downtown Austin's real estate and neighborhood blog
Consumer Reports [via Reuters] confirms our suspicion that mega-box grocers underwhelm, and it’s preferable to pay a little more for a pleasant experience.
“The few chains that were spotless, offered standout meat and produce, and had helpful and friendly staff and quick checkout” according to Consumer Reports.
I met David Buttross for the first time this past Saturday at the Urban is Core candidate forum. At the dais, David’s responses were refreshingly crisp and practical. Now, those won’t win him an Austin mayoral election, but the benefit of ‘underdog’ candidates, especially those who are as successful as David is, is to reality check the front running candidates.
For example, an issue that local politicians love to pander to but can’t quite solve is affordable housing. Realizing the difficult reality of placing affordable housing where land is expensive, David’s message is clear:
You can’t have affordable housing:
1) Without density to increase housing stock
2) Without mass transit to connect people
I’ve always been frustrated by local politicians that call for more affordable housing and simultaneously denigrate density in their own neighborhood. I’ve always held that you can achieve affordable housing by fixing onerous SF-3/McMansion zoning, mitigating NIMBY-ism by spreading affordable housing everywhere, then organically grow mass-transit to connect people to where they want to go.
-Jude
The Austinist has published Councilmember Mike Martinez’s and candidate Bill Spelman’s written responses to 22 questions in preparation for the Urban Is Core Super Forum this Saturday.
Generally, I find their responses encouraging. Progressive on land use and transportation issues. Realistic on social service issues.
Bill Spelman responds
Mike Martinez responds
UPDATE: complete list of responses below
Mayor:
McCracken: response
Leffingwell: response
Ingalls: response
Buttross: response
Strayhorn: No response
Place 1:
Riley: response
Cavazos: response
Place 2:
Martinez: response
Quintero: No response
Place 5:
Spellman: response
You’ve heard of Lil’ Wayne? How about Lil’ Leffy? On April 21st, the Austin Chronicle is sponsoring “The Hustle For Mayor” candidate forum at Mohawk in downtown Austin. Will we get to witness Lee ‘lil leffy’ Leffingwell and Brewster ‘Micky Crack’ McCracken grab the mic and spit the illest, most hunker-downest, sustainabilitized, verbal gymnastics ever heard in a mayoral election?
DJ Mel will be breakin’ necks from the tables.
This is happening.
Today a California based development group will finalize negotiations with state officials to convert [up to] 90,000/ft of the Texas State Capitol into luxury condominiums. Introduced early in the legislative session, the bill permitting the residential use didn’t take long to pass through the house and senate floors.
“We’re only here for six months every two years… this is an opportunity to generate revenue for the State” says a Texas State Senator who asked to remain unnamed.
Three design proposals, which had been on display inside the Capitol building since February, were reviewed by a Senate subcommittee. California based Kelso & Novak, the development group with the winning submission, gave priority to size and ensuring there was sufficient parking for future buyers.
According to John Kelso, principal and spokesperson for K&N “the design was driven by feedback from the legislators.” “We had the opportunity to do something different in downtown Austin, and we want to recreate the sense of horizontal space found throughout Texas suburbs,” Kelso continued.
Final designs and construction documents are to be delivered to the subcommittee within 90 days of contract, at which point the designs will be available for public scrutiny. “A pool would be nice” said Rick Reeves who was visiting the Capitol from Oklahoma.
The condos are scheduled to be complete in time for the next legislative session and it’s expected that the first buyers will be the legislators themselves. What remains to be seen is how much the capital markets will be a factor. Stimulus money will be available for buyers that do not qualify or do not have income.
–Lobby
–Kitchen
–Poolside lounge
Kelso & Novak website
