Downtown Development Initiatives
Summary
The Austin City Council has identified downtown development and housing as a major priority. In addition, the City continues to receive numerous inquiries concerning housing and retail development in or near downtown, and is also considering other projects, including a downtown art museum.
Status
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 "Pole Yard" 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 to and in conjunction with the downtown development advisory group.
Basic Data
Contact: Michael Knox, Senior Planner, Planning, Environmental and Conservation Services Department, 499-6418
Revised November 6, 1997
Back to the October 1997 Contents
|
