Image: Ziegler Cooper Architects / Endeavor Real Estate Group
We’ve known a tower was in the cards for the .74-acre plot of land at 91-93 Red River Street for most of the year, but until now, we didn’t have much data to work with. Now, we’ve got a clearer understanding of what to expect from developers Endeavor Real Estate Group and architects Ziegler Cooper at this Rainey Street-adjacent site.
A rendering of the 91 Red River tower, looking southeast towards the corner of the building facing Driskill and Red River Streets. Image: Ziegler Cooper Architects / Endeavor Real Estate Group
Welcome to what’s referred to in these documents simply as 91 Red River or Red River Tower, which has gained a floor since our previous reports and is now planned as a 30-story mixed-use building with 347 apartment units totaling 348,634 square feet between 19 floors, 72,997 square feet of office space contained within three floors, 10,454 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, and eight floors of parking — with one of those garage floors underground and specifically reserved for the project’s retail customers.
A cross-section of the tower and its various uses. Image: Ziegler Cooper Architects / Endeavor Real Estate Group
Through the Density Bonus Program, the project is seeking a floor-to-area ratio of 14.11:1, up from the maximum of 8:1 allowed by Central Business District zoning. In exchange for the additional FAR, the developers will meet the program’s gatekeeper requirements of Great Streets improvements on the building’s surrounding sidewalks, design compliant with the city’s Urban Design Guidelines, and a minimum two-star rating with Austin Energy’s Green Building Program. Endeavor proposes to pay the city’s development bonus fee of $3 per square foot of additional space beyond the FAR allowed by right, which translates to a sum of $590,454 in this case.
Renderings of the 91 Red River tower’s 12th floor amenity deck. Image: Ziegler Cooper Architects / Endeavor Real Estate Group
In addition, as part of the regulations of the Rainey Street sector of the city’s Waterfront Overlay District, the project states in these documents that it will provide on-site affordable units comprising five percent of the building’s residential square footage below an 8:1 FAR. This jargon translates to 7,209 square feet of space, and rings up to 10 affordable units priced at 80 percent of the city’s Median Family Income for 40 years. The unit mix of the affordable component is two studios, six one-bedrooms, and two two-or-three bedroom apartments — the document leaves that last one ambiguous for now.
A rendering of the 91 Red River tower, as seen looking northeast at the corner of the building facing Red River and Davis Streets. Image: Ziegler Cooper Architects / Endeavor Real Estate Group
You oughta know the project’s architects Ziegler Cooper by their previous appearances in downtown Austin with projects like the Austonian, Millennium Rainey Street, Gables Park Plaza, and Gables Republic Square / Hotel ZaZa. From these renderings, we can tell the project is fairly business as usual for the architects — it’s not pushing the boundaries of what a building can be or anything like that, but it’s bringing welcome and thoughtful density to the Rainey Street District, along with office space, which seems to be a new trend for the area.
Image: Ziegler Cooper Architects / Endeavor Real Estate Group
As you can see from the renderings, this project’s ground-floor design is really going to activate the dead zone between Cesar Chavez Street and the Rainey Street area that’s currently occupied mostly by unused industrial buildings and parking lots, with a solid retail presence that removes the curb cuts along Red River Street and relocates them to Driskill and Davis Streets. The landscape architect for the project, by the way, is dwg.
Image: Ziegler Cooper Architects / Endeavor Real Estate Group
Per the renderings and map above, that change also gives us room for pedestrian-friendly, Great Streets-style improvements to the tower’s retail frontage along Red River, something we’ll likely be thankful for as this corridor continues to develop.
Image: Ziegler Cooper Architects / Endeavor Real Estate Group
The project is up for discussion this coming Monday at the Design Commission’s September 24 meeting. In these documents, the commission’s density bonus working group recommends the project as “substantially in compliance” with the city’s Urban Design Guidelines — but we’ll have to wait until Monday to see if everything moves forward smoothly. Still, it’s nice to get an early look at what we can likely expect to be the Rainey Street District’s next tower. It’s certainly better than a parking lot!
Rainey Street Condos For Sale
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$633,000
44 East AVE #1908
Austin, TX -
$961,910
44 East AVE #1410
Austin, TX -
$359,000
603 Davis ST #1206
Austin, TX -
$849,022
603 Davis ST #2202
Austin, TX -
$543,000
48 E East AVE #2705
Austin, TX -
$470,000
54 Rainey ST #809
Austin, TX -
$1,927,500
44 East AVE #3401
Austin, TX -
$449,900
54 Rainey ST #319
Austin, TX -
$339,000
44 East AVE #2806
Austin, TX -
$631,583
70 Rainey ST #2505
Austin, TX -
$1,828,570
70 Rainey ST #2506
Austin, TX -
$830,700
70 Rainey ST #2307
Austin, TX -
$548,382
70 Rainey ST #2803
Austin, TX -
$1,274,242
70 Rainey ST #1501
Austin, TX -
$1,319,242
70 Rainey ST #1801
Austin, TX -
$2,800,000
44 East AVE #4504
Austin, TX -
$735,184
70 Rainey ST #3105
Austin, TX -
$2,285,000
70 Rainey ST #2801
Austin, TX -
$1,300,000
44 East AVE #4005
Austin, TX -
$594,999
603 Davis ST #1204
Austin, TX -
$475,000
54 Rainey ST #607
Austin, TX -
$1,130,000
70 Rainey ST #1602
Austin, TX -
$1,250,000
70 Rainey ST #1304
Austin, TX -
$899,000
54 Rainey ST #1018
Austin, TX -
$590,000
603 Davis ST #703
Austin, TX
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$633,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size793 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$961,910Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,260 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$359,000Lot Size175 sqft
Home Size809 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$849,022Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,513 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$543,000Lot Size17,904 sqft
Home Size706 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$470,000Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,164 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$1,927,500Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,114 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths4 Baths
-
$449,900Lot Size175 sqft
Home Size756 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$339,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size481 sqft
BedsN/A
Baths1 Bath
-
$631,583Lot SizeN/A
Home Size837 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$1,828,570Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,179 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$830,700Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,128 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$548,382Lot SizeN/A
Home Size663 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$1,274,242Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,697 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$1,319,242Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,697 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$2,800,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,858 sqft
Beds4 Beds
Baths4 Baths
-
$735,184Lot SizeN/A
Home Size837 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$2,285,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,851 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$1,300,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,594 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$594,999Lot Size218 sqft
Home Size1,252 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$475,000Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,164 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$1,130,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,154 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$1,250,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,321 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$899,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,956 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$590,000Lot Size175 sqft
Home Size1,176 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
