[sirkingwilliam]

For those who may or may not know, the San Antonio Riverwalk is going through a 13 mile extention. 4 miles to the north and 9 miles to the south. This project will completely change downtown as well as the sheer quality of life for San Antonians.

Here are some renderings of said extention.


Museum Reach (north downtown)

http://www.supportyoursariver.com/Turning%20Basin.jpg

http://www.supportyoursariver.com/urban%20escapes.jpg

http://www.supportyoursariver.com/museum%20portion.jpg

http://www.supportyoursariver.com/pedestrian%20bridges.jpg

http://www.sanantonioriver.org/images/museum_reach/4_brooklyn_lock.jpg

http://www.sanantonioriver.org/images/museum_reach/9_turning_basin.jpg

http://www.sanantonioriver.org/images/museum_reach/6_pedestrian_bridge.jpg


Historic Mission Reach (south of downtown)

http://www.supportyoursariver.com/trails%20family%20areas.jpg

http://www.sanantonioriver.org/images/mission_reach/Confluence.jpg

http://www.sanantonioriver.org/images/mission_reach/Espada-Dam.jpg

[Double L]

That's nice. It's amazing just how much of the riverwalk they've continually kept as highly redeveloped. Even all the way down to the south loop of 410! We will do these redevelopments first and then the commerce can come later.

[sakyle04]

The Museum portion rendering is very exciting. That kind of density would be incredible... :tup:

[Complex01]

:previous:

I was looking at the pics and i thought the same thing...

:cool:

[texboy]

River north is SCREAMING for highrises....Its a joke that a city of SA's size has a relatively short skyline.

[GoldenBoot]

I respect your opinion, TexBoy, however, I strongly disagree with your comment regarding San Antonio’s skyline. I definitely wouldn’t call it a “joke” – a “disappointment” maybe, but not a “joke.”

The heights of a city’s downtown structures are not, nor have they ever been, directly related to its population (and visa versa)…

Don’t get me wrong - I love tall structures and would like to see more in SA!

[JACKinBeantown]

I think SA has a downtown development attitude that I used to hate, but as I grow older and have seen more cities and the effects of certian kinds of projects and growth (good and bad), I think controlled growth is probably a good thing and just maybe San Antonio is doing it right.

[sarocks14]

This is great, and I love the skyline in that one picture ;) ;) ;)

[sananto]

Here (http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/riverwalk/Pages/slide4.html) is a link that I found that gives a history, with pictures, about the problems and issues that faced SA regarding the now historic River Walk. If some had had their way, we would not have the beauty of downtown we now have. Its best to go forward on these pages rather than back. It will take you all the way around either way, but forward from where this link starts is best. Has pictures of the flood damages many years ago and to the huge tunnel we now have 150 feet under downtown SA.

[sirkingwilliam]

I LOVE this picture.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/riverwalk/Images/slide19.jpg

[sirkingwilliam]

I'm so excited about the extention as well as River North.

[sirkingwilliam]

Question, seeing as how they built the river tunnel under downtown, would this mean that it is possible to tunnel the downtown segment of 37?

[Paul in S.A TX]

San Antonio's skyline isnt a joke! Phoenix and San Diego's tallest aren't as tall as San Antonio's.With the new structures being built ,San Antonio will have a decent skyline for a city of 2 million people.Most cities can only dream of having a lively downtown like San Antonio's.The new Riverwalk expansion is going to put this city on an even higher level than it is today.

[sarocks14]

San Antonio's skyline isnt a joke! Phoenix and San Diego's tallest aren't as tall as San Antonio's.With the new structures being built ,San Antonio will have a decent skyline for a city of 2 million people.Most cities can only dream of having a lively downtown like San Antonio's.The new Riverwalk expansion is going to put this city on an even higher level than it is today.

Agreed

[sarocks14]

Look at the skyline in this picture....the buildings are in the wrong place...looks like it was mirrored

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/riverwalk/Images/slide82.jpg

[sananto]

Wierd!!! you're right. Wish I could zoom on in that sign off right center. I'm no photo expert. Wonder how that happened?!

[on the beach]

The extention is incredible..........hope it goes as planned.

[TXLove]

great renderings..... And San Antonios downtown is not a joke, thats my opinion

[sarocks14]

great renderings..... And San Antonios downtown is not a joke, thats my opinion

That's right it's not a joke. SA's DT has everything I'd ever want in a DT - life, culture, entertainment, fun, uniqueness, and a few skyscrapers to make it complete. To me, if I wanted a DT full of skyscrapers (which would probably result in a loss of charm and character) I could go to Dallas or Houston, and just about every other big city in America.

[aliendroid]

I have some pictures of the construction on the north expansion of the river walk

I'm thinking they will connect the segments later because the river walk stops about 300 feet from where this construction begins.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/aliendroid/100_2916.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/aliendroid/100_2917.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/aliendroid/100_2939.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/aliendroid/100_2940.jpg

[Trae]

Anymore new restaurants planned?

[aliendroid]

I'm excited for the north side extension, but I'm more excited about the south side, I walked all the way south throught the king williams street area and it still comes to an end like the first time I walked on it. It's beautiful. I've always wanted to walk the whole river walk in one day but I've never done it and now it's getting harder to do. This last time I visited I managed to walk the whole north, south and loop, but I didn't get to go down the part that goes to rivercenter and the convention center, I was really close to walking the whole thing--It's already huge.

[aliendroid]

Anymore new restaurants planned?

Yes they have plans for restaurants, another mall, apartments, hotels and condos, but I'm not sure on specifics

[sirkingwilliam]

Yes they have plans for restaurants, another mall, apartments, hotels and condos, but I'm not sure on specifics

Another mall? That's the first I've heard of that.

[sirkingwilliam]

I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow.

[Paul in S.A TX]

Is that the Old Tropicana in the first pic?

[Texas Tuff]

Those renderings look incredible! I love the River Walk and certainly look forward to seeing it someday when all the new stuff is added.

:banana:

[AndresAndujar]

Old subject, looking at the tunnel "inlet" picture, it is actually the outlet on the south east section of downtown near the old CPS power plant.

[sirkingwilliam]

All 13 miles:

Southside <------------------------------ Downtown ------------------------------> Northside

http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/6265/sariverej7.png

Confluence Park and Theater:
http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/20/sariver2fj1.png

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/458/sariver3vd2.png

[Paul in S.A TX]

This is so cool.

[manuelpr]

That looks Great! I wish we could actually see some progress on the Trinity here.

[verbl]

SO VERY VERY COOL..... I am so excited about this

[KeepSanAntonioLame]

http://www.ksat.com/video/17204765/index.html?rss=ant&psp=localvideo

[Keep-SA-Lame]

From the SAMA website:
http://www.samuseum.org/press/releasedetail.php?id=39

http://www.samuseum.org/files/press/photo39.jpg

SAN ANTONIO – In conjunction with the San Antonio River Improvement Project, the San Antonio Museum of Art is currently engaged in one of the most significant campus improvements of its history, due for completion in May 2009. The new River Landing on the north side of the Museum’s property will comprise a River Pavilion, covered walkway and covered Terrace, creating an attractive and welcoming presence for SAMA along the river and providing the Museum with its first ever guest access to the Riverwalk.

“The San Antonio Museum of Art owns the longest stretch of riverfront property in town,” Marion Oettinger, Jr, the Betty and Bob Kelso Director of the Museum said. “To finally have pedestrian and barge access to the Riverwalk’s many visitors is an incredible opportunity for SAMA to increase access to our events and collections, and enhance SAMA’s visibility in the community.”

The River Pavilion, located behind the existing Cowden Gallery, will be a 3,464 square foot covered patio facing the River, open for both Museum and public events, such as festivals, receptions, lectures and meetings. The Pavilion will include men’s and women’s restrooms, a staging area for caterers and a ticket/security booth. The space can accommodate 300 people.

The River Pavilion will be linked to the existing Beretta Hops House and Luby Courtyard by an attractive 1,045 square foot covered walkway. A 1,473 square foot covered Terrace overlooking the River will be constructed along the north side of the Beretta Hops House. The Terrace will provide additional space for Hops House activities such as meetings and workshops.The new facilities and SAMA’s grounds along the river will be landscaped with native vines and flowering plants, adding to the aesthetic beauty of the area.

The design of the Pavilion is also environmentally sustainable, using the cool breeze from the River to support ventilation and capturing rainwater in cisterns to be used for irrigation. SAMA is working with Overland Partners, architects, on the River Landing and Zachry Construction is SAMA’s general contractor for River Development. Overland has a long history with SAMA, having designed the Lenora and Walter F. Brown Asian Art Wing and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art. “Both Overland and Zachry have been outstanding partners on this project,” noted Dan Walton, Director of Operations. “We couldn’t be more pleased.”

“Taking advantage of this public investment along SAMA’s riverfront property means we can coordinate our construction in tandem with the Museum Reach project and ensure maximum cost savings” added Oettinger, “but it also fulfills the Museum’s long-term goals to improve our campus and increase access to the Museum. We hope the increased visibility and access will not only boost annual attendance, but expand the Museum’s capacity to offer events and activities to our members and the general public.”

[miaht82]

from mysa.com (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/Museum_Reach_river_water_returns.html)

By Tracy Idell Hamilton - Express-News
With a countdown and a trickle, the 2-mile stretch of river that's been under construction for the past two years began to fill back up on Friday morning.

Known as the urban segment of the Museum Reach of the river improvements project, the $72 million transformation will be celebrated in grand style on May 30 – but first, water that had been diverted so crews could turn a trash-filled, overgrown ditch into a manicured extension of the River Walk had to be put back.

Mayor Phil Hardberger, who made the revival of the river a centerpiece of his tenure, led the countdown along with County Judge Nelson Wolff and Tom Weaver, chairman of the San Antonio River Authority, which oversaw the project.

read more (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/Museum_Reach_river_water_returns.html)...

[Keep-SA-Lame]

The front page belonged to River North and the Pearl today.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/riverwalk/Visions_of_revitalization_meet_reality.html

http://media.mysanantonio.com/images/20090517RiverNorthOwners.jpg

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/riverwalk/Pearl_Brewerys_new_role_is_anchor_for_renewal_project.html

http://media.mysanantonio.com/images/20090517PearlBrewery.jpg

[Paul in S.A TX]

The Pearl
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8157/pearlbuildingzb5.png

[sakyle04]

The front page belonged to River North and the Pearl today.

Thanks for posting these...

I see that Ed Cross has 3 tracts. Hope he acquires a few more... :yes:

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Looks like Cross finally has the financing to finish the Broadway monolith according to the article.

[Paul in S.A TX]

A few pics i took today of River extension towards the pearl and SA Musuem of Art, will post other pics later.
http://i43.tinypic.com/2wbvqdi.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/2q2l446.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/2n88ohu.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/25koms0.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/35hjx2a.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/119b4hs.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/2wef29i.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/2q9mosi.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/1zgdtzm.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/1fz4lv.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/oavqwy.jpg


http://i40.tinypic.com/28i5h74.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2vv6gya.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/nnr1ow.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/2hplq80.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/am49dx.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/1zd0lk2.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/21qxwx.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/mhf2pj.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/35i7k0m.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/1fz4lv.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/28upk7o.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/z67ty.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/fay4jc.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/2vcf0bs.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/9j1tee.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/2gws1o0.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/aw5es3.jpg

[gunadic]

Wow, the water really pulls it all together.

I'm guessing that though the 'grand opening' isn't till the 30th that we're free to wander?

[Paul in S.A TX]

My cam died out so I couldnt take more pics of other parts of the river extension.

[oldmanshirt]

Thanks for the pics, Paul. Hopefully those fish will look a little less silly at night, and won't be as much of a target for vandalism as I'm fearing they will.

[KevinFromTexas]

Nice pics. That new additions to the river are looking nice.

[Paul in S.A TX]

I agree, hopefully there won't be any problems with vandalisim. There is a lot more artwork up and down the river that hasn't been completed. Can't wait to see the finished product, but, really can't wait to see what will flourish around the river.
My cam died, was about to take pics of the locks and other vantage points, next time I guess.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Wow, the water really pulls it all together.

I'm guessing that though the 'grand opening' isn't till the 30th that we're free to wander?

We're not. Paul got lucky. I tried to take a bike ride there and was kicked out by a grumpy park cop. :hell:

[gunadic]

Hmm... I'm wondering though, will bikes be all that welcome on the pathways? I'd really hate to knock anybody (or be knocked) into the river...

[kornbread]

We're not. Paul got lucky. I tried to take a bike ride there and was kicked out by a grumpy park cop. :hell:

So, you tried to cross a barricade, eh?:whip:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/riverwalk/Welcome_mat_not_yet_out_for_redesigned_stretch_of_river.html



Eager to see what the revamped section of the San Antonio River looks like? Peer at it from the bridges, look it up on the Web or wait until the grand opening May 30.

That's the word from the San Antonio River Authority, which is asking the public to not cross the barricades around the project because it's still an active construction site. San Antonio park police are patrolling the section to keep the public out.

These street-level bridges provide good views: Lexington Avenue, McCullough Avenue, Brooklyn Avenue, Ninth Street, Jones Avenue, Camden Street, Newell Avenue, Grayson Street and Josephine Street. SARA's Web site, sanantonioriver.org, has progress photos dating to 2007.

The opening will be a daylong celebration, starting with a ceremony at 10 a.m. May 30 at the Brooklyn bridge. There will be tours, barge trips, music and children's art activities.

[KevinFromTexas]

Our local news this Thursday morning mentioned River North. Fox7 in Austin did a little story on it. They said it would extend the river, add new businesses, hotels and residential to the area. I'm not sure I've ever heard a news story about another city's developments. So that was cool.

[arhavel]

Paul,

Where did you find a rendering of the Pearl Stacks Building? I've been looking everywhere! Looks great!

[Paul in S.A TX]

Paul,

Where did you find a rendering of the Pearl Stacks Building? I've been looking everywhere! Looks great!

Which one is that? I found it in here somewhere.

[SAguy]

KENS 5 reports on the extension of the Riverwalk.

http://www.kens5.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=364137

[sirkingwilliam]

Th Express has a really cool (really cool) interactive map on the new urban segment of the Riverwalk.

http://www2.mysanantonio.com/specials/UrbanSegmentOnline/UrbanSegment.html

[Texan101]

Th Express has a really cool (really cool) interactive map on the new urban segment of the Riverwalk.

http://www2.mysanantonio.com/specials/UrbanSegmentOnline/UrbanSegment.html

Great link!:tup: Really enjoyed the tour. Damn I miss home :(

[KevinFromTexas]

Not sure if this has been posted yet.

Expanded River Walk an artful avenue for visitors
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/05/26/0526riverwalk.html

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

SAN ANTONIO — For decades, the channel of the San Antonio River north of the popular restaurants and retail shops downtown was overgrown and blighted — the kind of place tourists went only if they made a wrong turn. But not anymore.

A $72 million overhaul — essentially doubling the size of the River Walk — has transformed the dry, weed-choked eyesore north of the River Walk into a 1½-mile manicured waterway. The area has whimsical art, benches and fountains that can be passed on foot or by water taxi en route to attractions upriver.

[miaht82]

Read some of the comments on the article; its a little ironic that when the E-N runs a story on the Riverwalk, people comment that we need to be more like Austin and stop spending money on the Riverwalk, and in the Statesman, people from Austin (at least a couple of those who comment) say that they need to be more like San Antonio and invest in something like the Riverwalk.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Read some of the comments on the article; its a little ironic that when the E-N runs a story on the Riverwalk, people comment that we need to be more like Austin and stop spending money on the Riverwalk, and in the Statesman, people from Austin (at least a couple of those who comment) say that they need to be more like San Antonio and invest in something like the Riverwalk.

The E-N reader comments are usually so completely ridiculous, unintelligent and incomprehensible that I just ignore them now.

[jaga185]

^^^ I agree, some of the things those people say on there are just laughable. They don't have a clue most of the time, though there are a few people that make sense sometimes.

[miaht82]

The E-N reader comments are usually so completely ridiculous, unintelligent and incomprehensible that I just ignore them now.

Thats what I do now too.

[DruidCity]

Th Express has a really cool (really cool) interactive map on the new urban segment of the Riverwalk.

http://www2.mysanantonio.com/special...anSegment.html

Thanks for that link. I forwarded it to my brother, who is in a wheelchair.
We enjoy visiting the Riverwalk (and did so again just last week), but it can be a little challenging for him to get around sometimes.

[KevinFromTexas]

Read some of the comments on the article; its a little ironic that when the E-N runs a story on the Riverwalk, people comment that we need to be more like Austin and stop spending money on the Riverwalk, and in the Statesman, people from Austin (at least a couple of those who comment) say that they need to be more like San Antonio and invest in something like the Riverwalk.

Oddly enough, we're doing exactly that. Waller Creek which runs through downtown Austin, will be turned into a riverwalk-like-development. Right now the creek is a mess. It's a public bath for the bums and fills with trash and debris from runoff. And because it's prone to flooding, it's virtually unusable and insurance companies refuse to cover it for any major development along its banks. A tunnel project in Waterloo Park a few blocks east of the Capitol will change all that. They'll be able to keep the water level at a constant by pumping water up through the tunnel (pipe) from Town Lake. It'll also control the flood waters. So basically a riverwalk-like setting could be created. The tunnel is already under construction. With this project finished, 27 acres of downtown could be opened up for major development. It would totally transform the east side of downtown.

Our newspaper readers usually don't know what's going on in downtown either, and mostly complain about things, namely spending. There's a lot of condo bashing going on for sure, which is funny since most of these condos don't cost taxpayers a dime and generate millions of dollars for the city in property taxes. The funny thing is, these are people who never even go downtown. So not to be harsh or cruel, but their value of opinion in that area is nil. The fact that most of them have never even heard of the Waller Creek tunnel project that I mentioned above, shows how unfamiliar they are with issues and developments in downtown. It's not only "downtown" bashing either, it's pretty much anything that can be seen as progressive and urban, like people complaining about spending on bike lanes or sidewalk improvements. Their position is that they don't want to pay for it. Of course these are people who don't live in downtown or Central Austin, most live in suburban areas, or at least not in central ones. Some of the biggest opponents of downtown come from people who don't even have an Austin address, but live inside the metro. Round Rock comes to mind here.

And again, not to sound harsh or cruel, but you have to cut those people out of the picture. Ignore their money and bribes. The City needs to do what is best for the central neighborhoods and central commercial zones based on what people of those areas want, but also to do things that have been proven before to keep the central part of the city vibrant. People on the fringes of the city will always complain, while at the same time never setting foot there to see for themselves the improvements. The fact that they're unwilling to compromise means there's no hope for working with them on things. These are people who have already made up their minds that they don't want anything to do with downtown or the central areas.

[jaga185]

Well said. It saddens me that people think this way. How could they be so narrow minded that all they want to know is how much it's going to cost them, if it even does. How could they not take pride in their own community/city to not want to help fix it and make something of it?

[sakyle04]

made the walk from my house (deco district) to the new section of the riverwalk.

reactions:

it was obscenely hot yesterday. the extension does not have nearly the tree cover that the "old riverwalk" has. literally a 10-15 degree difference between the two sections. remarkable.

tons of real estate ready to be developed on the extension. TONS. it will be crazy to see how quickly it gets bought up and how high the buildings will rise.

much of the art (at least during the day time) was underwhleming. still, it did distract me from the fact that i was crossing under a 10 lane interstate highway.

the beauty of this area will only be known in 10-15 years. as of now, it is a long sidewalk along a concrete canal. as the development ramps up, i think the whole thing will come alive as the spine of a great urban zone.

[oldmanshirt]

I'm jealous, I really really wanted to go. Even thought about buying a couple of plane tickets and just telling the wife, "pack up, we're going down to SA for a couple days." Hopefully waiting until Christmas means it won't be quite as hot, tho ;)

When you say "tons of real estate ready to be developed", are you speaking to the potential for development of the adjoining properties, or are we talking actual renderings and signs with phone numbers and websites?

Did you (or anybody) check out the lock and dam? I think that's the part I'm most anticipating, although I think they missed a big opportunity by not adding a water slide somewhere, complete with mounted water guns that people on the bridges can use to spray people in the boat :P

I can see the art being somewhat underwhelming in person, especially considering how much that aspect has been hyped. Luckily, that's something that's relatively impermanent and will be changed and adapted to the times and tastes of the future.

[DruidCity]

The beauty of this area will only be known in 10-15 years. as of now, it is a long sidewalk along a concrete canal. as the development ramps up, i think the whole thing will come alive as the spine of a great urban zone..

Are there any restaurants along the new section yet, or do I need to go to the original section of the Riverwalk to eat ?

[Keep-SA-Lame]

made the walk from my house (deco district) to the new section of the riverwalk.

reactions:

it was obscenely hot yesterday. the extension does not have nearly the tree cover that the "old riverwalk" has. literally a 10-15 degree difference between the two sections. remarkable.


That's why I went early :tup:

[jaga185]

Keep-SA-Lame did you happen to go to Chester's yesterday maybe about three or four? I saw a guy come in there with a t-shirt on that said, well guess. I wondered if it was you, but then decided not to ask at the last minute.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Keep-SA-Lame did you happen to go Chester's yesterday maybe about three or four? I saw a guy come in there with a t-shirt on that said, well guess. I wondered if it was you, but then decided not to ask at the last minute.

Nope. Sorry. ;)

[jaga185]

Good thing I went with my decision, lol.

[sirkingwilliam]

I can see the art being somewhat underwhelming in person, especially considering how much that aspect has been hyped.

It's more underwhelming because they more night time pieces than day time pieces.

[adtobias]

Wonder how long it will take for some hotel/condo high rise to get built there and make it like the rest of the river walk

[PartyLine]

Oddly enough, we're doing exactly that. Waller Creek which runs through downtown Austin, will be turned into a riverwalk-like-development. Right now the creek is a mess. It's a public bath for the bums and fills with trash and debris from runoff. And because it's prone to flooding, it's virtually unusable and insurance companies refuse to cover it for any major development along its banks. A tunnel project in Waterloo Park a few blocks east of the Capitol will change all that. They'll be able to keep the water level at a constant by pumping water up through the tunnel (pipe) from Town Lake. It'll also control the flood waters. So basically a riverwalk-like setting could be created. The tunnel is already under construction. With this project finished, 27 acres of downtown could be opened up for major development. It would totally transform the east side of downtown.

Our newspaper readers usually don't know what's going on in downtown either, and mostly complain about things, namely spending. There's a lot of condo bashing going on for sure, which is funny since most of these condos don't cost taxpayers a dime and generate millions of dollars for the city in property taxes. The funny thing is, these are people who never even go downtown. So not to be harsh or cruel, but their value of opinion in that area is nil. The fact that most of them have never even heard of the Waller Creek tunnel project that I mentioned above, shows how unfamiliar they are with issues and developments in downtown. It's not only "downtown" bashing either, it's pretty much anything that can be seen as progressive and urban, like people complaining about spending on bike lanes or sidewalk improvements. Their position is that they don't want to pay for it. Of course these are people who don't live in downtown or Central Austin, most live in suburban areas, or at least not in central ones. Some of the biggest opponents of downtown come from people who don't even have an Austin address, but live inside the metro. Round Rock comes to mind here.

And again, not to sound harsh or cruel, but you have to cut those people out of the picture. Ignore their money and bribes. The City needs to do what is best for the central neighborhoods and central commercial zones based on what people of those areas want, but also to do things that have been proven before to keep the central part of the city vibrant. People on the fringes of the city will always complain, while at the same time never setting foot there to see for themselves the improvements. The fact that they're unwilling to compromise means there's no hope for working with them on things. These are people who have already made up their minds that they don't want anything to do with downtown or the central areas.



I'm all for the Waller Creek project I think it would be awsome for Austin to have a riverwalk similar to SA other cities have done similar developments downtown like that take a look at Bricktown in Oklahoma City with the Bricktown canal it's similar to the riverwalk.

[sakyle04]

I'm jealous, I really really wanted to go. Even thought about buying a couple of plane tickets and just telling the wife, "pack up, we're going down to SA for a couple days." Hopefully waiting until Christmas means it won't be quite as hot, tho ;)

When you say "tons of real estate ready to be developed", are you speaking to the potential for development of the adjoining properties, or are we talking actual renderings and signs with phone numbers and websites?

Did you (or anybody) check out the lock and dam? I think that's the part I'm most anticipating, although I think they missed a big opportunity by not adding a water slide somewhere, complete with mounted water guns that people on the bridges can use to spray people in the boat :P

I can see the art being somewhat underwhelming in person, especially considering how much that aspect has been hyped. Luckily, that's something that's relatively impermanent and will be changed and adapted to the times and tastes of the future.

real estate: talking about the sheer amount of undeveloped river frontage. TONS of space along the river where there is either nothing or nothing of real value (read: take a payout and demolish to make wya for new construction). no websites or signs yet.

the lock and dam is nice looking. definitely drew a crowd. nothing to incredible, imho, but certainly a point to stop and take in. also, no water cannons as of yet. although one could bring a super-soaker...

art... well, ya. i heard one of the tour operators say (under a specific bridge)that "while this art looks underwhelming during the day, it was designed to be seen at night." a rider asked if it is better at night and she responded, "actually, it is pretty much just as bad at night, sorry to say."

[sakyle04]

Are there any restaurants along the new section yet, or do I need to go to the original section of the Riverwalk to eat ?

No actual restaurants. Some places to eat around Pearl, but they aren't on the river.

A couple (obvious tourists) actually stopped me and asked if there were bars or restaurants... we had to direct them back to the "old section".

funny enough, about an hour later, they showed up at the table next to ours at an "old section" pub.

the VFW hall, i must say, was rocking, though. i don't know if they had food, but they had a ton of people, some great bands, lots of dancing, and everyone with a drink in their hand.

[sakyle04]

It's more underwhelming because they more night time pieces than day time pieces.

this is true to a certain degree.

we went back sunday night.

more reactions:

at night, the school of fish under i-35 are amazing. really stunningly beautiful. also, there is a colony of bats that emerge from there every night around 8:15pm. a pretty sizeable crowd was waiting for them. could definitely see that as being a new tradition around SA.

the grotto is painfully foreign. maybe it'll slowly look more at home there, but for now it is an eyesore. only my opinion, but yeesh... at night or in the day.

the other under-bridge art, save for the fish and the "audio sculpture" was even more underwhelming at night than in the day. one piece in particular left someone in my party wondering if the artist was embarrassed to have his name on it. looked like something that was cool in concept and totally missed in production.

the SAMA stretch is beautiful. they did a first class job.

finally, everything feels pretty safe. there are visible park police and the whole place is well-lit. i think it might be much different when all of the crowds are gone, though. we'll see.

[adtobias]

i wonder if there will be lot of homesless camping out there

[miaht82]

i wonder if there will be lot of homesless camping out there

probably much less now than the amount that used too before the construction. The Haven for Hope should help alleviate some of the problems DT has with the homeless, at least in the River North area. Its all part of the master plan to "clean up the area."

[necropolis]

Has anyone been in the new locks and dam? I'll go when I get home but was just wondering if anyone has. From the pics it looks like it could feel sorta like an oven in the heat of summer...w/ no shade and surrounded by concrete. I can easilly see the sun baking away and making tourist cakes in there while people wait for the water to fill...

[jaga185]

I'm going down in a few minutes, I'll be sure to take some pictures, though I don't know if I'll be taking boat ride.

[jaga185]

I hate when plans change... :-( but I have some decent shots of the tea gardens if anyone wants me to post them.

[sakyle04]

Has anyone been in the new locks and dam? I'll go when I get home but was just wondering if anyone has. From the pics it looks like it could feel sorta like an oven in the heat of summer...w/ no shade and surrounded by concrete. I can easilly see the sun baking away and making tourist cakes in there while people wait for the water to fill...

i think you nailed it. sitting in that sun-drenched oven for 5 minutes while the lock does its thing to raise or lower the boat...

i think we will see a temporary shade structure there before too long. that would be a miserable, wind-less 5 minutes.

[KevinFromTexas]

Bats!
http://www.mysanantonio.com/videos/48579732.html