A 44-floor downtown apartment tower at the southeast corner of East Third and Brazos Streets by Houston-based multifamily developer the Hanover Company has cleared its first hurdle on the long road from the drawing board to reality. At a meeting earlier this week, Austin's Historic Landmark Commission approved the certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of the ...
historic preservation
Windsor Park’s First Shopping Center Looks Ready to Grow. But How?
Windsor Village, the first shopping center opened in the midcentury Windsor Park neighborhood of East Austin in 1960, could someday host a transformative redevelopment of its property into a major residential and retail complex courtesy of prominent Houston-based commercial real estate firm Transwestern. That's at least the admittedly murky impression from ...
Brazos Lofts to Become Third Major Downtown Austin Condo Buyout
Unit owners at downtown Austin's Brazos Lofts condominiums reportedly signed off last year on a $55 million buyout of the building, and according to information shared with TOWERS by confidential industry sources, the closing and distribution of those funds is anticipated this week in preparation for the site's eventual redevelopment by its soon-to-be new owners, local real ...
On 17th Street, Historic Austin Architecture Hides in Plain Sight
You don't need to spend the better part of a decade in architecture school to notice something's strange about the Rio House Apartments, a 45-unit multifamily building rising four floors at the northeast corner of West 17th and Rio Grande Streets. It's not often you'll see a structure with a four-story perforated metal screen surrounding its southern wall -- a screen through ...
In 1973, Zilker’s Holiday Tree Went Dark
The lighting of the 155-foot tree at Zilker Park fashioned from one of the city's iconic moonlight towers is the most visible sign of the holiday season's arrival in Austin. The tree itself dates back to 1967, with the Zilker celebration now known as the Trail of Lights dating back even further to a "Yule Fest" event first held in 1965. But in 1973, the nationwide ...
