• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

TOWERS

Austin city life since 2007.

  • News
    • Condo Projects
    • Neighborhoods
  • Listings
    • Austin Condo Guide
  • Newsletter
Search
You are here: Home / News / At Austin Energy’s New Rainey Street Substation, ‘Modern’ Is the Look
Search suggestions: condos for sale • rainey street

At Austin Energy’s New Rainey Street Substation, ‘Modern’ Is the Look

James Rambin May 30, 2019 Comment

Image: City of Austin

Image: City of Austin

The community engagement process for the design of a new downtown electrical substation at 55 East Avenue on the edge of the Rainey Street District has reached a conclusion — of the three themes put to a vote a couple of months ago, Austin Energy announced yesterday that the “modern” design option for screening the facility eventually won out. Here’s what that looks like, if you don’t recall:

A board from Austin Energy’s substation presentation showing the “Modern” design option, which eventually won out over other options in the engagement process. Image: City of Austin

We also had an opportunity to vote on a name, and despite the bold submissions of Sparky McSparkface, Volty McVoltface, and Subby McSubstation, the simple, yet sufficiently-descriptive Rainey Street Substation took the gold. Austinites taking the survey also submitted landscaping preferences, which included some interesting options like artificial boulders and succulents — but in the end, natural boulders and landscaping with native grasses and wildflowers were the clerar winners. Per Austin Energy, finalized renderings of the substation and its chosen design features will come out by the end of the summer. 

Survey respondents went with the natural boulders and native plants presented in these landscaping options. Image: City of Austin

The modern design is attractive and likely the best choice of the three options presented — the system works, folks! — but the most important feature of this substation will be its improvements to the sidewalk and streetscape of East Avenue, a section of the Rainey Street District currently rivaling the actual Rainey Street itself for upcoming development and future potential, not to mention its own access and mobility concerns.

If we seem weirdly invested in this seemingly mundane piece of infrastructure, it’s because the conditions that led to its placement at 55 East Avenue didn’t anticipate the current growth patterns of the neighborhood — the city bought the site in 1999 — and now the downtown substation’s design must do its best to not completely screw up the street-level experience in a small corridor with multiple hotels and at least one condo tower in the works on either side of it.

Image: Austin Energy

 

By improving the sidewalks, and screening the station with some “colorful metal elements” alongside other landscaping, seating, and so on, the intent is to elevate a traditionally ugly facility to something that arguably improves the district, or at least doesn’t do anything to seriously harm it. Some of the survey responses highlighted in Austin Energy’s report make it very clear this is a priority for residents, with at least one person politely begging the city not to “make it an ugly eyesore like the Seaholm substation.” The pressure’s on!

We’d much rather have you folks reading our site instead of NextDoor, which as far as we can tell is a social network designed to make you hate your neighbors. Image: City of Austin

Not to brag, but this very site shows up quite a bit in the community engagement report — turns out the forms embedded in our two articles on the substation captured more than 200 survey responses alone, meaning our readers had a significant influence on which design eventually won the day. Did you know you could actively shape the future of downtown just by reading our blog? Just one more reason to subscribe to our newsletter!

Rainey Street Condos For Sale

  • $849,000 44 East Avenue #2709
    Austin, TX
  • $1,375,000 44 East Avenue #3107
    Austin, TX
  • $719,900 48 East Avenue #2903
    Austin, TX
  • $1,250,000 44 East Avenue #1607
    Austin, TX
  • $1,695,000 70 Rainey Street #1908
    Austin, TX
44 East Avenue #2709
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #2709, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 8917485)
$849,000
Lot Size
N/A

Home Size
791 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

44 East Avenue #3107
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #3107, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 3177152)
$1,375,000
Lot Size
88 sqft

Home Size
1,221 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

48 East Avenue #2903
Austin, TX
Photo of 48  East Avenue #2903, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2196520)
$719,900
Lot Size
17,904 sqft

Home Size
641 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

44 East Avenue #1607
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #1607, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 3439383)
$1,250,000
Lot Size
N/A

Home Size
1,221 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

70 Rainey Street #1908
Austin, TX
Photo of 70  Rainey Street #1908, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 5246691)
$1,695,000
Lot Size
N/A

Home Size
1,434 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

  • 44 East Avenue #2709
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 44  East Avenue #2709, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 8917485)
    $849,000
    Lot Size
    N/A

    Home Size
    791 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 44 East Avenue #3107
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 44  East Avenue #3107, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 3177152)
    $1,375,000
    Lot Size
    88 sqft

    Home Size
    1,221 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 48 East Avenue #2903
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 48  East Avenue #2903, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2196520)
    $719,900
    Lot Size
    17,904 sqft

    Home Size
    641 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 44 East Avenue #1607
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 44  East Avenue #1607, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 3439383)
    $1,250,000
    Lot Size
    N/A

    Home Size
    1,221 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 70 Rainey Street #1908
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 70  Rainey Street #1908, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 5246691)
    $1,695,000
    Lot Size
    N/A

    Home Size
    1,434 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

Previous Next
 

Editor's Suggested Posts

Austin, It’s Time to Pick Your Favorite Design for Downtown’s New Substation

Austin, It’s Time to Pick Your Favorite Design for Downtown’s New Substation

With Your Input, Austin Energy's Downtown Substation Won't Suck

With Your Input, Austin Energy's Downtown Substation Won't Suck

Does Austin Energy's New Downtown Substation Have to Suck?

Does Austin Energy's New Downtown Substation Have to Suck?

Related

Filed Under: News Tagged With: 78701, architecture, city life, design, infrastructure, streetscapes, urbanism

About James Rambin

James is an Austin native and fifth-generation Texan, but tries not to brag about it. Email him anything at james@towers.net.

603 Davis Street #604
Austin, TX
Photo of 603  Davis Street #604, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2434110)
$649,900
10
  • Lot Size
    214 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,136 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

Previous Post: « On Island Time at WatersMark, the Weirdest Austin Condo Tower Never Built
Next Post: It’s Toilet Time in Downtown Austin, With Three New Public Restrooms on the Way »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  •  Schedule a showing

FEATURED Listings

603 Davis Street #604
Austin, TX
Photo of 603  Davis Street #604, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2434110)
$649,900
10
  • Lot Size
    214 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,136 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

44 EAST Avenue #2310
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  EAST Avenue #2310, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 9418770)
$1,425,000
40
  • Lot Size

  • Home Size
    1,260 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

View Virtual Tour
44 East Avenue #1607
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #1607, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 3439383)
$1,250,000
36
  • Lot Size

  • Home Size
    1,221 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

View Virtual Tour
608 Brentwood Street #A
Austin, TX
Photo of 608  Brentwood Street #A, Austin, TX 78752 (MLS # 3202099)
$989,608
33
  • Lot Size
    4,356 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,959 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

2305 Coronado Street #E
Austin, TX
Photo of 2305  Coronado Street #E, Austin, TX 78702 (MLS # 7596312)
$545,000
18
  • Lot Size
    1,394 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,252 sqft

  • Beds
    1 Bed

  • Baths
    2 Baths

austin condo report

Featured Buildings

  • 360 Condos
  • Austin City Lofts
  • The Independent
  • The Shore Condos
  • 70 Rainey

Footer

LEGAL NOTICE

TREC Information About Brokerage Services (pdf)

Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice


TOWERS realty

Austin Condos For Sale

Agents

Downtown Buildings

Luxury Towers

  • Four Seasons Residences
  • W Hotel & Residences
  • The Austonian
  • 5 Fifty Five at Hilton

Most Popular

  • The Shore
  • 360 Condos
  • Seaholm Condos
  • Spring Condos
  • Milago Condos

New Construction

  • The Independent
  • 70 Rainey
  • Austin Proper
  • Fifth & West

Loft Style

  • Austin City Lofts
  • Brazos Place
  • The Sabine
  • Plaza Lofts
  • Avenue Lofts
  • Brazos Lofts
  • Brown Building

Resources

  • Austin Condo Guide
  • Condos For Sale
  • Condo Buyer FAQ
  • Property Search

Featured

Archives

Newsletter · About · Contact Us · DMCA · Privacy Policy · SLAPP · Copyright © 2007-2022 TOWERS.net · All Rights Reserved
 

Loading Comments...