The Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend construction of a skyscraper on Rainey Street that would be one of Austin’s tallest buildings. 90-92 Rainey St., currently occupied by Container Bar, would become a residential high-rise with about 450 residential units, a cocktail lounge on the ground floor, and a large underground parking garage. City […]
2021
Posted inHousing
Austin and Travis County extend eviction bans (again), say more rent help is coming
Citing a continuing public health crisis that could only worsen if people have to leave their homes, Austin-area officials have extended protections against most evictions through April 1. “Keeping people inside and housed curbs the spread of the virus,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said via a virtual press conference Thursday. “Ensuring housing stability contributes […]
Posted inWhispers
PARD postpones summer programs
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is delaying its summer camps and aquatic programming due to the uncertainty around how long the pandemic will last and when vaccines will be available. Summer camp registration typically begins in February and aquatic programming in April; but with the city and county in Stage 5 of the Covid-19 […]
Posted inDevelopment
Project Silicon Silver proceeds at a gallop
On Tuesday the Travis County Commissioners Court held a discussion on “Project Silicon Silver,” widely speculated to be the alias for chipmaking giant Samsung’s development contract. The discussion centered around acceptance of the preliminary application, along with a corresponding $150,000 fee paid out to the county by the developer. The commissioners were careful to note […]
Posted inParks
Parks board asks Council to update rules for naming facilities, features
The city will change its rules for naming parks and the amenities within them, in a move to increase equity and add more public input to the process commonly used to honor community leaders. The Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously this week to ask City Council to update the city ordinance covering the naming […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin buys one hotel to convert into housing for homeless – and puts off purchasing another.
After hours of debate, the Austin City Council OK’d one purchase of a hotel to ultimately house Austinites experiencing homelessness, while delaying the purchase of another until next week. The two hotels – one in North Austin’s District 7 and another in the more northwesterly District 6 – would collectively cost the city $16.2 million […]
Posted inWhispers
Harper-Madison elected mayor pro tem for 2021
District 1 Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison is Austin’s new mayor pro tem. While her colleagues voted unanimously to select her, the motion and the vote were atypical of such elections. The post of mayor pro tem is a largely ceremonial position, yet Harper-Madison and District 10 Council Member Alison Alter had both indicated that they […]
Posted inParks
Parks board pushes for easement, land dedication on S. Congress project
The Parks and Recreation Board found that a development along South Congress Avenue adjacent to Williamson Creek must provide parkland as part of its site plan approval process, and cannot pay a fee in lieu of that donation. The board voted 10-1 at Tuesday’s meeting to support the recommendation of city parks staff, pushing the […]
Posted inWhispers
Zoning change?
It has been nearly a year since City Council began meeting virtually. While the city has handled the sudden, drastic shift with relative aplomb, there have been some speed bumps. At Monday’s (virtual) work session, Council Member Alison Alter raised the issue of public testimony and how it has been handled during virtual meetings. Unlike […]
Posted inWhispers
Shoal Creek draft plan released
The draft of the Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy has been released, and Shoal Creek Conservancy and the Downtown Austin Alliance are looking for public feedback. The plan, according to a news release from the conservancy, “is intended to enhance the area around 3rd Street and Shoal Creek through better bikeways, new trail […]
Posted inDevelopment
HealthSouth redevelopment moves forward
As she made the motion to move the HealthSouth project forward Wednesday, Mayor Pro Tem Natasha Harper-Madison added some requests to Council Member Kathie Tovo’s long list of asks for the team working on the exclusive negotiating agreement with Aspen Heights Partners. That agreement will provide a framework for negotiating the developer’s lease of the […]
Posted inCity Council
Council adopts new flood control resolution
In her first move on City Council, new member Vanessa Fuentes authored a resolution directing the city to provide an update on its flood resilience plans. “Often in my community it’s not a matter of if the next big flood happens, but when the next big flood happens,” Fuentes said. “It is essential that this […]