The Historic Landmark Commission faced an unusual case last week, when a construction proposal at a landmarked home at 1412 W. Sixth 1/2 St. collided with pending City Council action to ban unsafe fence designs. The resolution, which would mandate flat tops for new fences under 6 feet tall and prohibit gaps running 2 to […]
Preservation
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Council to vote on allowing taller buildings along Sixth Street
City Council is set to vote next week on allowing taller buildings along part of Sixth Street, in hopes of bringing more daytime uses to Austin’s most famous stretch of bars and clubs. The plan is to allow buildings up to 140 feet high on properties along “Dirty Sixth”’ between Sabine and Neches streets, as […]
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Developers behind Fairmont Hotel revisit historic home relocation battle
With a $600 million development deal allegedly in the pipeline, Manchester Financial Group once again is eyeing a slice of prime real estate across the street from the Austin Convention Center. Since 2016, two historic homes on East Third Street have been caught in a tug of war between the hotel magnate and the city’s […]
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East Austin demolition forces landmark commission to grapple with higher powers
Though their comments held no official weight, Historic Landmark Commission members had things to say about a state law that prohibits the city from intervening in the demolition or relocation of buildings owned by religious organizations. Kalan Contreras of the city’s Preservation Office explained that the state laws that govern historic preservation were modified in […]
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Landmark commission pushes for ‘partnership’ on Sixth Street redevelopment
Despite trepidation from developers, the Historic Landmark Commission has recommended a heftier review process for Sixth Street properties slated to be redeveloped under proposed regulations. The code amendments, which were initiated by City Council in June 2022, could raise height limits to 140 feet for buildings on Sixth Street between Neches and Sabine streets. Council’s […]
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Demolitions get green light at historically brief Historic Landmark Commission meeting
An unusually brief meeting took place at City Hall last Wednesday, with the Historic Landmark Commission bidding adieu to a number of aging properties with little fanfare. The first of two properties approved for demolition was 1904 Raleigh Ave., a one-story home in Tarrytown built in 1953 by Austin real estate fixture Gene Naumann and […]
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Planning Commission recommends historic zoning for Broken Spoke
The iconic Broken Spoke dance hall is headed for official historic status, ensuring the venue is preserved as the South Lamar corridor continues to develop. The Planning Commission on Tuesday voted 8-0 to recommend approval of historic zoning for the Broken Spoke, which has hosted live country music and dancing at 3201 S. Lamar Blvd. […]
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West Downtown on track to receive national historic status
Austin could soon welcome a brand-new historic district into the mix, with an application for the West Downtown National Register District lined up to get the rubber stamp next month. Located west of the Capitol between Seventh and 15th streets, the proposed district is a trove of historic architecture, charting Austin’s course from 19th-century settlement […]
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Council approves review of historic preservation incentives, with eye on equity
City Council wants incentives connected to historic preservation to be used more equitably, and has directed the city manager to review and suggest changes to city policies that could result in more historic designations in East Austin. Last week Council passed the resolution as part of its consent agenda, opening the door for discussions with […]
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Landmark Commission stalls demolition at former summer camp in Northwest Hills
A sprawling lot in Northwest Hills – once home to a summer camp for boys – could be headed to City Council’s agenda sometime soon, after a move to zone the site historic secured approval from the Historic Landmark Commission earlier this month. Built around 1940 for army captain and outdoorsman Warren Penn Knox, the […]
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Preservationists lament the eroding of Travis Heights at Historic Landmark Commission
The city’s Historic Landmark Commission mourned the steady chipping away of homes recognized in the Travis Heights-Fairview Park National Register district last week, with yet another falling to the housing market’s demand for more contemporary, spacious designs. The application to demolish 1804 Brackenridge St., presently a 1.5-story Craftsman bungalow built in 1920, stoked neighborhood opposition […]
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Historic Landmark Commission votes to keep the party going at legacy venue the Broken Spoke
The Broken Spoke will keep its doors open to honky-tonk enthusiasts for the foreseeable future, after a move to grant the venue a historic zoning designation made its way through the Historic Landmark Commission last week. Now 59 years old, the Broken Spoke is one of few remaining vestiges of Austin’s star-studded musical legacy, boasting […]