Domain/North Austin Development Updates

[PartyLine]

That's what the city is planning on the area becomming in the future is a second downtown hopfully it will but yeah it's not there yet

[KevinFromTexas]

No prob, southsidetx04. By the way, your avatar is hilarious.

It makes more sense to name the thread this way since if someone is doing a Google Search they can find it by the area's name. I doubt few people would ever figure it's being planned as a 2nd downtown.

[PartyLine]

Now this would be cool up there something like stratosphere tower with a revolving restaurant would have awsome views of DT

[KevinFromTexas]

^I always wanted something like that for Butler Park next the Palmer Events Center.

[PartyLine]

Yeah I used to go to Tower Of The Americas in San Antonio all the time when I was down there it's got a wonderful view of DT SA and San Antonio area

[grojas]

Does anyone know if the landowners around the new station have any intent on redeveloping the area into a TOD any time soon? I know this is an urban station but parking will be a problem for riders in this area until bike/pedestrian trails are built out from the surrounding neighborhoods or the block bounded by Burnet, Braker, and Kramer is redeveloped into housing, live/work, etc. I've taken a peak at the NBG plan (very nice!) and it looks as though, with the recently revised zoning for the area, building can be as high as 320 feet here.

[bluedogok]

I wouldn't expect any traction in that immediate area unless the city moves the large Austin Energy yard in the area and does something (sale/lease) with that land. It is mostly industrial and much of it occupied at the moment, the empty buildings in the area seem to front Braker like the old Eurway store, I don't know if anything has moved into the old Corvette Palace space. The only empty lots are the one behind Freebirds/Firehouse and the IBM land on the north edge of that.

I think it will happen eventually but not anytime in the near future.

[bluedogok]

I see the drunk driver hitting a pedestrian in The Domain last Thursday finally hit the news today.

KXAN.com - Cops: Drunk driver 5x over limit

[KevinFromTexas]

Friday, April 23, 2010
Domain Phase II grand opening today
Austin Business Journal

The second phase of Simon Property Group's 600,000-square-foot Domain project opens its doors today.

The 175-acre, mixed-use development will eventually include more than 3 million square feet of office space, 4,000 residential units, 900,000 square feet of retail

...

http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin...l?surround=lfn

[natrius]

Links to the planned map of the Domain as well as the details of the development have been removed from the site, which seems like sign of something. The information was outdated since the second phase of the Domain opened, so maybe that's the only reason for the changes. They're still in the HTML if you want to poke around.

http://www.thedomainaustin.com/

[breathesgelatin]

I heard a rumor that the Nordstrom's was canceled. It is probably just that, a rumor.

There are few more stores about to open in Phase II and something (not sure what) is about to go in where Ruehl 925 was.

[PartyLine]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

I heard a rumor that the Nordstrom's was canceled. It is probably just that, a rumor.

There are few more stores about to open in Phase II and something (not sure what) is about to go in where Ruehl 925 was.

Last I heard Nordstroms,Saks and the Whole Foods was on hold

[Spaceman]

Most rumors are true...In fact at a rate of 75% true....Bye bye Nordstroms

[bluedogok]

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

I heard a rumor that the Nordstrom's was canceled. It is probably just that, a rumor.

The entire Phase III portion is on an indefinite hold, from what I understand Nordstrom is still interested, as is Whole Foods but with a smaller location than originally planned. Since Saks has an existing north location they aren't as eager to move and most of the smaller retailers have pretty much backed out. So right now there isn't enough "commitment" to get the funding in the current lending environment. They have been putting in surface parking where the garage was supposed to go by Aloft.

Originally Posted by breathesgelatin

There are few more stores about to open in Phase II and something (not sure what) is about to go in where Ruehl 925 was.

Anthropologie is opening in the former Ruehl space.

[bluedogok]

The Sony Style store at the Domain has closed.

[breathesgelatin]

I saw that Martin + Osa recently closed, too.

Anyone seen or heard any news about the Hotel Valencia at the Domain?

[bluedogok]

I think they closed a couple of weeks ago, American Eagle Outfitters was closing the whole chain down as of the end of July.

On the Endeavor site they claim a Fall 2011 opening for the Hotel Valencia, I haven't heard of Phase II starting back up but the project that we were stalled with on Phase II is dead in the water as far as a I know.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by bluedogok

I think they closed a couple of weeks ago, American Eagle Outfitters was closing the whole chain down as of the end of July.

On the Endeavor site they claim a Fall 2011 opening for the Hotel Valencia, I haven't heard of Phase II starting back up but the project that we were stalled with on Phase II is dead in the water as far as a I know.

Yeah, neither Martin + Osa nor Ruehl 925 (American Eagle's and Abercrombie and Fitch's 'adult' lines, respectively) seem to have been successful ventures. They didn't exactly launch in the best retail environment.

Re: Hotel Valencia, I guess what I hadn't been totally clear on is if its development was tied in with Phase II or not.

[bluedogok]

I think what was "Phase II" has been fluid since November 2008 when they officially called it on hold. I have heard some things might go ahead based on the owners desires and if they can operate without the rest of the phase being completed. I would think this hotel could very well fit into that criteria. I know they have been working some on the road between Domain 5 and the culinary academy building.

[Mopacs]

Are there any long-term plans to improve access to/from the Domain from Mopac? The approaches from both the N and South are a bit awkward and cumbersome. ie.,Domain Drive, via Braker or the Duval NB exit (which requires an immediate crossing of 2 lanes to reach the north-entrance.)

That's not to say there's a lack of alternatives (via Burnet Road, etc.), but the majority of shoppers are either not aware or willing to access from other ingress/egress points. The congestion figures to get much worse as further development comes online.

I advise anyone I know to avoid the Braker entrance if at all possible. (I get off at Duval and do the double-u-turn route)