Built in 1876 by Swedish immigrant Charles Lundberg, the historic former bakery at 1006 Congress Avenue now known as the Old Bakery & Emporium still serves downtown with a shop selling handmade items by area artisans, alongside a visitor center and celebrated gallery space showcasing the work of local artists over 50. But a relatively unsung aspect of the site is…
About James Rambin
‘Micro-Housing’ Project at Sixth and Chicon Tops Out in East Austin
The Sixth and Chicon apartment project under construction in one of East Austin’s densest neighborhoods at 1812 East Sixth Street celebrated its topping out last week, a major construction milestone for general contractors Cadence McShane considering the building only broke ground earlier this year, with completion expected in summer 2023. The six-story building’s “micro-housing” design by local architecture firm Mark Odom Studio…
The Rainey Street District’s MACC Expansion Breaks Ground Next Month
After a wait of more than a decade, the expansion of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC) located at 600 River Street in the heart of downtown’s fast-growing Rainey Street District is set to break ground next month during an on-site event on Saturday, December 10 at 9:30 a.m., according to Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department. Having an actual time and date…
Austin’s Former Faulk Central Library Seeks National Historic Status
From 1979 to 2017, the Faulk Central Library served as the austere headquarters of our city’s public library system at 800 Guadalupe Street, a bunker-like concrete fortress of books renamed for late Austin storyteller John Henry Faulk in 1996 — and although downtown’s new Central Library has its charms, we’re still fond of the Faulk Building’s stern appearance…
Austin’s Next Record-Breaking Supertall Tower Announced at Fifth and Trinity
Austin-based real estate development firm Wilson Capital announced this morning that its redevelopment of the Avenue Lofts site will be significantly larger than previously reported. The multifamily residential building planned for the 0.8-acre property at 410 East Fifth Street, now known as Wilson Tower, is set to rise 80 floors to a total height of 1,035 feet — and yes,…
Phase Two of the Texas Capitol Complex Project Takes Shape Downtown
One of the country’s largest architecture and design companies, the St. Louis-based HOK Group Inc., announced plans for a new Austin-based office earlier this week — and as part of that news, this new branch of the studio also gave us a look at its latest local project, the second phase of the Capitol Complex project by the…