Landmark commission pushes for ‘partnership’ on Sixth Street redevelopment

Despite trepidation from developers, the Historic Landmark Commission has recommended a heftier review process for Sixth Street properties slated to be redeveloped under proposed regulations.

The code amendments, which were initiated by City Council in June 2022, could raise height limits to 140 feet for buildings on Sixth Street between Neches and Sabine streets. Council’s resolution also asked the city to create design standards “with specific guidelines for the preservation of facades on historic structures, to ensure any redevelopment is compatible with the character of the historic district.”

At their June 7 meeting, landmark commissioners unanimously endorsed the code amendments. They also added clarifying standards for preservation of historic building facades and tax breaks for existing establishments in an effort to dull gentrification.

The commission also spoke with representatives from Stream Realty Partners – the group that’s currently planning to redevelop two blocks of Austin’s “Dirty Sixth.”

Attorney Richard Suttle, who spoke on behalf of Stream, explained that the group intends to revitalize the area of downtown and introduce a mix of uses that would be active during the day and night, instead of just bars that are open at night. Doing this requires more density and changes that would encourage new businesses, he explained.

“Sixth Street has become a real problem, and it’s in what I would call a death spiral, because you’re not going to get anybody to go in there,” Suttle said. “It has become a shooting gallery.”

Stream’s vision, he said, includes wider sidewalks with cafes, improved streetscapes and streets that are open to traffic throughout the week and on the weekends. 

In terms of preservation, Stream Realty Partners Senior Vice President Caitlyn Ryan said the group is a “huge fan” of retaining the facades of historic properties that contribute to the district. “This is what makes Sixth Street, Sixth Street,” she said.

Ryan said that the group had been careful to propose the redevelopment on the two blocks on Sixth Street that had the least amount of historic property. Though Stream owns “quite a bit” of property on Sixth, she assured the commission that “we’re doing nothing but re-tenanting those.”

Under the proposed amendments, projects would still go through review by the Historic Landmark Commission, because they are part of a National Register district. Without additional clarification, the commission only will have the ability to comment on proposed demolitions and plans. Without initiating historic zoning, commissioners would not have the ability to halt demolitions or have an official say on designs.

Because of that, commissioners voted unanimously to include clarification that preservation of historic facades is required for those buildings that are contributing structures in the historic district. And to help ensure that will be the case, the commission argued for binding review of any project that could impact a historic facade. 

“I think it is important to be very clear on the level of requirement for the retention of those facades because, as you know, we have several that have been slated for demolition despite our objections,” said Commissioner Kevin Koch. “I want to make sure that our determination of what is – and what is not – is binding.”

“Otherwise, what you’re saying is ‘We really want to retain these buildings, unless we don’t want to,’” he continued, “which is really not a commitment or an assurance that we retain these properties.”

“Now you’re starting to scare me,” said Suttle, who supported raising the bar for historic review on the street but balked at supporting the creation of a de facto local historic district through a review process that included absolute veto power over changes to contributing structures. 

He noted that future commissions could vote against redevelopment because “they just don’t like the idea of a tall building,” but he was assured that landmark commission rulings could be appealed to Council.

Interim Chair Ben Heimsath stressed that the review process could be part of a partnership aimed at preserving and improving the entertainment district. 

“We’re just at the beginning,” said Heimsath. “And if you really truly are trying to preserve the spirit of Sixth Street … you have a representation of the entire city at your disposal.”

Commissioners also supported exploration of tax caps for legacy businesses that could be priced out of an improved Sixth Street.

“I think we have to be very careful about the impact on the rest of the street, particularly some Sixth Street treasures that exist on this street, and the nearby area, to make sure this does not price them out,” Koch said. “We do want to continue the character of what Sixth Street has been and the creative venues that had been there for a generation and not invite only worldwide, boutique chains that can afford the rents that result from the increased property taxes.”

Koch also pointed out that the expressed desire to revitalize the street stood in direct contrast to the current abandoned state of some of the properties that Stream owns.

“To buy up two and a half blocks and board ’em up and then say, ‘You know, it’s gone downhill,’ … seems a little bit disingenuous,” he said.

Ryan explained that they had only purchased two properties that became vacant during the pandemic and that a lot of properties had been purchased vacant, as they were only in operation during South by Southwest. The buildings currently are boarded up, she said, because they had more than 45 broken windows and ongoing issues with trespassing. Ryan told the commission that this month alone, more than 300 people had been kicked out of the now-vacant building that was once home to Easy Tiger.

In addition to the amendments approved by commissioners, city staff recommended the changes in height with the caveat that they only apply to the two blocks of Sixth Street specified in the resolution, as they are inappropriate in the Sixth Street National Register District, in general. The setback on these blocks also would be reduced from 20 feet to 15 feet.

Following recommendations from the Historic Landmark and Planning commissions, Council will vote on any changes to the proposed code amendments before adopting them as law.

Photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Posted In: Land Development Code, Preservation, District 9