Search Results for: rainey

Will The MACC Build A Tower In The Rainey Street District?

Jude Galligan | November 25, 2009 |

It’s called Nahua Tower, and it’s a mixed-use tower design by Bercy Chen Studio. “Bold” is an appropriate adjective to describe this design. Perhaps this is simply a conceptual exercise. But, if this or something like it were to ever get built, I believe it could be a showpiece for the city. Click the image and you’ll be taken to the Bercy Chen website where you can watch video of virtual ‘fly overs’ of the rendered building.

nahua_tower_from_townlake — Nahua Tower Design By Bercy Chen Studio, Background Rendering by Mopacs @ SkyscraperPage

The Nahua Tower is being designed in collaboration with the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) in Austin Texas. The tower will be built as an annex to the existing cultural center and provide an extension to the MACC’s existing facilities as well as residential condominiums. The base of the tower contains event, retail, and restaurant spaces, while the upper 28 floors are primarily residential condominiums.

The project takes inspiration from pre-colombian pyramidal architecture and incorporates these vernacular precedents into a modern tower using many traditional materials such as copper, onyx, and pit-house style bermed construction.

Thanks to KevinFromTexas for the heads up – the Nahua Tower concept/vision has been on the books for a while now.

Bars On Rainey Street

Jude Galligan | September 8, 2009 |

Click here for more recent DAB articles covering the Rainey Street neighborhood.

Over the weekend I was walking down Rainey Street and decided to collect photos of the explosion of TABC application permits. It’s worth pointing out again our belief that downtown Austin has an “over saturation of bars” to quote Tom Stacy at today’s RECA luncheon. Single nighttime only uses would be short sighted, and will fail to tap into the consumer demands of the 858+ residences in the Rainey Street neighborhood. Of course, TABC application posts do not indicate that the venue will just be a bar – the venue is just as likely to be a restaurant or cafe.

Below is a complete list of burgeoning Rainey Street venues. DAB readers, please use the comments to fill in any details you know about these venues.

[Link to recent Statesman article]

“El Naranjito”
85 Rainey Street
application only

“Container Bar”
90 Rainey Street
application only

“96”
96 Rainey Street
under construction (link)

“Lustre Pearl”
97 Rainey Street
open for business

“Clive Bar”
609 Davis Street
application + under construction

-Jude

Rainey Street: Right Place Right Time

Jude Galligan | August 24, 2009 |

The Statesman gets the details on the evolving Rainey Street district. As DAB reported on Lustre Pearl and Clive Bar, Lustre Pearl sets just the right tone for the unique tree lined street with CBD zoned bungalow homes. The opportunity on Rainey Street is for more diverse uses including restaurants and coffee shops that leverage the charm of the street. This make sense in a down real estate market. There is little likelihood of any major building taking advantage of the CBD zoning within the next five years. Now, property owners have incentive to lease the properties to entrepreneurs like Bridget Dunlap who will rehab the existing structure and make the neighborhood more desirable.

I’m most looking forward to “96” – “In October, Dunlap plans to open 96, as in 96 Rainey St., across the street from Lustre Pearl in another 1907 house. It will serve beer, wine, coffee, pizza and other items.”

-Jude

Rainey Street Update: New Venue Spotted

Jude Galligan | June 18, 2009 |

Clive Bar mid-rehab — Rainey Street Rehab

Walking down Rainey Street earlier this morning, I spotted this TABC announcement on the corner of Rainey and Davis. My understanding is the proprietor is none other than Bridget Dunlap, who also brought us Lustre Pearl. Looks like she has big plans for Rainey Street.

I’m excited to see Rainey Street evolve in this way: rehab old houses, keep the trees, very walkable. It will be interesting to see what the Clive Bar concept turns into. I’m generally of the opinion that Downtown Austin doesn’t need for more bars. How about a restaurant/bakery/cafe during the day to serve the thousands of residents at the end of the street?

-Jude

Lustre Pearl on Rainey Street

Jude Galligan | April 23, 2009 |

Two evenings ago, we decided to take stroll down to Lady Bird Lake. We headed south from the Sabine and as we crossed Cesar Chavez we recalled another Sabine resident had clued us in to a cool new venue called Lustre Pearl. Set at the entrance to the old-house-commercially-zoned madness that is Rainey Street, Lustre Pearl is the perfect setting for its downtown Austin location. Sitting a couple of blocks away from thousands of residents currently and soon to be living in the southeast quadrant of downtown Austin.

Inside you’re greeted to a stripped down old house with the original floors and window transoms. Outside you have lounge seating and bistro tables surrounded by a artistic metal fence. The outdoor ping-pong table is the perfect touch for Austin.

What’s really special about Lustre Pearl is that it’s removed from the traditional bar/lounge districts. Reminds me of Spider House, but without the coffee. Which brings me to the only suggestion I have for Lustre Pearl: be a cafe, too!

-Jude

Lustre Pearl

Thanks to Theresa at the Sabine for the tip!