AUSTIN Update Thread - Page 414

Syndic · #**8261** Posted: **Jul 9, 2012, 9:54 PM**

It's always cool to hear native Austinites' stories of growing up here. This is the lot where the sno-cone trailer used to be. I used to live in that neighborhood behind it; Gracy Woods. As you can see, that lot is some industrial building now. I'm sure this area of town seems ridiculously far north to you.

Actually, before he went downtown, Leslie Cochran was on that corner, Braker and North Lamar, which was, at the time, either an Albertson's or a Tom Thumb. I think the site of him was probably too disturbing to all the suburbanites around there, so he moved downtown. But he was there for a long time; pushing around his little cart/home. Many scenes in Office Space were also filmed around this area.

I think multiple things got me into architecture and urban planning; loving my cozy neighborhood growing up (when I was born, that was just about the furthest extent of Austin's suburban sprawl), and wondering why the hell it was so inconvenient; i.e. why weren't there any stores in my neighborhood? Then I read Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream by Duany and Zyberk, and that cemented it.

So, I'm just kind of obsessed with this idea of allowing for stores to be built inside of neighborhoods. It shouldn't be big stores; maybe just food trucks. Who wouldn't love that?

But it all comes down to zoning laws. And we're going to be hashing these things out ad nauseum over the next few years. So I hope y'all are ready. It's going to be very educational for a lot of people. What matters to me is just mixed-use. Mixed-use, mixed-use, mixed-use. And that doesn't mean all in the same building. It just means zoning for different types of uses. So... for example, food trucks in your neighborhood. Miami (where Andres Duany happens to be from) has already undergone this kind of extreme zoning makeover, so it can be done. But it was ugly there, too.

KevinFromTexas · #**8262** Posted: **Jul 10, 2012, 12:59 AM**

My family has been in this neighborhood since the early 60s. So I've heard it all about how this area grew up. I just naturally wondered what it was like back then and compared it to how it is now and what it'll be like in the future. We are lucky enough to have a convenience store in our neighborhood. It's around 2,200 feet in total walking distance, but I've always just ridden my bike everywhere. That was our go to place for junk food when we were kids There's also a local Mexican food restaurant and a pizza restaurant up there. I can walk there in a few minutes, and by bike it's about a 90 second ride. There have been plenty of times when I've rode up there and picked up a large pizza on my bicycle and rode back with it.

Syndic · #**8263** Posted: **Jul 10, 2012, 1:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

My family has been in this neighborhood since the early 60s. So I've heard it all about how this area grew up. I just naturally wondered what it was like back then and compared it to how it is now and what it'll be like in the future. We are lucky enough to have a convenience store in our neighborhood. It's around 2,200 feet in total walking distance, but I've always just ridden my bike everywhere. That was our go to place for junk food when we were kids There's also a local Mexican food restaurant and a pizza restaurant up there. I can walk there in a few minutes, and by bike it's about a 90 second ride. There have been plenty of times when I've rode up there and picked up a large pizza on my bicycle and rode back with it.

Okay, maybe we're using the word 'neighborhood' differently. What I really mean is subdivision. Your subdivision is zoned single-use. In other words, if someone wanted to demolish a house and build a store, they couldn't. It's illegal.

ROCrot · #**8264** Posted: **Jul 10, 2012, 4:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

It's always cool to hear native Austinites' stories of growing up here. This is the lot where the sno-cone trailer used to be. I used to live in that neighborhood behind it; Gracy Woods. As you can see, that lot is some industrial building now. I'm sure this area of town seems ridiculously far north to you.

From what I understand, that's a data center which I believe was owned by Oracle. It may have changed hands recently, though.

Albertson's withdrew from the Central Texas market a few years back. The store was redeveloped into a fully-leased strip plaza, along with a Texaco gas station in the outparcel.

MichaelB · #**8265** Posted: **Jul 10, 2012, 8:41 PM**

FYI. Cambridge Tower had a meeting last night with the Company that bought the lot at the corner of Colorado and MLK. They was to build a student dorm on the site. 5 stories. It is the worst possible subruban apartment design possible. We will be fighting it tooth and nail. The buildiing has no business in the CBD. It has no business in the Capitol Complex and it has no business being in what the city is trying to tout as a "Museum" district .
Obviously it will also have an implact of property values for it's neighbors. Having Student housing, especially this kind, next store to a condo will kill the value.
We know that something will get built there, but this is the worst possible scenario for the CBD, Capitol complex or any thought of a Museum district.

KevinFromTexas · #**8266** Posted: **Jul 10, 2012, 9:51 PM**

Oh wow. That block isn't even effected by a CVC. It actually sits between two of them.

KevinFromTexas · #**8267** Posted: **Jul 11, 2012, 5:56 AM**

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...-e-austin.html

Quote:

E. Austin post office slated for new restaurant

Austin Business Journal by Sarah Drake, Web Editor
Date: Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 2:56pm CDT

Sarah Drake

Austin-based MP Commercial Partners LLC has acquired two East Austin properties with plans to renovate and reopen the buildings as a restaurant, lounge and office space.

The 6,000-square-foot building at 1914 E. Sixth St. is currently occupied by the United States Postal Service , and will be transformed into a restaurant and lounge.

The vacant 20,000-square-foot building at 2000 E. Sixth St. is slated to be redesigned into a creative office space that will offer room for a small eatery or coffee shop.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...rt-austin.html

Quote:

Report: Austin apartment market tightens

Austin Business Journal by Jan Buchholz, Staff Writer
Date: Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 2:28pm CDT

Jan Buchholz
Staff Writer- Austin Business Journal

Apartment vacancies are some of the lowest in the past decade with increasing job creation and strong population growth, especially within prime renter demographics.

Well-paid young professionals likely will occupy much of the Class A product, about 3,000 units, that will be completed during the remainder of 2012. That flood of new product might cause some softening of the market, particularly in the south submarket where many of the new developments are located, the report states.

•Metrowide, vacancy rates will average just 4.3 percent.

•Only 258 apartment units were delivered in 2011. That number will jump to 3,000 units this year. About 800 units will be delivered this year in the tight central submarket.

ahealy · #**8268** Posted: **Jul 11, 2012, 6:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...-e-austin.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...rt-austin.html

I'm really excited about this post office project on the east side. I wonder how many more projects will be announced/break ground soon...? Corazon SHOULD be starting soon on E. 6th. As y'all know, that area has been growing so rapidly.

MichaelB · #**8269** Posted: **Jul 11, 2012, 3:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Oh wow. That block isn't even effected by a CVC. It actually sits between two of them.

Oh... not true. That side of the block IS the view from little Field fountain to the Capitol. The CVC was done from the tower... but from the Fountain or University Ave... you will see little to none of the Capitol.

Downtown_Austin · #**8270** Posted: **Jul 11, 2012, 4:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Oh... not true. That side of the block IS the view from little Field fountain to the Capitol. The CVC was done from the tower... but from the Fountain or University Ave... you will see little to none of the Capitol.

Below is a perspective of the CVC and an outline of the site. I'm a Longhorn and this view from the tower (or fountain) is sacrosanct.

MichaelB · #**8271** Posted: **Jul 11, 2012, 5:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

Below is a perspective of the CVC and an outline of the site. I'm a Longhorn and this view from the tower (or fountain) is sacrosanct.

Thanks for posting that. There are many CVC's I would consider giving up. THis is not one. Because of land elevations the one state building that is in the CVC blocks little. But if this "suburban apartment building" is built. It will not only block the view from the west mall, it will be what you actually look at down University Ave. Not good planning to me. Cant belive, UT, that state or the city would let this happen.

Does anyone know of a study that talks about how student housing affects property value of neighboring non-student residents?

KevinFromTexas · #**8272** Posted: **Jul 11, 2012, 10:58 PM**

Ok, for some reason when I glanced at my CVC map I have, I thought it was the Bullock Museum block. I had no idea it would affect that CVC. That CVC and the one looking north up Congress Avenue are probably the two most iconic CVCs in the city.

Jude, where did you get that CVC map for Google Earth?

BevoLJ · #**8273** Posted: **Jul 11, 2012, 11:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

That CVC and the one looking north up Congress Avenue are probably the two most iconic CVCs in the city.

Totally agree. Those are the two that I would most go crazy NIMBY for.

KevinFromTexas · #**8274** Posted: **Jul 12, 2012, 6:32 AM**

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/...inglePage=true

Quote:

Local entities join forces to sync myriad bond, tax proposals

Average homeowner would see $1,000 increase in taxes in next 5 years under some scenarios

By Laura Heinauer, Marty Toohey and Mary Ann Roser
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Worried about the public's appetite for big-dollar bond packages, local officials are putting their heads together to keep any one hefty proposal from becoming another's competition.

All five of the main Travis County taxing jurisdictions — the City of Austin, the county, the Austin school district, Austin Community College and Central Health — may ask voters to approve some sort of proposal in the next few years.

This has traditionally been a safe bet, with Austin voters having approved every bond election and tax increase put before them in recent memory. But the wish list could be long: an urban rail system, a medical school, school construction initiatives and possibly even a new civil courthouse, along with the mix of civic projects that the city plans to put before voters this November.

KevinFromTexas · #**8275** Posted: **Jul 14, 2012, 4:59 AM**

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/pr...-jeopardy.html

Quote:

Deal to redo Lamar Plaza in jeopardy

Developers mum, but shop owners talking
Austin Business Journal by James Jeffrey, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, July 13, 2012, 5:00am CDT

Some tenants in the Lamar Plaza on South Lamar Boulevard said they aren’t going anywhere because the deal to redevelop the popular shopping center has fallen through.

Since mid-2011, when the proposed redevelopment plan hit the press, iconic Austin businesses such as The Highball, ThunderCloud Subs and Heart of Texas Music have waited for confirmation to vacate their premises within 30 days.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/pr...le-campus.html

Quote:

Developer backs out of Freescale campus

Aging site as big as a mall for sale again
Austin Business Journal by Jan Buchholz, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, July 13, 2012, 5:00am CDT

Manny Farahani’s grand plan to resurrect the aging, vacant Freescale Semiconductor Inc. campus in East Austin fell apart at the end of June when the veteran real estate investor walked away from the closing table.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/pr...nto-texas.html

Quote:

Big construction firm slips into Texas via Austin

Minn.-based Ryan Cos. seeks local deals
Austin Business Journal by Jan Buchholz, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, July 13, 2012, 5:00am CDT

Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos. US Inc. is jumping into the Austin general contracting and development business, hoping to leverage its national reputation and notable clients in the absence of any local projects.

The company has moved into about 2,500 square feet at 300 W. Sixth St.

KevinFromTexas · #**8276** Posted: **Jul 15, 2012, 6:18 AM**

The apartment occupancy rate in Austin is at 97.8 percent now. There's obviously demand, now let's see if these projects can get financed. Even with 10,000 units under construction right now, the demand is still outpacing the supply.

This article includes a list of projects that are either under construction and planned.

http://www.statesman.com/business/re...inglePage=true

Quote:

Austin apartment market on record-setting hot streak

By Shonda Novak

The Austin-area apartment market is continuing on its hot streak, with rents and occupancies hitting the highest levels in the 21 years that a local expert has been tracking the numbers.

The area's midyear apartment occupancy rate stood at 97.8 percent, said real estate consultant Charles Heimsath, president of Capitol Market Research. He said that's the highest rate since 1991, when he started surveying the market.

The high occupancy is pushing rents up too. They hit a record $953 a month, Heimsath said, with that figure representing an average across all unit sizes. That's a jump from a $900 average in June 2011.

Although more than 10,000 apartment units are under construction in the area, demand is still easily outpacing supply, experts say.

"It's getting insane," particularly in areas in and near downtown, including the popular 78704 ZIP code, said Drew Johnson, a real estate agent with Live Weird Realty. "Demand is exploding."

Syndic · #**8277** Posted: **Jul 15, 2012, 8:25 AM**

The Belo Center for New Media, AKA UT's new Communications building, AKA KUT's new studios. Anyone know if they've moved in yet?

BevoLJ · #**8278** Posted: **Jul 15, 2012, 8:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

The Belo Center for New Media, AKA UT's new Communications building, AKA KUT's new studios. Anyone know if they've moved in yet?

I think they are going to open around this years holidays. Just in time for spring semester.

austlar1 · #**8279** Posted: **Jul 15, 2012, 11:31 PM**

Not the most flattering pic of the new building. The Jack in the Crack sign does not enhance things.

JoninATX · #**8280** Posted: **Jul 16, 2012, 12:06 AM**

Hilton Inn & Suites

Hyatt Place