A longtime effort to construct an approximately 32-mile urban trail following the path of the Capital MetroRail Red Line from downtown Austin to Leander finally hopes to hit its stride this year, as the nonprofit Red Line Parkway Initiative launches its “Project Parkway” capital campaign seeking $250,000 in initial funds to develop new segments of the trail — several small stretches…
Hanover Republic Square is Downtown Austin’s Remarkable New Normal
With a number of towers currently in various stages of realization throughout downtown Austin, many of which push our local limits for height or architectural flair to a new normal, it’s surprisingly easy to overlook a 44-story building hitting its full height in the center of the city — that’s the case at the Hanover Republic Square apartments,…
Embracing the Bittersweet Beauty of Congress Avenue’s Hyatt Centric Tower
After celebrating its official topping out earlier this summer and dismantling its crane late last month, we’re finally able to get a good look at the 31-floor hotel tower set to open early next year but already standing tall at the corner of Eighth Street and Congress Avenue, formally known as the Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin but…
Apartments and Offices Preparing for Liftoff at South Lamar Carwash Site
A South Austin office, residential and retail project planned for an assembly of adjacent properties between 1301 and 1401 South Lamar Boulevard appears to be moving forward in earnest this month, a 3.88-acre redevelopment which will replace locations of Genie Car Wash, Austin’s Automotive Specialists, and Jiffy Lube with two buildings containing a total of 134,623 square feet of office space along with…
90 Feet of Housing in Old West Austin Sounds Like a Good Start
At its meeting earlier this week, the City of Austin’s Planning Commission voted to postpone a rezoning item on its agenda for further discussion next month, allowing the applicant further time to discuss the case with the neighborhood in question — Old West Austin, a part of town not known for its intensity of growth compared to almost…
At 80 Rainey, an Apartment Tower Searches for a Sense of Place
A 49-story tower project planned in the heart of the Rainey Street District will bring 644 apartments along with several new bars and restaurants to this fast-growing downtown neighborhood — and with a number of public-facing features including the preservation of two bungalows currently occupying its site, the development appears more willing than most to accommodate the anxieties of Austinites concerned…