Archives for 2009

DANA's Downtown Living Tour

Jude Galligan | October 8, 2009 |

Downtown Living Tour route - click to see a list of buildings on the tour

The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association is hosting its annual Downtown Living Tour this Sunday. Each year, hundreds of guests attend the DLT for the opportunity to take a walking tour of downtown Austin, and to see inside dozens of downtown buildings.

Tickets are $15. VIP Tickets are $25, and include access to the VIP Reception, Saturday, October 10th from 7-9:30pm at BoConcept, celebrating event sponsors, volunteers, and hosts.

Sunday registration will be held at Gables Park Plaza. I will be working registration on Sunday morning. Hope to see you there!

Purchase tickets here!

Check out the Statesman’s write up.

Oh, if you think downtown living is out of reach… consider this.

Gables Park Plaza

Jude Galligan | October 7, 2009 |

Gables Park Plaza – located just south of Spring Condos and wedged between Lamar and Cesar Chavez – has begun pre-leasing. With it’s completion, this is the last of the downtown Austin apartment complexes resulting from real estate boom of 2007. This location will appeal to many of the same people who are attracted to Bridges On The Park: families with dogs, those who regularly utilize the trails, and want to live near downtown but not IN downtown.

Gables Park Plaza - the windows shown here face south over the lake

The exterior design is predictably Gables and intended for a wide audience. It’s just fine, if a bit antiseptic. I’ll have an opportunity to preview the interior finishes within a couple of weeks. Amenities will include a roof-top pool, iPod docking stations, solar shades on all windows, and bamboo floors. Expect retail on the ground floor.

Below is a schedule of completion dates (a close proxy for move-in readiness).

1st floor: Phase A ready on November 8, 2009, Phase B ready on November 22, 2009.
2nd floor: Phase A ready on December 8, 2009, Phase B ready on December 22, 2009
3rd floor: Phase A ready on January 8, 2010, Phase B ready on January 22, 2010
etc, up to the 8th floor.

1bd/1ba units range from $1,395-3,000. 2bd/2ba units range from $2,275-3,600. The B5 2bd/2.5ba – the 1859sf unit with the rounded windows and faces south (shown above) – starts at $3,575. Gables Park Plaza is offering two months free (upfront) for leases entered into during construction. Their website is www.gables.com/parkplaza.

A complete brochure of floor plans and current pricing can be downloaded here (pdf). Feel free to contact me with questions.

-Jude

UPDATE 10/09/09 – MORE PHOTOS after the jump

[Read more…] about Gables Park Plaza

"Sound Off" From Austin Business Journal

Jude Galligan | October 6, 2009 |

ABJ 'Sound Off' on the topic of rail in Austin

I’m quoted in this week’s ABJ regarding a transit system for downtown Austin. The question is: “Does Austin need a better downtown transportation system, and what should it consist of? Would you use it?”

“Absolutely. Additional parking and reliance on cars is not a sustainable method of growing Austin, much less downtown. Mobility inside of downtown is distinct from mobility to and from downtown, and the two systems should be designed and operated accordingly.

Commuter Rail – the Red Line – is NOT the same technology as a tram or streetcar system. The media must be diligent about choosing the correct terminology and avoid bundling terms, lest the word “rail” becomes the next four-letter word in Austin.”

Welcome To The NEW Downtown Austin Blog!

Jude Galligan | October 6, 2009 |

Many of you have no doubt noticed that DAB received a major overhaul in design. Gone is the drab header and narrow layout. The new look should be easier to read and navigate. From the admin side it is more flexible in presenting content, which will translate to newer features over the next couple of weeks. If you spot any bugs please let me know and we’ll try to get it fixed. More improvements are in the works!

Lady Bird Lake Boat Ramps

Jude Galligan | October 5, 2009 |

I found this site that documents where you can pull your canoe or jon boat into Lady Bird Lake. While normal motor boats are banned from use on the LBL, you are permitted to use small trolling motors. Having kayaked the lake on several occasions I can appreciate the utility in these little buggers. You can also try sailing.

If you don’t have a canoe or boat of your own, it’s easy to head down to the Texas Rowing Center (our favorite city concessionaire) and rent a canoe for the day.

Who remembers AquaFest (wiki) – Austin’s regatta? In the ’70s you could find drag boats racing on Town Lake. Before there was ACL, AquaFest was the biggest annual concert in Austin, Texas.

-Jude