Apartments and Offices Preparing for Liftoff at South Lamar Carwash Site "An office, residential and retail project planned for an assembly of adjacent properties between 1301 and 1401 South Lamar Boulevard appears to be moving forward in earnest this month, a 3.88-acre redevelopment which will replace locations of Austin’s Automotive Specialists, Genie Car Wash, and Jiffy Lube with two buildings containing a total of 134,623 square feet of office space along with 309 apartment units and ground-level retail space." (James Rambin, Towers)
Alcohol to be allowed in part of Waterloo Park "Austinites will be able to consume alcohol in parts of Waterloo Park, following the approval of a conditional use permit by Austin’s Planning Commission. The vote happened on Sept. 28, the same day the parks and recreation board voted not to recommend alcohol be allowed at Barton Springs and Zilker Park." (Darcy Sprague, Community Impact)
Barton Creek, Sculpture Falls Closed To Swimmers And Pets After Toxins Found In The Water "The City of Austin confirmed the presence of poisonous algae toxins in Barton Creek after at least one swimmer got sick. The city is warning people not to go in the water as long as the dangerous algae remain. Dogs and other pets can also be affected and should be kept away." (Mose Buchele, KUT)
Cap Metro charges forward with mass purchase of 200 battery-powered buses for Austin "Nearly 200 buses powered by electricity will soon hit the streets of Austin. The board of Austin’s Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the city’s public transit system, voted September 27 to spend $255 million on 197 new battery-powered electric buses for its fleet. Cap Metro says it’s the largest-ever purchase of electric buses in the U.S." (John Egan, CultureMap Austin)
44 East tops out in latest evolution of skyline "The 309-unit 44 East project, which has been under construction since late 2020, now strikes a dramatic silhouette in the skyline. The final beam has been placed at the highest point of 44 East, making it one of Austin’s tallest buildings. Two other residential high-rises — The Austonian, at 56 stories, and The Independent, at 58 — are the only other skyscrapers of at least 50-plus stories." (Parimal M. Rohit, Austin Business Journal)
Downtown's Austin Proper Hotel gets new owner, sells to Colorado-based firm "A Colorado-based real estate investment company is the new owner of the 32-story Austin Proper Hotel in downtown Austin. ... The buyer is McWhinney Real Estate Services Inc., a real estate investment, development and management firm. The Kor Group, based in California, developed the Austin Proper Hotel & Residences at 600 W. Second St., partnering with Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Goldman Sachs was the seller in the McWhinney transaction." (Shonda Novak, Austin American-Statesman)
The Abali affordable housing complex marks launch off I-35 "The Abali, a new Central Austin housing complex consisting mainly of affordable apartments, opened in mid-September in the Delwood 2 neighborhood. Located on a 1-acre property at 4611 I-35 N., Austin, The Abali includes 51 affordable and five market-rate units; affordable units are available at 30%, 50% and 60% of the local median family income, or MFI. The current Austin MFI for a family of four is $98,900 at 100%, $68,880 at 60%, $49,460 at 50% and $29,650 at 30%." (Ben Thompson, CI)
