A new historical marker for East Austin recently approved by the Undertold Markers program of the Texas Historical Commission will soon commemorate the final site of the former Holy Cross Hospital, the city’s first hospital for Black patients — and the first to allow Black physicians to practice alongside whites with equal privileges at the time of its opening in…
New Parkland at the Former Holly Street Power Plant Takes One Small Step
We’ve followed the civic saga of East Austin’s so-called Holly Shores region for years now, but the master plan for this enormous tract of parkland on the shores of Lady Bird Lake actually dates back all the way to 2009, when City Council first tasked the Parks and Recreation Department with forming a vision for the improvement of the…
The Central Williamson Creek Greenway Could Be South Austin’s Next Big Park
Among Austin’s many cherished waterways, Williamson Creek doesn’t find quite the spotlight it deserves in South Austin — Barton and Bouldin Creeks are the stars south of the river, while Shoal and Waller Creeks get the glory downtown. Running from west to east south of Highway 290 in a region growing nearly as fast as…
The Race Is On for Downtown Austin’s First Tower Groundbreaking of 2021
Though we saw plenty of construction progress on existing projects, no major downtown Austin tower plans have broken ground since the coronavirus kicked off in earnest last year. That cautious approach from local developers isn’t unique to Austin, but what might be unique is the speed of our rebound — as we and the rest of our colleagues have pointed out quite a…
At Brazos Place, Downtown Austin Condos Preserve a ‘Hotel of Distinction’
True condo conversions of older buildings are surprisingly hard to find in downtown Austin, with standout examples including the Brown Building and Avenue Lofts — both originally office structures adapted much later for residential use. But a more underrated transformation holds down the corner at East Eighth and Brazos Streets, the 14-floor, 72-unit condo community now known as Brazos…
Downtown Austin’s Defunct Tower 5C Was Too Weird for This World
With the official announcement earlier this week that Texan private equity firm Stonelake Capital Partners recently purchased the half-acre assembly at the southeast corner of West Fifth and Colorado Streets and has taken over the task of developing a tower at the site from Ryan Companies, we are forced to acknowledge the untimely passing of the office project…