Lacking the nine votes needed to overcome the property owner’s objection, City Council denied a request last week from the Historic Landmark Commission to designate “a good example of folk Victorian architecture” as historic. The Carlson-Colunga house at 902 E. Seventh Street was built between 1903 and 1906 by Swedish immigrants Victor and Carl Carlson, […]
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 inPreservation
Hancock home to Tom Miller and Emma Long to become historic landmark
In a brief respite from demolition cases, the Historic Landmark Commission is celebrating a likely contender for landmark designation at 803 Park Blvd. in North Central Austin. The Miller-Long house was built in 1929 in the heyday of the early Hancock neighborhood boom, eventually serving as residence to formative civic leaders Tom Miller and, later, […]
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Historic Preservation Office aims to replace 40-year-old preservation plan by next fall, with a focus on equity
Austin’s Historic Preservation Office has taken on a new project to tackle equity issues, with ambitions to overhaul the city’s preservation plan for the first time since 1981. In a briefing to the Historic Landmark Commission, staff reported that the Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan is halfway through its two-year development period. To complete its second […]
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East Seventh historic zoning case sails through Planning Commission
A 116-year-old property at 902 E. Seventh St. stands a fighting chance against demolition following the Planning Commission’s recommendation last Tuesday to zone the site historic. The single-story folk Victorian home, currently operating as storage space for neighboring restaurant Gabriela’s, was purchased in 2019 as part of a package deal with several nearby properties. Despite […]
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Council holds Sixth Street historic district until after summer break
The city will wait until July to consider creating a local historic district along a section of East Sixth Street that has been identified by a Dallas developer as prime for redevelopment. City Council had planned to discuss and take action at its June 16 meeting on a resolution led by Council Member Kathie Tovo […]
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West Austin neighborhood bands together to save lakefront estate
An application to demolish an idiosyncratic estate at 2002 Scenic Drive has been put on hold, as the Historic Landmark Commission elected to initiate historic zoning last Wednesday. The residence first appeared on the commission’s agenda last month, inspiring an outpouring of neighborhood opposition and a community-led effort to research the property’s origins. Last week […]
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Developer to embark on dual high-rise and landmark restoration project at Old Depot Hotel
A plan to develop the parking lot adjacent to the historic Old Depot Hotel is getting a new lease on life, with real estate firm Stonelake Capital Partners behind the wheel. The project at 504 East Fifth St., which includes both a high-rise residential building and rehabilitation of the neighboring landmark, came before the Historic […]
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No historic zoning for experimental air-cooled house
With no City Council member willing to make a motion for historic zoning that was sure to fail, the push to preserve the Chrysler Air-Temp house at 2502 Park View Drive died quietly at last Thursday’s Council meeting. Owner Hugh Corrigan opposed the historic designation that would have prevented him from demolishing the structure and […]
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Move to initiate historic zoning gives Fourth Street preservationists a glimmer of hope
The Historic Landmark Commission hosted a lively public hearing Wednesday with a diverse cast of characters who had gathered to voice their opinions on the controversial redevelopment of Fourth and Colorado. After compelling testimony from both supporters and those opposed, the landmark commission moved unanimously to initiate historic zoning of all properties within the proposed […]
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Staffers provide update on new equity-focused historic preservation plan
As Austin faces rapid change, the city is drafting a new equity-based preservation plan – replacing the existing plan from 1981 – in hopes of better preserving Austin’s cultural heritage. “Much has changed in Austin over the past 40 years … so we need an up-to-date plan with up-to-date policies and tools to help steward […]
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Historic zoning for Chrysler Air Temp house draws mixed opinions
An Allandale house that helped pioneer the use of air conditioning in middle-class homes is up for historic zoning against the owner’s wishes. The Zoning and Platting Commission was split Tuesday on whether to recommend historic zoning, as members wrestled with preserving what is clearly a historic house versus allowing the owner to keep the […]
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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 […]