City Council members learned last week that the completion of the new downtown public library has been hit with delays, again. “I do think that it is getting very close, but I don’t have a specific date that I can give you quite yet,” Toni Lambert, interim director of Libraries, told Council members at a […]
Audrey McGlinchy, KUT
Posted inDevelopment
What’s the future of Austin’s East 12th Street? Ask these guys from Dallas.
Property ownership can be a stealth business, with land changing hands before anyone’s had time to notice. For the past four years, one North Texas company has quietly begun buying up property on E. 12th Street. Ironically, the company takes its name from a cry of surprise and discovery: “Eureka!” One-fourth of what was once […]
Posted inAustin
Forty years after its fiery demise, a movie theater continues to be missed by East Austin
Ada Harden, 81, stands on a vacant lot at the corner of E. 12th and Salina Streets. While gravel and shorn grass crunch beneath her feet, she sees instead a maroon seat made of velvet and a wide screen where a fence now stands. “Can you imagine a theater sitting right here?” Harden asked, giggling. […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Travis County tops list of jurisdictions declining immigration detainers
A new report suggests Travis County refused more federal requests to detain undocumented immigrants than any other law enforcement agency. The report from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is the first of what are promised to be weekly publications. President Donald Trump established the practice of publishing the lists of jurisdictions declining ICE […]
Posted inTransportation
After Uber and Lyft exit, local ride-hailing options stumble during first SXSW
Mel Roe was eating dinner Saturday night at Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant in downtown Austin when she nearly threw her phone at the wall. Roe says the app of one of Austin’s six fledgling ride-hailing companies, Fasten, would not let her request a ride. So, she relied on a technique used by many who’ve been stranded […]
Posted inHousing
Affordability plan before Council emphasizes housing needs
City Council members are hoping to make good on promises to create a more affordable Austin. Or, at the very least, ratify a plan to. Council members will vote on an “affordability action plan” at their regular meeting Thursday. The measure, spearheaded by Council Member Ellen Troxclair, proposes five areas in which the local government […]
Posted inPlanning
Local interest groups gear up for a year of CodeNEXT talk
At the rear of the Terrazas Branch of the Austin Public Library on E. Cesar Chavez Street, roughly 10 people gather in a meeting room. It looks like any classroom. There’s a white board at the back, unflattering lighting above, and rows of chairs stacked to the side. What’s unusual is the discussion. At times, […]
Posted inZoning
Proposed residency for adults with autism in jeopardy
The future of a residential facility for adults with autism is in limbo after a vote by a city of Austin commission. Autism Center Austin’s proposed home is 40 acres of an 82-acre lot just south of FM 2222 in West Austin. The owner of the land, Berta Bradley, recently split the lot, gifting half […]
Posted inHousing
When the loss of a historic home adds to much-needed housing stock
Reedy Spigner, 45, straddles a gray carpet strewn with empty glass bottles and pieces of tape – just some of the things left behind in a move. In front of him is an entire wall of windows. From there, he looks out onto E. 22nd Street and is transported some 35 years into the past. […]
Posted inPreservation
Two adjacent East Austin streets, two tales of development
Danny Fowler stands in the middle of his driveway holding a vase full of red flowers. He is taking them to his neighbor, who lives just across the street, over the crest of the steep hill that cuts this East Austin cul-de-sac in two. The street, which begins as E.M. Franklin Avenue before morphing into […]
Posted inCity Council
Capitol view corridors to compete at Council today
Stand atop the hill at the northeast corner of the Texas State Cemetery, and you’ll have a clear view of the Texas State Capitol. It rises alongside a row of trees, now leafless, and a Texas flag. That view, some City Council members say, demands protection. “This resolution is to preserve the Capitol corridor views […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County explores ways to overcome funding cuts
Travis County raised nearly $90,000 as of Monday afternoon through an online initiative set up after Gov. Greg Abbott cut $1.5 million in grant funding over Sheriff Sally Hernandez’s new immigration policy. State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) launched the fundraising site Friday in partnership with the Austin Community Foundation. “It was really quite spontaneous, and […]