Habitat for Humanity International announced on Oct. 15 that Austin Habitat for Humanity will host the 2025 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, an annual, weeklong home-building blitz that attracts thousands of handy volunteers. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, last year’s Carter Work Project host, passed on the symbolic hammer to Austin Habitat during the […]
Development
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment approves variances in the interest of health and safety
The Board of Adjustment heard a presentation on Tuesday from David Webber, of the Webber + Studio architectural design firm, who requested two variances for increased impervious coverage and floor area ratio at a property in Old West Austin. The property, located at 705 Brownlee Circle, is owned by Brad Hoskins. Currently, there is a […]
Posted inPreservation
Landmark commission stalls demo of midcentury Baptist church
As East Austin’s Rehoboth Primitive Baptist Church moves on to roomier digs up north, its congregation is preparing to say goodbye to its home of six decades in more ways than one. What was once holy ground at 5303 Samuel Huston Avenue landed on the Historic Landmark Commission’s radar last month, with a request from […]
Posted inPreservation
Planners vote to preserve east side building despite developer opposition
The Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward on historic zoning for the building at 1500 East 12th St., which is estimated to have been built near the turn of the 20th century. According to city documentation, over the building’s century-long history it was a neighborhood grocery store, the meeting place of Black fraternity […]
Posted inPlanning
OK from Planning Commission sets up Council consideration for creative space incentives
The Planning Commission’s recent support for an incentive program for creative spaces in new developments gave City Council additional direction for how to address affordability for local arts spaces and the workers in those industries. Council is slated to conduct a public hearing and consider the ordinance change for the creative space combining district framework […]
Posted inPreservation
East Austin bids adieu to another historic bungalow
After a century on East Austin’s Cotton Street, a little blue Craftsman bungalow is finally biting the dust, with new owners getting the go-ahead from the city’s Historic Landmark Commission to proceed with demolition. A different outcome seemed possible just last month, when commissioners voted to initiate the site’s historic zoning based on ties to […]
Posted inHousing
Housing and Planning Committee recommends City Council prioritize housing for seniors and people with disabilities
City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee voted Tuesday to recommend that Council adopt a resolution to explore prioritizing city-owned land for the development of housing for seniors and people with disabilities. The recommendation included exploring cooperative housing and community land trusts and prioritizing sites with access to public transit corridors, specifically within equitable transit-oriented developments […]
Posted inDevelopment
SOS variance for aquifer development fails to win Environmental Commission support
A proposal to initiate an amendment to the Save Our Springs Ordinance to increase the allowable amount of impervious cover over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone failed to win the Environmental Commission’s support Wednesday. Impervious cover is any human-made surface that doesn’t absorb rainfall – such as parking lots, streets and rooftops. Builders of a […]
Posted inDevelopment
Realtors join Broadnax in push to revamp city processes in favor of density
Real estate leaders and the city’s top executive see potential in the city’s recent slates of code changes for land use and building, but agreed that implementing those changes effectively will be what determines their success in addressing Austin’s rising cost of living. Earlier this week, the Austin Board of Realtors hosted its annual Central […]
Posted inZoning
Revised Thornton Road rezoning gets first reading approval
After a surprise change in the requested zoning, City Council approved on first reading a much smaller zoning change for a 4-acre site on Thornton Road in South Austin. The property sits in District 5, and Council Member Ryan Alter played a major role in putting together a different zoning plan than what the property […]
Posted inLand Development Code
City Council resolution requiring bollard installations at medical facilities could prevent future tragedies
Following a tragic accident at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center on Feb. 13, City Council responded in July by unanimously approving a resolution to enhance safety measures at medical facilities by requiring installation of bollards at entrances. This week, more details on the design of such features are being reviewed. The accident at issue […]
Posted inDevelopment
Empire concert venue gets city dollars to buy land, plan expansion
City funds have helped to preserve another live music venue, with the Rally Austin economic development organization announcing Wednesday it had completed a deal to help Empire Control Room & Garage acquire all of the property it has used since opening in 2013 on East Seventh Street. In a post on LinkedIn, the organization noted, […]