This big hole in the ground will eventually become Google’s striking new office tower at Block 185. Photo by James Rambin.
Earlier this month, at the dawn of a sparkling new decade, we asked our readers for their thoughts on the next 10 years of growth in downtown Austin and beyond — and which positive and negative aspects of that growth they noticed during the 2010s.
Naturally, traffic woes topped the list of growth-related frustrations experienced in the last 10 years — so overwhelmingly in fact that it would be pretty repetitive to quote every response here. Congestion is clearly on everyone’s mind, which isn’t really news to anyone who drives here — but what might surprise you is how many of those same respondents then suggested mass transit as a solution instead of building more roads. (In fact, only two people said we should make I-35 bigger. We’ve obviously banned them from the site for saying that. Just kidding!)
Considering the recent announcement of possible future light rail expansion and even a small downtown subway line(!) via Capital Metro’s Project Connect, those folks might actually get their wish in the 2020s — don’t let the fact that we could have built it 20 years ago get you down! Let’s dig into the best feedback, one question at a time:
What were some of the positive effects of Austin’s growth, particularly downtown, during the 2010s?
“New and exciting places to eat and drink downtown — great stuff for both lunch and dinner. My workout place opened up a new location so I can go during lunch. Some unique buildings (could have more). Redevelopment of Seaholm Power Plant. Fixes to the Hike and Bike Trail. Changes to CapMetro providing better service downtown.”
“It sucks less to bike around.”
“More living options downtown, which brings more density, which means more commercial development — shops, restaurants, grocers!, etc. People everywhere makes downtown relatively safe, which is uncommon for many city neighborhoods.”
“Sidewalks, pocket patios, and public space.”
“The construction of multiple condo towers in the 2010s rather than just bank and office buildings boosted the population downtown and the surrounding areas. Taller buildings (Austonian, 360 Condos, the Independent) draw tourists into the downtown area, increasing the amount of attention on local businesses. A myriad of water activities became much more popular during the 2010s due to the appeal of being close to downtown, but also being able to engage in things like paddle-boarding, kayaking, and tour boats.”
“Growth means jobs, optimism and social energy. When I visit clients in the rust belt, it really makes me glad to live in a place that is thriving and on the upswing rather than the downswing. Cities are seldom really static; if you’re not growing you’re probably headed the wrong the way.”
Nobody mentioned the slightly creepy owl statues over by the Central Library as welcome additions to downtown’s urban fabric, but we love them just the same. Photo by James Rambin.
“A vibrant central core that is active and abuzz both day and night, unlike some of our peers’ downtown areas that deflate at night and become empty depressing places.”
“The extension and beautification of the 2nd Street district from the Convention Center to the new library; Republic Square Park; the Fareground development; the JW Marriott establishing 2nd Street and Congress Avenue as the de facto mecca of downtown; a protected bike lane on 3rd street — would love to see a north/south version.”
“These new buildings are beautiful! The scooters, although a bit glittery and obnoxious, make getting around SO MUCH EASIER. As someone that works in lighting production, there is a lot more work. More money to go around, that’s good.”
“Second Street retail, Seaholm, Republic Square.”
A nice view from downtown’s Republic Square. Image: Austin Parks Foundation
“More options for people to live downtown. I’ve been living downtown since 2011 when the population was barely over 1,000 people in the district. With more residential options than ever before, the central core feels warmer and more welcoming than a downtown dominated by office buildings.”
“Removing some of the ugly parking lots and turning them into building and things that are attracting people and business to the area. I love seeing the explosion in options of food new places downtown. Even if some of the options don’t last too long, it has been nice to have more than bar food (or after bar food lol) and hamburgers to pick from.”
“More people are interested in alternative transportation like bikes, scooters, transit, etc. Younger generations are less interested in car ownership, looking for alternatives.”
“The changing skyline is now one of the prettiest in the country.”
Jonathan Cutrer / Flickr Creative Commons
And what were some of the more negative effects of growth in the last decade?
“More cars. Their drivers want more roads, and it’s an unsustainable ask.”
“Structured parking everywhere, still.”
“With a great downtown comes lots of people working, eating, shopping, and simply checking out the downtown area by car, and 5 o’clock traffic is becoming increasingly harder to escape.”
“Traffic, traffic, traffic. Yes, I miss some of the “old haunts” that are going by the wayside too. But seriously, did anyone actually think Hut’s burgers were all that great?! Traffic is the real killer.”
“Traffic congestion from growth without a real investment in mass transit.”
“Too much blue glass.”
Several people complained on our survey about too much blue glass used on the exteriors of new buildings downtown — buddy, have we got an idea for you! Image courtesy of Kevin Lehnhardt / Photo by John Elk III.
“The lack of action by our local government (and voters) to demand the mass transportation infrastructure needed to sustain such a rapid period of growth. With a huge mass transit package going to vote in 2020, I can’t help but be bitter about the fact that if a huge public transit project would’ve been put into action back in 2010 we’d likely already have that infrastructure in place and would feel much less growing pains today.”
“The city takes a lot of property tax from the downtown condo owners, and in return needs to improve the terrible sidewalks in places like the Rainey Street area.”
“The massive growth without an equal investment in public transportation options is insane. It still boggles the mind that we are almost definitely the largest city in the country with no effective public transportation options to get people from the city to the airport.”
“Most employers still insist on their employees commuting by car. There have been some bright spots (Facebook’s Austin office is now charging for parking), but the standard is still to make driving the easiest form of commuting. AISD and the City of Austin are the #1 and #2 employers, and they have a bad record on car commuting.”
The view of downtown Austin looking southwest over I-35 from the pool deck of the Tyndall condos. Photo by James Rambin.
What are some of your goals/expectations/hopes/dreams for Austin’s continued growth in the 2020s?
“More unique buildings with exciting stuff at the ground level. Better public transit. Less percentage of new buildings devoted to parking garages.”
“I’d like the quality of the construction here to improve. The new Google tower by Pelli Clarke Pelli is a positive sign, as is the SXSW headquarters. But too many of our new buildings are really cheaply built — even if they’re priced at a premium. We’ll probably see the results in a decade or two when they start to look really tired sooner than they should.”
“A functioning and faster public transportation system. Rail, bus, hoverboards, saddleback grackles, whatever gets the people moving.”
“Infill projects and tall, thin towers downtown that take inspiration from what’s being done in places like New York. It seems as though all of the tall towers being built today in Austin are reserved for the few large lots left downtown, but it would be nice to see the sites with smaller footprints be utilized more efficiently. Another would obviously be an expansive public transit project that has a huge ridership and proves all of the naysayers wrong. Lastly, I would love if housing / rent prices would take a bit of a downturn. With thousands of luxury apartments and condos in the works downtown, I can’t imagine rental rates increasing too much more — at some point I think supply for these luxury units will outpace demand, and while they might not become less affordable, I hope that the other housing options throughout the city do.”
A view of the Canopy by Hilton hotel project a few months ago, under construction on West Sixth Street. Photo by James Rambin.
“Less car use. More public space. Better connections to the lake.”
“An increase in mixed-use developments and redevelopments outside of downtown and in more suburban areas. More experimental living styles such as micro-units, tiny houses and co-living spaces.”
“Add more light rail, build a supertall building, put a canopy/cap/whatever-you-want-to-call-it over the power substation north of the library, and finally figure out what to do about the train that sounds like death bearing down upon you when it hits the curve by Trader Joe’s.”
“Solutions to the homelessness crisis.”
“More density in inner neighborhoods, rapid buses on the Riverside Drive corridor. Fleshing out of East Riverside Corridor with more apartments, mixed-use, less fast food restaurants.”
“A revamped Congress Avenue that supports all forms of transportation.”
A “pocket patio” by landscape architecture firm dwg. located near the intersection of Sixth Street and Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, the place most Austinites consider to be the ‘heart’ of the city. Image: dwg. / Adam Barbe
Finally, what are some specific things you’d like to see more of downtown in the next decade?
“More rooftop bars.”
“Parking spaces converted to pocket patios on major streets, especially in front of downtown businesses like restaurants and coffee shops.”
“More pedestrian-friendly downtown events with closed streets.”
“Parking-less condo towers and enhanced biking routes. While downtown is a grid, the growth of it should require maps on prominent street corners so tourists and visitors know where they’re headed. I also hope that the chain restaurants downtown can be minimized, creating a locally flavored downtown full of diversity and difference.”
“Austin’s first 1,000-foot tower project.”
“More natural materials used for buildings, pink or gold hued glass, a super-tall tower without a billion balconies.”
The 6 X Guadalupe tower project, now in the early stages of construction, will be Austin’s tallest at 66 floors. Image: Gensler Austin
“Connected spaces! For some reason, we always seem to build every lot with practically no consideration for the neighboring lot! Why not connect these buildings in interesting and aesthetically pleasing ways that promote urban core walking and community? It seems that every other big city int he world does this.
“Condominiums instead of apartments.”
“I would like to see car-free zones, similar to 16th Street in Denver. And more rail options leading from downtown to other parts of town.”
“More diverse materials used in tall towers to stand out from all the glass.”
“A lot more music venues.”
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