AUSTIN | U.T. & West Campus Development Thread

[gillynova]

[Riverranchdrone]

Originally Posted by gillynova

Cool design with the paint around the windows.

[agsatx88]

I agree, I like it for student housing.

Originally Posted by Riverranchdrone

Cool design with the paint around the windows.

[OfficialPBreton]

I know that a good portion of the people on this forum don't like the design of the building, but I just can't get past the fact that this is providing ~500 units into WC within about 4yrs of the proposal. This along with Rise, Union on San Antonio, and Rambler, have to be putting close to 1.5k to 2k units on the market in Fall 2024, all for students - it's huge. And there's more coming!

I really am so impressed with how WC has filled out only in the past 10 years - I think it's really an example of good TOD and densification - and I'd be interested to see if Zo might be able to push WC zoning/planning to incentivize builders to add in restaurants, stores, and other amenities past the Drag. The only tower inside WC proper that has more than a single restaurant or store is the Quarters. And - as someone who lives in WC, it's not very accessible to get good quality ingredients at reasonable prices, unless you drive/take a bus 15-20 minutes away to an HEB.

[Jdawgboy]

Hold up.... We getting another JW Marriott and it's gonna be in West Campus??? Sorry was looking at the previous page...

Originally Posted by OfficialPBreton

I know that a good portion of the people on this forum don't like the design of the building, but I just can't get past the fact that this is providing ~500 units into WC within about 4yrs of the proposal. This along with Rise, Union on San Antonio, and Rambler, have to be putting close to 1.5k to 2k units on the market in Fall 2024, all for students - it's huge. And there's more coming!

I really am so impressed with how WC has filled out only in the past 10 years - I think it's really an example of good TOD and densification - and I'd be interested to see if Zo might be able to push WC zoning/planning to incentivize builders to add in restaurants, stores, and other amenities past the Drag. The only tower inside WC proper that has more than a single restaurant or store is the Quarters. And - as someone who lives in WC, it's not very accessible to get good quality ingredients at reasonable prices, unless you drive/take a bus 15-20 minutes away to an HEB.

I think, and I'm generalizing of course (but if you're sensitive I'll qualify it by saying the median UT student) that UT student's families are are so well-off that they have constructed the demand for dormitory developers that their children live as close to campus as possible, in as new a space as possible, and with a pool and and a gym, and in as "safe," a place as possible, and that rent cost doesn't really enter into the equation. "Real retail," I think would be regarded as quite undesirable; a little more "service retail," like a couple of Chipotle-type places or a manicure or tanning salon would be okay, IMO.

TOD is actually the opposite intent of the WC development, and densification per se is irrelevant. Whether this is consistent with "Urbanism," is of course in the eye of each beholder.

[OfficialPBreton]

Originally Posted by smallfrie

I think, and I'm generalizing of course (but if you're sensitive I'll qualify it by saying the median UT student) that UT student's families are are so well-off that they have constructed the demand for dormitory developers that their children live as close to campus as possible, in as new a space as possible, and with a pool and and a gym, and in as "safe," a place as possible, and that rent cost doesn't really enter into the equation.

(I'm a recent grad, FYI, appreciate the leniency but happy to debate) I think that when talking about the median UT student, that's definitely true, but considering the size of UT, there are plenty of lower-income families looking at WC. There's an increased focus on providing affordable (or at least non-luxury) housing in new developments, and SMART housing in these buildings is making being able to live near campus as a lower-income student much more realistic.

Financially, UT and the surrounding area is a huge job center for students, and not having to own a car to be able to go to work, school, etc. is a huge cost savings for those kinds of families. Students *want* to live close to campus, which, I'll give is not usually the determining factor for where they actually end up staying, but it can be a major decision point for students *if* they have the choice to go to other universities (which I would say is likely the case if they're accepted to UT).

Originally Posted by smallfrie

"Real retail," I think would be regarded as quite undesirable; a little more "service retail," like a couple of Chipotle-type places or a manicure or tanning salon would be okay, IMO.

I tend to agree with you with a few exceptions. Obviously, I don't think that a jewelry store or pet supply store would work well within inner-WC. However, I do think there would be demand for some of the bigger box stores or more well-known brands - think HEB or Whole Foods (even maybe something like the new Costco design, if somehow they could get 18 wheelers to it), or even smoke shops or bodegas like Rio Mart. It's pricy to get food at the Target on Guad, and there's little availability for diverse and/or fresh groceries.

Originally Posted by smallfrie

TOD is actually the opposite intent of the WC development, and densification per se is irrelevant. Whether this is consistent with "Urbanism," is of course in the eye of each beholder.

I guess I would agree that TOD is not the intent of WC, but at the current snapshot, it looks way better than most development outside of downtown/Mueller/Domain. UT and WC encapsulate a major job and education center that is well connected to transit and promotes walking and micromobility, allows for dense multifamily housing, and encourages mixed-use and affordable developments. I'll amend my statement to "I think it's really an example of what good TOD could look like and what densification can do to help the housing crisis". Not perfect by any means, and not what I would call a model case to be repeated, but worthy of some respect, I think.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Hold up.... We getting another JW Marriott and it's gonna be in West Campus??? Sorry was looking at the previous page...

No that drawing is several years old. The massing marked as a JW is the Otis Autograph Collection hotel that was built a few years ago.

[Syndic]

My wife said "It looks like bandaids. People are going to think it's a hospital."

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Syndic

My wife said "It looks like bandaids. People are going to think it's a hospital."

It does look like bandaids and now I can't unsee that.

[KevinFromTexas]

West Campus was the original home of Seton Hospital - the original that built in 1902. That's why there's still a Seton Avenue in West Campus. It was at West 25th Street before they built their new campus at 38th Street.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

West Campus was the original home of Seton Hospital - the original that built in 1902. That's why there's still a Seton Avenue in West Campus. It was at West 25th Street before they built their new campus at 38th Street.

Interesting. That went on my list of what I learned today.

[KevinFromTexas]

It's a shame it was demolished, though, I can't imagine what it would be used for today.

It occupied the full block at 25th Street, effectively dead ending Seton Avenue.


https://www.facebook.com/TracesofTex...436546/?type=3

[mumu]

A little extra history. When 26 West (initially called Jefferson 26) was built in 2007 they discovered massive amounts of medical waste buried in the ground that had to be removed. An apartment complex (Rio Nueces) was built around 1980 to replace Seton Hospital, which itself was torn down in 2007.

Across Nueces at 26th, across from the old hospital, was a home for unwed mothers. That was active until around 2010- long after the hospital was gone- although very underused for many years. The local Catholic church still owns the land there and it's now in a long term lease for the current building built there in 2011, Grand Marc.

[chinchaaa]

It blows my mind seeing all of the stuff that’s been torn down in this city. So sad.

[drummer]

What a beautiful building that was. Shame that it didn't make it. That is one of the cases that would have been worth preserving, in my opinion.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by drummer

What a beautiful building that was. Shame that it didn't make it. That is one of the cases that would have been worth preserving, in my opinion.

I can think of a half dozen ways it could have been repurposed.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by mumu

A little extra history. When 26 West (initially called Jefferson 26) was built in 2007 they discovered massive amounts of medical waste buried in the ground that had to be removed. An apartment complex (Rio Nueces) was built around 1980 to replace Seton Hospital, which itself was torn down in 2007.

Across Nueces at 26th, across from the old hospital, was a home for unwed mothers. That was active until around 2010- long after the hospital was gone- although very underused for many years. The local Catholic church still owns the land there and it's now in a long term lease for the current building built there in 2011, Grand Marc.

Deleted

[austlar1]

The original Seton was torn down in 1975. Here is some history.

https://thegreatindoorsman.wordpress...rs-of-healing/

http://www.genearchaeology.com/2013/...cal-notes.html

[OfficialPBreton]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I can think of a half dozen ways it could have been repurposed.

I feel like a museum ala the Neill-Cochran House really would've done it well. Could very well be about the history of UT and its development - though that's probably unlikely unless UT would've bought it.