Downtown Development Initiatives

Summary

The Mayor and City Council have identified downtown development as a major priority. Current initiatives focus on downtown housing and improvements to Waller and Shoal Creeks. In addition, the City continues to receive numerous inquiries concerning housing and retail development in or near downtown, and is also participating in other projects, including a downtown art museum.

Status

"Poleyard" Residential Development: Post West Avenue was completed in April 2001.

Block 4 Residential Development: The City-owned Block 4 is now part of the CSC development project. The City has instead negotiated with AMLI Residential Properties for the ground lease of the City-owned block 22.

Waller Creek: The consultant, Chuck Flink of Greenways, Incorporated has completed the Waller Creek Urban Greenway Action Plan. Contact the Downtown Austin Alliance to obtain a copy of the report.

Design Guidelines: see Downtown Design Guidelines.

Downtown Development Advisory Group: The Downtown Development Advisory Group has forwarded their final report to the City Council. Included in the report is a recommendation for a downtown planning and development corporation.

Heritage Austin: Heritage Austin is a program of the Heritage Society of Austin. The team, comprising five local architects, met with many members of the public to develop a vision for downtown. In late April, the Heritage Society delivered a final draft of their report Heritage Austin: A Community Value Based Vision to the City of Austin in late April. City staff have reviewed the document, and are making arrangements with the Heritage Society for printing.

Description

On November 6 the City Council approved resolutions:

• 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, Redevelopment Services Office, 974-6418

Back to the October 2001 Downtown Report