The city will move forward with plans to convert the long-idle Nash Hernandez building in East Austin into a senior activity center that could also offer programs for area schoolchildren. Last week, City Council approved on its consent agenda an item brought by Council Member Pio Renteria directing the city manager to move forward with […]
District 3
Posted inElections
District 3 Council race headed to a runoff
José Velásquez and Daniela Silva are poised to go head-to-head in a runoff after election results Tuesday night show the two candidates garnered the most votes for the District 3 City Council member seat. Velásquez received 7,650 votes for 36.43 percent of the vote, while Silva trailed just behind with 7,228 votes for 34.42 percent. […]
Posted inParks
Council hears push for offices, senior space at Nash Hernandez building
City Council could help decide the future of the Nash Hernandez building in East Austin in the coming months, as debate continues over whether to convert the long-idle building into office space or a senior center. At Thursday’s meeting, Lori Cervenak-Renteria, a community activist and wife of Council Member Pio Renteria, spoke about the conflicting […]
Posted inPlanning
PARD pushes to use Nash Hernandez building for offices instead of senior services
The Parks and Recreation Department is pushing back against a City Council recommendation and wants to convert an idle East Austin property into office space instead of a facility for seniors and children. In a memo released last week, PARD Director Kimberly McNeeley wrote that a recent feasibility study of the Nash Hernandez building found […]
Posted inElections
District 3 Council candidates chat with the ‘Monitor’: Part II
Read Part I of the series here. Esala Wueschner came to Austin four years ago after googling the best places to live for young, single people. He says he’s energized to run because he’s always felt drawn to service roles. “I used to be in leadership positions, even at the age of sixth grade when […]
Posted inPlanning
Commission delays vote on support for senior services facility
The Community Development Commission will take another month before deciding to support a proposal to convert the long-vacant Nash Hernandez Building into an intergenerational facility providing care and services to seniors living in East Austin. The commission voted unanimously to revisit the agenda item next month, following occasionally intense debate among commission members about the […]
Posted inCity Council
Council considers overnight concrete pour exceptions for South Congress HEB project
Among last week’s packed agenda, City Council debated a resolution that would grant the HEB redevelopment at Oltorf & South Congress a permit to pour concrete overnight. The project, which aims to open a new grocery by 2024, has the distinct potential to congest traffic at the intersection, thanks to lane closures for construction materials. To […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission OKs Vertical Mixed-Use zoning on East Cesar Chavez site
The Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended approval of Vertical Mixed-Use (VMU) zoning for a property along East Cesar Chavez Street, moving a planned mixed-use residential development one step forward. The project at 3020 E. Cesar Chavez St. could have around 185 units of housing – 19 of which would be affordable at 60 percent of the […]
Posted inPreservation
Demolition case reveals shortcomings in city’s historic preservation policies
A monthslong debate over an East Austin bungalow has ended in a victory for the property owner, with City Council voting to reject historic zoning last Thursday. The home, located at 1403 E. Cesar Chavez St., initially came to the Historic Landmark Commission as a demolition request in January. Despite its ruling that the site […]
Posted inParks
Council rejects renaming Pan American park but adds plaque to honor Castillo
Toward the end of its Thursday meeting, City Council decided not to add the name of Tony Castillo to Pan American Neighborhood Park in East Austin, but to honor him with a plaque at the park instead. That vote was in line with a recommendation from the city’s Parks and Recreation Board. Council Member Leslie […]
Posted inParks
Trail project moves to complete Oltorf-Riverside connection
The city’s Public Works Department is gearing up to finally complete a 3.5-mile urban trail that would connect Mabel Davis and Roy G. Guerrero Park in Southeast Austin. The new trail segment would bridge the existing gap between trails ending on East Riverside and Oltorf streets. With site plans submitted earlier this month and a […]
Posted inParks
Parks board agrees to honor lifetime resident with plaque
The Parks and Recreation Board heard strong opinions about the renaming of Pan American Neighborhood Park at its June 27 meeting. The board had previously received an application from family members to rename the park in honor of longtime resident and coach Augustine “Tony” Castillo. But rather than changing the park’s name, the board agreed to […]