East Austin Developments

[myBrain]

A few years ago I would have thought that it was great this area is getting infill but now it feels like a missed opportunity.

There shouldn't be any height or density limits here, this is a great place to add density that shouldn't be as politically charged as most of the East Side given that there's very little SF residential in the immediate area, it's all former industrial space and adjacent to a major road interchange. I know that the proximity to the airport would probably limit heights but we should be building 10-15 stories here instead of 4. That's really the frustrating thing in this city: I understand that many of the current density nodes are going to be politically charged but this area is effectively a blank slate that can only be improved by urban development and it's still being hamstrung by ridiculous limitations.
/rant

Otherwise I dig the dark brick.

[corvairkeith]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

5214 E 5th





https://www.cswdevelopment.com/current-projects.html

This site was originally planned as an office development.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by myBrain

A few years ago I would have thought that it was great this area is getting infill but now it feels like a missed opportunity.

There shouldn't be any height or density limits here, this is a great place to add density that shouldn't be as politically charged as most of the East Side given that there's very little SF residential in the immediate area, it's all former industrial space and adjacent to a major road interchange. I know that the proximity to the airport would probably limit heights but we should be building 10-15 stories here instead of 4. That's really the frustrating thing in this city: I understand that many of the current density nodes are going to be politically charged but this area is effectively a blank slate that can only be improved by urban development and it's still being hamstrung by ridiculous limitations.
/rant

Otherwise I dig the dark brick.

Tell Daniel Llanes that!

[Echostatic]

A third and fourth (!!) crane base have been installed at Springdale Green.

[Urbannizer]

Dallas Developer to Apply for Tax Credit for 188-Unit Development

A Dallas developer recently received the backing of the City Council on their plan to apply for tax credit financing for an apartment project.

The council approved a resolution on Feb. 4 in favor of the project that will be located 2001 Rosewood Ave.

The 6-acre (225,632 SF) property is located in the east central portion of the city.

The property is currently developed with Rosewood Courts, an apartment development built in 1939, owned by the Housing Authority of Austin for citizens 62 or older with 124 units.

The name of the $40.5 million project is Pathways at Rosewood Courts East with site work, building costs and contractor fees projected at $27.9 million. Pathways at Rosewood Courts East, LP is the special purpose entity created by Carleton Residential Properties for this project.

The site proposes 188 apartment homes. The unit mix will consist of 93 one-bedroom projects, 70 two-bedroom projects, 17 three-bedroom projects and 8 four-bedroom units.

Eligible tenants will show incomes of 30%, 50% and 60% of the area median family income (MFI), with 16 units having no restrictions.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Dallas Developer to Apply for Tax Credit for 188-Unit Development

What about the current residents? This sounds like something that will piss people off.

[427MM]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

What about the current residents? This sounds like something that will piss people off.

This has been in the works for many years and the zoning changes came with the blessings of the dozens of residents asking for the redevelopment. There will be staging similar to Chalmers. These homes are incredibly outdated--excited to see the modernization of the first public housing units in America.

[Lobotomizer]

Originally Posted by 427MM

This has been in the works for many years and the zoning changes came with the blessings of the dozens of residents asking for the redevelopment. There will be staging similar to Chalmers. These homes are incredibly outdated--excited to see the modernization of the first public housing units in America.

Agree, but increasing the number of apartments from 124 to 188 is disappointing. This site could have easily supported triple the number of units. Instead we're only getting a 50% increase.

[427MM]

Originally Posted by Lobotomizer

Agree, but increasing the number of apartments from 124 to 188 is disappointing. This site could have easily supported triple the number of units. Instead we're only getting a 50% increase.

Ah. True. Loud cries about protecting neighborhood character aka ignoring the city's needs and valuing physical character (the structures) over social character (the people).

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by 427MM

This has been in the works for many years and the zoning changes came with the blessings of the dozens of residents asking for the redevelopment. There will be staging similar to Chalmers. These homes are incredibly outdated--excited to see the modernization of the first public housing units in America.

These were not the “first public housing units” in America, no matter how generously you might want to define the those words—and it isn’t even close to true, with variations of publicly owned housing going back to the late 1870s and multiple ongoing extant social movements (e.g. Model Tenement, the NHA, etc.) already with huge wins on their boards (building code reform, for instance).

Even if you wanna restrict our analysis to the exact ownership and funding model used by Rosewood Courts, there are zero convincing arguments that Rosewood was first. Here’s an example from 1923, the actually first public housing in this fashion: Milwaukee’s Garden Homes. Those are no longer standing, sadly. What about Atlanta’s 1936 Techwood Homes. Also destroyed (for the Olympics).

Hell, they aren’t even the oldest public housing still standing. Check out NYC’s First Houses (1935), a national landmark structure since 1974.

You know what Rosewood Courts DOES have a claim to infamy (not fame) for? Being the first purpose-built racially segregated public housing facility in the country. That’s a great legacy, isn’t it? Being the first structure owned by any government in the entire country to house poor black folk, so that the better facility they built for whites would be, idk, “comfortable” for those whites? Absolutely gross that Austin was at the forefront - and in many ways this is yet another example of how Ausitin’s HIGHLY racist past has been whitewashed and swept under the rug - of racist policy.

[kingkirbythe....]

Snap!

[kingkirbythe....]

East Austin’s Latest Mixed-Use Project Pioneers Affordable Commercial Space

https://austin.towers.net/east-austi...mercial-space/

A large mixed-use development set to transform a vacant 15-acre tract currently zoned mostly for industrial use in far East Austin hopes to introduce a new community benefit that could serve as a model for future projects — 10,000 square feet of affordable commercial space, offered at 60 percent of market rent to small arts-focused local businesses identified by a partnership with Austin Creative Alliance.

...

This site, located along the future path of Project Connect’s Green Line, was previously slated for a cold-storage facility — but after opposition to the project from nearby residents its developers sought a rezoning in 2021 for mixed-use development, stating the site was more appropriate for this type of project considering nearby patterns of growth. The rezoning headed to council will allow an on-site brewery and prohibit more undesirable uses currently permitted here, including a recycling plant or other industrial facilities. Along with its estimated $8 million in community benefits, the project will seek compliance with the Worker’s Defense Project’s Better Builder Program, which offers labor protections for construction workers including the $15 hourly pay rate defined as a living wage by the City of Austin.

[Echostatic]

That's pretty awesome for the area.

[427MM]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

https://gbdmagazine.com/equitable-outdoor-space/

This beauty was up before the East Cesar Chavez Contact Team again tonight. I say again because they originally voted to not oppose the project. But NIMBYs will NIMBY and they took it back up to oppose the taller building/better design. Probably a good thing, we wouldn't want all those jobs 20' from a Red Line station

Turns out we need to protect the single-family character of the area despite the fact such homes are now starting at $1.2M in the area. Really does not make sense that the City of Austin gives these contact teams so much power and authority yet does not train them nor are there any requirements that they help to achieve city goals for housing, transit ridership, tax base to pay for services or anything else. Just a great place to show up and NIMBY and chase reasonable ppl away.

[ahealy]

I truly think that level of NIMBYism is being widely recognized as a cancer to affordability / insult to the environment re sustainable housing.

[mercury6]

Originally Posted by 427MM

This beauty was up before the East Cesar Chavez Contact Team again tonight. I say again because they originally voted to not oppose the project. But NIMBYs will NIMBY and they took it back up to oppose the taller building/better design. Probably a good thing, we wouldn't want all those jobs 20' from a Red Line station

Turns out we need to protect the single-family character of the area despite the fact such homes are now starting at $1.2M in the area. Really does not make sense that the City of Austin gives these contact teams so much power and authority yet does not train them nor are there any requirements that they help to achieve city goals for housing, transit ridership, tax base to pay for services or anything else. Just a great place to show up and NIMBY and chase reasonable ppl away.

Accurate. The original character of the neighborhoods in this area consisted of a lot more brown people. So not sure what needs to be protected since they've all essentially moved out by now

[Urbannizer]

Juno

X-post:

Originally Posted by corvairkeith

Here's an odd crane being used on the low-rise project on Comal next to Plaza Saltillo, never seen one like this before.

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

https://www.plattpointe.com/Projects...--Austin%2C-TX

No pic but barricades are up for this one.

[corvairkeith]

Anyone know what's happening with these two old industrial buildings on Fourth Street? I assumed they would be torn down but they seem to be getting rebuilt/ preserved.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by corvairkeith

Anyone know what's happening with these two old industrial buildings on Fourth Street? I assumed they would be torn down but they seem to be getting rebuilt/ preserved.

New Cosmic Coffee outpost https://austin.towers.net/east-austi...osmic-rebirth/