As Climate Crisis Deepens, Austin Looks To Speed Up Emission Reductions "Austin would effectively emit zero greenhouse gasses 10 years earlier than previously planned if a new proposal from city staff comes to fruition — but the goal would require a dramatic acceleration of the progress the city has already made towards its climate targets." (Mose Buchele, KUT)
Austin organizations unveil final design plans for area near 3rd Street and Shoal Creek "The Shoal Creek Conservancy, Downtown Austin Alliance and city of Austin released design plans to create public plazas and widen trails along West 3rd Street, in addition to other improvements to the area. The initiative, called the 'Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy,' would revitalize the railroad trestle bridge, expand Margaret Moser Plaza into a stretch that prioritizes bike and pedestrian activities, and create a pathway under the Union Pacific rail line to connect 3rd Street to the Butler Hike & Bike Trail." (Benton Graham, Community Impact)
Stratus aims to reach even higher with residential tower near Texas Capitol "A 400-foot tower could rise near the Texas State Capitol, as Stratus Properties Inc. announced Sept. 7 refreshed plans for a 420,000-square-foot residential high-rise on the corner of 12th and San Antonio streets in downtown Austin." (Parimal M. Rohit, Austin Business Journal)
Watershed Protection sets high bar for restoring Waller Creek "With the city and its public and private partners out to restore and enhance the Waller Creek delta that runs from Fourth Street to Lady Bird Lake, the southern stretch of Waterloo Greenway is due for more work. This section of the creek holds the dubious distinction of being one of the five worst erosion sites in the city, according to the Watershed Protection Department’s citywide assessment of creeks." (Amy Smith, Austin Monitor)
The Amaya Family Imagines a Bigger Taco Village in North Loop "A proposed zoning change for a 1.2-acre property near the southwest corner of I-35 and Highway 290 at the edge of the North Loop neighborhood would allow the Amaya family behind longtime Tex-Mex staple Amaya’s Taco Village to redevelop their restaurant site as a multistory mixed-use building containing a new restaurant space, additional retail, and a number of condominiums." (James Rambin, Towers)
Another office project is in the works in rapidly growing East Austin "As the Central Texas office market continues to bounce back from the pandemic, construction is progressing on a three-story office building in East Austin, a part of the city that is undergoing rapid gentrification. The project is named 1515 Cesar Chavez, after its address. The building will have 71,632 square feet of office space, a contemporary design and underground parking, according to the developer (Shonda Novak, Austin American-Statesman)
Williamson County, city of Taylor sign economic agreements, await Samsung commitment "One of the largest economic development projects in the history of Texas is close to being built in Williamson County. In a Sept. 8 joint meeting of the Williamson County Commissioners Court and the city of Taylor, economic agreements were unanimously approved by both bodies to partner with Samsung for a $17 billion semiconductor manufacturing plant to be constructed in Taylor." (Joe Warner, CI)
ZAP recommends VMU zoning on increasingly dense Slaughter Lane corridor "On Tuesday, the Zoning and Platting Commission unanimously recommended Vertical Mixed-Use zoning to allow a 290-unit multifamily development with ground floor retail at 1017 W. Slaughter Lane. Though VMU zoning is more often seen in the central city, commissioners thought the tract fit the bill for dense housing." (Jonathan Lee, AM)
East Austin unlocks first neighborhood of 3D-printed homes in the U.S. "The country’s first neighborhood of 3D-printed homes has arrived in East Austin. But you might need to print some money to afford the houses, with one of the price tags approaching $800,000. Two 3D-printed homes at the East 17th Street Residences development in East Austin were sold in March, and the two other 3D-printed homes there are on the market." (John Egan, CultureMap Austin)
The Battle For 3000 Funston Street "The City of Austin more than a year ago started building a single-family home at this address, a plot of land it has owned for five decades. In an attempt to increase access to a wealthy neighborhood, the city planned to sell the home to a low-income family. In a part of town where the typical household earns more than $150,000 a year, the family living here would make half that. Construction began. But before workers could turn much dirt, neighbors sued." (Audrey McGlinchy, KUT)
