Austin | South Austin Projects - Page 20

KevinFromTexas · #**381** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 3:59 AM**

St. Edward's University purchased the former El Gallo restaurant property across the street with the intention of opening a new restaurant there. This also mentions they were and may still be considering its redevelopment for a residential project with retail.

https://www.statesman.com/news/20190...-el-gallo-site

lzppjb · #**382** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 4:50 AM**

Finally seeing some progress on the Westgate Transit Center under Ben White. Most of it is curbed. Some of it has had asphalt poured. Other various features are built/being built.

austlar1 · #**383** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 5:05 AM**

Where, oh where, will the transients go? It has been a sign flying mecca, skateboarding paradise, and shooting gallery for various illicit substances for many road warriors for a long time now? I guess we've addressed this topic already. I am actually kind of fond of a few of the denizens of this venue. I've met some of them in the parking lot at Central Market. Several of them actually do a bit of shopping there while others fish through the outdoor trash cans near the entrance.

lzppjb · #**384** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 6:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Where, oh where, will the transients go? It has been a sign flying mecca, skateboarding paradise, and shooting gallery for various illicit substances for many road warriors for a long time now? I guess we've addressed this topic already. I am actually kind of fond of a few of the denizens of this venue. I've met some of them in the parking lot at Central Market. Several of them actually do a bit of shopping there while others fish through the outdoor trash cans near the entrance.

I saw a TON of them under Ben White Wednesday evening farther west. Sort of near the Arby's.

austlar1 · #**385** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 7:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I saw a TON of them under Ben White Wednesday evening farther west. Sort of near the Arby's.

I think the improvements will extend all the way up to the part in front of Central Market/Arby's. Amy's Ice Cream in the same shopping center also gets a little bit of business from this crowd. I guess a nice cup of ice cream comes in handy after an few hours sign flying or what have you. The socio-economic disparities of this locale, especially in the Beemer and Lexus laden parking lot, provide interesting street theater.

zrx299 · #**386** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 9:43 PM**

No reason to work for minimum wage when gullible bleeding hearts will give you cash (tax free!) just for standing at an intersection with a fake sob story on a sign every day of the week.

lzppjb · #**387** Posted **Apr 20, 2019, 5:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

I think the improvements will extend all the way up to the part in front of Central Market/Arby's. Amy's Ice Cream in the same shopping center also gets a little bit of business from this crowd. I guess a nice cup of ice cream comes in handy after an few hours sign flying or what have you. The socio-economic disparities of this locale, especially in the Beemer and Lexus laden parking lot, provide interesting street theater.

The transit center won't reach that far, but they could be improving the areas under the highway. I haven't read about plans like that yet.

austlar1 · #**388** Posted **Apr 20, 2019, 7:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

The transit center won't reach that far, but they could be improving the areas under the highway. I haven't read about plans like that yet.

They are tarting up the area under the highway, possibly hoping to make it less congenial for daytime and overnight camping, skateboarding, etc. I think I saw some renderings a while back. I am sure the Central Market shopping center owners are pushing for some of this, but the center is losing tenants so rapidly due to the retail meltdown that I suspect these roadside improvements won't change the pedestrian demographic of the area. Already homeless people can be seen hanging out in some of the more deserted corners of the parking lot especially near Westgate and the highway overpasses. They seem to be camping in greater numbers in the wooded area just on the other side of the highway access road where Westgate comes to an end.

KevinFromTexas · #**389** Posted **May 1, 2019, 11:23 PM**

Construction plans for a traffic signal for HEB 8 - South Congress & Oltorf (at HEB Drive).

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...SI_PLAN_02.pdf

lzppjb · #**390** Posted **May 9, 2019, 12:24 AM**

Pretty sure the Aloft hotel at the SW corner of Ben White & I35 has broken ground. It was really dark, so I didn't see it clearly, but I drive by it 4X a week, and I noticed a new sign up with the name of the construction company, and I think I saw forms for the foundation.

This is only going to be 6 floors or so, but it's better than a vacant lot. Maybe this will spur the old Furr's building to get redeveloped (apparently was shot down in 2015 because they wanted to put a strip club in it).

lzppjb · #**391** Posted **May 9, 2019, 2:05 AM**

Just went by again. Dirt has definitely been turned on the whole lot and there are flags up. But I don't think there are forms yet.

Speaking of spurring development, maybe it'll jumpstart the lots around the corner fronting Ben White. An ugly Burger King, a vacant old Pizza Hut building, a little taco place, and Bill Miller. Makes for a pretty good sized triangular lot.

lzppjb · #**392** Posted **May 9, 2019, 2:07 AM**

Also, the Southfield tower (future home to AISD) on the NW corner of 35 & Ben White is having exterior work done. Half the building is covered with scaffolding. Interested to see if it's just cleaning, or if they're painting. I did notice some large squares on the front of the building façade have been removed.

Just found a few photos AISD put up of interior demolition and construction. Hopefully they add more soon.

https://www.austinisd.org/staff/HQ/photos

Echostatic · #**393** Posted **May 9, 2019, 2:23 AM**

Found a rendering of the new HQ on their website:

\

I think I liked it better before...

lzppjb · #**394** Posted **May 9, 2019, 2:38 AM**

Actually, just found a newsletter that shows what the tower will look like:

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/...id=HQuOUCOaWo0

lzppjb · #**395** Posted **May 9, 2019, 2:41 AM**

Didn't see you sneak in there and post that while I was trying to get it saved and uploaded on my phone.

I like it better white. Up close, that maroon portion was not pretty. But I do agree that a 2nd color in a similar stair-stepped pattern would be nice.

Echostatic · #**396** Posted **May 9, 2019, 3:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I like it better white. Up close, that maroon portion was not pretty. But I do agree that a 2nd color in a similar stair-stepped pattern would be nice.

It just looks one-dimensional. Solid white. It'll probably look a lot better outside of the renderings, though.

lzppjb · #**397** Posted **May 9, 2019, 3:16 AM**

I think it kind of looks like the Coliseum from that angle.

KevinFromTexas · #**398** Posted **May 9, 2019, 12:27 PM**

A few years ago when I went to Austin's planning department to view a bunch of old building elevations, the Southfield Building was one of the ones I had them pull. I didn't get a xeroxed copy of it, but I did snap these photos of the plans.

lzppjb · #**399** Posted **May 9, 2019, 8:01 PM**

124'?

KevinFromTexas · #**400** Posted **May 9, 2019, 8:45 PM**

Measuring from the first floor elevation to the mechanical penthouse, it's 132 feet 6 inches.