Barbara first heard the rumor from the mailman. Deaton learned the news from her neighborhood listserv. Michele saw the gossip on Facebook. And it was true: The post office that’s sat at the corner of 43rd and Speedway in Hyde Park for decades was closing. “I was immediately horrified,” said Deaton Bednar, who’s lived in […]
District 9
Posted inAustin
Downtown vacancies eyed for arts activations, tenants with new pilot program
Vacant storefronts in downtown Austin could become temporary homes for arts and creative organizations beginning this summer thanks to a pilot program under development by the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation. The foundation is currently working on a lease agreement with the AMLI Residential real estate company to temporarily take over up to three vacant spaces […]
Posted inZoning
DKG house one step closer to high rise
City Council has granted preliminary approval for Downtown Mixed-Use zoning for the Delta Kappa Gamma house at 12th and San Antonio streets, allowing construction of a 375-foot residential tower. The motion to approve DMU at the requested height got only six votes at last week’s meeting, not the seven needed for all three readings, so […]
Posted inCity Hall
In push to raise funds, History Center makes a bid for formal partnership with the city
The Library Commission has postponed the decision to officially recognize the need for an agreement between the Austin History Center Association and the city of Austin. According to the proposed agreement from the association, the group would have a seat at the table with the city when it comes to fundraising for the history center […]
Posted inPlanning
City seeks input on vision, plans for downtown’s Palm District
Residents can begin offering their thoughts to the city about the future use and look of the Palm District, a section of downtown that features historic structures and is surrounded by rapid growth and development. The city will hold a series of virtual meetings and surveys to let those interested in the district share their […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
City rushes to complete Red River improvements before concert crowds return
The city is working quickly to complete streetscape improvements to Red River Street, home to some of the city’s most renowned music venues, before flocks of concertgoers return as more and more people get vaccinated against Covid-19. “I don’t want to miss the opportunity to do this work while we don’t have a lot of […]
Posted inCity Hall
Report raises questions about convention center finances
In the wake of Covid-19, revenue at the Austin Convention Center dropped from more than $35.8 million in Fiscal Year 2019 to about $12.8 million in FY 2020, according to a special review of convention center finances conducted by the Office of the City Auditor, at the request of members of the City Council Audit […]
Posted inPlanning
Devil is in the details when it comes to recalibrating density bonus
City Council is set to approve a resolution recalibrating the Downtown Density Bonus program’s affordable housing fees, a first attempt to pick up the pieces of the city’s failed Land Development Code rewrite. Almost all Council members have said they support recalibrating the fees, and none have said they are opposed. But the details – […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Questions abound with convention center’s future up in the air
With up being the only viable direction in which to significantly expand the Austin Convention Center, the deal structure and timeline for such a project appears to have gotten far more complicated. Former City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan is now president of Austin Convention Enterprises, a public facilities corporation created to manage the city-owned Hilton […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Commission recommends removal of two West Campus heritage trees
The Environmental Commission has recommended the conditional removal of two heritage trees from a property near UT Austin that is being developed as student housing. The 32-inch red oak, in “fair” condition, and a 25-inch pecan tree in poor condition stand on a property at the intersection of Nueces and West 24th Street, a couple […]
Posted inPlanning
Council approves Rainey towers, pledges new LDC push
On Thursday City Council approved increased floor area ratio for three new towers in the Rainey Street area, bringing 1,000 more homes – 55 of them affordable – to the area. The approval of the towers may have consequences beyond Rainey. First, Council is set to increase the Downtown Density Bonus program’s community benefits requirements, which […]
Posted inDistrict 9, Preservation
Landmark commission postpones demolition in West Line Historic District
The Historic Landmark Commission heard a proposal last month to demolish an old building and construct a new one on a property located in the West Line Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The building in question, at 1007 Maufrais St., is also a contributing building, meaning […]