When the University of Texas purchased a former magnesium processing plant in North Austin and converted the site to a scientific research center in the late 1940s, the character of the surrounding neighborhood could be described as “cow pastures.” These days, the J.J. Pickle Research Campus shares an intersection with the Domain, the home of…
Blog
Commentary, analysis, and quick thoughts on almost everything in town.
Demolition Approved for 18th and Guadalupe Corner in Downtown Austin
The City of Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission approved a permit this week for the demolition of the Dunham & Jones law offices located at 1800 Guadalupe Street, and it’s kind of a funny story. The building, a handsome former apartment structure dating back to 1923, was originally determined in a report from city staff to be an exceptionally…
Downtown Austin’s Capitol Complex Project Finally Unveils Its Texas Mall
After kicking off construction all the way back in 2018 and something like six months after its original scheduled completion date, we are thrilled to announce that as of this week, the Texas Facilities Commission has officially opened the Texas Mall of its Capitol Complex Project to the public — that’s the crown jewel of this sprawling multi-phase…
Celebrating the High-Flying History of Highland’s Hidden Hangar
There’s plenty to love about the Highland neighborhood of Central Austin, but for our money there’s no part of this region more interesting than the small district of mostly industrial properties located just south of the Red Line tracks directly east of North Lamar Boulevard. We think there’s a lot of potential in these few blocks for…
Austin’s Waterloo Park Hotel Tower Could Finally Break Ground in 2023
On January 21, 2015, the #1 song in America was “Uptown Funk” and this site published a post about a hotel tower planned at the Brick Oven Pizza restaurant at 1201 Red River Street. Just shy of eight years later, that restaurant’s still standing, although it closed two years ago — and there’s still no hotel in sight….
Hey, Does Anybody Want To Lease This Historic Church in Downtown Austin?
The historic Central Christian Church located at 1110 Guadalupe Street, a landmark work of Neo-Romanesque architecture dating back to 1929, is up for grabs in downtown Austin. Well, kinda. We were surprised to see a listing for the building recently hit the local market, offering the approximately one-acre church property for lease at a mere $5,500 a month — that’s…