Downtown Development Initiatives

Summary

Status

Block 4 Residential Development: see Block 4 Residential Development Initiative.

Waller Creek: On April 2-4 a public design charrette on the lower Waller Creek corridor was held. On April 24 the consultant, Ramon Trias of Trias & Associates, returned to Austin and presented the draft report. A final report is available. On May 2 the voters of Austin approved a bond proposition "Authorizing the City of Austin to provide for the planning, acquisition, establishment, development, construction, and financing of the Convention Center/Waller Creek project and to impose a hotel occupancy tax at a maximum rate of two percent (2%) for the purpose of financing the venue project." (see also Waller Creek Flood-Management and Water Quality Improvements) and Waller Creek Trail and Park Improvements.

Design Guidelines: see Downtown Design Guidelines.

Downtown Development Advisory Group: The Downtown Development Advisory Group meets on a weekly basis and forwards their recommendations to Council. They have reviewed Post Properties' proposed development of the Poleyard, and have recommended that the City Council moves forward as quickly as possible to finalize a ground lease with Post Properties and expedite all approvals necessary to begin construction on the Poleyard site.

Heritage Austin: Heritage Austin is a program of the Heritage Society of Austin. The team, comprising five local architects, meets weekly to develop a community values based vision for downtown, as well as fourteen issue papers. Heritage Austin has opened a Storefront Community Design Center at 807 Congress Avenue, where they will begin holding public input sessions in June.

Description

• directing the City Manager to initiate a study to determine the feasibility of developing the Electric Utility "Poleyard" property for residential uses, and developing a public-private cooperative venture;
• directing the City Manager to develop a letter of intent outlining a public-private joint venture for redeveloping the City's Block 4 and the privately held Block 20 into a mixed-use residential project;
• directing the City Manager to initiate discussions with public institutions and private interests to develop a public-private cooperative effort for proposed improvements to Waller Creek;
• directing the Design Commission to prepare draft design guidelines for the city's downtown region, building on previous Council actions, planning studies and community consensus building exercises;
• creating a Downtown Development Advisory Group to advise the Council on specific projects as well as long term policy decisions regarding City-owned assets in the downtown area, and;
• endorsing the Heritage Austin public input process, and resolving that Heritage Austin serve as an independent planning resource and advisory body to the City Council for downtown Austin, working parallel and in conjunction with the downtown development advisory group.

Basic Data

• Project Contact: Michael Knox, Development Services Process Coordinator, 499-6418