A 116-year-old property at 902 E. Seventh St. stands a fighting chance against demolition following the Planning Commission’s recommendation last Tuesday to zone the site historic. The single-story folk Victorian home, currently operating as storage space for neighboring restaurant Gabriela’s, was purchased in 2019 as part of a package deal with several nearby properties. Despite […]
Preservation
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Council holds Sixth Street historic district until after summer break
The city will wait until July to consider creating a local historic district along a section of East Sixth Street that has been identified by a Dallas developer as prime for redevelopment. City Council had planned to discuss and take action at its June 16 meeting on a resolution led by Council Member Kathie Tovo […]
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West Austin neighborhood bands together to save lakefront estate
An application to demolish an idiosyncratic estate at 2002 Scenic Drive has been put on hold, as the Historic Landmark Commission elected to initiate historic zoning last Wednesday. The residence first appeared on the commission’s agenda last month, inspiring an outpouring of neighborhood opposition and a community-led effort to research the property’s origins. Last week […]
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Developer to embark on dual high-rise and landmark restoration project at Old Depot Hotel
A plan to develop the parking lot adjacent to the historic Old Depot Hotel is getting a new lease on life, with real estate firm Stonelake Capital Partners behind the wheel. The project at 504 East Fifth St., which includes both a high-rise residential building and rehabilitation of the neighboring landmark, came before the Historic […]
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Landmark commission hopes developer can give LGBTQ businesses on Fourth Street a fighting chance
As people across the world geared up to celebrate Pride Month, Austin’s LGBTQ community mourned the loss of its last cultural stronghold to redevelopment. On Wednesday, the city’s Historic Landmark Commission elected not to recommend historic zoning for the block of warehouses on Fourth Street. After another lively public hearing, commissioners unanimously voted to “indefinitely postpone” the partial […]
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No historic zoning for experimental air-cooled house
With no City Council member willing to make a motion for historic zoning that was sure to fail, the push to preserve the Chrysler Air-Temp house at 2502 Park View Drive died quietly at last Thursday’s Council meeting. Owner Hugh Corrigan opposed the historic designation that would have prevented him from demolishing the structure and […]
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Move to initiate historic zoning gives Fourth Street preservationists a glimmer of hope
The Historic Landmark Commission hosted a lively public hearing Wednesday with a diverse cast of characters who had gathered to voice their opinions on the controversial redevelopment of Fourth and Colorado. After compelling testimony from both supporters and those opposed, the landmark commission moved unanimously to initiate historic zoning of all properties within the proposed […]
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Iron Bear demolition paused as landmark commission considers historic designation
With its fate far from certain, the proposed demolition of the warehouse that is home to Austin’s Iron Bear has been put on hold after the city’s Historic Landmark Commission initiated historic zoning on the structure. An outpouring of support for the beloved LGBTQ bar moved commissioners to move forward with designating the building at […]
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Controversial Fourth Street high-rise gears up for first public hearing with landmark commission
The Historic Landmark Commission’s architectural review committee hosted an unusually full conference room on Monday, as developers revealed their initial rendering of a 40-floor high-rise that would occupy the majority of a block in the center of Austin’s warehouse district. Houston-based Hanover Company intends to partially demolish structures at 201-213 W. Fourth St. to make […]
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Landmark commissioners stall Travis Heights demolition
Faced with the proposition of losing another historic home in Travis Heights, Historic Landmark commissioners have pushed their decision to another day. On the table is the total demolition of the 1937 house at 1803 Kenwood Ave. in order to build a two-story home with an in-ground pool on the lot. Since the house is […]
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Staffers provide update on new equity-focused historic preservation plan
As Austin faces rapid change, the city is drafting a new equity-based preservation plan – replacing the existing plan from 1981 – in hopes of better preserving Austin’s cultural heritage. “Much has changed in Austin over the past 40 years … so we need an up-to-date plan with up-to-date policies and tools to help steward […]
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Historic zoning for Chrysler Air Temp house draws mixed opinions
An Allandale house that helped pioneer the use of air conditioning in middle-class homes is up for historic zoning against the owner’s wishes. The Zoning and Platting Commission was split Tuesday on whether to recommend historic zoning, as members wrestled with preserving what is clearly a historic house versus allowing the owner to keep the […]