Archives for February 2009

Bill Spelman

Jude Galligan | February 28, 2009 |

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4waRVxV_Flk]

The light is shining bright on Downtown Austin, at least as much as city council place 5 is concerned. Bill Spelman is running, unopposed, for Austin city council place 5. Spelman, professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, is also the chair of the Waller Creek Citizens Advisory Committee and an advocate for the Waller Creek Tunnel Project.

Perhaps even more relevant to Downtown Austin’s interests is Spelman’s curriculum vitae includes research in criminal justice, police operations, prison policy, and urban economic development.

Go Bill!

panhandling is not the real issue

Jude Galligan | February 28, 2009 |

I learned something interesting this week. The anti-panhandling ordinance is only enforceable if the ‘victim’ or another witness requests that the ‘offender’ be cited. Otherwise, the police are not obliged to intervene. I’ve come to a conclusion regarding the perceived safety of downtown Austin: panhandling is a red herring issue.

The real issue is the ARCH doesn’t have the capacity to service the thousands of homeless people in Austin. They try, but can’t, and those under served are relegated to the streets of the Entertainment District. These people are easy prey for drug dealers. Over the past six months I’ve seen a surge in drug dealers and gangs staking their turf. Ask any resident that has a view of East 5th street if they’ve recently seen some hooded guy loitering in the middle of a sidewalk for hours on end. What are they doing?

The convention center, hotels, retailers, and residents are becoming more vigilant and zero tolerance on Downtown Austin crime is becoming the battle cry. Downtown stakeholders seem to have reached an unofficial consensus that the police must begin to: 1) shift to a beat system of patrol 2) spread out on weekend nights 3) be more effectual in responding to 911. As a participant in many of the Downtown Austin stakeholder groups, I tell you that the Police force is given plenty of slack. Judging by the frustrated voices at recent meetings, I don’t know how much longer that will continue.

Spring condos topping out party pics

Jude Galligan | February 26, 2009 |

[shameless plug 🙂 for more information about buying at the Spring condos, including the inside scoop on pricing at Spring and at other luxury buildings in downtown Austin, contact Jude Galligan, Downtown Austin Realtor (512) 226-3414 judegalligan [@] gmail.com

Southwestern view from 41st floor at Spring condos

If you witnessed a line extending half-a-block down w. 3rd on Tuesday evening it was the line to get to the top of Spring condominiums. The party was to celebrate their topping out at the 41st floor. Using the cargo elevator, attendees were taken to the 41st floor. Once on the 41st floor you walked off the cargo and greeted by a cavernous space filled with guests (similar to the Austonian party). Judging by the line and logistical challenges, including a 45 minute wait to get a tour of the interiors, I don’t think the Spring developers planned for the volume of guests! Still, the drinks were flowing and everyone looked to be having a great time. The views were what you would expect at that level… while the sun was setting… amazing.

Guests were also invited to tour a couple of furnished model units. Many existing buyers were in attendance, eager to get their first glimpse of a completed floor plan.

After the jump you can find a few pics of the interiors.

Downtown Austin condos: do the math

Jude Galligan | February 24, 2009 |

OK. We did the math. Below is DAB’s analysis of the inventory of condos in Downtown Austin.

776 residences were delivered in 2008
670 +/- units have sold
106 unit surplus.

This is a net absorption of over 600 units in one year. The 360 Condominiums has only 2 units left.

789+/- units under construction in downtown Austin
+/- 350 of the 789 units are under contract

545 +/- units remain in downtown through at least 2013.

There are no projects coming online that are not already under construction. It takes 2-3 years to build a project and it is unlikely a developer will get construction financing for another 12-18 months.

To put things in perspective, Miami area is delivering approximately 60,000 high rise condominiums during this development cycle. Miami MSA is approximately 2,387,000 people. That is a ratio of 1 condo for every 40 Miami MSA residents.

The Austin area is delivering approximately 1565 high rise condominiums during this development cycle. Austin MSA is approximately 1,600,000 people… that is a ratio of 1 new condo downtown for every 1,022 Austin MSA residents. A single project in downtown Miami is larger than the entire number of units being delivered in downtown Austin over a 6 year period!

360 condos retail space for sale

Jude Galligan | February 23, 2009 |

According to Taylor Andrews of Andrews Urban, via the Statesman, the nearly 14,000sf of retail space below 360 condos is for-sale, coincidentally for about $360psf. Royal Blue just moved in. Mulberry is super-cool. Haven’t been to Blu Cafe, yet.

From the article… “The space, totaling about 13,700 square feet, is almost all leased. Tenants already open or coming soon include Garrido’s, a restaurant from former Jeffrey’s executive chef David Garrido; Mulberry and the Lara Reynolds art galley.”

Proposed Federal Court House Discussion

Jude Galligan | February 22, 2009 |

Over at Austin Contrarian we can find some interesting thoughts on the [poor] location of the proposed Federal Court House. Specifically, I give it up to Miggy for this simple, yet significant, observation:

“Taking a one-block by one-block square of valuable downtown land largely unencumbered by the capital view corridors off the tax rolls permanently doesn’t help Austin at all. This is where density should be targeted and this building is far from helping that goal. Also to say that the bunker-on-three-sides structure is pedestrian unfriendly would be an understatement.”

Also, Miggy brings up another concern about moving the post office to Red River.

“On a final note – the moving of the Post Office to over near Club de Ville and Red River makes no sense to me either. How many office workers will find that location convenient? And how will that dead retail streetfront (or worse-yet – similar suburban parking lot and drive-thru) help the still nascent Red River entertainment district which is already threatened by any number of other forces. I don’t know what the reasoning was but just based on my surface knowledge – they should have kept in the bottom of the Ovation building as planned.”

Andrews Urban and the Post Office own the block of land across from Stubbs. The post office was going to move there in order for Andrews Urban/Novare to build Ovation where the current post office is located. IMHO, Ovation has ZERO chance of being built within the next five years, so hopefully Miggy’s point is moot.

Rail, rail, rail

Jude Galligan | February 20, 2009 |

Map Of Potential High-Speed Rail Built By The Stimulus

Huffington Post speculates on how stimulus dollars could impact regional high-speed rail networks.

Day six, becoming a model urban neighborhood: what does Downtown Austin need?

Jude Galligan | February 20, 2009 |

Each day this week I am serving up one item, with non-politically correct candor, that Downtown Austin needs to become a model of re-urbanization, as I see it.

Politicians love to talk, form task forces, and spend time doing everything except for making decisions as they are needed. So, this is an appeal to Downtown Austin stakeholders that know how to get things done: the residents, developers, retailers, and land owners.

I want Urbanrail

Take me to the drag. Take me to South Congress. Take me to Zilker. Take me to the airport. 90% of the time I don’t need, or want, to go anywhere else in Austin. An urban rail (pdf) benefits not only downtown, but ALL of the urban core. Complemented by the commuter rail, with an urban rail system in place we can begin to reduce (if not remove) minimum parking requirements for new developments. Reduced parking requirements translates into improved streetscapes, less congestion, and more economically productive land use (more sales taxes, more ad-valorem taxes).

CAMPO TWG you can make this happen.

Day five, becoming a model urban neighborhood: what does Downtown Austin need?

Jude Galligan | February 19, 2009 |

Each day this week I am serving up one item, with non-politically correct candor, that Downtown Austin needs to become a model of re-urbanization, as I see it.

Improved landmark protection, design standards, and enforcement

This is an average landmarked building on East Sixth Street. Here is another – note the beautiful brick archwork accented by a plywood sign! The building owners, tenants, and the city should be embarrassed. So much of Austin’s history exists in those buildings. Any building that has a landmark plaque should be respected and preserved.

The city may say “we don’t regulate ugly”. They should. The city must better leverage the Historical Landmark Commission and Heritage Society to protect the facades, awnings, and cleanliness of our historic buildings.. Unless the city begins to affect positive change, we will continue to see the warehouse district disappear and East Sixth Street deteriorate. It appears that voluntary compliance by landlords to maintain an expected (or expressed) standard doesn’t work and the city must begin to enforce regulations.

BTW, the owners of landmarked buildings get significant tax breaks.

Four Seasons update from developer

Jude Galligan | February 19, 2009 |

Just received this update from the Four Seasons Residences. It pretty much confirms what I’ve been saying about the strength of the downtown Austin condo market – the sky is not falling.

“As we enter 2009, Four Seasons Residences Austin is nearly 50% sold. Understandably, the last quarter of 2008 was slow, but sales activity in 2009 has picked up considerably. In the last week we signed a new contract for a 2,700 square foot residence and have a number of additional contracts in process.”
…
“Figures for the condominium market in downtown Austin are very encouraging. Of the 800 units delivered in 2008, over 90% have already closed. Furthermore, several planned projects have been put on indefinite hold due to a lack of financing which will reduce the amount of future supply for years to come.”