Most unrealized tower plans never officially fail, they just fade away into vaporware. Start dates get kicked down the road, companies restructure, plans change, and so on. For obvious reasons, no sane developer wants to drop a press release announcing they aren’t building something — in Austin, that means out of the massive crop of…
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Commentary, analysis, and quick thoughts on almost everything in town.
The Vesper Condo Tower Wraps Up in Downtown Austin’s Rainey Street District
The 41-story Vesper condo tower is now complete in the Rainey Street District of downtown Austin, with its first phase of move-ins kicking off this week. According to developers Pearlstone Partners and sales agency Prospect Real Estate, the building is currently 67 percent sold. The 452-foot tower broke ground in the summer of 2021, situated on a small 0.4-acre site at…
Shell Plans Two Electric Vehicle Charging Hubs in Austin
Multinational petroleum giant Shell is leaning into a recently announced strategic pivot towards electric vehicles, with plans to nearly quadruple its existing network of EV charging stations by 2030 — and Austin appears to be one of the first cities on the list for the oil company’s Houston-based U.S. subsidiary, with at least two local properties owned by entities…
Lamar Business Park Rezoning Approved in North Loop
The redevelopment of the Lamar Business Park, an approximately 14-acre shopping center and office park in the North Loop neighborhood of Central Austin best known for its anchor tenants of Goodwill and Half Price Books, is now free to move forward at 5555 North Lamar Boulevard after receiving a vertical mixed-use rezoning from Austin City Council at its…
The Children Yearn for UNO Everywhere
A resolution passed earlier today by Austin City Council directs our beloved city staff to research how to gas up UNO. What’s UNO? Well, UNO is for you and me, and UNO’s building density. UNO keeps rents lower here than any district far or near! UNO stands for “University Neighborhood Overlay,” of course, but that’s not as fun to sing or…
The Case for a St. Elmo Regulating Plan
Have you heard the good news about the North Burnet / Gateway Regulating Plan? This is the part of the monologue where people typically slam the door in our faces, but since you’re on the internet you can’t get away! Marching into the tedious swamps of land use terminology is a surefire eye-glazer, but all you really need to know is…