Delayed Rainey Street Hotel Plans Finalized

Hotel Van Zandt, proposed initially in parallel to The Shore Condos in Downtown Austin’s Rainey Street District in 2008, is still kicking.

Downtown Austin Blog reported in March that plans had been filed for the hotel, though it was unclear what scope the project had taken on. Today I confirmed the project will be 16 stories, about 180 feet, and about 320 units, plus 10,000 square feet of meeting space and a 5,000-square-feet of resturant office.

There will be about 159 parking spots provided, according to my intel. One source at City Hall told me there had been some neighborhood opposition to the hotel, especially around where the driveway had been proposed in the 2008 edition. At first blush, it looks like the new plans are trying to skirt that and have access from Davis Street. An officer of the Rainey Neighbors’ Association who is also a board member of the Shore Condos says he’s not aware of any opposition to this and that the neighborhood association has not taken a position.

Hotel Van Zandt was initially planned to be a $100 million, 29-story hotel and residential tower.

The hotel is being developed by JMIR-Austin Hotel LP, which offices at 111 Congress. (As an aside, I went up to their office once. Their floor was like a shrine to professional baseball, with a bunch of memorabilia in glass cases.)

The gloomy economic clouds may be parting enough to open up those checkbooks, and some or all of the recent hotels announced could be built.