City staff are stepping in to put the remains of a former Texas Historic Landmark in South Austin out of its misery, after decades of neglect have left the 173 year old ruins a threat to public safety. The structure at 6706 Bluff Springs Road, which was once home to prominent political figures at the […]
Kali Bramble
Posted inPreservation
Judges Hill home poised for property tax break in exchange for landmark zoning
Another 20th century home just north of downtown is poised to join Austin’s ranks of landmarked residences, with Historic Landmark Commissioners voting last week to initiate the site’s historic zoning. The San Gabriel Street home was built in 1927 by the prolific Edwin Kreisle, whose architectural legacy remains on display at sites like Fulmore Middle […]
Posted inPreservation
City’s Heritage Preservation Grant program to be retooled for upcoming fiscal year
The city’s Heritage Preservation Grant program will look a little different this year, with plans to undergo a “creative reset” under the leadership of Austin’s brand new Office of Arts, Music, Culture, and Entertainment. Last year, the program awarded $3,590,765 in Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue to 22 select projects at historic sites that ranged in […]
Posted inParks
City makes initial moves for Palm Park makeover with Shelter House restoration
Plans to restore the 92-year-old Palm Park Shelter House cleared an administrative hurdle last week, laying the groundwork for a forthcoming project that will see it fold into a brand new urban park in Downtown Austin. Earlier this month, Historic Landmark Commissioners voted unanimously to initiate historic zoning on the site, which currently belongs to […]
Posted inPreservation
Convention Center redevelopment explores options for two Downtown landmarks in its path
As Austin moves full steam ahead with plans to nearly double the size of its Convention Center, city staff are scrambling to keep two historic structures off its list of potential casualties. Located just across Red River from the existing Center, the buildings known as the Trask and Castleman-Bull Houses are no strangers to the […]
Posted inPreservation
Downtown Historic Resource Survey eyes seven new districts eligible for designation
The city’s Historic Preservation Office is putting the finishing touches on its long-awaited Downtown Austin Historic Resource Survey, with plans to present the final draft to Historic Landmark Commissioners this week. En route, staff stopped by City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee for a preliminary briefing on their findings, which mark the first attempt at […]
Posted inHousing
As Acacia Cliffs rezoning is approved, Critics say Council has sold out on its affordability commitments
The zoning reforms that have come to define our City Council are having a moment in the spotlight, earning shout outs from Vice President J.D. Vance and New York Times bestseller Ezra Klein, whose recent book Abundance presents an approach that will be familiar to most Austinites–tweaking land use code alongside market-based incentives as a […]
Posted inPlanning
From 11th street and beyond, Rally Austin is blazing trails to keep the city’s arts scene alive
Plans to revitalize two acres of city-owned land on East 11th Street are finally materializing, as Austin’s Economic Development Corporation makes moves to get brand new mixed-use developments up and running by 2028. Bound by Franklin’s Barbecue to the west and Victory Grill to the east, the project is slated to bring space for local […]
Posted inAISD
Austin Independent School district buys more time for plan to address Dobie Middle School, but prepares for seismic shifts
After years of deferrals and litigation, new state mandates for public school performance are finally catching up to Austin Independent School District, leaving hundreds of its children, teachers, and administrators unsure if they will have a school to return to come August. Dobie Middle School, a Title 1 campus on East Rundberg Lane, faces an […]
Posted inEnergy
Resource Management Commission continues to explore potential audit of Austin Energy district cooling system
Austin Energy may soon be on the hook to set the record straight on its District Energy & Cooling System, as a proposal to conduct an audit on its finances gathers momentum at the Resource Management Commission. The resolution, brought forward by Commissioner Paul Robbins, comes after the utility proposed selling the system to a […]
Posted inHousing
Facing displacement, Acacia Cliffs apartment tenants mobilize at City Hall
Plans to redevelop an apartment complex in Northwest Austin are off to a rocky start, drawing a crowd to City Hall last week with demands for more concessions to displaced tenants. Acacia Cliffs residents and their neighbors took to the podium on Thursday to request time for more robust negotiations with owner Price Realty Corporation, […]
Posted inWater
$1 billion expansion of wastewater treatment plant poised to break ground
With a major expansion on the horizon for Austin’s Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mayor Kirk Watson is working with city staff to ensure the $1 billion project goes off without a hitch. The project, which City Council approved last May, would expand the site’s processing capacity from 75 million to 100 million gallons of […]