Sports in Austin

[freerover]

It looks like apartments are going in the empty lot just north of the soccer stadium site. Has construction already started?

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by freerover

It looks like apartments are going in the empty lot just north of the soccer stadium site. Has construction already started?

Yep. Was just up that way for Xmas party last week. Crane is up and they're working on the parking garage.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by undergroundman

Sorry, it was meant to be tongue in cheek. I was too lazy to find the right emoticon.

The nice thing about Newark besides the lovely airport I use when I visit NY, is the fact that you don't have to leave the safety of your car when you need gas, just roll down your window enough to pass your payment to the attendant.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by freerover

It looks like apartments are going in the empty lot just north of the soccer stadium site. Has construction already started?

Well, short of demolishing another structure, that kills any opportunity to create another access point for the stadium on Braker. McKalla geographically could be good, I suppose, but it's remote when considering access to major roadways for pedestrians or vehicles. For someone living at the Domain who wants to walk to a game, they'd essentially need to walk across Braker, continue south on Burnet, east on Rutland, and then north on McKalla (a significant portion of this walk currently lacks a sidewalk as well)...unless these complexes allow significant pedestrian traffic to cut through their properties.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by drummer

Well, short of demolishing another structure, that kills any opportunity to create another access point for the stadium on Braker. McKalla geographically could be good, I suppose, but it's remote when considering access to major roadways for pedestrians or vehicles. For someone living at the Domain who wants to walk to a game, they'd essentially need to walk across Braker, continue south on Burnet, east on Rutland, and then north on McKalla (a significant portion of this walk currently lacks a sidewalk as well)...unless these complexes allow significant pedestrian traffic to cut through their properties.

Doesn't the diagram above show a new road to Braker?

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by drummer

Well, short of demolishing another structure, that kills any opportunity to create another access point for the stadium on Braker. McKalla geographically could be good, I suppose, but it's remote when considering access to major roadways for pedestrians or vehicles. For someone living at the Domain who wants to walk to a game, they'd essentially need to walk across Braker, continue south on Burnet, east on Rutland, and then north on McKalla (a significant portion of this walk currently lacks a sidewalk as well)...unless these complexes allow significant pedestrian traffic to cut through their properties.

The pedestrian way would be across to the red line trail and then all the way down.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Doesn't the diagram above show a new road to Braker?

Looks to me like it's a parking lot and its entrance, and it comes to a stop at the property line.

Originally Posted by Novacek

The pedestrian way would be across to the red line trail and then all the way down.

And this makes sense. Are you thinking that this pedestrian trail of sorts would follow the red line from farther north and cross Braker or just from Braker to the south?

DCTA has a pretty good trail following the A-Train line through much of Denton and actually has a bridge over Loop 288 (check it out). That could work here, I suppose.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by drummer

Looks to me like it's a parking lot and its entrance, and it comes to a stop at the property line.

It's hard to tell from just that picture. But

1) That "road" seems to be about where the north burnet gateway master plan calls for a new road.

2) Rather than terminating at the property line, it seems to widen out, almost as if it's creating an intersection (with road segments that also don't exist yet).

3) The left side near the top seems like it has space reserved for access to the adjacent property.


It also sort of looks like there's a road connection on the SE side of this project

Originally Posted by drummer

And this makes sense. Are you thinking that this pedestrian trail of sorts would follow the red line from farther north and cross Braker or just from Braker to the south?

The 2016 mobility bond actually funded the red line trail segment from the Walnut Creek trail down to Braker. I'm guessing if this location was selected, the segment south of braker would get funded in short order (potentially even by Precourt).

http://austintexas.gov/redlinetrail

[H2O]

Originally Posted by Maximusx1

I know this is off topic for this thread, and I'm still all-in on the Butler Shores site for soccer stadium, but that Home Depot on St. John's site would be the perfect location for a new/replacement APD headquarters. It's at the intersection of I-35, 183 and 290 and closer to the population center of the city. Also, not sure if this matters but it's also four blocks from DPS Headquarters at 45th and Lamar. I've always wanted APD out of downtown and this seems like a great fit. Hell, put the damn ARCH across the parking lot. Just spit-balling. Carry on with the sports.

That is actually what the site was purchased for, but Ace was against moving APD out of Downtown. I'm not sure why they aren't pursuing it now, other than there is no funding currently available for a new APD headquarters.

[H2O]

It is also important to note that the McKalla site is large enough to include an entertainment district the size of Rock Rose and parking structures, next to the relocated rail station. There are also a half dozen micro-breweries with tasting rooms within walking distance. Butler is my favorite location, but I don't think it will ever happen for political reasons, so I think McKalla is the most likely spot.

[abigdeal]

Originally Posted by H2O

That is actually what the site was purchased for, but Ace was against moving APD out of Downtown. I'm not sure why they aren't pursuing it now, other than there is no funding currently available for a new APD headquarters.

That's pretty much it. Would be interested to see how a bond package including a huge chunk for a new APD HQ would go over with the average voter. Seems like we have a lot more pressing needs in the city.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Novacek

It's hard to tell from just that picture. But

1) That "road" seems to be about where the north burnet gateway master plan calls for a new road.

2) Rather than terminating at the property line, it seems to widen out, almost as if it's creating an intersection (with road segments that also don't exist yet).

3) The left side near the top seems like it has space reserved for access to the adjacent property.

Because I'm a nerd and I had some time, I tried to research this.

I managed to find the site plan (I think, I believe this is going to be 2511 Braker).

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...c-search-other

Under the transportation review section, it states
"TR1. Right-of-Way (ROW) shall be dedicated from the collector streets as identified on the NBG Collector Street Plan in conformance with LDC Section 25-6-51(a)(2) and associated requirements in LDC Chapter 25-6, article 2. There is a required new collector street on the western edge of the property. Send street deed to this reviewer to forward to Legal. Please remove all references to the existing access easement agreement from the site plan.
"

So I think this will be a new collector street.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by Novacek

So I think this will be a new collector street.

Since I'm a nerd but I don't have time, I'll ask a clarifying question of you who do have time.

Is the collector street (I'm assuming it's where the western parking lot that we were talking about previously is located in the diagram), also going to have parking as illustrated or is it changing to a normal road with parallel parking options? I hate roads with anything more than parallel parking, personally.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by abigdeal

That's pretty much it. Would be interested to see how a bond package including a huge chunk for a new APD HQ would go over with the average voter. Seems like we have a lot more pressing needs in the city.

The current APD Headquarters land Downtown is probably worth close to $20 M.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by abigdeal

That's pretty much it. Would be interested to see how a bond package including a huge chunk for a new APD HQ would go over with the average voter. Seems like we have a lot more pressing needs in the city.

This would be the first bond package in 15 years that I would vote against. We just have too many other priorities right now.

Originally Posted by H2O

It is also important to note that the McKalla site is large enough to include an entertainment district the size of Rock Rose and parking structures, next to the relocated rail station. There are also a half dozen micro-breweries with tasting rooms within walking distance. Butler is my favorite location, but I don't think it will ever happen for political reasons, so I think McKalla is the most likely spot.

That's a good point but I don't see how a district like that could support itself at that location until the Domain passes a critical mass. MLS stadiums don't spur development like a football or basketball venue do. I think their best bet is the big office/apartment/retail project just west of the McKalla site that someone posted earlier. That would help the pre-game appeal and it would be sustained by the apartments above most of the time.

I drove by the area after visiting the Domain yesterday. It's just so far away from having the kind of neighboring development that you want to see. It's hard to imagine the Crew biting on it unless the city has very tangible growth and development information. I think a killer factor is the Pickel research center doesn't allow for development on 1 whole side of that corridor.


We'll see. I wish the city had a site actually next to the Domain. I wouldn't be surprised if the Crew come out and say that it's Butler or nothing and they have every right to do that. It's their money.

[freerover]

I will say that if the narrative ends up being that the Crew left because the council wanted them to build a stadium at the Expo Center then I think you are going to have a lot of resentful voters if you ever bring a proposal to build a new arena and expo center in East Austin. We'll see. Anne Kitchen is good at twisting the narrative so the council look like the Heroes.

[abigdeal]

Originally Posted by H2O

The current APD Headquarters land Downtown is probably worth close to $20 M.

Yeah, but that assumes that any money from the sale which would be reallocated to a new HQ. While completely reasonable, in my experience, the city doesn't work that way. Also, the price tag for a substation at that site is $13 million, so they could easily blow through more than $20 million on a new HQ.

[odelayjb]

I realize that football is second to no other sport in Texas. And currently fútbol is the talk of sports development in Austin. But does anybody have insight on the prospective new basketball arena for UT?

I attended my first Erwin Center event on Friday to see Jayhawks-Longhorns game. I can see why replacing that 40-year old, decrepit building is high on the new Texas Athletic Director's to-do list. Traffic flow getting there was awful. Parking was way too difficult (learned never to park at the Health Center Garage again, despite purchase in advance; what a standstill and cluster job that was). And the venue itself is nothing to heap any praise upon. Stained, sagging ceiling panels were a microcosm of the whole place.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by odelayjb

I realize that football is second to no other sport in Texas. And currently fútbol is the talk of sports development in Austin. But does anybody have insight on the prospective new basketball arena for UT?

I attended my first Erwin Center event on Friday to see Jayhawks-Longhorns game. I can see why replacing that 40-year old, decrepit building is high on the new Texas Athletic Director's to-do list. Traffic flow getting there was awful. Parking was way too difficult (learned never to park at the Health Center Garage again, despite purchase in advance; what a standstill and cluster job that was). And the venue itself is nothing to heap any praise upon. Stained, sagging ceiling panels were a microcosm of the whole place.

The latest update I've heard is that it might go on the current parking lot south of the track and field facility. That was not an announcement so much as a preferred proposal, so far as I understand.

[smt1]

Originally Posted by Syndic

There is nothing convenient about Guerrero. It's in an area of Austin that no one ever goes to. There are no major transit lines or nearby highways. It's hard to get to. I wouldn't even consider it part of the urban core. It feels remote. You might as well put it at the Expo Center if you're going to put it at Guerrero.

I think that was true until a few years ago, but ECC is a hotbed of new restaurants/bars popping up all the time (I live in the northwest part of 78702 and see something new every time I go down there), and the southshore area is starting to boom. The full highwayfication of 183 should also cause more growth.