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Friday June 25th: I-35 Makeover Groundbreaking Ceremony

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PROJECT BACKGROUND & FACT SHEET

In 2004, a diverse group of citizens, businesses, and neighborhood leaders formed the I-35 Makeover Coalition to help transform this area into a public asset. They began working for a safe, clean and attractive gateway reconnecting downtown to East Austin. This area was a broad boulevard called Eastside Drive until postwar era, when IH-35 was built over it in a series of elevated and buried sections.

The Makeover Coalition provided the support necessary to improve this connection between downtown and the east side of Austin. The coalition obtained a grant of $250,000 from Keep Austin Beautiful (KAB) to help fund the landscape portion.

City Council approved two funding sources for this project. They first approved a resolution in March, 2005 explicitly supporting the use of parking revenue from the City-managed IH-35 parking lots for the IH-35 Makeover Project. In March of 2007, City Council passed a resolution setting aside $1.5 million to be provided by the future issuance of non-tax supported certificates of obligation.

These funding sources have allowed the City to move forward with the IH-35 Makeover Project, which will include reconstructing the parking lot areas, with curb and gutters to improve drainage in the area. The concrete will be cleaned, signs removed and replaced, and specialty lighting fixtures will enhance the safety, comfort, and aesthetics of the area.

The lighting project will be done through the City’s Art in Public Places Program and will be programmed LED lights in arches over the parking lots. A computer-generated illumination will create a show as well as create safe lighting.

The project is expected to start in June and take approximately seven months, at which time TXDot will begin the landscape improvements funded through the KAB grant.

More of DAB’s coverage of the I-35 Makeover

PARD vs. Pease Park

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I’m REALLY late to the discussion on this.  A neighbor was chatting about Pease Park losing disc golf. So I pulled up the Statesman article from June 3rd.  WOW!  I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

I don’t even play disc golf, but I was left speechless for a minute.  Disc golf is one of the reasons Pease Park is a destination.  Activity is what draws people into parks.  Think about Waterloo Park – little activity, little use, taken over by vagrancy.  As best as I could tell, PARD made an executive decision [with little to no public input] to remove the disc golf course.

I’m normally sympathetic to PARD’s challenges and the hard decisions they need to make to keep Austin’s parks clean and accessible for the citizens of Austin.  But, this decision truly baffles me.  It’s frustrating to see reasons cited like “compacted soil” as sufficient cause to eliminate one of the best nontraditional uses of public space, something that is core to the spirit [and brand] of Austin, IMO.

I love this quote from Matt Odam’s post...

“The city should consider shutting down the Arboretum and tearing up the parking lots so there is much less runoff into Shoal Creek…”

A Concrete Human Highway IN Our River? No. YES! And Why You Oughtta Care

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Part 1 of 2 Parts – The Overview

If you browsed the Austin American-Statesman or Austin Business Journal yesterday, no doubt you saw the headlines:

“$16 million boardwalk leads Austin bond proposal. City releases draft list of $84.8 million in transportation projects for possible November election.” (AAS)

“City unveils $85M bond package” (ABJ)

At first glance, it might sound like an appealing proposition, this Boardwalk project.  What’s not to like?

A sample "Boardwalk" you may envision.
Or maybe something like this.

The term “boardwalk” itself conjures up images of a pretty little wooden footbridge traversing burbling creeks and meandering through soggy sections of beautiful dense forest.  It’s a project of the Parks Department, and we all do love our parks, yes?

Finding a way to “extend” Downtown Austin’s wonderful riverfront hike-bike path through one of the sections where it currently follows a narrow sidewalk along a busy road, Riverside Drive — well, that sounds like a no-brainer, too, right?  At least to those of us who frequent the Town Lake Trail multiple times a week.

(Sidenote for those of you paying attention: City Council changed the name of the urban portion of the river from Town Lake to Lady Bird Lake after the former First Lady and Trail Founder passed away in 2007.  The name of “the simple walking path along the shore” that she envisioned back in 1971 is still called the Town Lake Trail in Parks Department materials.  Hard to tell what to properly call it.)

And $85 million, though it’s a big number for a still-sluggish economic recovery, nevertheless is a comparatively small chunk of change when you apply that spend against a truckload of “transportation projects”.  Concrete and asphalt don’t come cheap.

To find the serious problems in this equation I’m afraid there’s no substitute for having to dive into the details.  As with so many of life’s problems and issues, that’s where the devil is hiding.  Let’s take a look.

First off there’s the topline math.  $16 million for a single project — one that is a luxury add and carries no financial ROI with it — out of a total $85 million bonding capacity.  That’s almost one-fifth of the total ask!  For just one project.  According to the ABJ story, the Transportation Department and the Bond Review Task Force were charged with evaluating 500 projects that had to be divided into “A,” “B” and “C” categories.

The “A” list of “highest priority” projects added up to about 45 and still carried an estimated total cost between $2 billion and $3 billion, three to four times the total bonding capacity.  Somehow the Boardwalk, in its totality, made it to the further shortened list of  “A” projects left standing.  What about the other 480 or so projects?  What about all the other regions of the city and their transportation, sidewalk, pothole and trail needs?

Then there is the matter of the Boardwalk project itself.  While it hasn’t been an entirely secretive endeavor, its details have been less than well publicized or understood by the broad Austin citizenry, that’s for sure.  For the past three years, this project has been marching its determined way through the city conceptual and design process, rubber-stamped by two unanimous city councils every step of the way, and fueled by almost $4.3 million in dedicated allocations out of the past couple city budgets.  For the past year, that’s been a reported spend rate of about $40,000 per week for consultants, plans and documentation.

Next let’s check out this purported Boardwalk and find out what it’s really made of using the City’s own slides from its presentation decks.  The following pictures are quite self-explanatory.

Shock.

Gasp.

Horror.

What?

How can this be?

There are no boards in this boardwalk!

The entire battleship structure is made of concrete and steel!

And it’s out IN the friggin’ river!

And that, friends, is how we end up with something like THIS rather than the “simple walking path along the shore” that Lady Bird Johnson had sought.

Can’t help but wonder: what would she think of all this?

Though about a year out of date now, what information the city has provided on this project can be found here.  There is some bare bones stuff there about the proposed routing, construction materials and answers to about 20 FAQs. Check it out.

In Part 2 of this story I’ll tell you about:  The Top 5 Issues of Concern about the Boardwalk project.
Finally, in Part 3 we’ll contemplate some other realities about our crown jewel community asset, the Town Lake Trail, that may finally be time to come to grips with: bicycles vs. pedestrians.

Big River Cleanup This Sunday AM

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Hey Downtown pals — How about using a couple hours of your time this Sunday morning to help clean up the shores of Lady Bird Lake after the recent rains?

One option is to walk the edge of the waterline and pickup trash from the land. If you’d like to work it from the water itself, canoes and kayaks are also available (loaned by our local schools/clubs).

Trash bags and grabbers are provided at several staging areas along the river. The whole event is organized by Keep Austin Beautiful with help from the Sierra Club and many others.

Full details and registration can be found here.

It’s a great way to meet like-minded new folks and know that you are doing some true good for our water-loving lifestyle in Austin. There’s much more to the overall event that you can read about on the KAB link. See you there!

ArtHouse Has Some History

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Chris Lynn at Republic of Austin has some cool back story to the renovations taking place at the ArtHouse.

Before it was the boxy ArtHouse, the block at 700 Congress had a couple of other significant iterations. The building, erected in 1851, was the first 3-story brick building in Austin. For 70 years it  was a silver/high-ends goods store, law office and drug store. In 192o, it underwent its first renovation to become the Queen Theater.

I’m struck by the similarity of design that Lerner Shops had with Buttrey’s on W 6th.  The clean mid-century modern architectural lines seem to include: brick facade, three stories, wall of glass on the ground floor, metal awning/canopy.  Cool!

I-35 Makeover Site Plan

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WCCAC was just emailed a site plan for the I-35 Makeover.  You’ll recall this project has been lingering for years, but was formally approved and funded this past April.  We knew the parking layout would change, and now we have a better idea of what to expect.

Is this simply putting lipstick on a pig?  Yes, and it’s about time.  Any improvement that helps encourage the pedestrian connection between East Austin and downtown Austin is a worthy endeavor.

Photos From Downtown Austin Bike Tour

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Post ride on 2nd Street with DAB’s cycle crew: AG, Fred Schmidt, Greg Anderson, Jude Galligan
Elliott of A2W (and ride organizer) fitted me on this handmade city bike by WorkCycles.  Step through cruisers like this are perfect for city riding.

This past Saturday morning about 30 people met at Royal Blue Grocery for a casual ride of downtown Austin. We were able to showcase a a selection of residential condos that would give attendees a broad picture of what types of properties exist – Milago in the Rainey Street District sits on the hike and bike trail, Brazos Lofts is the best example of a genuine loft space, 904 West highlights the tree-canopy rich northwest district of downtown Austin.

Despite the incredible humidity, everyone had a great time, and the pace was just right.  Nobody got left behind, nor got too far ahead.  Thanks to the Elliot and his crew at Austin On Two Wheels for organizing the ride. Thanks to Bryan Cady, Roland Galang, Anna Anami, and Noa Levy for providing the real estate to preview.   Thanks to Greg Anderson for being on photo duty. Last, but not least, thanks to the local sponsors of the ride…

Royal Blue Grocery
Austin Java
Froots
Austin Car Share

[flickr-gallery mode=”photoset” photoset=”72157624233249000″]

FREE Electric Car Charging Stations Available!

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EVERY Downtown Austin condo tower and parking garage should apply to get one of these.  FREE while supplies last!

From the June 2nd Statesman story:  “Electric vehicles aren’t yet common on Austin roads. But recharging stations could start showing up on local streets and in home garages later this year.  A Silicon Valley-based company has received a $15 million federal stimulus grant to provide, for free, nearly 5,000 charging stations in Austin and eight other areas across the country. Businesses and homeowners alike can apply to receive one of the stations. Austin is one of nine regions serving as a kind of pilot for the charging stations.”  READ MORE HERE

Two Units At Milago, Two Buyers Will Go Home Happy

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An owner at Milago is trying to fire-sale two 2bd/2ba units.  This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants in on the burgeoning Rainey Street and Waterfront District.

Unit 423 – northwest corner unit with a great floor plan – was just this afternoon reduced by $40,000 to $305,000!   The other, unit #604, has a lake view and was also reduced by the same amount.

Interesting fact, #423 last sold for $382,500.

Jump on this, I’m predicting both will be pending by the weekend.  If interested, contact me.

-Jude

Reminder: Couple Important “Future of Downtown” Presentations – This Evening & Tomorrow Morning

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DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN TOWN HALL — Waterfront and Core District.  A final draft plan review and presentation by city officials before heading to City Council.

Will include:  District issues and priorities. Location, type, and mix of uses within the district, including priority uses. Development sites and projection of potential growth and capacity. Development standards (e.g., allowable and conditional uses, density, impervious cover, etc.). Form-based standards (related to building typologies, height, massing, setbacks, compatibility standards, ground level uses, parking and service treatments, etc.). Recommended density. Historic and Cultural Resources. Parks and open space improvements. Transportation and streetscape improvements. Infrastructure improvements. Implementation Program.  This is the whole “big picture” look for Downtown.

Wed, June 2nd, 5:30-8:00pm.  Waller Creek Center, 625 E.10th St, Room 104 (light refreshments served).

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DAA ISSUES & EGGS FORUM — The Capitol Complex Redevelopment Plan.  A conceptual overview and presentation by state officials.

The Texas Facilities Commission (TFC) has announced that it plans to re-imagine the future of state government’s presence in the heart of  Austin.  This new plan could triple the amount of space at the Capitol  complex, add 7  million square feet of space to downtown, and include joint development with private interests  where parking lots or garages currently exist.

Thur, June 3rd, 7:30-9:00am.  St. David’s Episcopal Church, Sumners Hall, 301 E.8th St (tacos, juice and coffee if you get there early).