While digging up the history of what’s changed and what hasn’t on our city’s most famous street a few months ago, I stumbled upon a handful of articles from the Austin American-Statesman detailing a 1976 proposal for significant modifications to Congress Avenue. The plan was presented to city leaders by John Andrew Gallery, then the dean of the University of…
Counting Down to Condo Conversion at Zilkr on the Park Apartments
We learned a couple of weeks ago that a new owner for Zilkr on the Park Apartments at 1900 Barton Springs Road plans to convert the complex to condos, with a public opening a week away. All of this is kind of interesting for a few reasons. For one, if your memory stretches back that far, you’ll recall…
You Are Here: North Loop
North Loop, a diminutive neighborhood of postwar craftsman-style homes named for the boulevard that horizontally bisects it, functions as a sort of living history museum for the laid-back Austin vibe that brought the city so much attention in the first place. Its quirky, walkable central commercial district, its unpretentious bars, restaurants, and coffee shops —…
Gateway Arch to Welcome Visitors on Sixth Street
An elevated archway sign over Sixth Street near the I-35 frontage road will soon indicate the beginning of Austin’s most famous entertainment district, according to recent city filings. Bob Woody, a prominent business owner in downtown and president of the Sixth Street Owners Association that is financing the construction of the archway, says his organization has been…
Reconnect Austin’s I-35 Plan Is Running Out of Time
I-35 is broken. If you use the highway frequently near downtown during peak hours, you’ll understand this statement is less a matter of opinion, and more an invitation to explore just how much of its brokenness can be fixed through design alone. Urbanists, at least the optimistic ones, will tell you that the actual solution to our city’s continuing nightmare of…
New Views of 31-Story Marriott Hotel Planned Downtown
We’ve known for some time that a new Marriott Hotel was on the way at the corner of Cesar Chavez and Trinity Streets near the Austin Convention Center, but it seems the project is finally moving forward in earnest, with demolition permits filed at the block and new renderings released at a recent city meeting. Here’s what we…