AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[Jdawgboy]

Now a stadium/Arena is a great topic. Things seem to be falling into place as far as a serious city wide discussion on the matter.

We have just a few years left with the Erwin Center before its torn down. Last I heard was the new basketball arena would be smaller and more intimate. That will leave a huge void for other events that currently use the Erwin Center such as concerts, the Circus, ect...

Talk of an MLS team continues to float around with possible financial backers. Even Sharyle Cole has decided to spearhead an effort to look into the possibility. Whether or not anything comes of it remains to be seen.

Then we had news that we were one of the cities picked to possibly host the DNC in 2016 but within the very same day the mayor sent a letter declining Austin as a viable option mostly IMO and which he states, we do not have a large enough venue to hold that type of event.


All of these factors added up are clearly showing that Austin, (a city of about 860,000 people according to the city demographer as of this February) lacks a major events arena.

For Austin to stay competitive with or without a pro team, we need a large arena to be able to host events such as the DNC, let alone major concert acts. If we don't act soon, most of the artists and bands that perform now at the Erwin Center will bypass Austin completely and instead will head to Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio which have large indoor arenas.

I think a lot of people in this city are beginning to realize that.

As far as where a new Arena would go, don't brush off the idea of an Arena next to Downtown. Capital Metro is in the process of realigning the red line from I-35 to Saltillo Plaza which will free up more land to the south of the track. Once its moved, there will be 8 or more blocks primed for redevelopment. Plenty of room for an Arena.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Capital Metro is in the process of realigning the red line from I-35 to Saltillo Plaza which will free up more land to the south of the track. Once its moved, there will be 8 or more blocks primed for redevelopment. Plenty of room for an Arena.

There isn't enough room there for an arena, even with the tracks realigned. I'm not for redevelopment in a way that explicitly forces out low income residents, and that's effectively what you're suggesting as the only way to fit an arena there would be to redevelop a significant portion of the blocks to the south, some of which are homes. That's a deal breaker for me.

Note that I'm also opposed to it completely if we're going to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize it. If it makes financial sense, they can find investors that are willing. If it doesn't, they won't and it isn't worth it. There are significant boat loads of studies that have shown that the cost for the taxpayers is never recouped and that the purported benefits never materialize. That's different entirely from tax breaks for developments that are actually going to bring new lines of revenue (such as residential high-rises), but there's no real form of revenue generated from a soccer stadium or any other stadium for that matter.

What I'd like to see in city involvement is simply help in securing a location and smoothing the negotiation process for all involved. That's it. Leave the finances to others.

If we're going to build a soccer stadium, I'd prefer it in one of these locations:

The Austin American Statesman site. I know there are residential concepts for this area already that would be better, but a stadium work also work well here.

5th/Tillery/Pleasant Valley is a large block on the east side adjacent to rail that is planned to become commuter long-term. This could hold a stadium and would integrate nicely into public transit.

There are no other current sites appropriate for a stadium near downtown.

However, if cut and cap succeeds, you could put a stadium somewhere above the highway... But that's a much longer term idea and probably wouldn't suit their seemingly more immediate needs.

[austin242]

Ashton was lit up with different colors tonight. Pretty cool.

[Jdawgboy]

I was about to say the same about the Ashton, love it!


Actually I know that area well, I grew up and went to high school with people that live in that area, and the blocks between 3rd and 5 to Chalmers is Industrial or was industrial, the houses are on the other side of the street. Its been mentioned in articles before that the same area is a possibility for a future Arena so there is enough room. Dude I know what im talking about, and I know that area well because I used to roam those streets

[Plaid Shirts]

Austin MLS Expansion Franchise Talks Rapidly Picking Up Steam
Three articles concerning an MLS team in Austin.

One of the articles says Austin could bring the same success to MLS such as Portland and Seattle have brought.

If Austin is really wanting an MLS team, they need to move and act fast because it looks like Atlanta is going to get a team which means one more city will receive an MLS team. Other cities that are being considered besides Austin are Minneapolis, San Antonio, Sacramento, San Diego, St. Louis, and Atlanta, which I already mentioned.

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2...e-contestants/


http://www.rantsports.com/soccer/201...king-up-steam/


This last link talks about a possible stadium in downtown Austin.

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2...n-sweepstakes/

[KevinFromTexas]

I don't really like the idea of a downtown stadium. I've always thought of sports venues, especially in downtowns, as a huge waste of land and money. I also hate how pro-teams always threaten to move and whine if they don't get the tax dollars they need to build a new stadium, even if they have a perfectly good one already. Case in point, San Antonio built the Alamodome in 1992, and only 10 years later the Spurs were asking for a new one. In Houston you had the Astrodome, which was much older, but they built the Reliant Stadium and then asked taxpayers for more funds to renovate the Astrodome, which they voted against. Other cities have had to deal with a pro-team threatening to move if they didn't get their way. I just am wary of taxpayers being on the hook for a new stadium with a team demanding more money. For me the idea of a pro-team and new stadium has all the attractiveness of a theme park.

[lzppjb]

I mostly agree, but the Spurs are a bad example. The Alamodome is strictly a football stadium. It was a terrible excuse for a basketball arena.

[KevinFromTexas]

Cool guide here that lists only locally owned businesses.

http://locallyaustin.org/

[ATXboom]

5th and Colorado 20 story office building...

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2014/0...-5th-colorado/

[lzppjb]

That's good news. Glad to see it growing taller instead of shrinking.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/busine...in-deve/nd5Bw/

Posted: 6:14 p.m. Monday, March 3, 2014
Prime lakefront site under contract to Austin developer

By Shonda Novak
American-Statesman Staff

A piece of prime Austin waterfront property that’s currently home to Joe’s Crab Shack is under contract to be sold to Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate Group.

The 1.8-acre site on the shore of Lady Bird Lake is near the boardwalk the city is building as it works to guide development in the area.

[IluvATX]

I live right there in Travis Heights and Joe's and that eyesore next to it really need to be redeveloped into something to complement the boardwalk.

[Downtown_Austin]

Many of you have seen the demolition happening at 5th & Brazos (apologies if this has already been covered). This morning I captured some video. It's surreal to imagine downtown Austin without that blighted old garage. Very cool to see this progress, even if it's going to simply be replaced with a newer garage.

• Video Link

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by IluvATX

I live right there in Travis Heights and Joe's and that eyesore next to it really need to be redeveloped into something to complement the boardwalk.

Looks like we'll have to wait awhile for the redevelopment.

Report: Skyscraper builder takes lakefront property in downtown Austin
Colin Pope
Austin Business Journal
March 4, 2014

Endeavor has no immediate plans for the 1.8-acre site that's currently home to Joe's Crab Shack. An Endeavor executive told the Statesman it will honor the restaurant's lease, which expires in 2020, according to the Statesman.

[lzppjb]

For you soccer guys...

This is from the poster Bottlecap on shaggy. He says this is from the source.

If you support exploring the idea of bringing Major League Soccer to Austin, please do one of two things.

1. Send an e-mail to Council.

Tell them you support Item 22 on the Thursday, March 6th agenda.

22.
Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to work with appropriate stakeholders to research the feasibility of a Major League Soccer franchise locating in Austin.
2. Even better, you can show up to the Council meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 6th and personally register your support in person at the Council meeting.

I'm trying to keep this as simple as possible.

Please pass along the message.

[Downtown_Austin]

Had the opportunity today to tour Foundation Communities' Capital Studios development at 11th & Trinity. The project is designed by Dick Clark Architecture, and it will be great to get some life on this side of town.

Until recently, I hadn't even noticed they were underway. You can see below we got to the top slab. From this point they have 3-4 stories of stick-built construction to finish.

[East7thStreet]

Does anybody know anything about that Baptist Church you can see in the background and if they have any plans to move?

[kingkirbythe....]

It would be great if they did move, and that block was returned to the park that it once was.

Did they ever fix that cracked bell tower?

[austlar1]

That would be FIRST Baptist Church of Austin. I don't think they have plans to move anywhere. I could imagine them with a second campus somewhere else in the future, but I suspect they will stay anchored to downtown with their main sanctuary, etc.

[KevinFromTexas]

Tower crane permit for the parking garage at 5th & Brazos. It'll be 150 feet tall.

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...20Congress.pdf

Also another tower crane permit, this one is for the Cirrus Logic Phase 2 site.

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...02%20Crane.pdf