AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I miss the pedestrian activity that used to be very busy in that area at night. Now it's a noman's land on weekends. For all the progress and new towers that have gone up, I feel that we have also lost, (and continuing to lose) an important part of why DT Austin was popular in the first place, the extensive nightlife. 5-10 years ago, the whole stretch of 5th between Congress and Guadalupe used to be filled with people on Friday and Saturday nights to the point where it was hard to stay on the sidewalks. It's no more than a memory now. Even Colorado between 5th and 3rd is nowhere near as busy as it once was, as they partly relied on the foot traffic from 5th. One by one clubs, bars and restaurants are being replaced by non-entertainment businesses. Noticed last week what used to be an upstairs club on Colorado next to Frank's is being taken over by Wal-Mart... Of all things. It's sad because it used to be so much fun in that area. Was much more cosmopolitan with people everywhere. Now it feels like the cosmopolitan vibe is all but disappeared. These vanishing venues have a rippling effect on surrounding entertainment spots. Less people going DT means less business for everyone and at a time when rents are skyrocketing. The city needs to do something about it quickly or it will be lost.

They all just moved to Rainey Street. I always felt that west 6th was a bit crazy with autos and drunks mixing it up. I lived at 404 Rio Grande in one of those town homes that face West Ave. It was a FUN time, to be sure. Marc Katz was my neighbor. Ahhh, to be young again!

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by Dcbrickley

They all just moved to Rainey Street. I always felt that west 6th was a bit crazy with autos and drunks mixing it up. I lived at 404 Rio Grande in one of those town homes that face West Ave. It was a FUN time, to be sure. Marc Katz was my neighbor. Ahhh, to be young again!

I miss Katz's Deli. Used to walk over with my friends after a long night of clubbing and we'd eat and chat till like 5:30-6 a.m. Those were the days. I know there's a 24 hour restaurant by 6th and Lamar but we really need one in DT closer to Congress. That's something I've felt that we've been needing for awhile.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I miss the pedestrian activity that used to be very busy in that area at night. Now it's a noman's land on weekends. For all the progress and new towers that have gone up, I feel that we have also lost, (and continuing to lose) an important part of why DT Austin was popular in the first place, the extensive nightlife. 5-10 years ago, the whole stretch of 5th between Congress and Guadalupe used to be filled with people on Friday and Saturday nights to the point where it was hard to stay on the sidewalks. It's no more than a memory now. Even Colorado between 5th and 3rd is nowhere near as busy as it once was, as they partly relied on the foot traffic from 5th. One by one clubs, bars and restaurants are being replaced by non-entertainment businesses. Noticed last week what used to be an upstairs club on Colorado next to Frank's is being taken over by Wal-Mart... Of all things (not sure if its going to be a store or offices). It's sad because it used to be so much fun in that area. Was much more cosmopolitan with people everywhere. Now it feels like the cosmopolitan vibe is all but disappeared. These vanishing venues have a rippling effect on surrounding entertainment spots. Less people going DT means less business for everyone and at a time when rents are skyrocketing. The city needs to do something about it quickly or it will be lost.

Except for Antone's (and Lucky Lounge and Red Fez for a time), none of the older bars in that area were ever really that successful or unique. Of the latest ones, Rebel's seemed to always be packed on the weekends, but generally, the places on the SW corner of 5th and Lavaca have never been stable. I can't really remember a time when that stretch didn't have turnover. It has had nothing to do with redevelopment. (That may be a reason to redevelop that corner.) The old foot traffic was more of a combination of less successful places pooling it all together.

I agree that it's a bit dead there now, but I wouldn't fret too much. The old Antone's location is being replaced with Spin. That will surely bring a lot of foot traffic. The old Lucky/Fez/Gordough's look as if they are currently being renovated. I don't know if that will be part of Spin or something else. If the SW corner is redeveloped, it will most likely have ground floor space that will replace what's there. A new development could finally bring stability to that corner. The SE corner of 5th and Guadalupe will be getting something new soon too.

Hopefully, The Roosevelt Room doesn't sell out. It has proven to be successful. I see no reason why that would wane anytime soon...despite the changes in the area.

There's still a fair amount going on around Colorado. But ever since the Alamo Drafthouse left that upstairs spot on Colorado, it has been a revolving door of failed clubs/bars. I'm not a big Wal-Mart person, but I wouldn't mind the opening of an urban/mini Wal-Mart there. It could finally make that location stable again. And it would bring some diversity to an area that is pretty much all bars and restaurants.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I miss the pedestrian activity that used to be very busy in that area at night. Now it's a noman's land on weekends. For all the progress and new towers that have gone up, I feel that we have also lost, (and continuing to lose) an important part of why DT Austin was popular in the first place, the extensive nightlife. 5-10 years ago, the whole stretch of 5th between Congress and Guadalupe used to be filled with people on Friday and Saturday nights to the point where it was hard to stay on the sidewalks. It's no more than a memory now. Even Colorado between 5th and 3rd is nowhere near as busy as it once was, as they partly relied on the foot traffic from 5th. One by one clubs, bars and restaurants are being replaced by non-entertainment businesses. Noticed last week what used to be an upstairs club on Colorado next to Frank's is being taken over by Wal-Mart... Of all things (not sure if its going to be a store or offices). It's sad because it used to be so much fun in that area. Was much more cosmopolitan with people everywhere. Now it feels like the cosmopolitan vibe is all but disappeared. These vanishing venues have a rippling effect on surrounding entertainment spots. Less people going DT means less business for everyone and at a time when rents are skyrocketing. The city needs to do something about it quickly or it will be lost.

Yeah, but none of those bars ever lasted. Even in my younger clubbing days those spaces were a revolving door of bars that lasted less than a year. Lucky Lounge was the only real "success" in that area, and it went out of business.

The emergence of West 6th killed whatever was left of that area followed by Rainey street. Now there is a tilt towards upscale restaurants in the area which makes sense given the office building mix nearby.

The upstairs bar you mentioned was also a revolving door of bad bottle service clubs that couldn't stay open. The last successful business in that building was Alamo Drafthouse and since they relocated nothing in that space has ever worked.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Yeah, but none of those bars ever lasted. Even in my younger clubbing days those spaces were a revolving door of bars that lasted less than a year. Lucky Lounge was the only real "success" in that area, and it went out of business.

The emergence of West 6th killed whatever was left of that area followed by Rainey street. Now there is a tilt towards upscale restaurants in the area which makes sense given the office building mix nearby.

The upstairs bar you mentioned was also a revolving door of bad bottle service clubs that couldn't stay open. The last successful business in that building was Alamo Drafthouse and since they relocated nothing in that space has ever worked.

The old Drafthouse really isn't a good club venue anyway - the outdoor area is at the front when you walk in, whereas I feel like more successful clubs in the area have their patios out back. Same issue with Seller's/ the former Castro's. That building has also been about 4-5 different venues over the last 10-12 years. Just not good club spaces to begin with.

[Urbannizer]

4-Story Apartment Project to Break Ground by McCallum High School

https://www.nrpconstruction.com/Home/ProjectDetail/1a6dcb00-e0ab-4238-b7bb-7bea5fae3f46

A San Diego, California developer is ready to break ground on a four-story, 383-unit apartment structure on a retired Honda dealership lot next to McCallum High School.

Ledcor Properties of Ledcor Group--a San Diego-based acquisition/development/property management firm in office, residential and retail real estate--is proceeding through Koenig Lane Development Partners LP (the local ownership entity) with plans to build a multifamily structure that will have 345,000 gross square feet.

The building will face Koenig Lane and has an address of 1301 W. Koenig Lane. It is between Woodrow Avenue and Grover Avenue. A four-story 157,420-gross-square-foot parking garage that will be constructed of cast-in-place concrete will be situated to the rear of the apartment facilities in wrap-around style to screen it from view.

The garage will have space for 462 motor vehicles and 24 bicycles, access to each level of the apartment building, and ingress/egress from Gover Avenue and Koenig.

Estimated cost of the project has been reported as $48 million. Interested subcontractors may only submit bids to invited general contractors. See VBX Project ID 2017-A6CB. Bids are due Dec. 19.

[Sigaven]

I was wondering when something was gonna happen to the Honda dealership. I wonder if the bowling alley behind it will also be affected?

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

I was wondering when something was gonna happen to the Honda dealership. I wonder if the bowling alley behind it will also be affected?

It better not. Dart Bowl is an Austin institution.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

It better not. Dart Bowl is an Austin institution.

Word

[drummer]

It is good to see more units in Central Austin. The obvious corridors of Lamar and North Burnet have seen a lot of growth. Koenig and other E/W corridors will help to tie some of that together - and, in this case, over to the Highland Mall area as it becomes more developed over time.

[wwmiv]

If only DPS would re-build their campus in an urban style framework, or relocate entirely allowing an urban node to be developed.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

It is good to see more units in Central Austin. The obvious corridors of Lamar and North Burnet have seen a lot of growth. Koenig and other E/W corridors will help to tie some of that together - and, in this case, over to the Highland Mall area as it becomes more developed over time.

There aren't many suitable parcels for redevelopment outside those on these three short corridors:

Koenig between Grover and I-35
35th/38th between Lawton and Speedway
Anderson between MoPac and 183

[gabetx]

Does anybody know what is going on at Montopolis/ E Riverside? The trees have been cleared out in the southwest corner of the intersection and the area has been prepped all the way up to the new Radius apartments.

I am wondering if it is more apartments or maybe a shopping center.

[KevinFromTexas]

So...I noticed there's a site plan listed for the "City of Austin Planning and Development". This seems to be new construction. The address is 6310 WILHELMINA, and Google keeps redirecting to the Delco Center location in East Austin. Could it be that they're vacating One Texas Center on Barton Springs Road? If that's the case, I wonder if One Texas Center will be redeveloped.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/p...=11820423&t_selected_propertyrsn=5464855

If One Texas Center along with its garage and surface parking were to go away, plus the Threadgills across the street (they had mentioned they were moving), plus that three story Extended Stay Hotel south of the One Texas Center, that would be quite an area of redevelopment. It would even be a decent location for a stadium.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

So...I noticed there's a site plan listed for the "City of Austin Planning and Development". This seems to be new construction. The address is 6310 WILHELMINA, and Google keeps redirecting to the Delco Center location in East Austin. Could it be that they're vacating One Texas Center on Barton Springs Road? If that's the case, I wonder if One Texas Center will be redeveloped.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/p...=11820423&t_selected_propertyrsn=5464855

If One Texas Center along with its garage and surface parking were to go away, plus the Threadgills across the street (they had mentioned they were moving), plus that three story Extended Stay Hotel south of the One Texas Center, that would be quite an area of redevelopment. It would even be a decent location for a stadium.

I think my neighbors would riot in the streets and burn everything down.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

So...I noticed there's a site plan listed for the "City of Austin Planning and Development". This seems to be new construction. The address is 6310 WILHELMINA, and Google keeps redirecting to the Delco Center location in East Austin. Could it be that they're vacating One Texas Center on Barton Springs Road? If that's the case, I wonder if One Texas Center will be redeveloped.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/p...=11820423&t_selected_propertyrsn=5464855

If One Texas Center along with its garage and surface parking were to go away, plus the Threadgills across the street (they had mentioned they were moving), plus that three story Extended Stay Hotel south of the One Texas Center, that would be quite an area of redevelopment. It would even be a decent location for a stadium.

I have it on reasonably good authority that Threadgills isn't going anywhere. The owner was just looking for some of that Maria's Taco Express free press and didn't really get it. :p

I personally don't care as 1) Their food is bad 2) Most people think it *is* the old Armadillo World HQ. 3) The original location is on North Lamar, this one is from what... the 90s?

But It's going to live to see another day.

I would imagine One Texas Center would just be rented to someone else if the city vacated. It's ugly, but it's pretty large bit of office space.

[drummer]

I would be okay if the surface lots facing the streets around One Texas Center were redeveloped...they do have a giant garage, so the surface lots could be repurposed.

I also have a hard time seeing Threadgills going anywhere any time soon. I have this on no authority whatsoever, so who knows? I'm just glad the Hooters triangle lot is finally going to be developed.

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

If only DPS would re-build their campus in an urban style framework, or relocate entirely allowing an urban node to be developed.

That whole section is doomed to be forever stuck in the past. The state is not a good steward of our land from an efficient land use perspective.

On top of that a huge, prime corner of Koenig/Lamar is dedicated to the North Austin Reservoir. If we were to ever vacate that spot, nothing less than a 7 story mixed use residential should go there (a la Echo at the Triangle but with some retail). There's no SF residential directly adjacent to complain about it.

There's a MetroRapid station sitting right in front of that spot. A lot of McCallum students use it, but beyond that how many DPS workers or Brentwood residents do?

[We vs us]

Another great post from Austin Towers, this one about the metro rail station expansion at the Convention Center. Some good pics I haven’t seen before.

[We vs us]

Dang. Lesson: don’t post from your iPhone.