A couple of weeks ago, the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Culture Center held a community open house to review and provide input on design concepts by CasaBella Architects for the center's expansion. The firm is engaged to develop a new vision and Master Plan for the MACC, a design effort being touted as "MÁSMACC." You can download a pdf ...
About Jude Galligan
Spotted: Site Prep for New Marriott, plus Fareground’s Plaza
Last week I spotted progress on two developments we've been watching closely -- the new Marriott Hotel, and Fareground, the food hall taking over the plaza at One Eleven Congress. First, here's a look at the demo project in the early stages at Cesar Chavez and Trinity Streets, making way for the new Marriott's construction by clearing the lot of a few businesses, ...
A “Respectful” Building Is…
So we've already heard the major details on the residential tower project planned at the former site of the Villas on Town Lake, a condo community built in 1982 in the pre-Rainey Street boom era. The complex sold to the Sutton Company last year, but now Dallas-based developer Genesis Real Estate Group has taken the reins, with a 40-story tower planned and a second tower in ...
Texas Limits On Tree Regulation Might Accomplish What CodeNEXT Won’t
You've probably heard about CodeNEXT. You've likely also heard about Gov. Greg Abbott wanting to limit Texas cities' ability to regulate trees on private property. Pushback from neighborhood protectionists is already beginning to squander the hope that CodeNEXT could materially increase density in Central Austin. So here's my hypothesis: the State ...
Skybridges: Yes or No?
Downtown Austin's getting two, maybe three skybridges in the near future, and many of my fellow urbanists aren't too happy about it. The skybridges contemplated would connect hotels to the City of Austin Convention Center, creating a sort of hermetically sealed convention district that never meaningfully interacts with the street. These elevated pathways between buildings ...