Highland Mall Redevelopment Update Thread - Page 14

KevinFromTexas · #**261** Posted **Apr 5, 2020, 8:51 PM**

^I was just thinking, that is a handsome building. And, yeah, great pics of the Highland area. The Independent looks good there.

Urbannizer · #**262** Posted **Apr 25, 2020, 6:13 AM**

ACC Parking Garage Construction by KUT Austin - 90.5 FM, on Flickr

ahealy · #**263** Posted **Apr 25, 2020, 4:03 PM**

That garage is looking good! What if... someday Highland turns back into a shopping mall and this rivals the domain with connectivity/housing?!?!

myBrain · #**264** Posted **Sep 14, 2020, 4:15 PM**

freerover · #**265** Posted **Sep 14, 2020, 4:17 PM**

The sad thing is if the 2014 vote had passed we would be close to opening the light rail line from Riverside to the highland development servicing all these new dense housing and office complexes.

Syndic · #**266** Posted **Sep 16, 2020, 3:00 AM**

And we never would have gotten the opportunity to vote on the (much better) Lamar route.

MyBrain, I'm guessing you're seeing Dr. Parker at Austin Skyline Dental? I've been going there for years.

I didn't know they were working on that part of the Highland parking lot.

Novacek · #**267** Posted **Sep 16, 2020, 2:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

And we never would have gotten the opportunity to vote on the (much better) Lamar route.

Sure we would have. The plan was never to build Riverside to Highland, and then stop. The long term plan was always to continue to build out the system (Guadalupe, Lamar, SoCo, etc.).

End result would have been very similar. We'd just have gotten some of it a lot earlier, some of it a lot cheaper/with a higher federal share, etc.

freerover · #**268** Posted **Sep 16, 2020, 3:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Novacek

Sure we would have. The plan was never to build Riverside to Highland, and then stop. The long term plan was always to continue to build out the system (Guadalupe, Lamar, SoCo, etc.).

End result would have been very similar. We'd just have gotten some of it a lot earlier, some of it a lot cheaper/with a higher federal share, etc.

Yea, Houston actually voted to expand their light rail system while the 1st phase of light rail was still under construction.

Riverranchdrone · #**269** Posted **Oct 11, 2020, 8:49 PM**

myBrain · #**270** Posted **Nov 10, 2020, 3:40 PM**

I don't have a pic (Google Earth screenshot of building below), but it appears as if they are recladding the ATT building just north of Highland Mall. Not big news or anything, but it's pretty visible when headed south on 35 and has looked like crap for a long time (along with the trashy motels next door). Some new glass could be a big improvement.

JoninATX · #**271** Posted **Jan 2, 2021, 7:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by myBrain

I don't have a pic (Google Earth screenshot of building below), but it appears as if they are recladding the ATT building just north of Highland Mall. Not big news or anything, but it's pretty visible when headed south on 35 and has looked like crap for a long time (along with the trashy motels next door). Some new glass could be a big improvement.

I saw that they gutted the entire building last wk while driving north bound on 35.

Found a few renderings on loopnet.
https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/712-...n-TX/19972475/

myBrain · #**272** Posted **Jan 2, 2021, 9:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoninATX

I saw that they gutted the entire building last wk while driving north bound on 35.

Found a few renderings on loopnet.
https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/712-...n-TX/19972475/

Wow good find! That's a lot nicer than I expected.

MallRat2020 · #**273** Posted **Jan 14, 2021, 9:12 PM**

A few pics I took on campus, in the former entryway of Highland Mall where the main Airport Blvd entrance was (by the former Luby's):

I remember walking down the lobby area as a kid with Luby's to the right, a clothing store (and eventual jewelry store) to the left, with shop mannequins in the windows. Then the lobby opened into the main area of the mall. I need to scan some pics I have in the 80s....

Urbannizer · #**274** Posted **Jan 15, 2021, 6:30 PM**

Airport Center Apartments

Highland Tech Center

MallRat2020 · #**275** Posted **Jan 15, 2021, 8:25 PM**

A few pics I took shortly after Highland Mall closed in 2015 compared with the Highland Mall / ACC campus pics I took in December of 2020.

Just outside the front entrance facing Aiport Blvd. outside the former front lobby. The original trees are still as full and welcoming as they were years ago. The steel beams on each side appear to have survived.

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View from the parking lot facing the former front lobby. As mentioned above, the steel beams seem to still outline the front area as they did originally during the mall days.

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The main lobby area in the mall with all the kiosks / chairs packed up compared to the new open walkway to Highland / ACC. It appears that some of the top structure survived but can't be completely sure.

H2O · #**276** Posted **Jan 16, 2021, 2:55 PM**

About 20 years ago, when the mall was still thriving, I sketched out a plan for redevelopment of the mall. It was prompted by the realization that the beautiful tree-lined driveways leading to the main entrances were perfect opportunities for 'main street' walkable retail development. My scheme left the mall intact at the core, and infilled the parking lots between the tree-lined driveways with mid-rise mixed use buildings wrapping parking garages. It was remarkably similar to what actually has been built (and planned), other than the use of the mall buildings.

atxsnail · #**277** Posted **Jan 18, 2021, 3:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by H2O

It was prompted by the realization that the beautiful tree-lined driveways leading to the main entrances were perfect opportunities for 'main street' walkable retail development.

That part, now called Jacob Fontaine Plaza, has turned out quite nicely. If not for the pandemic I think that spot would be pretty lively by now, with restaurants lining the plaza. There's a Bennu coffee and some other small retail there at least.

Here's a video from ACC about the plaza development/opening and its namesake:

• Video Link

drummer · #**278** Posted **Jun 2, 2021, 6:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummer

Garth Brooks to play Studio 6A farewell shows in Austin, tickets start at $2,500

Quote:

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Studio 6A, the longtime home of the Austin PBS music series Austin City Limits, is going out in style.

Country music superstar Garth Brooks will play two “intimate” shows July 20 and 21 to help send off the stage at the University of Texas at Austin. Austin PBS is moving to a modern, state-of-the-art broadcast studio at Austin Community College’s Highland campus in 2022.

https://www.kxan.com/entertainment-n...start-at-2500/

Cross-posted from the Misc. Discussions page. This is actually a better place for it.

drummer · #**279** Posted **Jun 2, 2021, 7:10 PM**

Unrelated question - what is the plan with that DPS building on the west side of the tracks on Denson Dr.? In Google Earth it appears to have a fence around it. I haven't been by there in a while.

MallRat2020 · #**280** Posted **Aug 24, 2021, 3:37 PM**

Here are some photos I took last month at the ACC / Highland Mall campus. I had a few things running through my mind while visiting:

* The campus is gorgeous, and mall rats like me can take pride in knowing ACC purchased the former stomping grounds of my youth and transformed it into something special.

* I remember pretty much where everything was from the old mall, from the Food Court, Dillard's and old Joske's building, Goldmine and Luby's, etc., and the blueprint of the new digs has some of the same "paths" as the old mall. I was able to easily tell where I was standing in relation to the older stores (Tie Shop, Zales, Hastings, Toy Box, etc.). Of course the building 4000 is still intact which used to house the Gap, Hallmark Store, Visible Changes, Foley's / Macy's, etc.

* Construction the parking lot seems to be wrapping up.

Anyway, here you are ...