Downtown

January 2001

• 11th and 12th Street Community Redevelopment
  The Austin Revitalization Authority has selected RIATA Development to help develop up to 90,000 sq. ft. of office/retail space on E. 11th between Curve and Lydia Streets. RIATA also proposes to build 36 town homes along Juniper Street with 300 parking spaces. Construction for this initial phase of development is projected to begin in the summer of 2001. In addition ARA has attracted a tenant to occupy 1101 East 11th Street. Groundbreaking for this project was held on September 15, 2000. Restoration has begun and is scheduled for completion for, Spring 2001. Balcones Recycling administrative offices will occupy the entire building.

  A city funded historic resources survey has been completed. Required by the federal government as part of all federally funded projects. The survey has identified and made recommendations for preserving both physical and cultural historic resources within the East Austin Master Plan area. A final draft of the study has been submitted to the City which will make the results available to the public at the Austin History Center, Carver Library and on the City's Web page, at http://www.austinrev.org.

• Downtown Austin Access and Mobility Plan
  New Project Description
  The City of Austin's Downtown area is experiencing an increase in development and associated traffic problems. This emerging development includes residential housing, a new City Hall, the Convention Center expansion, office buildings, cultural centers and retail development. Downtown transportation access and mobility is a major influence on Austin's economy, quality of life, and urban form. Providing good access and mobility are significant issues that are vigorously debated by local business, shoppers, workers, policy makers and City staff. To address these issues, the City has authorized a transportation access and mobility plan study to analyze how we get to, around, and out of downtown and how we could do so effectively in the future.

  The Downtown Austin Access and Mobility Plan is a 12-month project. Work began in March 2000 and will be completed in February 2001. Public meetings will be held in April, July, October and December. The purpose of these four meetings is to introduce the public to the project and to obtain public input throughout study.

• Downtown Design Guidelines
  On May 18 the City Council adopted the Downtown Austin Design Guidelines as recommendations for all downtown development and redevelopment projects by both the public and private sector. City staff are developing recommendations for the implementation of the Guidelines, and will bring them forward in spring 2001.

• Downtown Development Initiatives
  Heritage Austin: The Heritage Society of Austin has committed to completeing their report Heritage Austin: A Community Value Based Vision by the end of March 2001.

• Downtown Parking Study
  The final draft of the report will be formally presented to the City Council with the Downtown Access and Mobility Study and the Great Streets Program, along with staff recommendations for ordinance and/or policy change concerning the downtown core. This presentation will probably take place in fall of 2001.

• Great Streets Master Plan
  On February 9 the consultant team held a joint meeting with the Community Advisory Group and the Technical Advisory Group.

• Lamar Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge Facility
  Hike and bike trail at both ends is re-routed to allow room for construction. A central path in the river is kept open for all river traffic. Signs are in place and lights are installed for safety of lake and shore users. A web site is set up to keep track of construction progress. This site is accessible through the City's web site, at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/lpbb_default.htm.

  Steel beam placement is in progress. Concrete was placed on bridge deck at the south end. The barges in the lake will move back and forth from the north to south shores on regular basis. The helix construction is in full swing at the north end.

• Lance Armstrong Bikeway
  New Project Description
  This project will provide a continuous bike route for over 6 miles, beginning at Levander Loop at US 183, following 5th Street, passing through downtown along 4th and 3rd streets, and terminating near Deep Eddy pool just west of Mopac. The project will include both separated, paved bicycle path and bike lanes on city streets. The route is needed to provide non-motorized access to and through downtown, on bike facilities that are free of both cars, parked cars and crowds of joggers (as is the case of the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail which is a recreational facility).

  The City Council authorized to begin negotiations with Wilbur Smith Associates for preliminary design and construction services in December 2000. Preliminary design is expected to be completed in September 2001, with design completion to follow in September 2002.

• Lester Palmer Events Center
  Bid Package 1, providing for the removal of the Riverside Center building at 901 W. Riverside Dr., was substantially completed July 6th 2000. Bid Package 2 construction includes relocation of some existing utilities and placement of new as well as the placement of 376 drilled piers that will become the foundation for the new Palmer Events Center and Parking Facility. Bid Package 2 was substantially completed November 22nd, 2000. Bid Package 3 construction contract was awarded by Council November 9, 2000. This work includes construction of the new Palmer Events Center and Parking Facility and started on December 5, 2000. The Parking facility is anticipated to be open by November 2001, and the Palmer Events Center by June 2002. Two additional construction contracts are expected for award during 2001. These include the access roads to the new Palmer Events Center and Parking Facility as well as the first Landscaping contract for the area around both the Events Center and Parking Facility. December and January 2001 involve putting caps on the facility foundation piers. The new facilities will begin to emerge from the ground in February 2001. The new Events Center construction is progressing in four quadrants, with the NE quadrant at the most advanced level of completion.

• Mexican American Cultural Center
  The Master Plan was completed and presented to City Council on December 14, 2000. We are now taking a hard look at what Phase I of construction will be. We are trying to bring it within the construction budget that was estimated for Phase I. More than likely, Phase I will be the design and construction of: an outdoor Plaza to accommodate 2,000 people; a portion of a two story structure to house offices and exhibit space; a multi-purpose building that could seat 300 people for a performance or 150 for a sit down dinner; and some surface parking and landscaping.

  This estimate should be complete by February and design of Phase I should start in March 2001.

• Poleyard Residential Development
  The first units were occupied in September, 2000. Completion is planned for March 2001. Post is working on plans for Phase II, just across Shoal Creek on the site of the Strait Music.

• Seaholm Power Plant Reuse
  In June 2000 Council authorized the hiring of ROMA Design Group to create this master plan which will make recommendations about the urban design and economic redevelopment of the area surrounding the power plant facility. This process began in August, with the development of "framework sketch concepts". A series of stakeholder work sessions have since taken place, and a second, more fleshed out concept master plan is currently in the works for stakeholder review likely sometime in November.

  The City has also completed the historical documentary photography for the three Seaholm buildings that have been identified as eligible for listing on the National Historic Register: the Turbine Building, the Water Intake Structure and the Fuel Oil Building. This photography documents the plant with all its equipment in place, prior to the final demolition and remediation phase that began in July 2000. This photographic collection will be made publicly available at the Austin History Center collection later this fall.

• Town Lake Park, Phase I
  Construction Documents preparation led by TBG Partners for phase I. This first Landscape package construction is scheduled for January 2002 through May 2002. Phase II funding is anticipated to become available in 2001 to allow the phase II construction to start in 2002, after removal of the City Coliseum.

• Waller Creek Flood-Management and Water Quality Improvements
  Because the estimated cost of the of the original project significantly exceeded the cost of the project as estimated in the January 1996 study and the funds available, additional studies were commissioned to study means of reducing the cost of the project while achieving as many of the original project goals as possible. The hydraulics of the lower Waller Creek were studied in detail. Significant cost savings could be realized by diverting 55% of the 100-year stormwater flows. This diversion would require a 15.5-ft. diameter tunnel. The 100-year stormwater flows would remain in the channel with the 15.5-ft. diameter tunnel except for a small area between 8th and 10th Streets. A Red River Street route is recommended. This project would reduce the size of the lower floodplain by 98% and make 1.225-million sq. ft. of land area available for development.

  The estimated cost of the reduced scope project is $45.9 million. This project is recommended for construction. The design of the project would require 19 months. The construction of the project would be completed in 3 years 9 months.

  A benefit-cost analysis was completed for the project. The study considered the cost of the project (original and reduced scope), flood damage costs, roadway upgrade costs and tax revenues benefits. Development scenarios were prepared with and without the construction of the tunnel and for various building types and densities. The development scenarios were developed considering zoning requirements, Capital view corridors, and developments planned or underway. Payback for 15.5-ft. diameter tunnel project considering construction cost and all revenues to the City of Austin (only) is 7 to 12 years. The range in payback period is due to alternate development density scenarios for the creek corridor.

• Waller Creek Trail and Park Improvements
  New signage between Waterloo Park and Town Lake includes seven kiosks featuring maps of the trail, as well as signage on bridges with street identification and directions to landmarks (Symphony Square, Waterloo Park, Convention Center, etc.)