Expansion still on Austin airport's radar — here's what has to happen first "Life is returning to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Activity has picked up since the start of the year, both in the form of passenger travel and airline commitments. Those metrics, coupled with the metro's fast-growing population, have signaled to airport officials that it's time to readdress a long-anticipated facility expansion. Before the pandemic hit, plans were in motion to nearly double the size of the airport — critical to keeping up with air travel demand in a city where the economy has hardly missed a beat during the pandemic." (Kathryn Hardison, Austin Business Journal)
Cyclists Split On Sharing Bike Lanes With Pizza Delivery Robots "A small fleet of robots delivering pizza in Central Austin has set off a debate about whether the semi-autonomous machines' use of bike lanes will squeeze cyclists off the road or launch a technological revolution to reduce motor vehicle deliveries and boost demand for bicycle infrastructure." (Nathan Bernier, KUT)
Downtown co-living project gets Planning Commission support "Shoal Cycle, a 70-unit co-living project planned for 812 W. 11th St., went to the Planning Commission Tuesday to seek Downtown Mixed-Use (DMU-CO) zoning with a conditional overlay bumping the allowable building height to 90 feet." (Jonathan Lee, Austin Monitor)
City weighs taking Austin Convention Center expansion upward "Two months after nixing plans for a westward expansion of the Austin Convention Center, city leaders are considering an option that would take it upward, within the convention center's existing footprint." (Ryan Autullo, Austin American-Statesman)
Central Austin's median home price topped $700,000 in May "The median home price in Community Impact Newspaper's Central Austin readership area reached $701,450 in May, according to data from the Austin Board of Realtors, topping $700,000 for the first time." (Olivia Aldridge, Community Impact)
Booze Sales Outside Barton Springs Pool Aren't Happening. For Now. Maybe. "Zilker Park has a lot of things going for it. Namely, Barton Springs Pool. Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department thought allowing beer and wine sales at the concession stand near the pool would be another added benefit to the iconic park and generate some extra money. On Tuesday night, the Zilker Café was set to get the go-ahead on booze sales from the citizen-led Parks and Recreation Board, but the board voted it down, effectively scrapping the city's plan." (Andrew Weber, KUT)
What Is Wrong With the Texas Grid? "Our electric system can’t deliver the power we need when we need it most. But political leaders don't seem all that interested in fixing the problem." (Loren Steffy, Texas Monthly)
These Dashboards Will Help People Monitor Toxic Algae In Austin Lakes, Officials Say "The City of Austin is planning on reactivating its online blue-green algae monitoring dashboards to help residents monitor where toxic bacteria is found in the water. Officials with the city's Watershed Protection Department say the system will be up and running again by the end of the month. The department will operate two separate dashboards for Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin. Since 2018, the summer heat has brought dangerous levels of toxic blue-green algae into local lakes and waterways. That algae, also known as cyanobacteria, has killed several dogs over the last few years and can sicken humans. Officials ask that people and pets keep out of the water if algae is detected nearby." (Mose Buchele, KUT)
Job postings for Elon Musk's Boring Co. highlight technology development plans, site in Bastrop "Elon Musk's tunneling startup, The Boring Company, has been quietly planting roots in Central Texas for months. Now more details have surfaced about what the company is planning. The Boring Co. was hiring for 20 positions in the Austin area by publication time, and a few job descriptions outlined future development plans for an autonomous tunnel boring machine. One posting also mentioned the company's research and development site in Bastrop, about 30 miles southeast of Austin." (Kathryn Hardison, ABJ)
Hamilton Pool near Austin closed to swimmers for 'foreseeable future' due to falling rocks "Hoping to hit some Central Texas swimming holes this summer? Well, some sad news: The water at Hamilton Pool Preserve is closed to swimmers for the foreseeable future due to falling rocks, Travis County Parks officials said." (Kelsey Bradshaw, AAS)
Downtown Commission eyes housing, other details on HealthSouth redevelopment "Members of the Downtown Commission expressed some concern last week that the ongoing negotiations over the redevelopment of the former HealthSouth property downtown could result in a project that doesn’t meet the expectations of City Council or the community as a whole. The commission received an update at its most recent meeting on the recently opened exclusive negotiations between the city and potential developer Aspen Heights Partners, with the expectation that an office tower and residential tower with significant affordable housing would be the end result. (Chad Swiatecki, AM)
