Quote:
Originally Posted by austlar1
Well, to be honest, I don't think this building is likely to improve the quality of my life or anyone I know. I guess it will look impressive when viewed from afar, so there is that. The resentment shown in the comments on the KVUE post are from people who sense the loss of the user friendly and fun downtown that they once knew. This new high-rise downtown ends up being a place for visitors and conventioneers along with the well-heeled residents who can afford the price of admission. I get that this counts as progress, and change is inevitable and maybe even desirable. Still, anyone who has lived in Austin for a while understands that we've paid a hefty price for all these changes-
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This building is a manifestation of the demand for housing in Austin thanks to its economic success. It's an effect, not a cause. And if your concern is housing prices then you DO benefit from this structure, as it's adding units into our supply that help meet demand that would otherwise be directed at the existing housing inventory. Every million dollar unit here represents a McMansion that would otherwise be built on the east side or Hyde Park or Travis Heights.
"from people who sense the loss of the user friendly and fun downtown that they once knew"
I don't get this one. Downtown has been thriving with new things to do thanks to all of the development. Maybe we're losing a bar here, and maybe Rainey's atmosphere is being chipped away... but Rainey was always going to be temporary, a flash in the pan. If anything what the success of Rainey demonstrates is that we should begin opening up more neighborhoods to more flexible uses so that we can see new entertainment areas grow organically.