Stories by Kali Bramble
Travis Heights "gingerbread house" on track for historic landmark status
Travis Heights preservationists had cause for celebration last week, as a proposal to landmark an iconic neighborhood home broke up the typical routine of demolition and disappointment. The case to rezone the property at 2101 Travis Heights Blvd., known among…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Sep 11, 2023
City champions electric bike-share as mode shift trailblazer
Four years into Austin’s commitment to have half its population choose alternatives to driving by 2039, the Transportation and Public Works Department is still hopeful its growing pains will eventually pay dividends. Division Manager Kirk Scanlon visited City Council’s Mobility…
Transportation • By Kali Bramble • Aug 28, 2023
Austin Energy in talks to expand community solar program
As residents bemoan scorching temperatures, Austin Energy is looking to leverage the sunny weather’s benefits, with plans to ramp up the utility’s community solar program over the coming year. Customer Renewable Solutions Manager Tim Harvey stopped by last week’s Electric…
Energy • By Kali Bramble • Aug 22, 2023
$2.7 million on the table as Heritage Preservation Grant opens for next round of applicants
As budget season stirs up City Hall, Austin’s Economic Development Department is preparing to share the wealth, with plans to allocate $2.7 million in grants for preservation efforts at historically designated sites. The Heritage Preservation Grant Program, which began accepting…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Aug 10, 2023
State Theatre slated for head-to-toe renovation project
The State Theatre, the smaller sibling space of the Paramount Theatre and one of Austin’s oldest operating venues, will soon undergo a 21st-century upgrade. Emily Little of Clayton Korte Architects stopped by last week’s Historic Landmark Commission meeting to share…
Music & Entertainment • By Kali Bramble • Aug 8, 2023
City, TxDOT still on board to bridge eastern and western parts of downtown over I-35
As the Texas Department of Transportation readies for the green light to expand Interstate 35, city staff hopes to leverage the massive infrastructure project to give downtown Austin a once-in-a-lifetime face lift. Both TxDOT and Austin’s Transportation & Public Works…
Development • By Kali Bramble • Jul 28, 2023
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Landmark Commission debates historic exemption for new safe fence ordinance
The Historic Landmark Commission faced an unusual case last week, when a construction proposal at a landmarked home at 1412 W. Sixth 1/2 St. collided with pending City Council action to ban unsafe fence designs. The resolution, which would mandate…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Jul 17, 2023
Developers behind Fairmont Hotel revisit historic home relocation battle
With a $600 million development deal allegedly in the pipeline, Manchester Financial Group once again is eyeing a slice of prime real estate across the street from the Austin Convention Center. Since 2016, two historic homes on East Third Street…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Jul 13, 2023
Resource Management Commission considers petition for oversight on gas utilities
The city’s Resource Management Commission may soon find itself a bit busier, with plans for a vote to add oversight of Austin’s natural gas utilities to its purview. Commissioner Paul Robbins, a longtime environmentalist, brought the proposal forth. It would…
Resources • By Kali Bramble • Jul 5, 2023
ECHO says permanent supportive housing is the only way out of Austin's homelessness crisis
Austin’s Ending Community Homelessness Coalition joined City Council’s Public Health Committee this month to break down the nonprofit’s latest point-in-time count, which in late January found 2,374 Austinites experiencing some degree of homelessness. While that figure is down from 2020,…
Public Health • By Kali Bramble • Jun 26, 2023
Austin Energy rolls out updates to renewable energy and storage program
As Austin Energy continues to refine its renewable energy and storage network, customers using solar panels or electric vehicles can look forward to some system upgrades. Richard Genece, vice president of customer energy solutions, and Tim Harvey, renewable solutions manager,…
Energy • By Kali Bramble • Jun 23, 2023
Housing and Planning Department maps out next steps following compatibility reform vote
Following City Council’s move last week to recalibrate compatibility requirements, city staff joined the Housing and Planning Committee on Tuesday for an update on what’s next. Currently, Austin’s compatibility standards affect development up to 540 feet from lots zoned as…
