An aerial view of the Rainey neighborhood, including the iconic crescent-shaped architecture of the MACC, the towering presence of the 70 Rainey condos, and the little vacant lot 64 Rainey waiting for its future right in the middle of it all. Image: Google Maps
Last week, we looked into the potential of a new “pocket park” space bound for the 0.27-acre city-owned tract at 64 Rainey Street, set to bridge the gap between the district’s iconic Mexican American Cultural Center and the main drag of Rainey’s nearby entertainment district — and while the City of Austin is currently conducting an official community engagement process for the site, we thought it might be a good time to do some straight spitballin’ about what our readers would like to see in the space. Here’s a closer look at some of those ideas we find particularly interesting:
“A true Gran Entrada that allows the mission of the ESB-MACC to reach a corner of the property that has never been leveraged. This parcel is not there to accommodate or improve the nightlife of the Rainey Historic District. It should be something that speaks to what was once there in a creative and welcoming manner.”
“Shade trees, benches and tables, maybe a small stage for acoustic music sets or community events.”
“I’d like to see a lush & graphic, statement gateway to the MACC & Rainey St. district. Some cool vertical art elements, big trees, or maybe some falling water and seating akin to NYC’s Paley Park. (White noise / water noise is always a relief in an urban setting). It should be something people can pass through, use, and feel at peace in, that also makes a visual statement for the ever-evolving showpiece that Rainey is becoming.”
“Public space with food truck hookups. Trees and lighting.”
“A mandatory taxi/ride share staging and loading/unloading area. They should be prohibited from doing so anywhere but this location.”
“The proposed elements listed in this article sound great! The only thing I would add is shade from flowering native trees and maybe a nice place to sit.”
“Seating, lawn, shade, and a shrubbery. Also, it definitely should tie Rainey to the MACC. Also, with all the work they’re doing, the MACC ought to build a two level garage underground and cap it with a park, that will extend up to the edges of the alley and private street. Also, make both of those official streets. MACC gets more parking, and gets tied in with the community. Maybe then they can get rid of that awful fence that doesn’t really protect anything. Maybe the developers of all of those new buildings, especially the Travis and 80 Rainey, could contribute to all of that. It shouldn’t be just the city.”
Image: Bing Maps
“A space that’s welcoming to families and residents. Greenery, seating, nice fountain or water feature. Shade trees.”
“The park space must incorporate the MACC as well as Rainey businesses and history of what it used to be. It shouldn’t just become a dog park for 70 Rainey and or the other residents.”
“The space should be inviting to pedestrians, beckoning them in to the center, but also to the space itself so that you don’t just pass through it. Residents and visitors should find it somewhere to linger and enjoy with shade and protection from the street. It should also find a companion greenspace on the south side of river street. Some of the initial proposals for a mural looked more like the Berlin wall, so I genuinely hope that’s not pursued. Also something to keep in mind… the design of the MACC has the entrance and orientation on the waterfront side (facing Mexico). That’s metaphorical in more ways than one – the Center has a well earned reputation as an insular clubhouse having turned its back to Rainey Street and the larger community. This pocket park is a unique opportunity to change that mindset through the built environment – I hope that the City of Austin embraces it as way to be open to everyone and share this beautiful cultural center with the world.”
Image: Miró Rivera-Tatiana Bilbao LLC / Ten Eyck Landscape Architects / City of Austin
Did you catch the overwhelmingly common themes of this feedback? There’s three: shade trees, seating, and a water feature. Trees, bench, water. Gotcha. We had a fun time with this, but you should probably also tell the city.
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