It’s Back: 800 West Applies for Height Variance

Last September, Fortis Development proposed a 250-foot, 200-unit, 25-story tower on 8th street and West Avenue near downtown. Since the area is currently zoned for buildings no taller than 60 feet, the project required a zoning variance or zoning change.

This week, the developers continued to press their case to the ciry for the zoning change, proving that the project is very much alive. As part of the process, the architects have presented four design options for the city to evaluate. all design have public parks in the back facing shoal creek. In the future, a trail will run alongside the creek connecting the building directly to the hike and bike trails and Ladybird Lake.

As we have reported, this decision may be a tough one for the city council: they need to decide on the boundaries of Austin’s high-rise downtown. In the projects favor, it is within two blocks of the Nokonah at 9th and Lamar, CLB’s proposed 33-story super tower on 7th and Rio Grande, and another project on 6th and West. As the developer points out, it is one of very few downtown blocks free of capital view corridor restrictions.

Here are the details on the proposed project:

– 200 condos in a single 25-story tower
– Lot size is 1.2 Acres
– Proposed building size is 25 stories totalling 130,605 square feet
– The project would include 143 parking spaces
– Planned amenities include a sun deck, gardens, and public trails connecting the building to the Shpal Creek greenbelt

Here are additional details from the Austin Chronicle:

Another test of council will concerning building heights in western Downtown: The zoning case for 800 West Ave., a 1.2-acre Shoal Creek-front site at the corner of Eighth Street, returned to council for a final vote at press time. Last fall, Cypress Real Estate Advisors sought an upgrade to Central Business District zoning to build a 250-foot condo tower, to be designed by Muñoz + Albin Architec­ture and Planning. (The contested 33-story 7Rio condo tower, at nearby Seventh and Rio Grande – now on hold – won CBD from council last year.) When 800 West Ave. came before council in November, members instead approved, on first reading, Downtown Mixed Use Condi­tional Over­lay zoning, which limits height to 120 feet. But according to unhappy project neighbor Ben Procter, retiring Council Member Betty Dunkerley then encouraged a developer-friendly “pass” on height-limiting compatibility standards triggered by nearby residences – a perk of CBD, not DMU. Definitive development guidelines for this peri­pheral urban district, rich in historic homes, are due later this year in the Downtown Austin Plan.