Streamlined technology and more expensive parking spaces – those are some of the recommendations of a new report that looks at improving parking in downtown Austin. The $260,000 study analyzed parking in the area bordered by Interstate 35, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Lamar Boulevard and Lady Bird Lake, along with the South Central Waterfront […]
Syeda Hasan
Posted inAustin
Austin adopts plan to be more ‘Age-Friendly’
Austin has a reputation as a relatively young city, but within the next 25 years, one in five residents is expected to be 65 or older. To prepare for that change, City Council has approved a new plan to make it easier for older residents to “age in place.” Austin’s Age-Friendly Action Plan outlines policies […]
Posted inDevelopment
Austin moves forward with expedited building permits
Builders in Austin have long complained about the city’s notoriously slow permitting process. Now, the city is set to launch a new program that will offer a faster option – but it comes with some costs. Building in Austin typically requires getting a permit from the city’s Development Services Department. But as recent reports have […]
Posted inDevelopment
Rainey Street condo developer to fund neighborhood traffic study
Yet another new high-rise condo complex could be coming to the Rainey Street neighborhood. But before it breaks ground, developers and residents are working to identify the top traffic needs in the area. The Austin-based Sutton Company wants to build new condos on a 2-acre plot of land at 80 Red River St. that is […]
Posted inHousing
Council Member Renteria seeks amenities for mobile home parks
Mobile homes are often referred to as Austin’s most affordable housing. But mobile home parks don’t always offer amenities, such as green space, for residents. One City Council member is hoping to change that. When Council Member Pio Renteria visited some of his constituents at a mobile home park in Montopolis, he was shocked by […]
Posted inZoning
Council inches closer to action on Grove at Shoal Creek PUD
For several months now, City Council’s decision about whether to approve the zoning for the Grove at Shoal Creek, a proposed 75-acre mixed-use development, has driven hours of debate and faced numerous delays. Why is it taking so long? When we’re not hearing about the Grove at Council meetings, behind-the-scenes discussions on the case can […]
Posted inDevelopment
As city overhauls development code, Central Austin neighborhood works on its first plan
The city of Austin is working with people who live in the North Shoal Creek area to develop their first-ever neighborhood plan. The effort could help determine the future of that part of Austin and the rest of the city. Zora Mae Hise has been living in the North Shoal Creek neighborhood for about 50 […]
Posted inPolice
Austin and Travis County officials talk sobriety center plans
People picked up in Austin for public intoxication downtown might no longer be headed straight to jail or the emergency room. Austin and Travis County leaders are moving forward with plans to open a sobriety center. The downtown facility would serve as a safe space for people to sober up. After years of discussion, both […]
Posted inDevelopment
State report outlines potential new locations for Austin State Hospital
Austin is home to one of the first mental health care facilities in Texas, but state lawmakers are considering selling the property and relocating the facility. The Austin State Hospital admits about 4,000 patients a year, serving 39 counties. But its buildings, housed on a campus near Hyde Park, are aging. A 2015 state report […]
Posted inAustin
East Austin theater at the center of code dispute
The Austin Code Department is responsible for making sure land is used for its intended purpose. So what happens when land-use rules are broken? One East Austin theater at the center of a code dispute is finding out the answer to that question. There are a lot of ways to violate city code – for […]
Posted inAustin
Does Austin need a bigger convention center?
City leaders are considering a plan to expand the Austin Convention Center, but some question how much the entire city would benefit from the project. The convention industry is sort of like an invisible arms race among cities. Who can build the biggest, baddest convention center to attract the most coveted events? For some time […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Could more tourist spots benefit from hotel tax?
Austin residents are no strangers to big local events and, increasingly, neither are out-of-towners – but all of those visitors can take a toll on the city’s infrastructure. City Council is set to consider a plan that could direct more funding toward facilities affected by tourism. The money would come from something called the Hotel […]