AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by austin242

Portland seems to manage to have everything. However Portland has a buck ton more retail and rail.

Imagine what Austin could have achieved on the transportation front if it had enjoyed a supportive state government and not one that was outright hostile.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by mtb_jeremy

I figure that will be more and more the case over time. Less new local places will be in downtown than in the past. People staying in hotels downtown will often take what is convenient for meals over other choices.

Second Bar was definitely a casualty of the pandemic -- a ton of their Congress business came from either tourists or office workers. When all that evaporated, they did, too. (And worth noting that as a smallish local business, they didn't have the deep corporate pockets to make it through, like Fogo probably has).

But don't give up on local places. It may take some time for them to sprout back up, but the demand for them is definitely growing, and piece by piece, as tourism, and convention business, and downtown workers slowly come back, so will our local stuff. Not to mention our growing downtown residential pop.

And FYI, there is NOT a demand for Fogo. The people who come to Austin want a unique Austin experience -- they specifically come from far and wide to see our local stuff -- and of course Fogo is the exact opposite of that. Not even really sure how they survived as long as they did by the CC -- I have to assume that one way or another they're not going to last long on 2nd Street.

[Urbannizer]

https://www.austintexas.gov/news/lis...roup-announced

The Planning Commission working group tasked to review and propose Vertical Mixed Use (VMU) density bonus program amendments is hosting a virtual community listening session on Wednesday, March 16 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. This meeting is an opportunity for the public to share feedback to inform current and future work of the working group members and Planning Commission about the VMUs.

The goal of the listening session is to hear from key stakeholders and community members to amend the VMU density bonus program. The public is encouraged to share the meeting information with anyone from the community who would like to be a part of this conversation. If you cannot join us but would like to share feedback, please feel free to email [email protected] with your comments.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8815028028...ZwUUZrN0FmZz09

[kingkirbythe....]

A Defunct Post Office Ponders Its Future Under Hyde Park’s All-Seeing Eye

https://austin.towers.net/defunct-po...ll-seeing-eye/

The closing of the Hyde Park neighborhood’s “beloved” post office at 4300 Speedway sent shockwaves through one of Austin’s most charming and change-averse districts last year, with the possibility of the 1967 building’s demolition and replacement by something a few floors taller sparking a public discourse over whether the property’s owner and potential developer Blake Thompson of local firm State Street Properties could potentially stand trial in The Hague for the crime of gentrifying a neighborhood where the median listing price for a home approached $850,000 a few months ago.

...

The Historic Landmark Commission approved the post office modifications at its meeting late last month, but the new development across the street might take more effort, requiring rezoning by City Council from its existing residential designation — and the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association strongly opposes this potential zoning change, preferring the hypothetical housing that could someday rise at the parking lot versus the idea of commercial or retail use here now. Adding dense housing to one of the city’s most restrictive neighborhoods is a noble goal, but we’d note that the current zoning constraints on the property would only permit roughly 12 units at the site. Coverage of the project in the fledgeling Hyde Parker Magazine has a better idea:

The owner could build the apartment building with the existing zoning that he has right now or, if he provided affordable housing on site, would be allowed to build up to 60” using an affordable housing option called the Affordability Unlocked ordinance. The Affordability Unlocked ordinance supersedes the exclusionary zoning rules imposed on the site by the NCCD.

— Hyde Parker Magazine, March 2022

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by The ATX

The HLC approved Demo of Venue Lofts on consent. A vote on Demo of the Iron Bear building was postponed until the March meeting.

Iron Bear will be pushing hard for historical designation. The developer is also trying to purchase The Belmont. Apparently the owner will only sell for an “absurd” amount- Iron Bear is hoping a deal isn’t reached.

Rumor also floating around that in the next ~5 years West 4th nightclubs will be in jeopardy..

[chinchaaa]

I really hope 4th St. is protected. That area is more than just some bars.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Rumor also floating around that in the next ~5 years West 4th nightclubs will be in jeopardy..

As hard as that is, I think we've all kind of seen that coming.

I guess I would be surprised if it DIDN'T happen, knowing the velocity of dealmaking in this city.

[enragedcamel]

Man, I check this forum every day for announcements of a second supertall.

When. WHEN?!?

[427MM]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Rumor also floating around that in the next ~5 years West 4th nightclubs will be in jeopardy..

Seems like a good time to finally give unlimited height/FAR bonus (better zoning) to the NW corner of downtown.

[urbancore]

Scrim and contractor signs up at the Old Le Bare on Riverside.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by urbancore

Scrim and contractor signs up at the Old Le Bare on Riverside.

That's not part of the Firestone property, is it? If not, it's right next door.

[gabetx]

Originally Posted by urbancore

Scrim and contractor signs up at the Old Le Bare on Riverside.

What is going on there again? Is that part of the whole Statesman site redevelopment?

[kingkirbythe....]

El Mercado's downtown Austin property sold; site to be redeveloped

https://www.statesman.com/story/busi...ld/7090482001/

After almost three decades, El Mercado Restaurant Uptown will serve its last enchiladas and margaritas on Monday, as the site of the downtown Austin fixture on Lavaca Street is being sold for redevelopment.

Co-owner Tony Villegas said he and his partners have sold the property at 17th and Lavaca streets, where the Tex-Mex restaurant has been operating since 1993.

The buyer is Infra Tech Ventures, a company that is primarily a hotel developer based in Corpus Christi, said Sam Calliham with Harrison-Pearson Associates, who represented Infra Tech in the purchase.

El Mercado's downtown site had been coveted by developers through the years and received other offers. The ultimate sales price — which was "between $8 million and $9 million" — was one he and his partners couldn't pass up, Villegas said.

...

Tony Villegas said that over the past five years, various companies have made offers on the Lavaca Street property.

"But then it heated up about a year ago to the point that we had about seven to eight developers sending us offers," he said in an email.

[Urbannizer]

Texas Bankers Association

[Echostatic]

Good to see anything new being built in that corner of downtown. It's pretty sad over there.

[The ATX]

The tallest lists in the sticky development thread were just updated.

[AusTex]

Thanks The ATX

By this summer;
12 of the top 20, all over 500' tall, will be underway.
7 over 600' tall,
4 over 700' tall,
2 over 800' tall,
1 at 1,022' tall.

For perspective Austin today has only 2 towers over 600'. 7 more will be underway by this summer.

Just WOW! This is sleepy Austin I moved to 29 years ago because it was, well a Big Town/Small City, no traffic at rush hour, the 15 minutes to anywhere rule, and the tallest building built a decade earlier stood at 401'. Now we are talking a DT building boom within a boom. An outright explosion of skyscrapers and a supertall; tallest in Texas. As Grannie would of said, "My Word."

[enragedcamel]

Would love to get a 1200+ footer at some point. That'd truly make us a world-class city, as it would be in the Top 10 tallest in North America.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by enragedcamel

Would love to get a 1200+ footer at some point. That'd truly make us a world-class city, as it would be in the Top 10 tallest in North America.

The old post office block.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by austin242

Portland seems to manage to have everything. However Portland has a buck ton more retail and rail.

I’m pretty late seeing this response, but it strikes me…

99% of the cities in this country would probably say that about Austin. Not the retail and rail, but just seems to get everything.