have quit bashing it simply because I don't like to get into — matches here, if I can help it. I even got taken to task for spelling it The Domaine instead of The Domain. Second downtown, indeed. The place is a mess.

Novacek · #**3152** Posted **Jun 9, 2016, 10:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech House

There's a lot not to like about most of the new planned developments. All of them, actually. I can't think of anything that has been built in recent years that even begins to approach the appeal of how cities were built prior to the dominance of the private auto. I'll never understand why grids went out of fashion, being replaced by inefficient tangles of broken spaghetti that go nowhere and force more people to travel longer distances on more-crowded roads. Ugh. All of it. I'm 60, I can't take another decade of this —.

It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than just more suburban sprawl.

As I've said, its greatest potential is as a starting point for more organic development of the greater North Burnet/Gateway area.

I've certainly never had any problems walking it, though. And there may be 10 stop signs in the _entire_ development.

It's actually fairly well-grided, at a pedestrian scale (though sometimes that requires walking through stores, like —'s).

the Genral · #**3153** Posted **Jun 10, 2016, 1:12 AM**

I can take it or leave it, it does seem a little disjointed. But it still amazes me because I spent almost 20 years on that property when it was covered in IBM sprawl. At the time, it would have been inconceivable that it would have turned into this. At least it is a halfway decent repurpose.

lzppjb · #**3154** Posted **Jun 10, 2016, 2:54 AM**

I've never stepped foot in/on The Domain.

Mdlx · #**3155** Posted **Jun 10, 2016, 3:33 AM**

As someone who visits the domain all the time, I will say the biggest problem I see is the fact that is completely split in two by the high voltage transmission lines which allowed nothing but parking lots to be built underneath. The huge parking lots by macys and dicks just ruins the whole feel.

clubtokyo · #**3156** Posted **Jun 10, 2016, 2:47 PM**

Everytime I have friends visit and they want to go shopping, I take them to the domain, and there always like this place is so cool! They are from bigger cities than Austin, so I mean I think they targeted the right people?

drummer · #**3157** Posted **Jun 11, 2016, 1:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mdlx

As someone who visits the domain all the time, I will say the biggest problem I see is the fact that is completely split in two by the high voltage transmission lines which allowed nothing but parking lots to be built underneath. The huge parking lots by macys and dicks just ruins the whole feel.

This is really the problem (okay, one of them) that I see as well. The only other way to utilize the property under the lines in their current state is parkland, but then they'd need to build another garage or something, which they won't do.

Syndic · #**3158** Posted **Jun 11, 2016, 1:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I've never stepped foot in/on The Domain.

That's a shame. You're missing out. There's a lot of good places (restaurants, bars, etc.) there. I was just there last night, at The Park. Great sports bar with very delicious food.

sammyk · #**3159** Posted **Jun 11, 2016, 5:36 PM**

The Rock Rose strip there is really nice, should be even better when fully built out.

Tech House · #**3160** Posted **Jun 11, 2016, 10:26 PM**

I've been to the Domain many times, and I have a love-hate relationship with it that causes all kinds of internal conflict. It's like having an affair with a — racist. While I'm there, I enjoy the people-watching and pleasant feel of the place, but I feel estranged and guilty about it at the same time.

My choice of analogy is not even remotely apropos because the Domain is easily the most ethnically diverse area of Austin. I'm always stunned to see how many people of all different cultures are there. Capitalism bringing people together for an — of spending. Trade and commerce have brought greater peace to the world than any other force, and as a guilty white liberal I have a problem with that!