The Planning Commission wants City Council to prioritize creating senior and disabled-accessible housing units on city-owned land located near transit corridors, with a priority given to equitable transit-oriented developments, or ETODs, throughout the area. At a meeting last week, the commission voted in favor of a resolution that is related to policy involving ETODs and […]
Development
Posted inPreservation
St. Joseph Hall cleared for demolition on St. Ed’s campus
Historic Landmark Commission members have given their unanimous blessing to the demolition of St. Edward’s University’s St. Joseph Hall, despite its architectural significance and historic association with the Brothers of the Holy Cross. The hall, which stands at 3001 S. Congress Ave., was designed by San Antonio firm Julian & White and constructed on a […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Department announces update of Imagine Austin, due by late 2026
Austin’s Planning Department has announced its plans to update Imagine Austin, the city’s 30-year strategic plan, over the next two-and-a-half years. The department plans to begin six months of community engagement that will end in December and provide the initial topic areas of most importance for assessing how the city will look 30 years into […]
Posted inDevelopment
Pursuing better business connections, Economic Development Corporation rebrands as Rally Austin
The Austin Economic Development Corporation has rebranded as Rally Austin, in an attempt to better communicate its goals of helping to create and preserve affordable housing and cultural spaces throughout the city. The change, which was announced Wednesday, comes as the real estate nonprofit organization is poised to help facilitate some of the most important […]
Posted inPreservation
At massive Hill’s Cafe redevelopment, cottage demolition put on hold
Pieces continue to fall into place for a planned mixed-use development at the former site of Hill’s Cafe, though Historic Landmark Commission members put one of those pieces on hold at their most recent meeting in the hopes that a 1940s cottage might find a new home. Commissioners voted 9-1 to postpone a proposed demolition […]
Posted inPreservation
City’s historic preservation commission and code enforcement look to get in sync
After several recent cases that illustrated a divide between the city’s code enforcement policies and historic preservation aims, Historic Landmark Commission members are working to make sure things are more aligned and less hopelessly complicated for property owners who find themselves in the gray area between the two departments. Chair Ben Heimsath explained that they […]
Posted inPreservation
Condemned homes get a stay of demolition at landmark commission
In an effort to sort out the complicated details, Historic Landmark Commission members have unanimously supported a delay on demolishing two East Austin homes that are both historic and condemned. Both homes, which were built around 1916, are Hofheinz houses, a distinct folk architecture style built in Austin and rented to working-class East Austin families […]
Posted inHousing
City exploring private real estate for homeless shelters ahead of Marshalling Yard closure
The city is searching through a variety of private real estate options that could serve as temporary congregate shelter space beginning in March 2025, when the Marshalling Yard facility is slated to close. Last week, City Council’s Public Health Committee heard a presentation from the Homeless Strategy Office on the progress in creating a plan […]
Posted inZoning
Council approves 90-foot building for South Congress neighborhood
Facing a valid petition from the neighborhood, City Council provided the bare minimum of nine votes to approve zoning changes in the South Congress and Red Bird Lane neighborhood last week that will allow for development of 90-foot, 275-unit apartment complex as well as several thousand feet of retail space. Council Member Mackenzie Kelly voted […]
Posted inZoning
Following court ruling, Oak Springs project scrambles to get back on track
Planning Commission members unanimously recommended an Oak Springs Road zoning change that was temporarily thwarted by a court ruling – despite concerns at their most recent meeting about an abbreviated timeline from a neighborhood representative. In May 2023, developers submitted a site plan that was approved through the now-obsolete Vertical Mixed Use 2 ordinance process, […]
Posted inPlanning
City examining incentives for arts spaces, child care centers, grocery stores
The city is expected to launch a new incentive program for small businesses such as grocery stores, child care centers and creative spaces that bring needed community benefits to underserved areas. The place-based enhancement program, which is currently going through the community feedback process, is a new initiative from the Economic Development Department that is […]
Posted inHousing
Audit finds office-to-residential conversions a bad fit for most local real estate
A recent audit by the Office of the City Auditor looking at the possibilities for converting vacant office spaces into housing stock has found the practice known as adaptive reuse is likely a poor fit for office buildings mostly constructed in the last 10 to 20 years. The audit, which was released in April, queried […]