Since the beloved post office in Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood shuttered in June 2021, neighbors have wondered what will become of the spot at the corner of 43rd Street and Speedway. The one-story brick building has remained vacant since its closure, serving as little more than a canvas for graffiti. But new details are coming […]
Hyde Park Neighborhood Association
Hyde Park is defined by West 38 Street to the south, West 51 Street to the north, Duval Street to the east, and Guadalupe Street to the west. Hyde Park contains two historic districts, the Hyde Park Historic District and the Shadow Lawn Historic District, and several other individual historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Posted inAustin
A beloved post office in Hyde Park is closing. The Austin neighborhood wants to know why.
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 […]
Posted inLand Development Code
In Hyde Park, urbanists say they’re the ones defending neighborhood character
In Austin’s ongoing battle over development, it’s generally the traditional neighborhood associations that talk about defending “neighborhood character” and developers and urbanist activists who argue that a growing city needs to accept change, whether that is taller buildings or reduced parking. In Hyde Park, however, urbanists are trying out the neighborhood character narrative to push […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Hyde Park variance no-show flops at BoA
Though there are no guarantees for getting a variance at the Board of Adjustment, a recent Hyde Park case proved one thing for sure: You might want to show up. David Rudick, the owner of 4008 Ave. C, was not present at the meeting. However, he was requesting a variance to decrease the minimum lot […]
Posted inLand Development Code
In Hyde Park, residents question how CodeNEXT will be implemented
Since the city released its first draft of a new land development code earlier this year, residents and city leaders have been working to understand how it will shape Austin neighborhoods. In Hyde Park, residents have adopted a tool that regulates development and aims to preserve the historic neighborhood’s character, but some say this exempts […]
Posted inDevelopment
State report outlines potential new locations for Austin State Hospital
Austin is home to one of the first mental health care facilities in Texas, but state lawmakers are considering selling the property and relocating the facility. The Austin State Hospital admits about 4,000 patients a year, serving 39 counties. But its buildings, housed on a campus near Hyde Park, are aging. A 2015 state report […]
Posted inPlanning
Hyde Park neighborhood groups divided over future of Austin State Hospital
State leaders are considering selling the Austin State Hospital, a historic facility near the Hyde Park neighborhood, but residents are divided over the future of the site. After construction was completed in 1861, the Austin State Hospital becaome the first facility in Texas established to care for the mentally ill. But now, state lawmakers are […]
Posted inDevelopment
Hyde Park residents vote to keep state hospital, but Texas lawmakers will decide its fate
For more than a century, the Austin State Hospital has been a fixture in Hyde Park. While the facility near Guadalupe and 41st streets is primarily a psychiatric hospital, its winding trails and tree-lined campus are a popular recreational space for neighbors. Now, state leaders are considering selling the property and relocating the hospital — […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Peacocks and loose lips
Wherever you go, there you are… Though it seems that former Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weis is eager to put Austin behind him, it looks as though he may be taking a bit of his history with him to Seattle. And that may not be a good thing. Last week, the Seattle Times reported that […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Griffin School wins variances, though protests lingered
The Griffin School has finally received its variances from the city of Austin’s Board of Adjustment. Board members voted unanimously to amend a previous variance that decreased the minimum street width requirements for the school, which is located at 5000 Martin Ave., from 40 feet to about 27 feet, attaching a condition raising the cap on […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Griffin School faces another delay
After yet another postponement at the Board of Adjustment, the fate of the Griffin School remains unclear. Board members warned that this postponement would be the last. The school, which is located at 5000 Martin Ave. in Hyde Park, is seeking an adjustment to a variance granted in 2010. That variance decreased the minimum street […]
Posted inAustin
Griffin School variance delayed once again
The Board of Adjustment once again postponed a crucial variance for the Griffin School on Monday. Though some residents of the surrounding Hyde Park neighborhood continue to oppose the variance, board members expressed hope that the details of a compromise could be hammered out before their next meeting. Board Member Michael Von Ohlen led the […]