After the Historic Landmark Commission initiated historic zoning for the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church at 1711 E. Oltorf St. last July, the status of the midcentury, A-frame church became tenuous as its integrity continued to degrade month after month. Finally, last week, the city administratively issued the property owners a demolition permit – even […]
Preservation
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Rendon House deemed worthy of preservation due to exceptional merit of its prior owner
Edward Rendon Sr.’s contributions to the East Austin community have never been in question. However, whether or not his house is eligible to be zoned historic to commemorate his efforts has become a subject of debate. Rendon was an activist who fought for the East Austin Latino community, and among other things, helped clean up […]
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Historic Landmark Commission hesitantly approves Masonic lodge renovation plans
After months of discussions and tweaks to the original plans for the Royal Arch Masonic Lodge, the Historic Landmark Commission finally came to a compromise with designers for a 30-plus-story addition to the 93-year-old ancestral home of the Masons at 311 W. Seventh St. In a 6-4 vote, the commissioners approved the initial certificate of […]
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Court approves Palm School protections but future of property uncertain
The Travis County Commissioners Court easily approved a set of restrictive covenants aimed at preserving the Palm School building if the county sells the property that is home to the historic structure. The court voted 4-1 in favor of a set of restrictions drawn up by county staff several months ago that commit any future […]
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County hears pleas to preserve all of Palm School property
The future of the Palm School property remains unclear after a public hearing where activists implored the Travis County Commissioners Court not to sell any part of the land to a private developer. While the court voted unanimously in June to approve restrictive covenants that will commit any future owner of the land to preserving […]
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Texas’ oldest psychiatric facility faces demolition but is eligible to be a historic landmark
This past legislative session, lawmakers identified the Austin State Hospital as a top health care funding priority and set aside $165 million for its refurbishment. Texas Health and Human Services and the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School are overseeing the modernization of the state hospital campus and moving forward with plans to […]
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State law leaves the Historic Landmark Commission in gridlock
Getting a property zoned historic when the owner opposes it requires a supermajority vote at City Council. Yet even getting such a case before Council is an endeavor that requires the support of the Historical Landmark and Planning commissions. Prior to September of this year, that support could come in the form of a simple […]
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Historic Herrera homestead heads to Council with Planning Commission approval
It’s rare that a structure is zoned historic against an owner’s wishes. According to Preservation Austin, it has happened only three times since 1974; however, that number may be about to grow to four. Following in the footsteps of the Historic Landmark Commission, which unanimously recommended the Herrera house at 1805 E. Third St. for […]
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Council questions, and approves, new Old West Austin historic landmark
The last item on City Council’s most recent agenda passed without much notice, but for some Council members it spoke to ongoing issues of disparity in Austin’s preservation program. Council members voted 8-3 to designate the 1928 Italian Renaissance Revival home at 2412 Harris Blvd. a historic landmark. The bright yellow home’s historic significance was […]
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Historic Landmark Commission contemplates bending rules for influential Mexican American activist
Sometimes a house is more than a home. In the case of Edward Rendon Sr., his home served as a community center that some say is as meaningful to the neighborhood today as it was 40 years ago. Rendon was an activist who fought for the East Austin Latino community and helped, among other things, […]
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Masonic Lodge construction plans may never satisfy Historic Landmark Commission
For three months in a row, the Historic Landmark Commission has made it clear that the design for a modern addition to the Royal Arch Masonic Lodge on the corner of Seventh and Lavaca streets will not easily get its seal of approval. After attending each full meeting as well as the monthly Certificate of […]
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East Austin grocery’s future is sealed
Austin City Council was set to decide on the fate of a well-known east side grocery store at its most recent meeting, but instead endorsed a deal that had been struck before the meeting convened. The Tuke-Lyon grocery, at 220 Comal St., has been in operation since the early 1920s, when it was built by […]