As we’ve laid out in a number of previous articles, the northwest corner of downtown Austin is one of the most interesting areas for growth in the central city. Less bustling or dense than its neighboring districts, yet still close to the rest of the action, it’s become clear over our last few years of prognostication that…
design
Preservation Austin’s Downtown-Loving 2020 Homes Tour Heads Online
Preservation Austin’s 2020 Homes Tour event had us excited due to this year’s “Downtown Doorsteps” theme, which proved that historic preservation can be about much more than single-family homes in upscale neighborhoods — in fact, the homes on display might be one of the group’s most diverse selections ever, including forms like fourplexes, high-rise loft conversions, and…
Atop a Historic Austin Building, This Hilton Hotel Tower Tries a New Look
It seems kind of bold to pursue the development of a hotel during a pandemic of unspecified length and impact, but as we’ve seen in recent weeks, plenty of projects in Austin are still chugging along. Not least of these is the oddball 159-room hotel plan by Trend Hospitality LP and developer William Franks for 1415 Lavaca Street, which would raise a 12-story structure…
Austin Finally Has Takeout and Delivery Cocktails That Don’t Suck. What’s Next?
It’s been more than a week since the State of Texas made cocktails served “to go” a reality for pickup and delivery orders at pandemic-stricken restaurants and bars, with a new waiver from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expanding the previous, less cool waiver that only allowed takeout drinks within narrow parameters — which didn’t help struggling businesses all that much since the regulatory change still…
Take a Closer Look at Origin, Mueller’s First Boutique Hotel Plan
We first dug up plans for the five-story, 120-room, Origin Hotel project headed for the growing Aldrich Street District of Central Austin’s Mueller neighborhood back in 2019, which feels like ancient history at this point. Though the future of the hospitality industry is a little blurry at the moment, from a broader perspective it’s honestly kind of strange that it…
Remember the Rainey Street Trailhead Project? Don’t Worry, It’s Still Alive
If you’re a longtime Towershead, you’ll know we spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about the development of the Rainey Street District. It’s downtown Austin’s fastest-growing region in terms of announced or planned projects, but the neighborhood is also geographically isolated due to the boundaries created by Lady Bird Lake and I-35, meaning there…