Though it’s not the only mysterious tiny tower in Austin, the historic downtown structure known as Buford Tower is certainly our most visible, standing six floors at the intersection of West Cesar Chavez and Colorado Streets on the shores of Lady Bird Lake. Originally built in 1930 and used as a drill facility for the city’s fire department until its…
Demolition Approved at West Sixth Sushi Bar, Making Way for 60 Floors
The 60-story downtown Austin apartment and office tower planned at 321 West Sixth Street by banking outfit BBVA USA and national developer Ryan Companies is one step closer to breaking ground at its 0.47-acre site on the southeast corner of West Sixth and Guadalupe Streets, despite a few setbacks on the national stage making the timing of that groundbreaking unclear for…
Inside the ‘Very Sensitive’ Renovation of East Austin’s Uptown Sports Club
Perhaps one of the single most recognizable abandoned buildings in East Austin, the Uptown Sports Club is one step closer to a fresh start. An extensive restoration plan for the shuttered bar — which currently sits empty in a state of increasing disrepair at the northeast corner of East Sixth and Waller Streets since its closure decades…
Designing a Public Space Worth Missing at Downtown’s Cypress & Shoal Creek
Maybe some of you people are in much better shape than me, but jogging with a mask on really sucks. Exercise and other outdoor recreation is technically permitted during the time of coronavirus according to the city’s current guidelines — and plenty of stir-crazy people, perhaps too many at once, are enjoying this — but the combination…
Try These Austin Face Coverings for Your Local Pandemic-Fighting Needs
As Austinites practice social distancing measures such as working from home to slow the coronavirus pandemic, the latest stay-at-home orders announced last week for the city and county requiring facial coverings in public threw us for a bit of a loop. Matthew McConaughey’s bandit alter ego helped explain the finer points — most importantly, owing to a shortage of cloth face masks, it’s okay to cover your…
Neighborhood-Scale Grocery Stores Keep Austin Stocked in a Pandemic
Austinites looking to avoid waiting in line at the major grocery stores limiting their occupancy during the coronavirus pandemic are likely discovering just how useful it is to have a small grocery store or bodega with staple items available within walking distance of their homes. Local outlets like Fresh Plus, Wheatsville Co-Op, and Royal Blue…