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 […]
Development
Posted inHousing
Office slowdown sparks new downtown housing ambitions
Downtown Austin leaders are increasingly focused on residential development as a way to stabilize the city’s core, as office vacancy rates remain stubbornly high and some buildings struggle to find tenants at all. With more than one-fifth of downtown office space currently sitting vacant or available for near-term leases (and some estimates placing that number […]
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
Housing staff wants more funding, support for land trusts to build affordable homes
The Housing Department is pushing City Council to continue to provide funding for land acquisition and development subsidies to preserve long-term housing affordability. In a recent memo responding to a Council resolution from last year, housing officials describe land banking as “the bedrock” of future affordability. The memo acknowledges that expanding the city’s community land […]
Posted inHousing
Housing staff suggest ADU pilot program aimed at 80% MFI households
City housing staff say a publicly-funded program to help homeowners build accessory dwelling units would likely see limited uptake and may fall short of the city’s affordability goals, particularly for households most at risk of displacement. In a recent memo responding to a 2023 resolution from City Council, Interim Housing Director Mandy DeMayo outlined findings […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission settles on recommendation in controversial doggy daycare zoning case
A rezoning case for an out-of-compliance doggy daycare in South Austin’s Sweetbriar neighborhood earned the recommendation of Austin’s Planning Commission (and the scorn of some of neighbors) last week. Planning commissioners heard the case for the second time during their June 10 meeting and voted to recommend the rezoning to City Council. The change from […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission OKs removal of east side pecan tree
In a case that may tug at the heartwood of tree-hugging Austinites, the Planning Commission approved an variance allowing the cutting of one individual pecan tree during its May 27 meeting. The variance was granted at the request of nonprofit LifeWorks, who owns the property at 819 Tillery Street that the tree sits on. Its […]
Posted inHousing
City eyes fund to preserve affordable housing, capitalize on overbuilt apartment market
In talking about the possibility of establishing a city fund specifically for preserving existing affordable housing stock, Council Member Marc Duchen said part of the motivation is to give the city more tools to step in before property owners decide to rebuild aging multifamily properties at higher price points. Using the recent, controversial redevelopment of […]
Posted inZoning
Despite safety concerns, Council OKs new buildings above Shoal Creek
Austin City Council last week approved adding the Vertical Mixed Use “V” to the property located from 1501 to 1603 Shoal Creek Boulevard, after a hearing that featured considerable discussion about the geologically sensitive area. Council Member Paige Ellis abstained, citing the fact that the area had already suffered from collapses in the past. The […]
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 inZoning
A multi-family rezoning at the rugged edge of Northwest Austin
Way out in Austin’s northwest corner, where the city bleeds into undeveloped wildland, two people are trying to build a homestead. To do that, they’re asking the city of Austin for an upzoning to a district type meant for building small apartment, townhouse and condo complexes. The Zoning and Platting Commission voted to recommend the […]
Posted inDevelopment
Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
Property owners in Texas hoping to stop or stall new housing next door will soon find it harder to do so. Texas lawmakers finalized a bill last week that loosens a little-known state law guaranteeing homeowners the right to protest zoning changes in their neighborhoods. A zoning change is when a landowner asks for the […]