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Austin Details Art Gallery & My First Piece Of Real Art

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News about destinations on the north end of Congress Avenue just keeps coming.  First, an office tower at 907 Congress.  Second, the Hogg building could become a boutique hotel could.  Third, there is a new art gallery opening – Austin Details – on E 8th Street, just west of Congress Avenue.

The space is well suited to showcasing artists and hosting workshops.  We checked out the soft opening this past Saturday.  Supposedly, taking photos in a gallery is a no-no, (I didn’t know, I swear.  Bloggers beware!) but I got permish, and below are two of my favorites from the collection.

Expect the grand opening in a few weeks.

by Phillip Wade

Two from the *Buddha Series* by Shannon Hamann – http://shannonhamannstudioart.com/

My first piece of real art hangs above my office (by Shannon Hamann)

Deconstruction @ 201 W. 5th Street

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Clearing the way for a new, and much needed hotel in downtown Austin, 201 W. 5th has been demolished. The concept, “1 Hotel” was announced last September and is being designed by BOKA Powell.

What is not clear is when construction of the hotel will begin, leaving many people concerned about the blight of more surface level parking.

Below are photos taken over the past few days showing the incremental demolition of the old building.

Photo courtesy of Chris Bradford (click image for article)

5 MAJOR ISSUES OF CONCERN ABOUT THE “BOARDWALK” PROJECT

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Part 2 of 2 Parts (click here to read Part 1 – The Overview of the project and its design)

1. It is not a “boardwalk”. Look closely. It is an elevated concrete human highway. 14-feet wide, 6-feet above the water, up to 70 feet out from shore. Built of concrete and steel. Out over the open waters of our beautiful and naturally pristine lake/river.

Existing LBL Trail in front of Hyatt Hotel

2. Cheaper alternatives exist. Either fully on land, closer to land, or a combination of both. With specifications that start with the minimum specs of the existing Trail: the Hyatt Regency segment, 5 to 6 feet wide, between the First Street and Congress Avenue bridges. This CAN be built across nearly the entire 1.2 mile stretch. For far less cost. However the necessary analysis and conceptual design work has never been done. The necessary conversations have never been had.

3. The “full project cost” could actually be over $20 million. Nearly $4.3 million has already been allocated toward consultants and design over the past two years out of existing city budgets of which $2.4 million has been spent or obligated to date. Plus the $16 million more now sought for construction. All for 1.2 miles of roadway. This road should be paved with gold.

Existing LBL Trail pedestrian crossing over Longhorn Dam

4. This project does not “complete” the trail gap. It will lead users east along the shoreline to the Longhorn Dam. That dam has a narrow and dangerous sidewalk crossing – where two strollers can barely pass each other over the Dam – alongside heavy traffic flow on Pleasant Valley Road. Clearly a “Pfluger-style” pedestrian bridge needs to be built parallel to the west side of the dam. A very expensive bridge. Then there is another “gap” on the North Shore around the former Holly Power Plant. Those segments? Not addressed.

5. The cleverly packaged and named “Boardwalk” is itself a hazardous solution for the need it is trying to fill and the improved safety it is attempting to yield. True, the existing sidewalk-based trail routing along Riverside Drive has a challenging crossing at IH-35 and some close proximity to road traffic. Interestingly, though, no ped-bike-vehicle accidents statistics have ever been produced. Folks know they must be very careful getting through there. But the 14-foot wide Boardwalk over-design intentionally promotes high-speed, two-abreast, bicycle traffic…in two directions…out over the open river waters…in direct conflict with pedestrians, strollers, wheelchairs, dog-walkers, and others who would also be on the same pathway. There is nowhere to jump out of the way of danger. There is no easy way to reach injured parties. There is no shade out in the open water.

Some folks have been asking how this project came to be?  Good question.  Please read on…

[Read more…] about 5 MAJOR ISSUES OF CONCERN ABOUT THE “BOARDWALK” PROJECT

The New Capitol Complex Vision – What Else Is So Important About This?

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As a clued-in DAB reader, hopefully you already know about the recent announcement of a very exciting vision and plan to potentially redevelop some 20 or so blocks of Downtown Austin land  surrounding the Capitol.  It’s land owned by the State, most of it terribly underutilized and poorly built out today.  The plan could transform the area into as much a 7 million square feet of new office and mixed use space.

Info on the plan has been well covered by both the Austin Chronicle and the Statesman.  And Chris Bradford does a nice job of discussing the economic impact aspects in his Austin Contrarian blog.  Obviously getting so many blocks onto the tax rolls would be a huge boost to the local economy while also bringing alive the virtual “dead zone” of downtown space between the Capitol and UT.

But the one further exciting possibility to work into this equation that I have not seen explored yet: the opportunity for new housing.  AFFORDABLE HOUSING, to be specific.

This has started to be investigated somewhat as part of the planning work being done around the Waller Creek Tunnel & Redevelopment project.  Now, this Capitol redevelopment plan raises the possibility of really connecting these pieces into a solution of great possibilities.

The target properties are all those hideous parking garages that line San Jacinto and Trinity streets.

And the target population to serve should be:  State office workers, of course.  But also downtown service and support industry workers like bar and restaurant staff, hotel housekeepers, retail clerks, musicians and artists.  And also UT and ACC students, too (that would help take some pressure off of over-development of multi-unit housing along the East Riverside corridor where the EROC Neighborhood Association is fighting for survival of what SFR neighborhoods they have left).

Jude is better qualified than I to comment about the supply versus demand of half-million-dollar-plus condos within the CBD,  But I am a business owner who works in and close to the aforementioned “service and support” infrastructure that provides downtown with its excitement, vibrancy and great economic vitality in this area.

In that capacity I can say that we have a massive missed opportunity right now to build out a whole neighborhood of mid-rise,  mixed-use buildings that has as its core focus affordable housing.  I’m talking smaller studio, 1BR and 2BR rental units that can lease for $500-$1,000 per month.

That would give us places to house our critical service industry workers, students and state office support staff within walking distance of the places where they work, study and play the rest of their dayparts.  Right now, these folks are having to live in far north or south Austin, thus adding to the traffic congestion on local roads or having to add hour-long bus rides in two directions to their already long and hard days.  (Not that Cap Metro runs any bus service after midnight when loads of these folks get off of work or leave our multiple downtown entertainment districts.)

If you would like to see and hear more about the Capitol Redevelopment vision/plan, the Downtown Austin Alliance is hosting a forum next week — June 3rd, 7:30am — where you can have a close up look and hear directly from the folks involved with the project.  It’s early in the morning but you can do it!  🙂  Free and open to the public but an RSVP is requested to make sure there are enough breakfast tacos and OJ on hand to reward your attendance.  Details can be found here.

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WHAT: Downtown Austin Alliance, Issues & Eggs Breakfast Forum
TOPIC: Capitol Complex Redevelopment Plan
WHEN: Thursday, June 3, 2010; 7:30am breakfast, 8:00am presentation
WHERE: St. David’s Episcopal Church, Sumner Hall, San Jacinto betw. 7th & 8th
RSVP by June 1 to:  rsvp@downtownaustin.com  or call (512) 381-6270

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Waller Creek Tunnel Project TIF Analysis

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Last week’s meeting of the Waller Creek Citizens Advisory Committee hosted an update on the Tax Increment Financing district that was established to fund the construction of the Waller Creek tunnel.  Below is a summary of Q&A between WCCAC and Leslie Browder with the City Budget office

Waller Creek District Master Plan - Open Spaces


1. How much land is in the TIF (acres)?
TIF Reinvestment Zone No. 17 includes approximately 126 acres.

2. What are the geographic boundaries of the district?

The boundaries of the zone are within the area bounded on the west by Red River Street from 12th Street south to 3rd Street, then west along 3rd Street to Trinity Street, then south along Trinity Street to Lady Bird Lake; on the south by Lady Bird Lake from Trinity Street east to Cummings Street, then east along Cummings Street to East Avenue; on the east by East Avenue from Cummings Street north to the south bound access road of IH-35, then along said access road north to 11th Street, then west along 11th Street to Sabine Street, and north along Sabine Street to Red River Street; and on the north by 12th Street between Sabine Street and Red River Street.

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