The Coming Transformation of South Lamar

So many areas of the City seem to be changing so fast. In addition to Seaholm, Green, and the Waller Creek area, multiple developers have proposed ambitious projects for the South Lamar corridor. South Austin development is clearly controversial, and a flood of new proposed apartments and retail will likely see considerable opposition.

According to the Austin Business Journal, “Six apartment projects are currently being planned or are under construction, adding nearly 1,700 apartments in the next few years. Areas where apartment complexes being planned include Sterzing Street and Barton Springs Road; 1717 Toomey Road; South Lamar Boulevard and Juliet Street; South Lamar Boulevard and Treadwell Street; 1219 S. Lamar Blvd.; 1500 S. Lamar Blvd., currently under construction.”

In addition, developers have announced plans to redevelop the strip mall that houses the Alamo Drafthouse and Highball into a more-dense multiple use project.

StudioDWG Rendering of South Lamar Plaza

Furthermore, the Statesman reports that “two prime properties just south of Lady Bird Lake are on the market, including a parcel where developers planned to build luxury condominiums priced as high as $6 million.

The recession halted plans for the condo project that was to be built on Barton Springs Road just east of South Lamar Boulevard. The site housed the trendy Mackedrick’s Treehouse restaurant and nightclub in the late 1970s and subsequently other venues, but the angular glass building has sat vacant on the 1.5-acre tract for a quarter-century.

Now, that land and the adjacent Park Terrace Apartments, a 65-unit complex that was built in 1962 and renovated in 2001, are being offered for sale. Brokerage firm ARA Central Texas is billing the parcel as “an unparalleled development opportunity” to own about 4 acres with unobstructed downtown views.”

Previously, the treehouse restaurant and nightclub site were to house 1155 Barton Springs, a super high-end low-rise condo project adjacent to Peter Pan golf and the train tracks. The 27 units were originally priced at $1 – $6 million in a project that was often shown as a poster child of condo boom excess.

While there is strong demand for South Austin housing — south Austin rents are among the highest in the City, often as high as downtown rents — the south Austin neighborhoods remain many of the City’s most iconic and resistant to change. Many people fear that further development and gentrification will damage the charm that makes the area so popular and eclectic. We will continue to track these developments as they proceed.