AUSTIN | HealthSouth Redevelopment | FT | FLOORS | Demo

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by MMOnsii

It's kinda odd that they built that skywalk to the Brack garage. And as soon as they finished building it now they are tearing down Brack. LOL

OH uhhh, hey... hi! you may think that I am new here but I am not.

I couldn't log on to my old account... it must've been deleted since so long that I hadn't used it. But you might remember me as migol... been here since 2008.

Now you shall call me MMOnsii...

It was migol24 right? Anyway, I was wondering where you've been.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by MMOnsii

It's kinda odd that they built that skywalk to the Brack garage. And as soon as they finished building it now they are tearing down Brack. LOL

OH uhhh, hey... hi! you may think that I am new here but I am not.

I couldn't log on to my old account... it must've been deleted since so long that I hadn't used it. But you might remember me as migol... been here since 2008.

Now you shall call me MMOnsii...

Of course we remember you. Didn't you move to San Francisco?

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by MMOnsii

I couldn't log on to my old account... it must've been deleted since so long that I hadn't used it. But you might remember me as migol... been here since 2008.

Now you shall call me MMOnsii...

Of course! Your old account is still there - migol24

By the way, if anyone ever forgets their password I can reset it for you. In case you forget and can't log in, message me on Facebook and I'll fix it for you. I can even merge your new account with your old one so you don't lose your old posts.

[Mopacs]

I don't suppose they would re-realign Red River Street straight through the Brackenridge development? Currently there's that"dog-leg" intersection at 15th street (as a result of the medical center).

[drummer]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

I don't suppose they would re-realign Red River Street straight through the Brackenridge development? Currently there's that"dog-leg" intersection at 15th street (as a result of the medical center).

I believe the plan is to straighten the road, yes.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

I don't suppose they would re-realign Red River Street straight through the Brackenridge development? Currently there's that"dog-leg" intersection at 15th street (as a result of the medical center).

Yes it's gonna be realigned to go straight through. Interestingly this will be bringing Red River back to its original alignment, which was bumped to the west in the 60's/70's to make room for...yes, the current Brackenridge hospital.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Yes it's gonna be realigned to go straight through. Interestingly this will be bringing Red River back to its original alignment, which was bumped to the west in the 60's/70's to make room for...yes, the current Brackenridge hospital.

That's good to hear. Red River St was always a convenient alternative route to 35 through the Hyde Park/UT/Downtown areas. Right now, not so much.

[Geographer]

Sadly, Austin's local government is embracing a Californian view on affordable housing. Sound bites and headlines have become more important than the logic of supply and demand. Developers are being blamed for creating expensive properties instead of market forces, so stopping development is a good headline. And if we can get a developer to pay a large fee for creating 5 "affordable" units in their project, everybody "wins". Never mind the fact that 5 units is insignificant and is nothing but a headline, and the extra costs added to the construction of a residential building means the remaining units are thus made even more unaffordable.

I agree with this assessment. Only private developers have the resources to build tens of thousands of housing units. The Austin city government does not have enough money to correct the housing shortage, even with Federal grants.

The solution to Austin's high rental and housing costs are high density, low and middle end apartment and condo units. Is anyone here familiar with the Gulfton neighborhood of southwest Houston? It has thousands of inexpensive apartments relatively close to downtown and near U.S. 59 and 610. The low cost of living and proximity to highways and employment centers make it a fantastic place for immigrants, students, and working class people. My immigrant friend who came to Houston with very little money shared a one bedroom apartment with three other guys for four years while he worked at a gas station and went to school. The low cost of living allowed him to do all this and still save money. Gulfton allows working class people to be upwardly mobile. Does Austin have any similar neighborhood?

Gulfton is all privately owned and managed. It wasn't built as low income housing but that's what it became when oil prices plunged and Houston's development patterns shifted. Austin needs similar high density, multi-family housing developments. Developers are undoubtedly eager to build them given Austin's high rents but the NIMBYs frequently oppose because they bring in students and working class people.

[The ATX]

Ugh. This place can't be destroyed fast enough.


https://www.facebook.com/CentralHealthTX

[KevinFromTexas]

The 4 finalists. This says the proposals are due August 25th.

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/loca...1xwaakyLmuwiI/

• Catellus Development Corp.

• Brandywine Realty Trust

• Howard Hughes Corp. / Cambridge Holdings

• Wexford Science and Technology

[The ATX]

Another ABJ paywall alert. One of the four finalists dropped out. Based on the readable blip, it would be the proposal involving the Howard Hughes company.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...al-health.html

[paul78701]

With $6 million grant from state, Merck announces tech hub in Austin:
http://www.statesman.com/business/br...6Zrbj3tsHVaXJ/

[The ATX]

The big announcement is coming up on the 25th. I hope building info and the build out time frame along with some renderings are part of the announcement. The Courthouse block announcement turned out to be pretty anti-climatic with no project details. But we now know that Lincoln was busy at the time with another imminent big announcement. Anyway, the three finalists are:

• Catellus Development Corp.

• Brandywine Realty Trust

• Wexford Science and Technology

I really can't pick a favorite out of that group. All the usual big names in local development are busy with other Austin projects. Brandywine has a lot on their plate with buying up existing developments, and they can't get their one downtown project through the approval process. The other two choices don't impress me much either.

[KevinFromTexas]

Brandywine is probably the most exciting of those if you look into what they're planning in Philadelphia. Catullus was one of the original bidders on the Green Water redevelopment. They weren't my favorite, but they weren't the worst one either. I don't know a thing about Wexford.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Brandywine is probably the most exciting of those if you look into what they're planning in Philadelphia.

Their Philly project is absolutely incredible. But that is such a big undertaking that I can't help but think anything else they have planned is a back burner project to them.

[The ATX]

The developer selection announcement was scheduled for yesterday. As far as I can tell, that didn't happen. Maybe they didn't want their big news getting buried by the weather news.

[We vs us]

Wexford selected to develop Brackenridge tract.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...ite-to-be.html

Redevelopment of the Brackenridge tract — a 14.3-acre parcel in downtown Austin that could be transformed into a thriving medical and commercial district — will be in the hands of Wexford Science & Technology LLC, a Baltimore-based company that specializes in medical and research development.

The Central Health Board of Managers voted Wednesday to proceed with negotiations with Wexford as the master developer of the site near 15th Street and I-35, currently home to University Medical Center Brackenridge. The hospital was replaced earlier this year by the nearby Dell Seton Medical Center.

Wexford beat out Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN) for the assignment after what Central Health called “an intensive review process.” The vote by the organization’s procurement committee was unanimous. Go here for more info on all the original respondents.

Central Health envisions the redevelopment of the six-block Brackenridge campus containing up to 3.7 million square feet of offices, medical facilities, shops, residences and more spread across multiple buildings. Go here to download its master plan.

The Brackenridge site is “an unprecedented redevelopment opportunity for Central Health with the potential to greatly benefit all of the residents of Travis County in the years to come,” according to a website put up by the organization.

Demolition of Brackenridge is still six months to a year off and construction won’t begin for two to three years, according to the announcement.

“Selecting a preferred master developer is an important first step to move this project forward,” Mike Geeslin, president and CEO of Central Health, said in a statement.

Gensler has been tapped as the executive campus planner for the redevelopment of Brackenridge and McCann Adams Studio has the lead on urban designing and planning.

This would be the first development in Texas for Wexford, which has been active on the East Coast handling projects for the University of Maryland, Yale School of Medicine and Wake Forest University. The company currently is building the $300 million Cortex 3.0 mixed-use project in St. Louis.

[The ATX]

I'm sure this site is in that top tier of 12 sites in Austin's HQ2 proposal. But it doesn't sound like it based on the article.

[futures]

Disappointed that Gensler is the architect on this project. While Gensler obviously has world-class designs across the globe, their Austin buildings are always uninspired glass boxes.

Their Seaholm buildings (google and third & shoal), Fairmont, and proposed courthouse building are all yawn inducing. Even 600 Guadalupe is bland save for the height.

[The ATX]

Here's a no paywall version from the Statesman:

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/...2nCxuXe5uBo8J/