The Transformation of South Lamar

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/pr...s-tenants.html

Lamar Plaza snags tenants
Theater, bar, restaurants sign; plenty of room for retailers

Austin Business Journal by Jan Buchholz, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, October 26, 2012, 5:00am CDT

Jan Buchholz
Staff Writer- Austin Business Journal

A couple of new restaurants have signed leases to be in South Lamar Plaza when the first phases of that soon-to-be redeveloped retail center are expected to be done in early 2014. The lease signings come as current tenants, including longstanding retailers, are moving out while developers prepare to demolish the plaza beginning in late Novemember.

“One of the things that attracted us is the location in the core of the city,” said Andrew Scroggie, senior vice president of The Weitzman Group.

[LoneStarMike]

I noticed last night that the empty lot at 3600 S. Lamar - The South Lamar Trailer Bazaar - had all the food trailers removed and there was a sign that said "Kicked out for Condos! Last day 10-31." This is the lot on the west side of Lamar between Red's Porch and The Retreat at Barton Creek Apartments. Golden Corral & Wendy's is across the street on the east side of Lamar.

YNN had a story today:

South Lamar food trailers get the boot
By Jess Mitchell

Another trailer park in South Austin is facing pending doom.

Earlier this month, trailer owners on South Congress got word they would have to relocate by February 2013 to make way for a hotel.

Now, the next victim to new development is the South Lamar Trailer Bazaar, just north of Ben White Boulevard.

[SNIP]

ASC BearCreek Properties owns the 2.25 acre lot on South Lamar near Ben White. The city is currently reviewing their site plan.

The report says it will be a mixed-use development.

(For those that remember, this was the site of a failed condo project several years ago called The View.)

Here's a photo of the lot I took back in 2009 when there was just a hot dog trailer



Permit/case # is 2012-043716 SP.
Reference File Name is SP-2012-0152C
The project name is Eskew Place.

[LoneStarMike]

End is near for Lamar Plaza
By Gary Dinges
American-Statesman Staff
November 3, 2012

The end is near for Lamar Plaza.

Merchants have until Nov. 17 to clear out of the 1950s-era shopping center at South Lamar Boulevard and Treadwell Street. By month’s end, demolition crews will get to work, tearing down most of the buildings on the site to make way for a mixed-use project that will feature an assortment of shops, restaurants and apartments.

Once the site is cleared, construction is expected to start in January.

[Jdawgboy]

You know I get sick and tired of these doom and gloom articles. Excuse progress in this city! People need to get over it. Austin is becoming a major city and it is becoming an influential city not just in the U.S., but world wide. The food trailers can find another area to move to and id rather have an urban VMU over a low level shopping center with a giant surface parking lot any day. Sorry if I sound harsh but seriously it is not the end of the world and things change, that is part of life. Im so glad Austin has changed over the years because I have seen cities and towns that have not changed in decades and nothing happens in those places. Little to any population growth occurs and most places that are stagnate lose population.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

The food trailers can find another area to move to and id rather have an urban VMU over a low level shopping center with a giant surface parking lot any day.

For the record, I agree with you, Jdawgboy - at least when it comes to the food trailers on South Lamar that are moving. The reason I posted the article was not to complain about those food trailers on South Lamar having to move, but rather to provide evidence of another proposed VMU in the area.

If they wanted to stay in the area, I don't know why some of those food trailers couldn't just rent some space in the Barton Oaks Shopping Center parking lot (where Wells Fargo, Harbor Freight, Hancock Fabrics & the old Lacks Furniture store used to be.) That parking lot is huge & I've never seen it even close to being filled. The Wheatsville Co-op opening in the spring and the old Furr's cafeteria that's being converted to a minor emergency will add more cars, but there should still be plenty of vacant space in that parking lot.

And as far as the Lamar Plaza Shopping Center goes, I'm glad to see VMU planned for that area as well.

[LoneStarMike]

Hanover poised to start South Lamar apartments
By Shonda Novak
Austin American Statesman
November 14, 2012

The Hanover Co. said it will break ground this month on 340 luxury apartments to be built just south of the popular Uchi restaurant on South Lamar Boulevard.

The project is one of several planned, newly built or now under construction on South Lamar between Mary Street and Barton Springs Road that will add more than 1,300 new apartments and more than 100,000 square feet of restaurants and shops south of downtown.

[LoneStarMike]

Site Plan for development at 3600 S. Lamar (Where the South Lamar Trailer Bazaar used to be)

Eskew Place

Four story residential with some ground floor retail.

Elevations are on pages 24-25.

(Finally made it to 1,000 posts and it only took me 6-plus years)

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

Site Plan for development at 3600 S. Lamar (Where the South Lamar Trailer Bazaar used to be)

Eskew Place

Four story residential with some ground floor retail.

Elevations are on pages 24-25.

(Finally made it to 1,000 posts and it only took me 6-plus years)

Thanks LoneStarMike for the info, and congratulations on hitting your 1,000 post.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

Site Plan for development at 3600 S. Lamar (Where the South Lamar Trailer Bazaar used to be)

Eskew Place

Four story residential with some ground floor retail.

Elevations are on pages 24-25.

(Finally made it to 1,000 posts and it only took me 6-plus years)

You and I average around 13.5 posts a month so it will take me almost 3 years to hit my 1000th post.
BTW, way to toot your own horn

[LoneStarMike]

I noticed on Saturday that 809 S. Lamar where The Hanover VMU will be built is now fenced off, although none of the existing properties on that lot have been razed, yet.

At Lamar Square, Maudie's Tex Mex has been fenced off and there were several fire trucks (including one from the Oak Hill Fire Department) nearby and a bunch of firemen on the roof. I don't know if they were doing some kind of training or what because there was no smoke or fire.




Post South Lamar seems to be finished and the other night I noticed lights and televisions on in some of the apartments. Here's a few photos:





I love the design on the sidewalk:







South side of the Post South Lamar:

[LoneStarMike]

Gibson Flats photo update from this past weekend:

The folks facing south are going to have a lovely view of Brake Plus and Genie Car Wash










You can see the skyline on the left through the trees in this photo:







Looking down Gibson Street to where it dead ends into South Eighth.




The parking garage at the bottom of Gibson Street. It looks like the top level is uncovered. I don't know if it's high enough to get a good shot of downdown:




Looking back up Gibson Street:




The upper floors of the north facing units should have a nice view of the skyline. I took these two photos back in 2009 from the slab that was where The Magnolia was to have been built:








The lower units facing north get to look at Gibson's.

[LoneStarMike]

Found this website for South Lamar at Bluebonnet at 2300 S. Lamar.

Sola-Bluebonnet.com

It's a small lot on the northeast corner of Lamar & Bluebonnet just north of Walgreens, Spaces 2525, & Maria's Taco Express. On the west side of Lamar is where Art's Rib House was.

Here's a photo I took back in 2010 from the stairwell at Spaces 2525 (behind Walgreens)



The blue & yellow houses have been moved and all that's left is an old automotive-type store that's now vacant.

From the site plan, it looks like there are planning a 4,000 sq. foot restaurant where the two houses used to be. I think the vacant automotive store will be refurbished and addition to that property is planned. The project is named Bluebonnet Center.

Further south at 2717 South Lamar (where Lamar-Manchaca Residential VMU is suppposed to be built) they've fenced off the property and many of the existing buildings are in the process of being demolished.

[LoneStarMike]

The 704 photo update from this weekend and Monday morning.

This is the project that's planned for both sides of The Broken Spoke




The northern end of the complex backs up directly to the Corners Shopping Center (where Half Price Books and the old Walgreen's used to be.)




The northern part of the project is the shorter (block-wise) part.







The Broken Spoke is in the middle.




The southern part of the complex stretches from just south of The Broken Spoke all the way down the main entrance of the Woodmoor Apartments (next to Golden Corral & Wendy's)




You can see the Woodmoor Apartments in this photo.




I'm glad they saved some of the bigger trees:




Look how long this thing is. That's going to be a lot of apartments/retail.




Sign showing a different rendering than what we've seen before.




Looks like nice wide sidewalks, but I'll bet you anything they leave the existing telephone poles & wires. Wish they could put all that underground.

[KevinFromTexas]

Great pics. Yeah, the 704 site is HUGE. The first time I went by there after they had cleared the site it caught me by surprise.

And I gotta say, Post South Lamar is a really nice looking building. Have you ventured up to the parking garage? I was wondering if there might be a view from up there. I've been meaning to check it out.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

And I gotta say, Post South Lamar is a really nice looking building. Have you ventured up to the parking garage? I was wondering if there might be a view from up there.

The only two times I've passed the entrance to the parking garage on foot, there's been landscapers and/or maintenance people in the driveway. Plus, it's not even close to be fully rented out, so I'd stick out like a sore thumb if I even tried.

Looking at the placement of the garage to the rest of the development, I don't really think you'd have any views of the skyline. The north-facing units at the back of the development seem to be a little higher than the top level of the parking garage. There might be some views to the east, southeast or the south - not sure about west views.

One thing I like about this development is the use of color. I wish more buildings downtown had some color - even if it was only trim/accents (like the Monarch) or tinted glass (like Spring.) I get so tired of all these brown/beige/cinderblock gray brick & stucco buildings downtown.

[austlar1]

I like the sidewalk in front of the Post property because it is wide and nicely arranged. I wish all the sidewalks on Lamar could be this width. It would go a long way towards taming the street and making it pedestrian friendly. There are so many parking lots facing the street that it is unlikely to ever happen in my lifetime, but it sure would be nice. Walking on Lamar is stressful and unpleasant.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by austlar1

I like the sidewalk in front of the Post property because it is wide and nicely arranged. I wish all the sidewalks on Lamar could be this width. It would go a long way towards taming the street and making it pedestrian friendly. There are so many parking lots facing the street that it is unlikely to ever happen in my lifetime, but it sure would be nice. Walking on Lamar is stressful and unpleasant.

Most, if not all, of the new developments will include them in their design. As most of the land on South Lamar will be redeveloped over the next ten years, it will likely happen in your lifetime.

[AviationGuy]

Austin is reminding me of Houston regarding the rapid pace of development. That makes me very happy. A lot of my neighbors are disgusted. They're having a lot of trouble accepting change.

[KevinFromTexas]

This article talks some about two projects along South Lamar, as well as Coldspring on Barton Springs Road.

http://www.statesman.com/news/busine...-towere/nTYhb/

Posted: 4:04 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, 2012
Amid apartment boom, work starts on 36-story tower
Endeavor/Lynd project latest to launch in multifamily wave

By Shonda Novak
American-Statesman Staff

Nearby, on South Lamar Boulevard, the Hanover Co. has broken ground on a 340-unit luxury apartment project south of Uchi restaurant. Rents are expected to start in the $1,900 to $2,000 a month range. The first units should be ready by the late spring of 2014, with the project wrapping up that fall.

Nearby, demolition work is ongoing at the former Lamar Square shopping center at Lamar and Treadwell to make way for a mixed-use project being developed by Greystar that will include 440 upscale apartments.

[austlar1]

311 Bowie looks amazing in the rendering posted in the Statesman.