Waller Creek Tunnel

[JAM]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

The only one I can think of are the condos at the Hilton...

was referring to the Barton Springs project.

[Jdawgboy]

Question, Is that site at the corner of 4th and Red River across from the Convention Center where they putting the equipment and pipes at for this project because Ive noticed for some time that there is a bunch of pipes and other things on that site but was not really sure what it was for? Or is that part of what they were doing for the Convention center parking garage? Also does anybody know when they are starting construction?

[LoneStarMike]

Jim Stuart gave a brief presentation of the Waller Creek Whitewater Trail concept at the Austin Downtown Commission's meeting this past Wednesday. I watched the re-play on Channel 6 Sunday afternoon and he touched on some of the concerns that other posters have brought up.

Originally Posted by JAM

Interesting concept. Sounds more expensive than just having larger pumps. The faster water would induce more erosion.

I think erosion mainly occurs during flooding when the water in Waller Creek rises higher than it would normally be.

The whole point of the tunnel is to reduce the risk of the creek rising so high. I think it might not matter so much how fast the water in the creek was flowing as long as it remains below flood stage and within it's banks. Obviously, the tunnel wouldn't entirely eliminate the risk of flooding, but the risk would be greatly reduced.

Also, parts of the creek bank are already eroded, so the city is going to have to engage in some sort of stream bank stabilization anyway, regardless of whether or not Waller goes whitewater.

One thing that definitely would be more expensive is the cost of pumping the water. If the creek winds up having a flow similar to San Antonio's Riverwalk, it would cost between $200 - $300 per hour to keep the water flowing.

If the flow is increased to accommodate rafting or other whitewater activities, the cost could increase to between $800 - $1000 per hour.

Stuart suggested that the city would most likely want to limit (or prohibit entirely) the ability of private citizens to take their own kayaks or rafts or tubes down to that mile-long section of the creek and just jump in. I can understand that. Why should I expect the city to spend an additional $500 - $700 per hour several hours a day, just so I can take my personal equipment and go rafting/kayaking/tubing for free?

The rafting concessionaires would most likely have to absorb these additional costs, but that would just be part of their cost of doing business and they'd still wind up making money, anyway.

Originally Posted by JAM

The faster currents produce a larger liability to the city and nearby business as people fall in, get swept away and drown.

The proposed whitewater trail would be one mile long and he stressed it would be gentle rapids most of the time. as opposed to "Grand Canyon - Style" rapids. I think he mentioned that during the parts of the day the creek was being used for rafting, the flow would be somewhere between 100 - 175 cfs, then much less during the evening. He said during the evening (after rafting was over for the day) the creek would basically be an attractive amenity for tourists and locals to enjoy.

The only times (other than really major weather events) when you'd have "Grand Canyon - Style" rapids would be during official whitewater competitions and/or during swift-water rescue training.

Speaking of swift-water rescue training, Stuart said that San Marcos can accommodate some types of swift-water rescue training, but for other types, emergency workers must often travel out of state at a cost of roughly $300 per day.

His opinion was that In order for swift-water rescue training to be effective, it needs to be practiced frequently, but due to the current costs of going out of town, ( and the time involved) it's not.

Using Waller Creek for swift-water recue training purposes would save the city money in travel costs, and would provide for more frequent swift-water recue training for our emergency workers. Additionally, the city might be able to generate additional revenue by using the creek to train emergency workers from other parts of the country. The city could administer the program itself, or use an outside firm.

Originally Posted by JAM

The creek would have to be built up to compensate for the kayak's.

As far as the creek being able to support the types of whitewater activities being proposed, he said the stream bed itself is in good shape now and only minor modifications would be needed and they're the types of things you'd have to do as part of a stream bank stabilization program, which is something the city would have to do anyway, regardless of whether or not Waller Creek goes whitewater.

He also said that since Waller Creek is kind of narrow, it wouldn't take much water to be able to float these rafts and kayaks. In most places, he said, the water would only be knee deep.

Originally Posted by JAM

Then there is always the risk that screaming and yelling people may drive a portion of the daytime dollar bearing population away and in turn, business and tax base.

There's not much spending (day or night) in the area as it is. Part of the problem, said Stuart is that it's a place no one wants to go. The water is dirty and it stinks, there's trash everywhere, the area is not maintained and since it's seldom used, it's deserted and scary.

He said historically, cities that have built these types of water parks have a ratio of about 10 spectators for every 1 person actually on the water. His thinking is that having a scenic place where folks can watch other people having fun and listen to the sounds of the rushing water will attract more people to the area. More people and activity in the area would help reduce blight and spur more development.

One of the questions he was asked after his presentation was why he was so interested in this idea and did he have a business plan he wanted to follow through with if the whitewater trail became a reality.

He answered no - that he was just just a whitewater enthusiust and wanted to facilitate the exploration of educating people about the possibility of using Waller Creek for that purpose. He also felt that, regardless of whether or not the whitewater idea came to fruition, the city would still benefit by looking into the matter because there are many professionals out there with experience in engineering and operating these types of parks who also know a lot about flood mitigtion, stream bank stabilization, liabilities, etc. and it would be a matter of them coming down to talk to city officials and answer questions. He also claimed that many of these companies were quite cost competitive.

The Downtown Commission noted that they were still in the early stages of design and planning for the Waller Creek Tunnel and suggested that Stuart get with the Waller Creek Advisory board and make his presentation to them, and perhaps consider serving on the board. That pretty much ended the discussion on the matter (for now.)

[priller]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Question, Is that site at the corner of 4th and Red River across from the Convention Center where they putting the equipment and pipes at for this project because Ive noticed for some time that there is a bunch of pipes and other things on that site but was not really sure what it was for? Or is that part of what they were doing for the Convention center parking garage? Also does anybody know when they are starting construction?

I don't think they've started construction yet, because I think the city still has to approve the plan (which is supposed to happen any day). Then they'll have to finalize the details of the plan, etc, etc, etc.

BTW, my wife and I just bought one of the condos at The Sabine. Much better price than at the new towers. Rooms have nice tall ceilings. And with the Waller Creek renovations, we're hoping the property will be much more valuable in about 5-6 years. They just started selling these units about 3 weeks ago, and told us that they sold 30 of the 80 units in the first 2 weeks.

[JAM]

News: June 29, 2007

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrob...d=oid%3A497023


If it seems as though it took an eternity for the Waller Creek tunnel project to get going, it's been nearly that long – this rendering dates back to the plan's inception back in the 1970s.
Image courtesy of The City of Austin


Wallering at Last
By Kimberly Reeves

City Council approved the financial instrument to fund the Waller Creek tunnel project last week with such a lack of fanfare that one might assume that getting the touted future Riverwalk off the ground had been no problem at all.

So let's review the recent history: Voters approved $25 million in bonds back in 1998. The money wasn't enough. The economy tanked. The city drafted three new versions of the project, all with price tags well beyond city means. Downtown revived. The city turned to the county to issue bonds. Commissioners, especially outgoing Commissioner Karen Sonleitner, rejected it. The city had another bond issue. The tunnel project was kicked out. Development Downtown continued. Commissioners changed. The city crafted a more appealing tax-increment finance zone. Finally, both the city and county were on board. It's a little like Kabuki theatre.

The Waller Creek Citizen Advisory Committee – a cross section of stakeholders – met this month for its first briefing on the project, which has been in the works since the early 1970s. This – not the city or county – will be the group charged with approving the final financing plan for the $123 million project. Chief Financial Officer John Stephens presented an overview of the tax-increment finance district, which will use all of the city's and half the county's incremental property-tax dollars to pay for the tunnel. Jim Robertson of Neighborhood Planning and Zoning reviewed the tunnel's history.

Stephens estimated the design of the project – a tunnel under Waller Creek to divert flood waters to Town Lake – would begin in September and take two years. The construction contract would be awarded in either late summer or early fall 2010. The tunnel will be operational in 2016.

If you're waiting on property values to rise along the bank to support this new Riverwalk-like venture, that's a whole lot of waiting. To stem the financial tide of project costs, the city will delay issuing bonds as long as possible and has pledged money it saved when Hilton's Convention Center hotel was refinanced early this year. That cash flow will produce an additional $10 million the first five years.

"This is an additional source of revenue that strengthens our financial plan," Stephens told the group. "It will be used, first, to cover the debt service in the early to midyears of the TIF [district]. Second, it will provide a margin of safety to fund any project cost increases."

"Was the city anticipating project cost increases?" asked the group, remembering that the initial tab on this project was $25 million.

"None that we can foresee, but it's a long and complex project," Stephens said. "Once we've addressed both those issues, this can also be used for amenities."

Amenities are likely to be a big topic. The more bells and whistles the city can put on this project, the more it's going to look like a Riverwalk. Board members are already eyeing the city's parkland dedication fees. Those fees must be used in a small locus around the project that paid the fees. That means Downtown development could be a real boost to building some renewed interest in Waller Creek, such as repairing the broken bike paths along the creek.

Robertson said an initial charrette had emphasized street connections and varied treatments for different "zones" along the creek. Those plans actually look a lot like today's vision for the creek, except that Waller Creek would exist in a Downtown that includes multiple high-rises and towers, which no one envisioned in 1998.

This Waller Creek plan will be folded into the ongoing Downtown plan. That includes entitlements on the bank-side land, as well as unifying design elements for the area, Robertson said. The tunnel will bring about a million square feet of land out of the floodplain.

Already, committee members are talking about beautifying the area to reacquaint locals with a long-neglected and often unsightly creek. That's going to be tricky, as members want to make sure they don't spend money on an improvement that will ultimately be swallowed up by the impending construction project.

[priller]

Thanks for the news! So now we have 2 years of planning? I kind of thought there already were plans.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by priller

Thanks for the news! So now we have 2 years of planning? I kind of thought there already were plans.

According to the article, the tunnel won't even be operational until 2016. To my understanding, that is just the part that keeps it from flooding. I'm wondering if amenities such as sidewalks, bridges, etc, can start to be added w/o tunnel completion?

[paulsjv]

Wow 2016 for completion. So that really means 2018 or 2019 with how things usually work. And here I thought we were going to have a cool water park or river walk ready in the next 5 years! doh!

[JAM]

Originally Posted by paulsjv

Wow 2016 for completion. So that really means 2018 or 2019 with how things usually work. And here I thought we were going to have a cool water park or river walk ready in the next 5 years! doh!

Lets hope not. I'm hoping the economics of the whole endeavor will induce much earlier investments.

[KevinFromTexas]

That would suck. A 50 year wait.

[paulsjv]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

That would suck. A 50 year wait.

yeah it would... right now as it stands i would get to use it in my 40s. er.. but i'd still use it as much as i could!

[JAM]

Biked up Waller Creek a few weekends ago. These photos start near 7th and end past UT. Lots of homeless sleeping and hanging out along the trail that morning, until around 15th St.

[paulsjv]

Nice photos! I've been meaning to head down Waller Creek from Town Lake and check out the trail. Maybe I'll do that this weekend!

[ATXboom]

www.auschron.com - article can be found here.


Photo by Jana BirchumThe weird mechanics of building the off-again, on-again Waller Creek Tunnel Project could start making sense in the coming months, though the project itself won't see completion until 2014.

The $124 million plan calls for development along Waller Creek beds, pedestrian trails, and a new drainage system. A citizens' advisory committee has set a tentative date of Nov. 17 for a town hall meeting on the milelong tunnel, which will sit almost 70 feet below the creek bed and maintain a constant flow of cycling water.

The tunnel, which will stretch from an inlet at Waterloo Park to an outlet at Lady Bird Lake, is expected to turn what has become a sporadic and brackish drainage ditch into an actual free-flowing water source that will flow at a pace of a "babbling Hill Country brook." That's according to lead contractor Espey Consultants, which last week briefed an assortment of stakeholders.

The final plan for the tunnel won't be presented to council for approval until December 2008. In the interim, a consultant team will be setting the parameters of the project to determine the speed of the water flow and the extent of the drainage – all while protecting critical environmental features along the route, engineer Brian Reis told a citizens' advisory committee. And because the tunnel is primarily a flood-control device, four inlets will be carved out along the route to make sure the proper amount of land is being drained and taken out of the floodplain.

As the tunnel is being designed, the city will bring a consultant onboard to plan the concept of commercial and residential development along the creek banks. A bid for that consultant will go out by the end of this year, with the goal of having a team selected by late next spring.

The tunnel team tentatively has divided the creek into five segments along the route – each with its own personality and context – and the consultant is expected to move that concept forward with plans for the type and scope of desired development along the creek.

At last week's meeting, city planner Michael Knox presented eight projects already in the works along the creek's banks just outside the floodplain. Those range from the Legacy at Town Lake at the foot of Rainey Street to a new indoor-outdoor venue for Stubb's to the renovated Sabine on Fifth condo redevelopment to the Red River Flats. Most of the projects are expected to be completed within a year.

Charlie McCabe, executive director of the Austin Parks Founda­tion, an active stakeholder in the project, outlined the challenges of refurbishing Waller Creek and its disconnected pieces of trail, some of which have been buried by silt in floods, while more visible portions are difficult to walk or ride a bicycle on.

Who's footing the bill for the tunnel work? We are. The cost of the project is being divided between city bonds and a tax-increment finance district co-sponsored by the city and county.

[ATXboom]

http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2007/11/12/story5.html?b=1194843600^1547726&page=2


Friday, November 9, 2007
City seeks lead planner for Waller CreekAustin Business Journal - by A.J.

The city plans to issue a request for qualifications to land planning, architecture and similar types of firms on or around Nov. 19 in order to designate a lead firm to create a master plan for the property on lower Waller Creek between 12th Street and Lady Bird Lake downtown.

George Adams, assistant director of the Planning and Zoning Department, says city staffers hope to bring a firm to the City Council for approval no later than February.

The planning contract is valued at about $400,000.

The $127.5 million Waller Creek Tunnel project would create a stormwater bypass tunnel under the creek bed to regulate the flow of water and eliminate the flooding that plagues the properties along the creek during heavy rains.

Beyond increasing flood safety, the project would also open up a great deal of property to new development in what some envision as Austin's version of San Antonio's Riverwalk -- a shopping and entertainment mecca that would anchor the eastern half of downtown.

The project has been on and off for more than a decade, but finally gained traction once again in March when Travis County commissioners agreed to create a tax increment financing district with the city of Austin to fund the project.

Adams says the land planning and urban design contract is "especially significant, not only because we want it to be the right type of development and environment from an aesthetic and functional point of view, but [because] the increase in property taxes will go to pay off the bonds for the tunnel, making [the plan] doubly important."

In September, the City Council amended a nearly $30 million contract with a joint venture between Kellogg Brown and Root and Espey Consultants for engineering design services on the actual tunnel.

Construction on the tunnel is likely to begin in 2010.

Developer Robert Knight, who owns several pieces of property along Waller, says he's pleased that the redevelopment of the area is moving forward, but he's concerned that key stakeholders might not be heard.

Knight says the Lower Waller Creek Neighborhood Association, a group of more than 40 property owners along the creek from 12th Street to Lady Bird Lake, was not asked to participate in the citizens advisory committee formed last summer to oversee the tunnel project and redevelopment initiative.

"I think everyone has the same basic concept of what this [project] ought to look like, and this [land plan] will help move the process forward," he says.

But, he adds that the city should be careful not to create a plan that tells private landowners what should be done with their property without their input.

On Nov. 17 Council Member Sheryl Cole and the advisory committee will hold the first Waller Creek corridor community visioning meeting from 9 a.m. to noon at City Hall. The meeting is intended to gather input on what stakeholders would like to see happen along the creek.

Knight says he hopes whichever group is selected to develop the land plan carefully considers the desires of those who actually own the property affected.

amistretta@bizjournals.com | (512) 494-2519

[Mopacs]

Conceptual drawing from the ABJ article:



http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_ima...00-0.jpg?rev=2

[austin242]

I didn't think this Project Had a Chance but turns out it may actually happen.

Waller Creek Project Status Report
February 22, 2008
Waller Creek Tunnel Design
• Initial project schedule was submitted by design team and approved
• Field Work
o General site surveying is complete
o Initial geotechnical borings are complete
o Initial SUE services are complete
• Easements are being identified for development of field notes
• Meetings with Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and the Austin Rowing Club are
ongoing for needs at the outlet (located at Lady Bird Lake)
• Upcoming milestones
o Council action on WCCAC resolution on February 28th
o Working with PARD on parkland mitigation requirements
o Outlet and inlet schematics are in development and expected to be available in April
2008
Waller Creek District Master Plan
• The Request for Qualifications responses were due January 23, 2008
• Five responses will be evaluated
• Next Steps:
o Evaluation panel commences work (Late February)
o List of firms to be interviewed developed (Early March)
o Interviews conducted (Late March)
o Recommendations to Council and Council Action on selection of firm (April 2008)
o Contract finalized (Summer 2008)
Public Involvement
• Stakeholder meetings continue to take place for both the tunnel and master plan projects
• Next public design workshop will be held in April 2008 (exact date/time/location TBD)
• Spring 2008 edition of project newsletter coming soon
• An updated version of the survey used at the November 2007 public design workshop will
be posted on the project website in March 2008 for the public to provide additional input







Looks Like this is going to actually happen

[priller]

Yes, the Waller Creek plan is all approved and both city and county have approved the funding of their respective parts. It's definitely on.

[Jdawgboy]

Yea I knew that this was happening all along. It takes time to get a project like this going but sure enough there is the proof that it is definatly a go.

[pato79]

Will we get a proposed completion date soon?