AUSTIN | Waterloo Park Central (HealthSouth site) | 37 Floors x2 | Cancelled

[drummer]

I'm especially excited about the market in the middle if they continue with that plan. Just think of what Seaholm could've been had the power plant become a market like some suggested on this form. Let's hope they keep with that one there. It would be a strong draw for those in East Austin (including those who were so opposed to One Two East)...

This whole project is very cool, in my opinion.

[KevinFromTexas]

Fox7 had a story a little while ago on this. They showed some more renderings that I haven't seen here, plus a model they have set up at the Dell Medical School Health Learning building. This is the article from that story, but no new renderings.

http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local...99064461-story

Central Health invites developers to participate in Brackenridge campus redevelopment

By: Rudy Koski
POSTED:SEP 01 2016 04:31PM CDT
UPDATED:SEP 01 2016 04:31PM CDT

A large model on a table, at the Dell Medical School Health Learning building, provides an idea of what the Brackenridge hospital tract could eventually look like. The cluster of white high rides had Juan Garza, Central Health's Vice President for Finance and Development, pretty excited.

Architectural renderings of the mixed use development, provided by Central Health, envision a new city district. There could be multiple high rises for offices, hotels, stores, residential lofts as well as outdoor gathering spots.

"This will bring thousands of jobs to this part of the downtown area, the medical school and the hospital already bring about 15,000 souls to this one spot, and that’s going to double that,” said Garza.

Thursday, the search got underway to find a lead developer to transform the 14 acres of land; which is essentially the size of six city blocks. The center of the development, simply known right now as the plaza, just may be one of the most critical parts of the plan.

[KevinFromTexas]

Here we go.

http://www.centralhealthcampus.net/w...01_digital.pdf

http://www.centralhealthcampus.net/

[wwmiv]

Anyone reading this document should note this very strong language on pg. 3 (11th page of the .pdf)

This opportunity is not isolated, however, as
numerous initiatives are underway in the vicinity of
the Site. In addition to the UT and Seton projects, these
proximate initiatives include:

• The newly-completed Waller Creek Tunnel Project
which removed more than 28 acres of downtown
property along Waller Creek from the 100-year
floodplain, allowing for these properties to be fully
developed.

• The Waller Creek Conservancy’s efforts to
implement a series of parks, plazas, promenades
and trails along Waller Creek, from Waterloo Park
(adjacent to the Site) south to Lady Bird Lake.

• The creation of a nonprofit organization, Capital
City Innovation, Inc. by Central Health, UT and
Seton to guide development of an “Innovation
Zone” which will serve as a catalyst for collaboration
and advancement of health-related research and
commerce.

• Capital Metro’s Project Connect, which envisions
rapid bus and urban rail, as well as local bus service
interfacing with other modes of transit that directly
serve the Site and Waterloo Park.

• The Texas Department of Transportation’s
(TxDOT’s) planned improvements to the downtown
segment of I-35, including depressing the freeway
and “capping” it with surface-level parks and
plazas, intended to better link East Austin to
Downtown.

• The efforts of the Texas Facilities Commission
(TFC) to consolidate State of Texas offices within
new buildings to be located along North Congress
Avenue, which will be rebuilt as a greatly
enhanced, mall-like promenade north of the Capitol
Building.

• The efforts of the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA)
– with its $5 million public improvement district
that includes the Central Health Brackenridge
Campus – is a partnership of downtown property
owners, individuals, and businesses devoted to
advancing the collective vision for the future of
downtown.

They're very clear when things are not "concrete" -- take, for instance, CapMetro "envisions" rail or that there are groups which are helping to bring certain business types to this area, but haven't yet. The strong language suggests even TxDot -- and let's not pretend that the document wasn't put together by a very well connected group of people, because it definitely was, and I bet you they all know something we don't -- prefers the depressed option.

[clubtokyo]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Anyone reading this document should note this very strong language on pg. 3 (11th page of the .pdf)



They're very clear when things are not "concrete" -- take, for instance, CapMetro "envisions" rail or that there are groups which are helping to bring certain business types to this area, but haven't yet. The strong language suggests even TxDot -- and let's not pretend that the document wasn't put together by a very well connected group of people, because it definitely was, and I bet you they all know something we don't -- prefers the depressed option.

Awesome! Underground i35 please!

[N90]

Will they have to tear down any buildings for this? How many and how tall?

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by N90

Will they have to tear down any buildings for this? How many and how tall?

It looks like 7 high rises total. 6 technically since two of those will come out of the same podium. The stated scale is up to 40 floors. One of those towers in the rendering I posted above looks to have 37 floors.

Brackenridge Hospital will be torn down to make way for this. They'll likely leave the parking garage for a while before it too is replaced eventually.

]I will not be sad to see Brackenridge go. Too many bad memories there.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by N90

Will they have to tear down any buildings for this? How many and how tall?

All the buildings in the project area highlighted in yellow in one of the renderings in Kevin's post will be demo'ed.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Anyone reading this document should note this very strong language on pg. 3 (11th page of the .pdf)



They're very clear when things are not "concrete" -- take, for instance, CapMetro "envisions" rail or that there are groups which are helping to bring certain business types to this area, but haven't yet. The strong language suggests even TxDot -- and let's not pretend that the document wasn't put together by a very well connected group of people, because it definitely was, and I bet you they all know something we don't -- prefers the depressed option.

The last slide on Kevin's post actually shows planned greenspace on I-35.

[We vs us]

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/metro...n-health-care/

Worth quoting in full -- really helped put the Brackenridge development in context.

Academic medical centers are facing tough times. Hospitals and health systems associated with medical schools are some of the most expensive health care institutions to operate because they are designed to deliver complex, specialized care. In addition, revenue generated from their health services must subsidize teaching and research. While this model may have succeeded in the past, now price pressure and the drive for value-based care (as opposed to patients and insurers just paying for the quantity of services provided) are challenging AMCs to find new revenue sources.

Foremost among the price pressures is the fact that, as the entire health system tries to become leaner, many insurers are questioning whether expensive AMCs belong in their networks. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act and other federal reforms disproportionately impact AMCs because these institutions are often located in urban areas and serve high numbers of Medicaid recipients. For example, 60 percent of AMC reimbursements come from Medicaid, Medicare, or other government programs. As these programs begin to tighten restrictions and rewards based on quality, traditional models of care are being called into question. Together, McKinsey estimates that these and other pressures could reduce AMC margins by 4 to 5 percent—driving many into the red.

It doesn’t seem like a very good time to open a new medical school, but that’s exactly what’s happened in Austin, Texas. The University of Texas recently opened the Dell Medical School, the first new medical school alongside a top-tier research university in this country in over five decades. The school is part of a larger development the city is calling its “Innovation Zone”, an area in the northeastern corridor of downtown that includes the medical school as well as surrounding amenities, research facilities, and businesses.

The Innovation Zone is a classic example of what we at the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Initiative on Innovation and Placemaking refer to as an anchor-plus innovation district. By integrating into the broader downtown district, public and private leadership in Austin hopes the new medical school can serve as a force multiplier for community health and regional economic activity. While it’s far too early to judge Austin’s innovation district, here are three smart initial moves other AMC-based innovation districts could learn from.

First, early on the medical school built strong relationships to community health.

Leaders in Austin’s public, civic, and private sectors want the medical school to be not just an AMC but also the connective tissue between health innovation and community care. To that end, a nonprofit organization called Capital City Innovation Inc. was created to oversee the Innovation Zone. Its board comprises representatives from the University of Texas and its Dell Medical School, Central Health–Travis County’s health care district, and Seton Healthcare Family, with the remaining four slots to be held by local organizations yet to be determined. In order to connect the district to the wider city, Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt will serve as advisory members.

Several efforts are underway to create stronger links between the community and the medical school. Central Health has engaged with the Project for Public Spaces (our partners in the Bass Initiative) to create a public marketplace near the medical school. The City of Austin and Travis County have formed a partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute to develop creative solutions to local transportation challenges around the Zone. And other ideas being discussed include working with the Austin Community College to link workers with associate degrees to employment and educational opportunities within the Zone.

Maintaining strong ties to the community improves clinical outcomes, which is good public policy and supports UT’s bottom line. According to a report by Becker’s Hospital Review, “AMCs can do a lot of complex work, but 90 percent of patients are people who need to quit smoking, eat better, improve their literacy and find a better-paying job.” As hospitals become increasingly responsible for health outcomes, strong community partnerships will become increasingly critical.

Second, UT is creating a sustainable revenue model based on the quality not quantity of care. Though many hospital systems are leery of the transition to value-base reimbursement, Dell Medical is betting on it.

According to Dr. Maninder Kahlon, the school’s vice dean for strategy and partnerships, in order to credibly commit to a value-based care model the medical school needed to develop clear funding streams outside of its clinical services because the teaching hospital will never generate as much revenue as a traditional fee-for-service hospital. One option is becoming best-in-class at bundled payments (in which instead of cutting multiple checks insurance companies pay one lump sum for an “episode” of care, such as a surgery). Given the importance of Medicaid reimbursements for AMCs, Dell has recruited several senior faculty members who have worked for Medicare and Medicaid and are experts at bundled payments. Thus, a potential source of revenue may be supporting other health entities in better managing bundled payments.

Third, the school is linking its research agenda with the regional economy.

Unlike most other medical schools, Dell’s research agenda will not focus specifically on drug development because, according to Dr. Kahlon, academic research should match Austin’s economy. Austin currently isn’t well positioned to compete in pharmaceuticals, but the city is a software powerhouse.

Therefore, research at the medical school will be more interdisciplinary, working with UT’s engineering and computer science departments as well as the city’s tech entrepreneurs. For example, the Department of Neurology plans to partner with UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering and the College of Natural Sciences to develop basic and clinical research programs that create breakthroughs in imaging technologies. And Dell Medical School, working with Seton Healthcare Family (a corporate partner), other community care facilities, and software developers, will research novel approaches to health data, including everything from nurse optimization to aggregative personalized patient data—all of which offer commercial opportunities and revenue generators for the school and better health outcomes for the community.

Pressure is mounting for new models of care delivery across the U.S. health care system. Given their high costs and reliance on federal payments, hospitals associated with urban medical schools are likely to be leading indicators of how care providers adapt to disruptive times. It’s far too early to know if Austin’s bet will pay off, but these three initial organizing principles offer clear examples for other AMCs trying to break away from old models.

[The ATX]

Community Impact has an update. These are the 12 developers that expressed interest:

Brandywine Realty Trust, a Radnor, Pennsylvania-based company with an office in Austin. Brandywine is developing 405 Colorado, a 25-story building planned in Central Austin at the intersection of West Fourth and Colorado streets.

Catellus Development Corp., based in Oakland, California, with a regional office in Austin. Catellus is behind the Mueller mixed-use development in East Austin at the former site of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport.

Downtown Life Center, which recently formed as a limited liability company, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office. No additional information was immediately available.

Duke Realty, of Indianapolis, develops industrial and heath care-related projects nationwide and has a market presence in Dallas and Houston.

Endeavor Real Estate Group, of Austin. Endeavor is the developer of The Domain in Northwest Austin as well as the IBC Bank Plaza and The Bowie, both located downtown. Endeavor was also picked by Capital Metro to lead the Plaza Saltillo redevelopment project in East Austin.

Lincoln Property Company, of Dallas, has built residential and commercial projects throughout the country.

RM Realty Group, of Houston, is involved in a range of development work across the U.S.

Portman Holdings, based in Atlanta, the company developed the Peachtree Center Atlanta and has built other mixed-use projects in the U.S. and overseas.

Ryan Companies US, with headquarters in Minneapolis and an Austin office, the company operates in several development markets and has worked on local affordable housing projects, including Urban Oaks in South Austin, which is under construction at Circle S Road and William Cannon Drive.

The Howard Hughes Corp., of Dallas, is known for its master-planned communities. The company’s Texas properties include The Woodlands and AllenTowne, a mixed-use development north of Dallas.

The Opus Group, based in Australia, the company is developing the American Academy of Pediatrics National Headquarters in Itasca, Illinois, as well as the corporate headquarters of Xcel Energy in Amarillo.

Wexford Science + Technology, a Baltimore-based real estate company that has developed projects in partnership with universities, academic medical centers and research firms.

https://communityimpact.com/austin/d...redevelopment/

[Urbannizer]

Central Health wants no density limit for Brackenridge redevelopment

As it moves forward with a plan to redevelop the University Medical Center Brackenridge campus into a mixed-use district, Central Health wants Austin City Council to approve a special zoning “overlay” that would allow for unlimited development density.

Central Health officials outlined the plan Thursday during a community event at the Travis County health district’s office on East Cesar Chavez Street in Austin.

Central Health will lease the Brackenridge campus to a master developer but will keep ownership of the property. Twelve developers responded to a request for qualifications, or RFQ, issued by Central Health this past fall.

Right now, the campus is zoned for public use by the city of Austin. But Meade said Central Health would like Austin City Council to approve a special zoning variance for the site that would allow a mix of zoning classifications and place no restrictions on density, aside from necessary regulatory setbacks and view corridors.

Meade said a proposal is before Austin’s Planning Commission and a public hearing will likely be held before the end of February.

The proposal could be brought before the full City Council in March or April, she said.

[jbssfelix]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Central Health wants no density limit for Brackenridge redevelopment

Good.

[We vs us]

Down to 4 finalists:

"Landowner Central Health released Friday afternoon a list of four finalists out of 12 companies that submitted a request for qualifications. The next phase of the bidding process, which involves a request for proposals, will begin in February or March, according to Central Health.

The land, six blocks at 15th Street and I-35, is one of the largest infill development opportunities in Austin. Building heights are expected to exceed more than 30 stories.

The four finalists are:

• Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE: BDN), which has an extensive Austin portfolio, including IBM's "Broadmoor" campus near The Domain.

• Catellus Development Corp., the developer of the Mueller mixed-use community northeast of downtown.

• A partnership between Howard Hughes Corp. and Cambridge Holdings. Howard Hughes is based in Dallas and would be a new entrant to the Austin market. It was one of the co-developers of The Woodlands master-planned community north of Houston.

• Wexford Science + Technology, based in Baltimore, has developed and operated numerous higher education developments tied to academic medical centers and research institutions, including the University of Maryland BioPark. It would also be a new player in Austin.

Since 1889 the 14.3-acre site has been home to a hospital. However, once Brackenridge is replaced with the opening later this year of Dell Seton Medical Center, which is next door to the newly opened Dell Medical School, the land will be available to convert into some sort of mixed-use configuration — though Central Health wants it to remain a nexus for community health, and parts of the area could be included in the so-called "Innovation District" that is being planned to support Dell Medical School.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...ment-race.html

[The ATX]

One of the proposed new East Austin CVCs would prevent high-rises on half of the Brackenridge site. Thus killing the project as envisioned.
This city is going to crap because the city leaders are doing the opposite of good urban planning. It baffles me how they continue to give lip service to affordable housing but actually make it worse with their actions and inactions.

[ATXboom]

Originally Posted by The ATX

One of the proposed new East Austin CVCs would prevent high-rises on half of the Brackenridge site. Thus killing the project as envisioned.
This city is going to crap because the city leaders are doing the opposite of good urban planning. It baffles me how they continue to give lip service to affordable housing but actually make it worse with their actions and inactions.

This will hurt healthcare for those most in need.
It will hurt affordability via reduced density.
It likely kills any notion of an innovation zone.

I wrote the mayor. Urge u to reach out to council.

[MichaelB]

Do you know which corridor? Would prefer to be specific rather that demonize the concept of keeping the history of the Capitol visually connected.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Do you know which corridor? Would prefer to be specific rather that demonize the concept of keeping the history of the Capitol visually connected.

There's a picture/map on the statesman story

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/loca...YzDxGPgDQSUbK/

In this case, it seems to be the one out to Thompson street.

[jbssfelix]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Do you know which corridor? Would prefer to be specific rather that demonize the concept of keeping the history of the Capitol visually connected.

A majority of the proposed CVCs would destroy/significantly alter the Brackenridge project, but the northermost one is the big dagger.



Source: Statesman

[wwmiv]

I definitely support a view from the Texas State Cemetery and Huston-Tillotson.