AUSTIN | West Campus Development Thread

[427MM]

Originally Posted by agsatx88

Site plan filed today for 2200 San Antonio St in West Campus. Project called "Marvin Gardens". Do we know anything about this one yet?

https://abc.austintexas.gov/public-s...ertyrsn=475370

Edit: Site plan mentions this will be multi-family. Given the small site, I would assume this would have to be fairly tall to justify re-development.

Good to have you! Hopefully you get involved in City Council elections. We somehow got more NIMBYs on there than we've ever had before so a modern zoning code is being held hostage until we get 9 of 11 pro-housing votes. One day!

[OfficialPBreton]

Originally Posted by ahealy

Y'all, I was recently off 21st....Jesus.... it really has all gone even further downhill. I'm not sure if it's covid related, but it literally looked like a third world country--mattresses in the road, trash everywhere and (unfortunately) lots of homeless camps.

I haven't kept up with this thread, but what do we see as the future of west campus? I know it's been a craphole for the last 15 yrs or so, but will more and more mixed-use projects help with better housing efforts and slowly get rid of the "co-op" fleabag thing? Sorry, not trying to rant or offend if anyone lives there. I realize it is affordable in a very unaffordable city.

I know that this is an old post - I was searching thru this thread and stumbled here. 2 things I'd like to say

1. Unless you've been in the co-op system before, I think you'd be surprised at the amount of co-ops in WC and how... normal they generally look. Most aren't very dirty outside. See Taos, Ruth Schultze, and the Super Co-op (Halstead, Laurel, and Nueces).

2. I would expect the 21st St co-op (the one across from French House) to generally improve over this year and hopefully stay that way. I'm involved in the organization that manages it and there's a plan being developed to help revitalize the property and to support the community in it to continue that work as time goes on.

[OfficialPBreton]

As an add-on, and I know that this isn't in any way realistic for probably the next 30 years with the way the organization is going as well as WC property prices - but I have day dreams about Taos, the Mockingbird Saloon, and Kerby Lane being redeveloped into a ground-level retail (with Mockingbird and Kerby having the right to return to some of those spaces), no parking tower, almost similar to the Goodall Wooten (not in aesthetics). Almost certainly not viable monetarily, but I would love to see it happen in say, 2050.

[StoOgE]

I wonder if WC is going to start transitioning to a place for young people <30 to live that are not students in the near future.

I think of Kipps Bay in NYC where bar life and just general youth culture winds up attracting a lot of Junior Analysts on low salaries that want to party with college age kids still.

Its a dense neighborhood, the housing quality is generally poor but also lots of young people don't care about that.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

I wonder if WC is going to start transitioning to a place for young people <30 to live that are not students in the near future.

I think of Kipps Bay in NYC where bar life and just general youth culture winds up attracting a lot of Junior Analysts on low salaries that want to party with college age kids still.

Its a dense neighborhood, the housing quality is generally poor but also lots of young people don't care about that.

I would bet there's a solid chance for that. I have to assume that developers will eventually decide to transition into upper scale rentals if only to chase higher revenues.

I don't have a sense, though, of what kind of developable area is left in West Campus, or to what degree the student apartment market is meeting demand.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by We vs us

I would bet there's a solid chance for that. I have to assume that developers will eventually decide to transition into upper scale rentals if only to chase higher revenues.

I don't have a sense, though, of what kind of developable area is left in West Campus, or to what degree the student apartment market is meeting demand.

Even if it is currently meeting demand, when the current stock of student housing on Riverside (e.g. Ballpark, etc.) is redeveloped the demand will go even higher. I would anticipate another overlay height increase at that time so that the neighborhood can accommodate new supply to meet that demand. Most of the developable land has already been flipped.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Even if it is currently meeting demand, when the current stock of student housing on Riverside (e.g. Ballpark, etc.) is redeveloped the demand will go even higher. I would anticipate another overlay height increase at that time so that the neighborhood can accommodate new supply to meet that demand. Most of the developable land has already been flipped.

Maybe campus will start spreading south towards downtown by the new courthouse, etc. That area of town is ready and ripe for more.

[papertowelroll]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

I wonder if WC is going to start transitioning to a place for young people <30 to live that are not students in the near future.

I think of Kipps Bay in NYC where bar life and just general youth culture winds up attracting a lot of Junior Analysts on low salaries that want to party with college age kids still.

Its a dense neighborhood, the housing quality is generally poor but also lots of young people don't care about that.

I'd think the areas west of the capitol would develop before this happens. Frankly we probably need more students in west campus as rents elsewhere in the city keep going up.

[kingkirbythe....]

Hole in the Wall wouldn't be razed under plan to extend Dean Keeton, but neighboring businesses would

https://www.kut.org/transportation/2...sinesses-would

One of the longest-running music venues in Austin would narrowly dodge a plan to bulldoze through businesses at the end of Dean Keeton Street to extend the road a block farther west.

The Hole in the Wall, a nightclub founded in 1974, would sit at the corner of Dean Keeton and Guadalupe streets when the project was complete. The venue's popular backyard patio would back up to Dean Keeton instead of a parking lot.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Hole in the Wall wouldn't be razed under plan to extend Dean Keeton, but neighboring businesses would

https://www.kut.org/transportation/2...sinesses-would

One of the longest-running music venues in Austin would narrowly dodge a plan to bulldoze through businesses at the end of Dean Keeton Street to extend the road a block farther west.

The Hole in the Wall, a nightclub founded in 1974, would sit at the corner of Dean Keeton and Guadalupe streets when the project was complete. The venue's popular backyard patio would back up to Dean Keeton instead of a parking lot.

Why is this a project? What is the legitimate need that this fixes?

[Echostatic]

If the Drag is going to be closed to cars, the cars on Dean Keeton have to go somewhere. Since the plan is to transform much of San Antonio into the main vehicular thoroughfare of West Campus, it's the logical conclusion to extend Dean Keeton one block to link the two roads. Right now, it wouldn't make any sense at all! But once Project Connect reconfigures the whole area it'll be a very different situation.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

The Hole in the Wall, a nightclub founded in 1974, would sit at the corner of Dean Keeton and Guadalupe streets when the project was complete. The venue's popular backyard patio would back up to Dean Keeton instead of a parking lot.

DAmn, first time I visited her she was only 15! I had no idea. Seemed so much older at the time, but that was to an 18 year old freshman. Did not expect both of us to be around about a half a century old.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Echostatic

If the Drag is going to be closed to cars, the cars on Dean Keeton have to go somewhere. Since the plan is to transform much of San Antonio into the main vehicular thoroughfare of West Campus, it's the logical conclusion to extend Dean Keeton one block to link the two roads. Right now, it wouldn't make any sense at all! But once Project Connect reconfigures the whole area it'll be a very different situation.

Except that between 24th and 28th Nueces is slated to be the primary thoroughfare, rather than San Antonio, and it is not possible to extend Dean Keaton to Nueces. We are paying to extend Dean Keaton a block to a street that will essentially run for 3 blocks (between 24th and 27th). These drivers will then have to use 24th or 27th to access the N-S Guadalupe-Nueces-San Antonio arterial. This will tie up traffic by creating 5x the number of essential conflict points than currently exists.

A BETTER idea would be to pedestrianize Dean Keaton between San Jacinto and Guadalupe and re-route traffic on San Jacinto-30th-East/West-29th to get to Guadalupe. You’d also be connecting to an arterial that already has the benefit of continuing west past Lamar to Bryker Woods.

Edit:

Further, this small section of San Antonio which Guadalupe will spill out onto also functions as an alleyway with loading for the rear of the Guadalupe-facing properties. Can you imagine the traffic nightmare? No. Dumb. Stupid. Next.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Except that between 24th and 28th Nueces is slated to be the primary thoroughfare, rather than San Antonio, and it is not possible to extend Dean Keaton to Nueces. We are paying to extend Dean Keaton a block to a street that will essentially run for 3 blocks (between 24th and 27th). These drivers will then have to use 24th or 27th to access the N-S Guadalupe-Nueces-San Antonio arterial. This will tie up traffic by creating 5x the number of essential conflict points than currently exists.

A BETTER idea would be to pedestrianize Dean Keaton between San Jacinto and Guadalupe and re-route traffic on San Jacinto-30th-East/West-29th to get to Guadalupe. You’d also be connecting to an arterial that already has the benefit of continuing west past Lamar to Bryker Woods.

Edit:

Further, this small section of San Antonio which Guadalupe will spill out onto also functions as an alleyway with loading for the rear of the Guadalupe-facing properties. Can you imagine the traffic nightmare? No. Dumb. Stupid. Next.

Anyone who wants a faster route to go north on Guadalupe or all the way west to Bryker Woods could still take 30th and 29th because it is a NETWORK. You don't have to close streets to force people. THAT creates congestion.

[gillynova]

[Urbannizer]

Rambler ATX

[OfficialPBreton]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Rambler ATX

This was/is 2513 Seton, right?

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by OfficialPBreton

This was/is 2513 Seton, right?

Yeah, WC projects are required to go through 3 or 4 name changes.

[Urbannizer]

Cascade Condos

[Urbannizer]

Wooten Barbershop to Leave The Drag After 58 Years

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/aust...fter-58-years/

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Just feet away from the University of Texas sits one of the oldest barbershops in Austin. Since 1964, the Wooten Barbershop has provided affordable haircuts and community to its clientele on The Drag, a strip of businesses facing campus on Guadalupe Street.

In 2018, student housing developer American Campus purchased the block of properties at the intersection of 21st and Guadalupe Streets, including the Goodall Wooten Dormitory where the Wooten Barbershop sits. Students were given only weeks to move out and find new housing, but the barbershop retained its lease.

Over the last three years the properties have remained untouched, but this month the four barbers who have kept the shop alive for the past 20 plus years were told they needed to be out by June 15.

American Campus sent us a statement saying the block will be transformed into student housing with ground-floor retail. But the company said they do not have any definitive redevelopment plans at the time and “are currently working with the remaining retail tenants in the building to extend their leases.”

Only three tenants remain, however, two of which have been told they have to move out this summer, Alante Salon and the Wooten Barbershop. Four of the properties on the block lie vacant. That includes the building that’s home to the well-known “Hi, How Are You?” mural.

https://arch-ive.org/archive/2112-guadalupe/