Austin’s much-loved Hike-and-Bike Trail has likely never been so important as an outdoor recreation facility of choice for downtown dwellers, even with a few pandemic-related challenges — and judging by its heavy use even during this endless crisis, not to mention the continual growth of . . . Become a patron to get the full story and gain access to…
local government
A Field Guide to Austin’s New Deal-Era Public Works Architecture
Perhaps the most lasting impact of the New Deal programs enacted during the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the economic woes of the Great Depression is found in its public works projects, built or funded by an alphabet soup of federal agencies including the Public Works Administration (PWA), the Works Progress…
In 1989, This Absurdly Corny Easy-Listening Album Had ‘Pride in Austin’
The world didn’t discover Austin yesterday, even if it might feel that way sometimes. Our local tourism industry, booming roughly as long as the city itself, saw 7.5 million visitors in 1989, though three decades later we’re looking at a yearly count closer to 30 million. With a lineup of new towers downtown, the ongoing success of…
Downtown Austin’s Least-Loved State Offices Could Be Bound for Auction
The Texas Facilities Commission is sailing clear through the Texas Legislature with its plans to sell the Hobby Building state office complex at 333 Guadalupe Street. On Wednesday, the Texas Senate placed the acting legislation regarding the building’s sale, SB 1394 , on its uncontested calendar. When the bill was first heard in committee on April 2,…
I’m Going to Pound Beers in Republic Square and the Law Cannot Stop Me
In some of my posts, I have casually mentioned the fact that I like to drink beer. Still, I’ve never gone quite so far as to describe myself as a “drinking in a public park” kind of guy — I mean, I’m betting most downtown Austin condo cosmopolitans have a pretty dim view of that…
Mixed-Use Office Project Moves Forward at Employees Retirement System Site
The Employees Retirement System of Texas isn’t wasting any time adding value to its office property located at 200 East 18th Street, which occupies a full block in the northeastern corner of the Texas Capitol Complex. Alongside the major changes taking place at the nearby