And the winner is... Endeavor by a small margin.

Here are the renderings for the 3 finalists: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...eres-four.html

Here's the Austin Business Journal Story on Endeavor & Columbus being awarded the Plaza Saltillo redevelopment contract (sounds like the meeting was a nail-biter):

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...1acres-in.html

Here's the Statesman's take, if you can get past the paywall:

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...r-downt/ngRGN/

I don't think Endeavor had a Green Water proposal. The five developers who were competing were Catellus Development, Forest City, Simmons Vedder Partners, Stratus Properties, and Trammell Crow. Stratus Properties was the one who planned the 2-story HEB.

Apparently, the final decision was all about money.

Plaza Saltillo Decision Comes Down to Money
Cap Metro chooses Endeavor over Saltillo Collaborative
By Amy Smith
Austin Chronicle
Fri., June 27, 2014

Looks like Cap Metro plans to move the tracks, all of the renderings show the tracks running along the 4th Street side. As of now the tracks are pretty much right in the middle of the site.

http://i.imgur.com/g04uThX.jpg

I wonder how long those scrap metal yards will be able to afford the neighborhood once this project gets under way. As long as they are there it will make for some interesting views from the upper South facing units.

http://i.imgur.com/Fh4Ii6c.jpg

Those are great shots corvairkeith! From that perspective they really give you a good idea of how large the site is. It's going to be a massive transformation and if done right will become the gateway to East Central Austin.

I just hope that this project will be an integrated extension of Plaza Saltillo. It should enhance the Hispanic cultural heritage of East Central architecturally and be an inviting place for people that live in the nieghborhood.

You know that old scrap metal yard has the potential to be reused in a number of ways and could easily complement the Plaza Saltillo area. I originally thought that it should be torn down, however I've changed my mind. The most striking thing about it is the smoke stack, something that is unique in this historically non-industrial city. If the site is not polluted or at least can be cleaned up, it could be rebuilt as a market district as in farmers market or open air cultural market. The smoke stack could be cleaned and lit up at night making it into an icon landmark. The buildings could be torn down in an open market district concept.

Another possible use would be to have it simply be another extension of the Plaza Saltillo area with mixed use elements, again leaving the smoke stack as an iconic center piece. When you think about the possibilities, all sorts of ideas pop out.

Good point Jdawgboy. The old scrapyard could be turned into something like The Pearl in San Antonio.

Just wanted to post a quick update, after a long delay, dirt is turning on relocating the tracks. Here are a couple shots:

http://i.imgur.com/xDXstlE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/t9KKWqJ.jpg

I'm going to miss that dirt. It would have made a great community garden that would have helped promote peace and brotherhood.

Is there a timeline available that specifies when different parts of the project will be completed? Obviously, the tracks will have to be moved first...

Are they doing double tracks here?

Surprised we haven't talked about this yet (x-posted to Projects and Construction, Updates, and East Austin threads):

http://austintowers.net/plaza-saltil...am-to-reality/

Here's that recent site plan filing. What they're calling block 1 (closest to I-35) may have a minimal high rise based on what's being built on that block.

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11436594

Any rumors about which grocery store will go in there?

No. But that will be interesting because One Two East just down the road (I-35 in this case) has a full service grocery planned as well.

Hopefully there will be enough urban development in the area to sustain two neighborhood grocery stores. I think it's possible as long as they're not too big. When you walk to the store and have to carry your groceries home, you don't want to go too far...(even if you're on a bike).

I think the neighborhood is already in the midst of enough development to sustain more than two.

Plus, both of these developments will each have several hundred residential units which will drive traffic to their retail.
I would also not be surprised to see HEB close that crime ridden store at S. Congress and Oltorf and open a store at one of these projects. I used to frequent that Oltorf & S. Congress HEB in the middle of the night until that lady had her throat sliced in the parking lot. Even before that incident I experienced problems shopping there.

That's unlikely to happen since it is the only grocery store serving south central. The next closest would be the the Randalls on Ben White then there's Central Market and Wheatsville Co-op, but those are kinda far from the South Congress/South 1st area and Oltorf. The only other HEB would be the one at Riverside and Pleasant Valley.

I also don't think the crime at that location is any worse than the HEB at I-35 and William Cannon which also has had some problems over the years or the HEB on North Lamar and Rutland/Runberg for that matter.

The crime at the other two HEB locations you mentioned is not part of this discussion. They are too far away to be a part of any decision to open a location at either One Two East or Plaza Saltillo.

You're probably right - there's a ton already built/under construction and plenty in the pipeline.