Domain/North Austin Development Updates

[H2O]

These type of large-scale, mixed-use, live, work, play centers are now the dominant form of retail in the country. Almost nobody is building large indoor malls anymore. In fact, many of the large indoor malls are being redeveloped to include a broad range of dense mixed uses. Highland is our obvious example, but they are exploding all over the place. The Domain is really three separate typical developments located on one former office park and is probably already one of the largest of its type in the country. With the addition of Broadmoor/Uptown and other peripheral development in the NB/G District, it will certainly be one of the most impressive in the country.

[Mopacs]

Extensive article published yesterday at Community Impact

https://communityimpact.com/austin/n...e-rail-commute

The city of Austin is looking to update its North Burnet/Gateway 2035 Plan, a comprehensive plan originally created in 2006 to make a second downtown in North Austin.

The plan has gone through many updates, but the city is planning to further modify it to include a transit hub with train and bus lines for commuters to access downtown and other parts of Greater Austin. The updated plan includes increasing density in mixed-use buildings and amending rules and codes to accelerate development.

[Syndic]

Well that is timely.

Also, the "Gateway" portion of North Burnet/Gateway is... let's admit it... a little ambitious/irrelevant/separate. Let's agree to drop it from the name and just call this area North Burnet (NoBu for short?).

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Well that is timely.

Also, the "Gateway" portion of North Burnet/Gateway is... let's admit it... a little ambitious/irrelevant/separate. Let's agree to drop it from the name and just call this area North Burnet (NoBu for short?).

I agree. The Arboretum/Gateway area is completely separate from The Domain/North Burnet area. And, I like where you were trying to go there too...NoBu. However, I'm pretty sure NOBU Restaurants, Inc may have something to say about that since they own rights to said name.

Anyway...

[Syndic]

Alright, maybe NoBurn instead.

[drummer]

NoBurn sounds like a fire suppressant. How about NorBurn? NorBu?

[lonewolf]

if uptown is a successful development (= #1 parking and public transit node in area) then uptown seems like the eventual naming winner

[We vs us]

I like NorBu. Sounds completely alien. Like a ridiculous blue Marvel character or something.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by We vs us

I like NorBu. Sounds completely alien. Like a ridiculous blue Marvel character or something.

Blue glass, anyone?

[Riverranchdrone]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

I agree. The Arboretum/Gateway area is completely separate from The Domain/North Burnet area. And, I like where you were trying to go there too...NoBu. However, I'm pretty sure NOBU Restaurants, Inc may have something to say about that since they own rights to said name.

Anyway...

So... We are thinking the expansion will only go east across Burnet to Metric? There is no chance of the growth expanding across Mopac to the west along Braker to eventually merge with the Arboretum?

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Well that is timely.

Also, the "Gateway" portion of North Burnet/Gateway is... let's admit it... a little ambitious/irrelevant/separate. Let's agree to drop it from the name and just call this area North Burnet (NoBu for short?).

The critical piece there is the West Pickle tract. When that redevelops I think it will both drive other development on that side and help to make the overall area more contiguous/connected.

Edit/add: Admittedly Mopac will always be a bit of a barrier, but it can be mitigated some. An extension of the zoning to the National Instruments campus and redevelopment there would help (along with improving the bike/pedestrian path there that connects to the Domain)

Best case (baring a miraculous resurrection of the lone star rail) would be to add an inline transit stop on the toll lanes there at Braker. That would not only improve transit access to both sides but improve pedestrian connectivity across)

[Syndic]

I think a massive highway is way too big of a divider to ever make it cohesive between the two. Maybe planning-wise it's helpful to think of them together but practically-speaking, for anyone in the NorBurn area, Gateway feels like a world away. It it not remotely close.

[We vs us]

You said West Pickle.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Syndic

I think a massive highway is way too big of a divider to ever make it cohesive between the two. Maybe planning-wise it's helpful to think of them together but practically-speaking, for anyone in the NorBurn area, Gateway feels like a world away. It it not remotely close.

It’s a pretty easy bike ride or a trivial transit trip. Should we plan on somebody living at West Pickle and working at Uptown, absolutely. Or vice versa. Or taking a feeder bus to the McKalla station and then downtown. Or to a game.

There’s absolutely value in planning it as a cohesive whole (while recognizing the existence of the highway and mitigating it as best we can).

[Syndic]

Originally Posted by Novacek

It’s a pretty easy bike ride or a trivial transit trip. Should we plan on somebody living at West Pickle and working at Uptown, absolutely. Or vice versa. Or taking a feeder bus to the McKalla station and then downtown. Or to a game.

There’s absolutely value in planning it as a cohesive whole (while recognizing the existence of the highway and mitigating it as best we can).

I didn't say anything that contrasts with this.

As I said, planning-wise it makes sense to think of them together but practically-speaking (for the regular person off the street) they're disparate and unrelated for now. Only when/if West Pickle is developed will we be able to think of them being moderately related. For now, Norburn is its own separate thing.

There's not even any development happening in the Gateway portion of this plan.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by Novacek

It’s a pretty easy bike ride or a trivial transit trip. Should we plan on somebody living at West Pickle and working at Uptown, absolutely. Or vice versa. Or taking a feeder bus to the McKalla station and then downtown. Or to a game.

There’s absolutely value in planning it as a cohesive whole (while recognizing the existence of the highway and mitigating it as best we can).

The original regulating plan(s) included this map with future/possible collector street additions. It shows a possible Mopac crossing between York and Longhorn Blvd with a further connection to Rundberg. The map also shows an extension of Capital of Texas highway through the Pickle campus, so that would certainly be long term.

https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/de...g_reg_plan.pdf

[lzppjb]

I'm not into the shortened street names for nicknames (SoCo, SoFi, NorBurn, etc.).

Uptown is fine with me. Something more unique would be better, but I can't think of anything right now.

[Syndic]

I feel like we're witnessing the birth of a bury Mopac movement. But honestly, other than the racial aspect with regards to burying 35 through downtown (which is obviously huge), the rationale is pretty similar here.

Who west of Mopac in this area wouldn't want to see it cut and capped? (Or I guess just capped in some spots) I don't think this is ideal for anyone:

[wwmiv]

Delete

[Mopacs]

Conceptual Longhorn Blvd overpass at Mopac

http://landdesignstudio.com/burnet-gateway