downtown Austin's real estate and neighborhood blog
Now that the AMOA museum tower and the bazillion room Marriott are on indefinite hold, an unexpected opportunity has opened up for Downtown Austin’s proposed 21c museum/hotel/residences to consider pushing forward. 21c is making the mass-media rounds as of late. Last week 21c was featured on NPR. This morning 21c was featured on the Today show.
21c’s Cesar Chavez & Red River location is prime for participation (financial and design) in the Waller Creek Revitalization.
Austin’s 21c museum residences and hotel may be on hold for now, but this morning NPR gave a glowing review of the original concept in Louisville, Kentucky. The NPR story incorrectly states that the Austin 21c is under construction; however, Marriott’s decision to not build 1,000 hotel rooms should reflect favorably on 21c’s pro-formas. 21c was originally planned for development at the Whitley paper building on 3rd and San Jacinto, however, plans changed to locate the building(s) at Red River and Cesar Chavez, along Waller Creek.
Downtown Austin Entertainment District Still Has Room For Improvement – Part 1 of 3
Night time observations on the Entertainment District: Part 2 of 3
The effort to revitalize the Entertainment District is about recognizing problems and offering solutions. It is about a higher and better use of Austin’s historic landmarks. It’s about preventing decay. It’s about offering an array of services to the people who use the Entertainment District everyday. Adding more day time services is not a slippery slope to J Crews and Baby Gaps! This is about making the Entertainment District safe for everyone. This is about visitors leaving Austin with a more positive experience.
Flickr slideshow of day time photos
Day time tour
Saturday, November 22nd (11am-1pm)
Towards the end of Saturday’s day time tour, Marshall Jones (President of DANA) and I were standing on the northeast corner of 6th and Brazos sharing observations. We see a guy across the street. He’s wearing a Hawaiian shirt, picking up litter on the street, and putting it in the trash. Turns out this was John Erwin, owner of B.D. Rileys Pub. John had no idea that Marshall and I were watching him do this. We caught up with him and chatted for a few minutes. What I like about John, and people like John, is that he is proactive and doing right by our community. Kudos, John!
Yesterday, I posted about the revitalization study underway for Downtown Austin’s Entertainment District. Below are my observations from our night time tour.
Night time tour
Friday, November 20th, midnight – 3am.
The focus is on the entertainment district as a whole – not just Sixth Street. Five of us rendezvoused at the Driskill hotel at midnight and we were on our way. Our mission was not to drink. We were there to observe. We were directed to walk the alleys, the side streets, and take notes on anything we found to be interesting. In general, I never once felt uneasy or threatened. Most people were out having a great time. Good or bad. For better or for worse. Below is what I observed.
Next, I’ll share my observations from our day time tour
-Jude
Signs of Progress for Waller Park Place
An application to re-subdivide the lots at 92-98 Red River, 504-505 Willow St., and 503 and 511 E Cesar Chavez was filed recently. We’re eager to see Waller Park Place break ground. This is notable as the largest private development ever proposed in downtown Austin, and when complete will be bring more daytime activity for the burgeoning Rainey Street District.
Bed & Breakfast Proposed for 1304 Rio Grande
A bed & breakfast concept could potentially breathe a little new life into a district of downtown mostly filled with older homes hosting small offices. Very little info exists on the project right now, but we’ll update you as we get additional details.
A Walk in the Clouds in Downtown Austin
No, this isn’t the 2015 Downtown Austin Blog Prom Theme. It’s another way of saying that downtown Austin is getting another really cool sky bridge concept, a la Fairmont to the Austin Convention Center.
This time, the “aerial right-of-way encroachment” (sky bridge is catchier, admittedly), is being proposed between West 5th and West 6th Street on Bowie street, and will connect slick new Bowie Apartments Shoal Creek Walk (Class A office and ground floor retail, by Schlosser Development) to Whole Foods Headquarters, a development that has just started site work.
Per developer, this was REQUIRED by city code, since at least one of the buildings it will be connecting are in the flood plain. An additional escape route was required to avoid a fire hazard. It’s our understanding that this concept is a go – as the time for objections has passed, and it’s a safety requirement. We think it’s kind of neat.
Millenium Rainey Restaurant Space Available for $36/sf NNN
Speaking of Rainey Street Happenings, the marketing for the commercial space at Millenium Rainey Apartments is in full force. CBRE is marketing the property – take a look at the marketing packet they created:
(Click on the images for a larger view)
First Crane for Aspen Heights Apartments at 8th and Nueces
It’s alive! Aspen Heights Apartments moving forward with construction, as evidenced by the massive crane recently erected on the site.
