ABIA's South Terminal floats plan to add up to 10 gates within two years "Austin airport officials have spent months in discussions with lawyers trying to figure out how to end a lease with the company behind the South Terminal, a privately run facility where ultra-low-cost carriers Allegiant and Frontier operate. Officials with the city-owned airport want to demolish the South Terminal as part of a $4 billion expansion plan that includes building a new concourse with at least 10 gates." (Nathan Bernier, KUT-FM)
Del Valle community raises roadway concerns after Tesla’s gigafactory opening in southeastern Travis County "Del Valle residents continue to raise concerns of roadway and infrastructure capability to balance future events and daily commutes following Tesla’s grand opening in early April. But even without special events, residents said traffic congestion in Del Valle is growing with the plant’s development, as Travis County and the city of Austin work on improving infrastructure and roadways. Residents also said drivers' safety should also be considered after observing incidents and high speeding" (Jennifer Castillo, Community Impact)
Windsor Park Apartment Project Trades Steaks for Affordable Homes "A five-story multifamily housing development at the edge of the Windsor Park neighborhood in East Austin is set to bring 308 affordable homes to a prominent empty lot near the southeast corner of I-35 and Highway 290 at Clayton Lane, a 2.5-acre site previously home to a Texas Land & Cattle steakhouse." (James Rambin, Towers)
The median sales price of a home in Austin has surpassed $600,000 "According to the latest numbers from the Austin Board of Realtors, homes in the city sold for a median price of $624,000 in March. That represents a record-high price, and a 22 percent increase in sales price over the past year." (Audrey McGinchy, Austin Monitor/KUT)
As Texas home values skyrocket, state officials wrestle with how to slow property tax increases "As Texas’ exploding real estate market dramatically drives up home values, homeowners are getting sticker shock after receiving notice of their properties’ new appraised values — which help determine how much they pay in property taxes. The growth rate of home values in the state’s major metropolitan areas has surged by double digits." (Joshua Fechter, Texas Tribune, KUT)
Austin's state-of-the-art, $375 million Moody Center opens with blessing from McConaughey "The long-awaited, highly anticipated, and (given its conception and construction during the era of COVID delays) surprisingly not-belated Moody Center is finally open. In what often felt more like a congregational call to worship, Austin’s self-appointed Minister of Culture, Matthew McConaughey, gave a rousing speech at the ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, April 19, to kick off over a week of opening festivities at the new Austin arena." (Hannah J. Phillips, Culturemap Austin)
U.S. Supreme Court upholds Austin's ban on digital billboards "A divided U.S. Supreme Court sided with Austin in a fight over digital billboards — handing the city and Texas skyline preservationists a huge victory in a free speech battle that began in 2017 against two advertising companies." (Ryan Autullo, Austin American-Statesman)
VMU changes not happening anytime soon "Without taking a vote, City Council members decided during Tuesday’s work session that they would postpone Thursday’s vote on the most recent proposals to enhance affordability options within the zoning category known as Vertical Mixed Use, or VMU, and the new category VMU2. ... Last fall, Council Member Ann Kitchen presented the idea of allowing increased height, perhaps up to 90 feet, in exchange for additional affordable housing along the city’s corridors. Council approved a resolution in November supporting the changes and asked the Planning Commission to make recommendations." (Jo Clifton, Austin Monitor)
Rediscovered slave quarters in West Campus help tell the story of urban enslavement in Austin "It was only in recent years that the Neill-Cochran House Museum discovered the two-story outbuilding on its site was originally used to house enslaved people. Now, the museum is trying to reincorporate that history into the property's narrative — and the story of Austin as a whole." (Marisa Charpentier, KUT-FM)
Nonprofits land funding to help Austin's homeless people of color "The local nonprofit Ending Community Homelessness Coalition has selected three organizations to split a $2 million grant in a new partnership meant to help more unsheltered people of color in Austin." (Nicole Foy, Austin American-Statesman)
