AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[MichaelB]

Re Target> Yes, Dobie Mall

[KevinFromTexas]

A blurb about White Lodging's new hotels including the Marriott at Cesar Chavez and the Autograph Hotel in West Campus.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...in-hotels.html

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

A blurb about White Lodging's new hotels including the Marriott at Cesar Chavez and the Autograph Hotel in West Campus.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...in-hotels.html

Estimated ground breaking is only a couple months away. Wow.

[The ATX]

I guess we don't have a thread started yet for Sutton's Town Lake Villas project. But here's an update about the Rainey St. traffic study that Sutton agreed to provide in exchange for the city's blessing. One of the ideas is to extend Rainey St. to Cesar Chavez. This would cut Sutton's property next to the IHOP in half thus putting a damper in what he could build as part of "Waller Park Place Phase II". Not that Phase II ever had much of chance to materialize anyway.

https://communityimpact.com/austin/c...strian-safety/

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Not that Phase I ever had much of chance to materialize anyway.

I corrected that for you.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I corrected that for you.

Either way is correct.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Either way is correct.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I guess we don't have a thread started yet for Sutton's Town Lake Villas project. But here's an update about the Rainey St. traffic study that Sutton agreed to provide in exchange for the city's blessing. One of the ideas is to extend Rainey St. to Cesar Chavez. This would cut Sutton's property next to the IHOP in half thus putting a damper in what he could build as part of "Waller Park Place Phase II". Not that Phase II ever had much of chance to materialize anyway.

https://communityimpact.com/austin/c...strian-safety/

These ideas from the write up seem intuitive for good added connectivity:

1. Build a street through the MACC parking lot connecting River to Red River.

2. Build a bridge across Waller from Davis to Trinity.

3. Extend Rainey to Cesar Chavez.

However, I'd also extend Trinity across Waller creek as well to connect to the Red River / River MACC-parking-lot connector.

Regardless, a new bridge is always an opportunity for a signature piece of architecture. I'd love to see something innovative

We have a major river flowing through our downtown with four decently sized creeks flowing into that river in downtown (Barton, Shoal, Waller) and two smaller creeks (West and East Bouldin) as well. That we have only two signature architectural bridges to speak of is a travesty (and both are hidden away from sight, one being the Pennybacker and the other being the new 2nd Street Bridge). I understand the desire to go small, but the city deserves at least one significant architectural presence among its downtown bridges that makes a skyline presence. We have four opportunities: MoPac and I-35 (they'll eventually need bridge upgrades), any rail line that cuts across the river, and this new potential new bridge across Waller.

The only other bridge opportunity that is currently on the board throughout the rest of the city is a planned, but yet to be acted upon, pedestrian bridge across the river on the east side.

[drummer]

Of the three links of images that you cleverly posted in your plea for something innovative, I like the second one (the one with the three arches). The other two, I think, would be a bit too flashy for Austin. Maybe it would look fine, but as I try to picture that type of bridge in Austin, it doesn't look good to me.


Regarding the connections, the obvious conclusion is that more connectivity to the Rainey district is needed. Which one(s) would be best? Hard to say. I like the connection across Waller Creek to the Red River/River/MACC connector, but I don't see MACC losing their parking lot. I could see the Davis to Trinity happening, but that would still ultimately dump traffic back onto Rainey St.

Would extending Rainey St. to Cesar Chavez truly make that much of an impact? Sure, that would streamline the flow of traffic, but it would have the similar issue of dumping traffic onto Cesar Chavez, having to turn left or right, rather than being able to continue straight through to another area of the grid.


Edit: Okay, wacko idea, but hear me out. What if there was a bridge across the river connecting Barton Springs Rd/Congress to Rainey St./Cummings St.? Then Barton Springs Road could take over the path of East Avenue from where Cummings currently intersects it, and continue along that path to connect to the eventual RBJ redevelopment and to the East Austin grid - perhaps all the way to Chicon St. This could provide another bridge across the river, provide another thoroughfare and more connectivity for the Rainey St. district (as well as the South Shore development), and provide more connectivity for the RBJ development.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by drummer

Would extending Rainey St. to Cesar Chavez truly make that much of an impact? Sure, that would streamline the flow of traffic, but it would have the similar issue of dumping traffic onto Cesar Chavez, having to turn left or right, rather than being able to continue straight through to another area of the grid.

Another issue here is that the Fairmont front drive (and, I assume, outflow from the parking garage) will empty out onto Cesar Chavez from Sabine, just opposite a possible Rainey connector. Traffic there will = yuck in a lot of ways.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

Of the three links of images that you cleverly posted in your plea for something innovative, I like the second one (the one with the three arches). The other two, I think, would be a bit too flashy for Austin. Maybe it would look fine, but as I try to picture that type of bridge in Austin, it doesn't look good to me.

That was my favorite as well, actually, but I will admit that I am yearning for something minimalistic yet tall.

Regarding the connections, the obvious conclusion is that more connectivity to the Rainey district is needed. Which one(s) would be best? Hard to say. I like the connection across Waller Creek to the Red River/River/MACC connector, but I don't see MACC losing their parking lot. I could see the Davis to Trinity happening, but that would still ultimately dump traffic back onto Rainey St.

I don't think it would require MACC losing their parking lot, necessarily, because their parking lot could be re-striped to simply allow for a section of two way traffic and a section of two one way pieces, and then they could put up signs on each space stating that the parking spaces are for MACC employee / guest use only. Cities do this all the time, and MACC would only lose the five or six spaces at the end where you'd need the street to continue on the other side. The two way section may need to be widened a bit, but the city had adjacent alley land that could be used to preserve the number of parking spaces.

Would extending Rainey St. to Cesar Chavez truly make that much of an impact? Sure, that would streamline the flow of traffic, but it would have the similar issue of dumping traffic onto Cesar Chavez, having to turn left or right, rather than being able to continue straight through to another area of the grid.

Yes. Streamlining reduces unnecessary left hand turns from and onto other streets to get into and out of the area.

Edit: Okay, wacko idea, but hear me out. What if there was a bridge across the river connecting Barton Springs Rd/Congress to Rainey St./Cummings St.? Then Barton Springs Road could take over the path of East Avenue from where Cummings currently intersects it, and continue along that path to connect to the eventual RBJ redevelopment and to the East Austin grid - perhaps all the way to Chicon St. This could provide another bridge across the river, provide another thoroughfare and more connectivity for the Rainey St. district (as well as the South Shore development), and provide more connectivity for the RBJ development.

You may have seen this idea on this forum before argued by me.

I've also argued we could build a bridge extending Rainey across south thru the County Line / Joe's Crab Shack lots and connect to Riverside.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Another issue here is that the Fairmont front drive (and, I assume, outflow from the parking garage) will empty out onto Cesar Chavez from Sabine, just opposite a possible Rainey connector. Traffic there will = yuck in a lot of ways.

This won't have as an appreciable effect as you might think, and it'll only really matter if the Rainey connection to Cesar Chavez is misaligned with the Sabine connection because that misalignment will require longer light timing to allow for unique protected left hand turns from Sabine onto CC and Rainey onto CC rather than the more streamlined simultaneously protected left turns from both Sabine and Rainey onto CC that would be allowed if Sabine and Rainey met CC at the same place. Note that to make Rainey meet at the same place as Sabine, that requires shifting Rainey within the area between Driskill and CC a decent amount west... ergo, doing so will take up more land area. If they really

[drummer]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

You may have seen this idea on this forum before argued by me.

I've also argued we could build a bridge extending Rainey across south thru the County Line / Joe's Crab Shack lots and connect to Riverside.

I thought I had seen it on here. However, if I remember correctly, didn't you argue for East Ave. as is to be widened and run under I-35 (as opposed to bringing Barton Springs over the river)? Either way, the point remains that more connectivity is needed for the area.

I like Rainey going across the river to Riverside Blvd. If they connected Rainey all the way to Cesar Chavez, that would definitely be a beneficial addition.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

I thought I had seen it on here. However, if I remember correctly, didn't you argue for East Ave. as is to be widened and run under I-35 (as opposed to bringing Barton Springs over the river)? Either way, the point remains that more connectivity is needed for the area.

I had described almost exactly the same route as you.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I had described almost exactly the same route as you.

I hadn't realized. I'm definitely not seeking the credit that's clearly yours. That said, the idea is a good one.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

Our idea is a good one.

Corrected that for you.

[Novacek]

I think the issue with extending a bridge through Rainey is the encouragement for cut-through traffic (either real or imagined by the neighborhood).

There's a very, very limited number river crossings, so putting one at the end of a 1x1 street is going to get some pushback.

Now, if you make it bike/pedestrian/(potentially)transit only, that's less of an issue.

[The ATX]

Another Marriott hotel is coming to the West Campus area. This one will be their Moxy brand, and it will be at 26th & Guadalupe. The site at 2552 Guadalupe (next to the Hole in the Wall) is currently an abandoned fast food restaurant. The hotel will have 154 rooms, so it may be have decent height considering the small footprint. The info can be found here:

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/AULCC_2017/170330/

[The ATX]

Moxy is in rapid expansion mode. They have a lot of coming soon hotels, but there is no mention of Austin yet:
http://moxy-hotels.marriott.com/


Here's the site of the proposed Marriott Moxy hotel from Streetview:

[futures]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Now, if you make it bike/pedestrian/(potentially)transit only, that's less of an issue.

A pedestrian/bike bridge is exactly what's needed. Rainey is already a dense area with a lot of foot traffic. Encouraging more cars in the area would be a bad idea. Plus, when The Statesman lot gets redeveloped it will almost certainly be a popular mixed-use attraction. Connecting the two areas via foot would be great. Ideally, The Statesman redevelopment could have underground parking that could service people visiting both areas.