The Parks and Recreation Board wants City Council to reexamine, and possibly rescind, a 2019 ordinance allowing an adventure excursion company to operate a boating concession in East Austin without going through a public process. The company, called the Expedition School, is poised to begin building out its concession operations along Lady Bird Lake’s north […]
Districts
Posted inPlanning
Downtown Commission gets preview of next chapter for John Henry Faulk Building and Austin History Center
With the Austin History Center “busting at the seams” with, well, history, city library officials have been preparing the John Henry Faulk Building next door to house the History Center’s vast collection of archives. Both the History Center and the Faulk Building, formerly Austin’s Central Library, are undergoing a rebranding of sorts as the two […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission endorses multifamily project in Montopolis
Despite some consternation about the impact to the neighborhood in terms of scale and potential for displacement, Planning Commission members have voted in support of a new multifamily development on Montopolis Drive between Caddie and Fairway streets. The project is expected to bring around 189 units to the 2 acres that currently stand empty. Victoria […]
Posted inZoning
East Austin church rezoning reveals cracks in DB90
Plans to expand an East Austin church are moving forward, but not before they sparked criticism of the city’s new density bonus program, DB90, at the Planning Commission last week. Christ Church of Central Austin, which is located at San Marcos and Medina streets in the Cesar Chavez neighborhood, went to the Planning Commission in […]
Posted inPlanning
Watershed Protection details preparation for Old Lampasas Dam repairs
The Watershed Protection Department appears to ready to move ahead with the start of the Old Lampasas Dam #3 Modernization Project, having completed the diligence called for by City Council this spring. In a memo released Monday, WPD Director Jorge Morales detailed his department’s progress on the environmental and quality-of-life concerns included in a May […]
Posted inPreservation
Umlauf Vision Plan aims to revive iconic sculptor’s home and studio as museum
Plans to significantly expand the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum are continuing to drum up enthusiasm, with Historic Landmark commissioners granting the project their blessing last week. The Umlauf Historic Preservation, Expansion, and Unification Plan hopes to add thousands of square feet in new gallery and programming space while opening up new areas of the […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic zoning remains in limbo as commission continues to ponder east side building’s complicated past
The fate of a century-old storefront at the corner of East 12th and Comal streets remains up in the air, with debate over its merits as preservation-worthy intensifying at the city’s Historic Landmark Commission. 1500 E. 12th St. landed on commissioners’ radar last month, when an application to demolish the structure from owner and real […]
Posted inPublic Health
A health clinic for low-income residents was supposed to open in Del Valle last year. Where is it?
Nearly four years ago, the Del Valle community was promised a health center that would offer dentistry, primary care, mental health services and a pharmacy. This clinic, a collaboration between Central Health and CommUnityCare, would expand access to health care and serve low-income residents in Eastern Travis County. Construction workers broke ground on the Del Valle Health […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission OKs affordable Sunset Ridge site plan in District 8
A plan to build affordable housing on Southwest Parkway continues to move forward, despite continued opposition from surrounding neighborhoods and the Save Our Springs Alliance. “There’s always a reason to stop housing. There’s always an excuse to sue to stop housing – especially housing that’s affordable to so many. I’m excited that we get to […]
Posted inAustin
Cisco’s gets a $50,000 grant to preserve the restaurant’s history
Lee esta historia en español Cisco’s Restaurant, Bakery & Bar has been serving classic Tex-Mex dishes like huevos rancheros and migas to Austin residents since 1950. Now, 74 years later, the restaurant has received $50,000 as part of an effort from the National Trust of Historic Preservation to support small, historic businesses. Longtime customer Gardner Selby […]
Posted inPlanning
City, county taking steps to realize vision for Palm School area
Members of the steering committee charged with shaping the future of the Palm School property downtown expect to begin their work later this month, while a handful of major infrastructure projects are moving forward throughout the larger Palm District that stretches from the southern edge of the Rainey Street District to Waterloo Park on 15th […]
Posted inPreservation
Despite appeal, new home project to move forward in East Austin historic district
A last-ditch effort to stop construction of a new home in the Robertson/Stuart & Mair Historic District failed at the Planning Commission, despite mixed feelings about the structure from the chair of the Historic Landmark Commission. Neighbors Mark Rogers and Sue Gaul appealed the Historic Landmark Commission’s decision to issue a certificate of appropriateness to […]