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[Stop] Signs Of Progress In Rainey Neighborhood

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I was expecting the City to share with stakeholders a draft of an “in the works” plan for Downtown Austin’s Rainey neighborhood. There’s not much to report. Instead, stakeholders were met with City staff taking notes on what the stakeholders had to say.

Staff from several City departments were in attendance, including: Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Austin Energy, Transportation, Planning & Development, Austin Police. Also present was perennial sustainability advocate and Austin City Council member Chris Riley.

What’s next? Each department will organize their feedback and report to…. nobody is sure. I’ve asked the City to create a dedicated web presence for Rainey Street (e.g. www.cityofaustin.org/raineystreet) to better organize and distribute information. Here is pdf scan of the handouts. And, I’m glad to share that there is real progress to report. [Read more…] about [Stop] Signs Of Progress In Rainey Neighborhood

Tribute To Tejano Culture Coming To Capitol Lawn

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The gently sloping hill of the historic south lawn of the Texas Capitol grounds will soon host a monument that recognizes the legacy and contribution of Tejanos to Texas Culture. This monument will cover slightly more than 500 sq. ft. and will be the largest monument on any state capitol grounds in all 50 states.

There was a ban on new monuments on the south lawn, but an organized and persistent group of legislators helped push legislation which would mandate that the Tejano Monument be constructed on the South Lawn of the Capitol Grounds and [Read more…] about Tribute To Tejano Culture Coming To Capitol Lawn

Fat Guy Cycling Club – Downtown Austin Bicycle Rides

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My friend Zeke had a vision.  He had a vision to make workouts fun and accessible to guys who don’t usually work out and who generally don’t really like working out.  He had a vision to blend exercise with exploring.  Zeke (and the other founding members of the group) made his vision into reality with a small (but growing) bike club call “Fat Guy Cycling Club.”  The group does weekly (weather permitting) bike rides around central and downtown Austin, usually followed by a pretty manly lunch.  Downtown Austin Blog loves his concept, and asked him to write a very short blurb on his group….

[Read more…] about Fat Guy Cycling Club – Downtown Austin Bicycle Rides

Varsity Theatre

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I enrolled at the University of Texas in 1995… when Tower Records was the SPOT!  I was buying Wu-Tang CDs like Ol’ Dirty Bastard was having kids.  The building was originally the Varsity Theatre.  In recent years it’s been vacant, after a poorly timed retail attempt by a bookstore, Intellectual Property Capital.  The ABJ’s Jacob Dirr scoops what’s next for one of the most desirable retail sites in Austin, along with some history of the building.  We found some old photos to share with you. [Read more…] about Varsity Theatre

Progress at 68-74 Rainey Street

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A couple of weeks ago we discovered this Rainey Street development site was placed under contract.  Asking price was $2.4MM for the 0.57-acre parcel (24,840ft) assembled from three contiguous single family lots.

Thanks to a tip from Downtown Austin Blog reader Austin Talley [Austin is a rare downtown resident who owns and lives in a single family home in the Rainey Street neighborhood] there appears to be geotechnical survey truck on the 68-74 Rainey Street property today taking core samples.

Austin, who is an engineer, shared with us “… geotechnical engineering studies are primarily done to investigate subsurface conditions to assist with engineering design for a large scale building or other large projects. The previous times I saw a geotechnical truck in the Rainey area the Legacy, Shore, and Milago were later built on the sites. It is likely [Read more…] about Progress at 68-74 Rainey Street

Completed Deconstruction Of Green Water Treatment Plant (PICS)

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We just got a note and some pics from Cindy Jordan with COA Public Works Dept.  This looks like it could be a park! Great progress for downtown Austin, especially the 2nd Street District. “The work has reached Substantial Completion!!! If you drive by the site on Cesar Chavez you can actually see that the site is clear and that the area has been seeded. We hope to have grass growing soon to stabilize the dirt. The site will remain as it is until the redevelopment team takes possession and starts their construction.”

Pics after the jump! [Read more…] about Completed Deconstruction Of Green Water Treatment Plant (PICS)

Upzoning Sought For W 7th Street Sites

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The Austin Business Journal is reporting that 701 and 711 W 7th Street in downtown Austin are seeking an upzoning to CBD.   701 W 7th is zoned “GR – general retail” and 711 W 7th is zoned “GO – general office”. Both zoning definitions cap building height at 60 feet.  The properties are adjacent and if packaged together they would represent a half-block of prime [Read more…] about Upzoning Sought For W 7th Street Sites

The Dinner Detective: Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Show Comes to Downtown Austin

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Update 2/20/2011: Check out their Facebook Page!

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Want to eat a four-course meal AND solve a fictional murder?  Well, pretty soon, you’ll be able to do just that in downtown Austin.  The Dinner Detective, an interactive dinner theatre concept originating in Los Angeles, is coming to Austin this month.

Last week, I sat down and briefly spoke with Mike McLendon, one of the Executive Producers of the show.  After graduation from UT a few years ago, Mike moved to LA to pursue acting.  He fell in with the crew of The Dinner Detective, and began acting in their LA shows.  According to Mike, the show concept was so popular, the owner decided to, in essence, [Read more…] about The Dinner Detective: Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Show Comes to Downtown Austin

W Hotel Residences Begins Closings In January As Downtown Austin Condo Sales Rise Higher

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The most significant downtown Austin condo news from January must be the first closings at the W Hotel Residences (aka Block 21 Residences).  The W is the last of the luxury high rises to open, and these closings represent a significant milestone for the downtown Austin building boom.  Naturally, the proud new owners are taking possession from the lower floors going up.  Occupancy is permitted up to the 24th floor, currently.  Prices at the W Hotel Residences are firmly placed into our “top-tier” category with starting prices at [Read more…] about W Hotel Residences Begins Closings In January As Downtown Austin Condo Sales Rise Higher

It’s Snowing In Austin

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Woke up to an inch of snow on the ground!  I felt like a kid in a candy store as we took a walk on the trail.  Part of the fun is that such small amount of snow can shut down much of the city.  Snow day!