AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[MichaelB]

I hope you are all so very wrong. The Red River Music district is the last stand for Music ( not cover bands on 6th) in Downtown. Hopefully all parties will wise up and see the benefit.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

I can't recall the exact boundaries of the innovation zone off the top of my head, but it'd be about 5-6 blocks to the north. If that indeed takes off the way that folks are hoping, it could definitely have an impact on this area as well - that coupled with the eventual redevelopment of areas along Waller Creek.

There aren't exact boundaries. My understanding has always been that it is instead an informal designation given to those areas that border the new medical school backed by government largesse to help redevelop those immediately adjacent parcels.

For instance, Merck's announcement to locate a cooperative hub in Austin in the vicinity of the medical school was done with the anticipation of government subsidies for that hub. As time progresses and immediately adjacent parcels to the medical school are redeveloped, the "innovation zone" will expand to include blocks further and further away.

Currently, I'd consider the map from the BuildingATX link below to be a rough guideline of the area. The zone depicted here is bounded by 11th, MLK, I-35, and San Jacinto/Trinity:

http://buildingatx.com/2014/02/ut-me...uction-update/

In the future, however, the area could expand to include some blocks and parcels located south of that, in the area bounded by 6th/7th, 11th, I-35, and San Jacinto/Trinity. Apart from that, I don't see much opportunity for expansion. To the immediate west is the state owned Capitol Complex, which is redeveloping as a civic district in its own right with the Capitol Mall concept, as well as the historic CBD along Congress Avenue; to the south lay three distinct districts: 6th Street, the Convention Center, and Rainey Street; to the north is the University; and to the east is single family residential with the occasional mixed-use multi-family infill project on one of the major corridors. Furthermore, an impediment to "innovation zone" infill in the area bounded by 6th/7th, 11th, I-35, and San Jacinto/Trinity is the Red River Cultural District, as noted by Michael:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I hope you are all so very wrong. The Red River Music district is the last stand for Music ( not cover bands on 6th) in Downtown. Hopefully all parties will wise up and see the benefit.

Thus, innovation related development in this area is likely only going to be haphazard and sporadic rather than wholesale as in the area immediately adjacent to the new medical school.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I hope you are all so very wrong. The Red River Music district is the last stand for Music ( not cover bands on 6th) in Downtown. Hopefully all parties will wise up and see the benefit.

I don't disagree with you. I hope it plays out the way you're talking about here also. I do think that there *may* be a happy marriage of some of this type of development and the original music scene (I'm pretty partial to it myself given my own history of playing a lot down there). That said, if this type of development were to kill the music in the area, I'd be against it - if a choice between the two were needed, that is.

For instance, I'm all for the Westin in its current location...but I'm not a fan of them then complaining about noise after they knowingly built next to a huge collection of venues that exist largely for live music.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by drummer

I don't disagree with you. I hope it plays out the way you're talking about here also. I do think that there *may* be a happy marriage of some of this type of development and the original music scene (I'm pretty partial to it myself given my own history of playing a lot down there). That said, if this type of development were to kill the music in the area, I'd be against it - if a choice between the two were needed, that is.

For instance, I'm all for the Westin in its current location...but I'm not a fan of them then complaining about noise after they knowingly built next to a huge collection of venues that exist largely for live music.

totally with you....

[KevinFromTexas]

Downtown is definitely where the music belongs since it really kind of is the "anything goes" neighborhood in Austin. That is, that if you live there you understand because of the location and eclectic mix of uses that you should expect things you wouldn't experience in other neighborhoods. That's part of the appeal of living downtown. It's not a typical boring neighborhood. I think that if the music were forced out of downtown because it had become unpopular there because of the noise because of approaching development that it would officially kill Austin's reputation as being a major music city. If music isn't accepted in downtown because of things like noise complaints then it's a no brainer that it wouldn't be outside of downtown.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I think that if the music were forced out of downtown because it had become unpopular there because of the noise because of approaching development that it would officially kill Austin's reputation as being a major music city. If music isn't accepted in downtown because of things like noise complaints then it's a no brainer that it wouldn't be outside of downtown.

Agreed. This is the point I was making as well. The legacy of some of these older places is very important as well. I'm not one to say that everything old should stay, but there are certain venues that are valuable not just in and of themselves, but to the city and the heritage of music in Austin and beyond. I would make the same argument for certain venues in New Orleans, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, New York, etc...

[wwmiv]

Speaking of the innovation district and Merck:

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...ith-merck.html

I can't access the article, but it seems as if Merck will initially be locating in the Health Discover Building of the med school.

And:

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...rk-at-29m.html

They're already looking for workers.

[architeckton]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

I can't see past ABJ paywall, but it stated that Whole Foods is about to expand in a big way, a possible new tower?

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...n-hq-city.html

Try logging in through the Austin Public Library if you have a library card. It's free.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Here's a permit for the total demo of 201 Brazos - The Cedar Door. I don't recall any project planned for this site.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...ertyrsn=165818


EDIT: It appears the Cedar Door is going to be rebuilt and expanded to twice the size it is now.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/attachme...f%2BEz7GTntvi5

Their site plan was posted to the city's website. No elevations, though.

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...n_PLANS_01.pdf

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Their site plan was posted to the city's website. No elevations, though.

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...n_PLANS_01.pdf

That expansion's surprising to me. Not that I have anything against Cedar Door at all . . . . but that lot seems primed for one of our patented 30 story skyscrapers. No CVC, good proximity to pretty much everything DT. I'd even slate it for a hotel, if/when the convention center expansion goes through.

Maybe we should call White Lodging . . . ?

[MichaelB]

Another layer of Austin Lost.
That House ( at the base of Cedar Door) has had quite a journey.
Someone else can account better than I how many locations the house had. The latest being approx where the Gables Park Plaza is on Sandra Muraida Way.
The house was not that significant.... but the effort to keep it and move it was.

I get that the original house has been so altered and locked in that it may not be able to move again..... but if you have any heart at all you'll find it a shame that another cool part of Austin Urban Legends will be gone.

I only hope they build something interesting and fitting of our downtown urban core. ...not just another generic events center.

As for height at that location. . Ehhhh... were getting enough. I like the tension and fabric that lower structures give to a more textured urban environment. Helps Austin not turn into just another City ( Dallas). I'm in favor of more variety. We have enough new generic buildings just for the sake of height. I personally hope our building rate slows a bit so we get more developers thinking they need to attach attention not just ride a wave. Besides.... too many buildings built at one time makes a city feel dated. Look how Austin felt in the 90s when all we had was the 80s boom .... It looked like an 80s city left in time.

Texture + variety.... our only hope to maintain any sense of a unique place.
Grab it while you can.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Another layer of Austin Lost.
That House ( at the base of Cedar Door) has had quite a journey.
Someone else can account better than I how many locations the house had. The latest being approx where the Gables Park Plaza is on Sandra Muraida Way.
The house was not that significant.... but the effort to keep it and move it was.

I get that the original house has been so altered and locked in that it may not be able to move again..... but if you have any heart at all you'll find it a shame that another cool part of Austin Urban Legends will be gone.

I only hope they build something interesting and fitting of our downtown urban core. ...not just another generic events center.

As for height at that location. . Ehhhh... were getting enough. I like the tension and fabric that lower structures give to a more textured urban environment. Helps Austin not turn into just another City ( Dallas). I'm in favor of more variety. We have enough new generic buildings just for the sake of height. I personally hope our building rate slows a bit so we get more developers thinking they need to attach attention not just ride a wave. Besides.... too many buildings built at one time makes a city feel dated. Look how Austin felt in the 90s when all we had was the 80s boom .... It looked like an 80s city left in time.

Texture + variety.... our only hope to maintain any sense of a unique place.
Grab it while you can.

I'd say "lost" if they closed down (or moved someplace unfitting) due to economic pressures of some sort. i.e. Tax bill, lot is worth too much not to sell, etc. But it appears that their hand wasn't forced and they have made this decision themselves.

I'm a bit surprised, frankly. Each time I go by there, it doesn't seem all that busy to me. Anyway, at least another parking lot will go away.

[SkyPie]

This seems like a good thing--local iconic business expanding in order to continue to thrive in an expensive urban environment. We need more restaurant like this downtown that are casual, authentic, and relatively inexpensive. Somebody open a diner car downtown!

[We vs us]

Yeah, please don't misunderstand -- I'm not wishing the Cedar Door away. I'm a somewhat-frequent lunch patron, and I like them and their food very much. That's just one of those parcels I see in my day-to-day that screams "develop me!" to my internal real-estate-speculator.

I know, it's a curse.

[Urbannizer]

The Nine

The Nine is a 7 story, 109 unit (347 bed) luxury student housing building located in the West Campus submarket at the University of Texas, Austin. Located prominently within an eclectic mix of student housing and student oriented retail sites, the site’s location provides unparalleled access to campus and non-campus activities. The Nine is scheduled to open August 2019.

[MichaelB]

I really wish developers would start just building "regular" apartments in and near west campus. It would help stabilize the area in terms of other businesses, etc. I would love to see a better mix in the area.

[architeckton]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I really wish developers would start just building "regular" apartments in and near west campus. It would help stabilize the area in terms of other businesses, etc. I would love to see a better mix in the area.

What about new sorority and fraternity houses?

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by architeckton

What about new sorority and fraternity houses?

I just assume they will always be part of the mix. It is a university area...
but a better mix, I think, would benefit all in the area.

Granted, living next to a Frat house would be a night mare for most adults.

Complex issue , huh?

[Flatiron]

8/25/17
I'm not sure where to put this one. It's on the 600 block of W. 6th

[The ATX]

That would be the Hilton Canopy site.