Last year, City Council voted to reallocate millions of dollars from the Austin Convention Center and Visit Austin (formerly the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau) to historic preservation efforts. Now, it’s up to Council to decide what projects will benefit from those newly available funds. The money all comes from the 9 percent tax that […]
historic preservation
Official actions of a municipality such as the City of Austin taken to preserve structures with their jurisdiction. Preservation is often accompanied by a property tax exemption.
Posted inHousing
Planning Commission moves Rosewood Courts case to Council
Voting against a request to postpone the case, the Planning Commission unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to grant a portion of east side public housing project Rosewood Courts historic zoning at its Mar. 13 meeting. Controversy has centered around whether all of the 1939 public housing buildings should be zoned historic or if only some of […]
Posted inPreservation
Rosewood Courts renovation gets initial approval from landmark commission
The Historic Landmark Commission is paving the way for a major renovation of Rosewood Courts. The public housing project in East Austin was the first in the country built for black residents. The commission previously recommended zoning the entire site as historic. On Monday, the commission changed that recommendation to apply to just eight buildings, […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Reasons for beauty
Where the sidewalk bends… Austin badly needs to fill in the large gap of missing sidewalks across the city, but simply making each stretch of sidewalk longer than it has to be probably isn’t the most efficient solution. On Saturday, a loyal Austin Monitor reader surfaced on Twitter a photograph of a new zigzagging sidewalk […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Historic commission rejects CodeNEXT draft
“CodeNEXT continues to enable the demolition and replacement of existing housing stock with new construction. Consequently, the Commission cannot recommend the adoption of CodeNEXT as written.” That’s the consensus of the Historic Landmark Commission, according to a resolution about the second draft of CodeNEXT. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the resolution, which was drafted […]
Posted inPreservation
Could a new historic district save this home?
There’s another push to create a local historic district in Travis Heights. The fate of 501 E. Mary St. became entwined with the proposed district at the most recent meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission, where the home’s demolition was put on hold for the time being. The case had previously been postponed by the […]
Posted inPreservation
Council OKs historic zoning for apartment house
City Council approved historic zoning on Thursday for the 1930s-era Tucker-Winfield Apartment House at 1105 Nueces St. Council Member Jimmy Flannigan voted against the designation and Council Member Ellen Troxclair abstained. Flannigan objected to the designation, at least in part, because the city’s historic preservation staff could not point to a particular historic figure associated […]
Posted inPreservation
After demolition plans are scrapped, segregation-era school could become museum
After much debate over redevelopment, Austin is considering buying the Montopolis Negro School to preserve the segregation-era property. At the height of segregation, there were 42 schools for black children throughout Travis County; the Montopolis school is one of the few still standing. The school sits vacant in a largely empty field in East Austin. […]
Posted inDevelopment
Rezoning denial could mean east side showdown
Planning commissioners took a united stand Tuesday night by voting to deny a rezoning application for an east side property that contains the former Montopolis Negro School. The case has drawn controversy as it has moved through other city commissions, thanks in large part to the strong opposition of community members. Property owner Austin Stowell […]
Posted inPreservation
Botched demo agitates Preservation Office
A pile of rubble on the east side could spark changes in how the city handles demolitions. At the most recent meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission, Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky presented “unfortunate news” about the demolition of 1401 East Third Street. Instead of the careful demolition that he had anticipated, the lot had […]
Posted inPreservation
Penick Place historic bid goes ‘a bridge too far’
Will Penick Place be Austin’s next local historic district? It’s possible, but a rough start at the Historic Landmark Commission means that neighbors hoping to enshrine their neighborhood will have to rethink their priorities, and most likely scrap a dogged attempt to preserve vacant lots along Riverside Drive. Those pushing for a local historic district […]
Posted inPreservation
Commission facing limited options, West Line demolition postponed
The Historic Landmark Commission once again exercised one of the few options it has and postponed a demolition in the West Line Historic District at its most recent meeting. Commissioner Kevin Koch pointed out that the commission’s options were “quite limited” given the fact that the home at 802 Pressler St. is in a national historic […]