Demolition of the Frank Erwin Center arena on the University of Texas campus is expected to begin next month, following approval last week from UT leaders to move ahead with the $25 million teardown of the longtime home for both university basketball teams. The vote by the UT Board of Regents also spells the end […]
District 9
Posted inParks
The Confluence marks next phase for Waterloo Greenway parks system
Wednesday’s groundbreaking of the Confluence – the second phase of the ambitious Waterloo Greenway effort – marks the latest move in the city’s work to revitalize the area around Waller Creek and turn the frequently flooded waterway into a community asset and magnet for development. The new portion stretches from Fourth Street south to Lady […]
Posted inZoning
Proposed 48-story tower to replace Irene’s, Taquero Mucho
A new 48-story residential tower may soon rise at 506 and 508 West Ave. in downtown, replacing restaurants Irene’s and Taquero Mucho. The Planning Commission last Tuesday voted unanimously to support a rezoning that would enable the developers to build taller than allowed under the site’s current zoning, following a series of delays due to […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission delay pushes Council action on Palm District until July
After a series of delays stretching back to November, the Planning Commission is now expected to consider and possibly approve the Palm District Plan at a special called meeting May 30. As a result of the new meeting time, City Council is not expected to hold a public hearing on the plan until its July […]
Posted inCourts
Taxpayers sue City Council over funding plan for Statesman site
Taxpayers Against Giveaways, the Save Our Springs Alliance and three taxpayers – former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, former City Council Member Ora Houston and Allandale neighborhood homeowner Faye Holland – have filed a lawsuit suit against City Council to stop it from putting tax money into a fund for development of the former Austin American-Statesman […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission OKs height boost for Rainey tower amid resident pushback
The Planning Commission on April 11 recommended approval of a density bonus that would allow a new tower to rise in the Rainey Street neighborhood. The proposed 215-unit condominium tower at 62 East Ave. will rise 57 floors and 684 feet. But before the project can break ground, it needs City Council approval to increase […]
Posted inZoning
Neighbors hope for midnight closing, no loud music at new bar on Guadalupe
City Council gave first reading approval last week for a zoning change for property at 3100 Guadalupe St. that would allow the owners to operate a cocktail lounge on the site after getting a conditional use permit to do so. Neighbors have a valid petition against the change, with more than 28 percent of surrounding […]
Posted inPublic Safety
City Council approves additional cameras, park rangers in Rainey Street district
The city will direct more public safety resources toward the Rainey Street neighborhood to prevent additional drowning deaths suffered by patrons of the bars and restaurants frequenting the popular nightlife district. City Council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday that directs city staff to create an interim pedestrian safety plan for the district, which should include […]
Posted inPublic Safety
City stepping up safety measures to address Rainey Street concerns
City leaders are moving ahead with lighting and other safety measures in the Rainey Street district in response to a pair of recent late-night drownings and growing speculation that nightlife patrons are unsafe in the entertainment district. The Austin Police Department focused patrols in the district over the weekend, joining additional park rangers stationed along […]
Posted inPreservation
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 […]
Posted inPlanning
Mixed-use project in Bouldin Creek clears final hurdle
The Board of Adjustment granted a height increase March 13 that will allow a mixed-use project in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood to move forward. Plans for the Copeland at 1000 S. First St. include two condominium buildings with a total of 120 units, a 95-room hotel and 65,000 square feet of offices, all with underground […]
Posted inPreservation
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 […]