A presentation to the Downtown Commission last week largely refuted the need to expand the Austin Convention Center. Commissioners will revisit the issue at their March meeting. The proposed expansion has been an issue for the commission since last fall when it formed a working group to gather information on the project that would likely […]
District 9
Posted inPreservation
Budget pressures impact Council’s verdict on San Jacinto warehouse
Preservation prospects for the Nalley-Shear-Bremond warehouse at 301 San Jacinto St. appear grim. With no motion made by City Council members last Thursday, the case is effectively dead, clearing the path for developers to apply for a demolition permit. After first addressing the case earlier this month, City Council declined to vote on the decision […]
Posted inCity Council
Downtown court location decision postponed again
Responding to pleas from downtown residents and business owners, City Council has once again put off a decision about the new location of a court that primarily serves Austin’s homeless community. City staffers have recommended that the Downtown Austin Community Court be moved from its current temporary location at One Texas Center to 124 E. […]
Posted inAustin
Convention center’s closure for expansion could trigger bond default
The city may not move forward with the next steps in the Austin Convention Center expansion until an agreement is reached with current holders to rework some terms of roughly $163 million in hotel bonds. A memo discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Tourism Commission outlines why the request for qualifications for vendors on the […]
Posted inZoning
Statesman PUD wins unanimous support from Planning Commission
A massive mixed-use development planned for the former Austin American-Statesman site moved one step closer to approval Tuesday, receiving the unanimous recommendation of the Planning Commission – but not before commissioners spent several hours debating changes they would like to see to the planned unit development. Preliminary plans for the 19-acre site at 305 S. Congress […]
Posted inPlanning
MACC board wants questions answered before approving expansion plan
Leaders from the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center want the public to have more input on plans to expand the Rainey Street facility, because of concerns early planning documents don’t provide enough details about public access and how large events would fit there. Last week, the MACC advisory board delayed taking any action […]
Posted inPreservation
Council takes first vote to declare warehouse historic
On a vote of 7-2-2, City Council on Thursday approved on first reading a request for historic zoning for the property at 301 San Jacinto St. downtown. Council members Pio Renteria and Paige Ellis voted no and Greg Casar and Vanessa Fuentes were off the dais. Will Houston, the managing partner for the owner, initially […]
Posted inPlanning
Opera house redevelopment project gets first OK
City Council unanimously approved the first reading of the proposed zoning change to three tracts just east of South Congress Avenue while signaling that there is much negotiating and bargaining awaiting the project, which aims to revive part of the Austin Opera House property as a music venue. The owners of the three tracts, known […]
Posted inAustin
Park renamed to honor civil rights legend Volma Overton Sr.
The 65 acres of northern waterfront at Town Lake Metro Park has a new name following a resolution honoring civil rights activist Volma Overton Sr. The park, formerly known as Lamar Beach, will now go by Volma Overton Sr. Shores. “Growing up in the Black community, Overton was a household name,” City Council Member Natasha […]
Posted inPlanning
Landmark commission approves ‘Keep Austin Weird’ sculpture
The Historic Landmark Commission approved plans for a public artwork installation on the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Congress Avenue this past Monday, but not before a heated dispute over the piece’s cultural merit. Plans for the statue, a 12-foot optical illusion that, from the proper vantage point, reads “Keep Austin Weird,” came before […]
Posted inParks
Trail Foundation begins major enhancement of Rainey trailhead
The Trail Foundation, which will soon be taking over the management of the city’s hike-and-bike trail, is working on one of its first major enhancements of the trail. The Rainey Street Trailhead, which is situated at the southern end of Rainey Street, will be undergoing a major face-lift, thanks to TTF. The existing park doesn’t […]
Posted inPlanning
MACC expansion plans headed for review
City leaders are getting an up-close look this week at the project details for the long-planned expansion of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. The Design and the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory commissions are slated to take presentations on the expansion, which adds roughly 68,500 square feet to the 36,000-square-foot facility […]