Search Results for: austonian

Big News for Rainey Street District

Jude Galligan | May 3, 2013 |

By now you might have read the breaking news that the Sutton Co. is proposing to build a three-tower complex (including a 65 story tower!) across the street from Iron Works BBQ, with a tower that would be taller than the Austonian.

What you may not realize yet is that Rainey Center, the dual tower project that was supposed to encompass up to 50 stories each, and include up to 1,000 apartments and condos, next door to the Lustre Pearl in Rainey Street, is dead as envisioned… BUT will be replaced by a new concept.

Wally Scott and Mac Pike – aka the Sutton Co. – have sold the 2-acre site to subsidiary of the Houston-based Dinerstein Companies. This information was buried in the last paragraph in a blockbuster story the Statesman published about a larger than life deal around the block.

According to information posted over at the SkyscraperPage forum, alleged to be taken from city records, Dinerstein is scrapping the dual tower concept for an eight-story mixed use building with an internal parking garage.

That’s a major let down, IMO. Austin has no shortage of squat beige buildings. Hopefully the new proposal will retain some ‘wow’ factor.

Maybe it just didn’t make sense from a traffic management standpoint to have that much of a draw right off the Cesar Chavez and I-35 access road, and in any case enables Sutton Co. to get capital for an even more inspiring, legacy project.

Still, once people start absorbing this information, it could instill a sense of skepticism about the Sutton Co.’s latest proposal. It wasn’t long ago – after all – that the Statesman broke news about the Rainey Center project (now Dinerstein is reducing the scope), just like it is doing now with the Waller Center project. Even the Statesman’s Shonda Novak — perennial cheerleader of Austin development — put a caveat in the first line her story about Waller Center of “if it happens”.

The details on the Waller Center project are as follows:

$500 million project
3 acres at East Cesar Chavez and Red River streets near Waller Creek.
Condos/Hotel tower – 65 floors
Apartment tower – 35 to 45 floors
Office tower – 17 to 20 floors
Proposed groundbreaking – mid to late 2014.

We’d love to see this one happen and reflect the vision below. It would be a huge boon to downtown, specifically the Waller Creek District. Cheers to ambitious thinking.

Austin’s Top Ten Coffee Shops: 2013

dab | May 1, 2013 |

UPDATE: We’ve posted our updated list of Austin’s Best Coffee Shops for 2015

[Guest post by DAB Contributor, Jacob Dirr]

Preamble: For years I secretly scoffed at what I perceived to be pseudo-intellectuals reading or working in coffee shops. You know who I’m talking about: Frasier Crane types who say things like “preamble” “scoff” and “perceive.”

Then about two years ago today, I quit my day job and struck out as a contractor, in the process developing an appreciation for coffee shops. To me, it is a place to get work done, but do so close enough to humanity that I don’t feel like a hermit. It needs three things: free wi-fi, coffee and seats to qualify as a “coffee shop” in my book (Caveat: I drink black coffee. It makes me feel like Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, whatever that means.)

Here are my personal top picks in Austin.

Dominican Joe

Nestled into a little shopping plaza on the south shore of the Colorado River, DomJoe is my go-to joint for breakfast meetings or getting work done on my laptop. Although it can get a little crowded, there is usually a seat available. It is a good balance between being vibrant, but calm enough to focus. To reap the full rewards, come on a nice day and enjoy the outdoor patio (where you can smoke, if you are a smoker-writer). The line is not always the quickest, especially when customers want a sexy drink. However, the employees are all totally cool, down-to-earth folks. Overhead music is usually a chill mix, and the coffee is good enough to drink. They sell Taco Deli tacos, which hands down are the best breakfast tacos in town, if not a little pricey. They also sell other food. Pro-tip: If parking is full, head south on Congress (opposite direction of downtown). Not far away there is free on-street parking at the Texas School for the Deaf.

Caffé Medici

Caffé Medici has multiple locations, but the one I frequent most often is on the ground floor of the Austonian condos. (Finding it is easy: 1) Locate Austin skyline, or if you are downtown then simply look up. 2) Identify the tallest freaking building in Austin. 3) Travel there by car, bike or foot.)

The atmosphere at each Caffé Medici varies by location. Even though I most often go to the one in the Austonian, I do so out of convenience more than anything. The vibe there is okay, the patrons and the employees are not unfriendly, but are often are too cool to smile. The coffee is hands down the best I’ve found in Austin, and among the best I’ve had anywhere. In addition, the upstairs seating is very often chill and a great place to get work done or whathaveyou. Pro tip: For a traditional “coffee shop” experience, visit the Medici in West Lynn. For a college vibe, visit Guadalupe. (Ed note: The coffee there is Cuvee Coffee, from a local Austin roaster. Props to Cuvee for providing a product that rocks.)

Summermoon Coffee

Summermoon’s shtick is wood fire-roasted beans. It adds a distinctive flavor to their brews, which is pleasant, but not good enough to warrant a special trip to buy beans to brew at home. They sell an assortment of food items. I’ve only tried out the breakfast tacos, which are edible if you’re hungry in the morning, but not especially tasty. Summermoon is a super place to hunker down with a laptop though, and the outdoor deck is a great place to have a conversation during the cool mornings. In particular, I tend to come here every time a good friend visits from Ohio, and find that our best time together is spent bull-crapping with coffee on the porch. Pro tip: Invite someone to join you, set up camp on the comfy rattan outdoor furniture, caffeinate and get to know them better.

Whole Foods

Blasphemy. I know. If I wanted to drink coffee to fund publicly-traded corporations, I might as well join the Republican Party. But hear me out. Whole Foods has all the hallmarks of a coffee shop: tables, coffee, wi-fi, young people. Whole Foods is a great place to people watch, probably one of the best places in Austin, and people watching is also among the reasons people go to “coffee shops.” It’s a place I go to work when I want to feel connected to humanity, but when going to a typical coffee shop feels a bit too Strong Sad. The downtown Austin flagship Whole Foods is accessible by bike or car, and offers a plethora of outdoor and indoor seating options. Coffee and food are also good. Pro tip: Find a seat in view of the escalator and document the absurd variety of people who buy expensive organic food.

Thunderbird (on Manor)

Thunderbird Coffee (there is another one up north, too) is about as hipster as I can tolerate, but adds points for people watching elements. Unlike some other coffee shops, Thunderbird sells beer too, which makes it an equal-opportunity place to meet-up with someone to brainstorm, flirt or collaborate. They offer good food (Taco Deli tacos here too) and the coffee is also good enough to drink. This place, more than any other on the list, has a regular live-music line up. This is a good and bad thing depending on your objectives for the visit. Fortunately, there are outdoor picnic tables which can offer peace and quiet, weather permitting. Pro tip: If you just moved to Austin, visit a Thunderbirds, snag one of their logo tickers and slap it on the top of the laptop clamshell. You’re a “local” now and permitted to talk trash about all the people moving here.

Cherrywood Coffeehouse

Cherrywood is often very crowded parking-wise. If you live in anywhere in the upper east side relative to downtown you can get there comfortably by bike. Cherrywood has coffee, beer and legit food. I seldom do work here, but what makes it standout is the atmosphere. The two or three large palm trees in the gravel-lined courtyard transport you to another place, someplace tropical, where Hunter Thompson and Earnest Hemmingway would hang out. When the weather hits that supreme zone of 70 to 85 degrees fahrenheit and it is sunny, do yourself a favor and visit. If you are too anxious to relax, then get a little drunk. If you are too depressed to feel appreciative, then get caffeinated. Pro tip: Bring a notepad, so you can jot down ideas know you will never follow-through on.

Curra’s Grill

Located on East Oltorf between I-35 and Congress, in an area practically impenetrable without a car, Curra’s offers homemade Tex-Mex food, and probably better qualifies on a Tex-Mex restaurant list than coffee shop list. However, it offers free wi-fi and covered outdoor seating and superb coffee, so I’m counting it as a coffee house. It’s a great place to eat a little breakfast, and putz-around on your tablet of choice on a lazy weekend morning. Behind Café Medici, they offer the best cup of Joe in Austin. Unlike Café Medici, refills are on the house and the employees are not indignant. I don’t know who makes the coffee, but I’ll drink enough to have a heart murmur. Enough said. Pro-tip: There is overflow parking somewhere nearby. Not sure where, though.

Austin Java (multiple locations)

Austin Java is an Austin staple, primarily because it was clever enough to incorporate “Austin” into its name before Austin was a global brand. I can’t say a lot about it, other than there are multiple locations, plenty of outdoor seating, beer, coffee, wi-fi, good service and good, filling food options. Austin Java is like a CD investment: safe, stable, but not super exciting. If you’re risk adverse or short on patience, Austin Java is a safe bet. Pro tip: keep an eye on the artwork at Austin Java, and you might have an experience like Jude did.

La Peña

Technically a museum, La Peña is the antithesis of the modern snobbishness, and it is serendipitous that it is across from the Austonian Caffé Medici downtown. For starters, they only take cash. La Peña has coffee, but it is pot-brewed and of gas station quality, served in styrophom cup. However, its saving grace is the breakfast tacos are tasty and hella-cheap, something like $1.17 after tax. Pro tip: Grab a coffee at Café Medici, walk across the street and get tacos at La Peña, sit on bus stop bench outside and enjoy.

Lavazza

Lavazza is among the newest editions to the downtown coffee shop landscape, and is a franchise of an Italian company. There are shirtless men photos on the wall. However, don’t not check it out because it isn’t very “Austin”. (Double negatives, anyone?) The local franchise owner is as Austin as you can get: 24-year-old Christina Hales, an entrepreneur who graduated from St. Edwards University down the way. If you are a pastry fiend, this is the place to go, they make all their offerings from scratch in the back and on Saturday mornings they are coming out of the oven, onto the display rack and can happily end up in your stomach. Pro tip: Park downtown in the San Jacinto Capitol Visitors garage for free, walk to Lavazza, get a coffee and pastry, then walk back up to the Capitol and enjoy the best public space in Austin.

More Downtown Austin Apartment & Condo Projects Emerging

Jude Galligan | February 19, 2013 |

It seems like almost every direction we look around downtown Austin, construction cranes are deployed, helping concrete and steel skeletons reach to the sky. Notably the JW Marriott hotel, across from the Austonian, has three cranes in place and will soon take shape. But that’s just the newly visible construction: in and around downtown Austin there’s upwards of 8 million square feet of construction planned or underway.

Sometimes we forget to look outside of the downtown core. Still, there on the far wings of downtown Austin, even more construction is (literally) on the horizon and DAB is here to give you a first look.

North Shore Lofts
More Rainey Street District development is on the way, joining the Sutton Towers, Austin Skyhouse and the (perpetually-stalled) Hotel Van Zandt. Not much is known at this point, but a new multifamily development is planned on a vacant plot of land on the north shore, next to the Holiday Inn right by I-35.

If built, the views of Lady Bird Lake would be incredible (and protected).

This site, addressed 16 North I-35, was rezoned from downtown mixed-use (DMU) to central business district (CBD) in 2005, and at the time was owned by Tom Calhoon, of Calhoon Properties.

Coming Soon: "North Shore Lofts" — Coming Soon: “North Shore Lofts”

West Campus Apartments
Don’t be fooled by the name, this project, at 17th and Guadalupe is not actually in “West Campus“, and is also planned to have condos. Since as long as I can remember, this area near the Dog and Duck Pub, is one of the most run-down areas remaining in downtown, with a lot of properties sitting idly in disrepair.

Last time this site was anything productive it was an Arby’s.

Hopefully, this project will spur additional redevelopment of the low-density legacy buildings all around here. A few blocks north, the UT School of Business is building a new center next to the Player’s Club, which will also expand the AT&T Conference center, which might help energize the area, too.

-Jude

1715 gdlp current — Coming Soon: “West Campus Apartments”

Brass House to Open in Downtown Austin Convention Center District This Friday

AG | February 6, 2013 |

The little 100 block of San Jacinto has seen a little turn-over recently. Hank’s Garage, which had been vacant for some time, was recently taken over by a concept called El Ceviche Grill, and the bar that was Skinny’s Ballroom – which closed not too long ago (and we here at DAB were pretty sad, we had been rooting for them) – has a new concept coming in called Brass House (website looks to be in progress).

I’ve been surprised at the lack of success at some of the places in the general area, considering the hotel & convention traffic coupled with nearby high-rises such as The Four Season’s Residences, The Austonian, and the Rainey Trio of The Shore Condos, The Milago, and Towers of Town Lake. Perhaps sky-high rent and massive competition have been too much for many of these small operators.

Either way, I’m intrigued by Brass House. Describing itself on its Facebook page as a Jazz House, Wine Bar, and Gastropub concept, the finish-out looks in keeping with catering to a higher-end clientele and they are touting that food such as “Dolmas, hummus, pickles, paninis, salads, charcuterie boards” will be “All made from scratch in house or bought from a local family owned source….”.

Here’s a picture of some of the decor that captures the general vibe of the place.

Brass House is supposed to open this Friday, February 8, at 4pm. I’ll likely walk by to check it out and I’ll be sure to update this post with my thoughts!

Why Are Prices Surging At The Railyard Condos?

Jude Galligan | January 25, 2013 |

The Railyard condos are unique. The two low-rise buildings sit on two of the best sites in downtown Austin, and have usually been more affordable than the newer, sexier high-rises. Part of the appeal is location: situated across from the Austin Convention Center, 100 feet from the MetroRail, one block from Congress Avenue, three blocks from competing luxury towers, the Austonian and Four Seasons. The Railyard has enviable proximity to most anything in downtown Austin.

Remember last year’s NIMBY fury over Austin’s Short Term Rental ordinance (pdf)?

You would be in good company if you assumed that all of downtown Austin’s condos and apartments were making money on STRs.

You would be wrong, though.

Downtown condos have home owners associations (HOAs). HOAs have rules, and in downtown Austin those rules are usually antagonistic to short term rentals. Breaking those rules could result in a $1000 per day fine by the HOAs. Despite the fact that the STR ordinance does not regulate apartments and condominiums, last year’s fight with the City of Austin to regulate STRs wasn’t going to impact most of us living in downtown because of these HOA rules. [UPDATE: rules have been revised to cap STR permits in CBD multi-family buildings at 25%]

The Railyard condos are very, very unique.

This past November, just a month after Austin’s new Short Term Rental ordinance took effect, an enterprising Railyard owner recognized the Railyard’s bylaws did not forbid short term rentals and put together a fund to purchase several units.

The investment rationale is simple: opening up your condo as a vacation-rental-by-owner (aka. VRBO) during SXSW, ACL, F1 (just to name just the big opportunities, not to mention conventions) can yield more rent during those events than the total rent from a typical 12 month lease! Same for Railyard owner-occupants who can lease their place out for a few nights, take a vacation, and make a couple thousand bucks.

The economics of Railyard ownership shifted overnight. Word quickly spread to the owners and a handful of Austin Realtors. In the previous year (Nov 2011 – Nov 2012), 1bd/1ba units at the Railyard condos were trading at an average of $285/foot, and units with at least 2bd/2ba units were trading at an average of $275/foot. [UPDATE: one year after posting this article, the last recorded MLS sale at Railyard was a building record $415/foot]

Going forward, expect sale prices at the Railyard condos to be 20-25% more than last year, reflecting the new economics of embracing downtown short term rentals. Owner-occupants are getting in on the action, too.

Offering the flexibility to lease your condo on a short term basis is a privilege that makes the Railyard unique among downtown condos. This privilege has significant value.

STRs can be a win-win for owners and associations. The key is balance and monitoring the impact on residents.

The Railyard HOA is smart to approach STRs with reasonableness and attach fees to the process. These extra fees will help fund their operations, building improvements, and keep HOA dues low for homeowners. Homeowners, who are also able to capitalize on their property.

I’ll stop short of advocating that all downtown buildings should permit STRs – I don’t agree with that. However, there are several buildings that should be paying attention to what the Railyard is doing. It seems reasonable for more HOAs to experiment with loosening their STR rules, monitor the process, use the money for building improvements, and course correct as needed.

-Jude

[updated 06/01/2014: It has been discovered that Brazos Place Condos at 8th Street & Brazos Street is doing something similar by permitting one-month minimum lease terms.]