The long-awaited tower project at 48 East Avenue in downtown Austin’s Rainey Street District won’t be home to either condos or apartments, as previously reported during various stages of the development’s roughly six-year lifespan — instead, the 33-floor building will be built as a 249-unit hotel, but that’s really only half the story. In line with reports…
design
After 15 Years of Mueller, Its Iconic Control Tower Has Never Looked Better
It was 2007 when I tried breaking into the defunct control tower at Austin’s former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport — you can call that “urban exploration” or “criminal trespassing” at your discretion, though at the age of 15 there’s admittedly not much distance between the two. My failed attempt arrived long after the site ceased…
We’ve Got Options for East Austin’s New Longhorn Dam Pedestrian Bridge
Earlier this week, the City of Austin’s Public Works Department held its second of three community engagement meetings to solicit public feedback on alignment and design options for a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge at the eastern edge of Lady Bird Lake. Considering the well-documented shortcomings of the current bridge along the stretch of Pleasant Valley Road crossing the top…
East Austin’s Walter E. Long Park Master Plan Is Completely Bonkers
After a year of public engagement and work by planning firm Halff Associates, Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department will present its plan for the improvement of East Austin’s Walter E. Long Park to the city’s Parks and Recreation Board later this month. We’ve noted for years that the park, which at 3,695 acres including its lake and surrounding land is more…
At Downtown Austin’s Empty Post Office, the Wait Is Longer Than Usual
Though Austin is still a fairly young city in terms of its central growth, our portfolio of full downtown city blocks suitable for tower development gets smaller every year. With limits imposed upon many such tracts by Capitol View Corridors, the presence of historic buildings, or multiple property owners requiring lengthy and complex land assemblies by any aspiring developer, the…
Here’s Our First Look at Designs for Waller Creek Show 2019
Our friends at the Waller Creek Conservancy announced details today for Creek Show 2019, the sixth annual nighttime exhibition of lighted art installations by local design firms on Waller Creek. Creek Show’s not just a good opportunity to see some cool art, but also a demonstration of Waller Creek’s potential as a downtown amenity — so it’s a…