City Approves Condos at Barton Springs and Dawson

Ah Ha! I am proven right yet again!

The old Rockhounds at Dawson and Barton Springs is being renovated into a . . . wait for it . . . bistro!

The fancy little dogs in strollers are coming ol'pappy! It's only a matter of time.

boycott this corporate acl festival taking hush money from AMD ( one corporatesponsors of the festival stages )until they stop the new office complex on has Polluted the Barton Springs watershed in Zilker Park with huge amounts of sediment that washed off their sites with modest rains on March 26Th(1.49 inches at Camp Mabry and 1.2 inches at the airport). It was enough to wash untold amounts of construction pollution off two large building sites in the fragile Barton Springs watershed. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) polluted the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer with dirty runoff leaving their construction sites. Fortunately, we were there to take pictures and video of the pollution.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is building an 860,000 square foot office complex in the Barton Springs watershed. Rains on March 26Th washed construction sediment over, around, and literally through AMD's erosion and sedimentation "controls." The result is muddy, silt-laden water leaving the site and flowing into a tributary of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer.

Save Our Springs Alliance and many other groups and thousands of citizens urged AMD not to move to the Barton Springs watershed, in part because of concerns that they would pollute the aquifer and springs during construction. AMD insisted that they would their project would be "green.The City of Austin has reportedly given AMD a notice of violation of city rules, but the City did not issue a stop-work order or fine AMD.

please tell all the bands this there will be a protest this year will presidential hopefuls coming to Austin where the fuck you going to cool off if it gets into the 100,s like most years Visit the SOS Alliance Website

221 E. 9Th Street, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78701

fancy little dogs in strollers!

I shudder with repusion, sitting at my desk, vommiting on my keyboard.

My life will never be the same again.

"By the way, if any of you good folks have got any change, well, I sure would appreciate it."

Oh, uh - you said the "c" word. People here HATE the "c" word...

Where will the hobos go, you say?

Why, they'll be just fine, don't you good folks worry about them. Yessir. They've seen troubles come and go, that's for sure. Probably a lot more than any of you young whippersnappers have seen, and that's a fact.

They'll probably pack up camp and move it on down the line. Yessir. Ain't nothin' more lonesome than the whistle of a southbound train...

By the way, if any of you good folks have got any change, well, I sure would appreciate it.

"Where will the hobos go, though? Maybe the denziens of 1155 Barton Springs will hire them to secure the three story parking garage."

I heard they are all moving up to the new 'hood Allendale to hang out at the Wal-Mart. In all seriousness though, they'll probably just move further back into the BC neighborhood.

Shutup Hippies! I welcome our new, absurdly wealthy overlords!

Bring on the bistros, the wine bars, pet boutiques and the fancy little dogs in strollers!

Why go to Chicago to visit the Gold Coast neighborhood or Russian Hill in SF when I can just walk down Dawson Rd. to enjoy the goings on of our opera-loving new Austinites.

For the record, I don't care if they live in those condos or not, as long as they pay their taxes.

Where will the hobos go, though? Maybe the denziens of 1155 Barton Springs will hire them to secure the three story parking garage.

If I had some power I'd make it to where you'd have to be an Austin resident for 10 years before you could buy a house. They could live in Round Rock, but if they wanted to live in the city, they'd have to put up with all the bullshit renters have to deal with to give them a realistic view of what living in Austin's about about: unfair rental practices.

Then I'd make them spend a summer on the streets cause that would be fun. This town's too crowded already anyway. Bah!

Even though you're incorrect in your assessment of who owns what in NYC, I see nothing wrong with being more like NYC and less like Des Moines. (You know: Desirable, growing, vibrant, vertical, interesting, etc)

"But they may be buying them for their kids. Or their mistresses. Or a place to live when they're not wanting to drive the commute from their ranch or estate out of town. And it's close enough to downtown to count as downtown."

Thanks for trying to tell me I was wrong, but instead reinforcing my point. Again, these places will not be owned by actual residents. they will be 2nd homes and corporate ammenities just like the million dollar condos in the heart of NYC.

aw shit, i messed up my s.

Once the housing market crashes this year or early next year (and I'm pretty sure it will; all the symptoms are showing), these fancy flats will be selling for dirt cheap....

and I'll be buying.

unfortunately for high-end, luxury developers in Austin, history DOES in fact tend to repeat itself, and Austin's current housing market is NOT that much different from the market we saw in the early 80s. The same old symptoms portend the same old crash. Viva la unsustainable development!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!

:D

*But they may be buying them for their kids. Or their mistresses. Or a place to live when they're not wanting to drive the commute from their ranch or estate out of town. And it's close enough to downtown to count as downtown.*

That is a great theory, but thankfully these rich people have many cheaper and nicer options in brand new condos to choose from DOWNTOWN with great views that aren't on Barton Springs next to a railroad track for a million+ dollars. Rich people aren't that stupid.

"Newsflash - those people living west of Mopac are not leaving their huge homes on the lake and golf courses for a 1300 sq. feet that isn't in downtown."

But they may be buying them for their kids. Or their mistresses. Or a place to live when they're not wanting to drive the commute from their ranch or estate out of town. And it's close enough to downtown to count as downtown.

I say full-steam ahead on this development, as well as all the other high-end projects downtown. I mean, I've lived in Austin forever, but I've never had the chance to live in a really nice place like these condos.

Once the housing market crashes this year or early next year (and I'm pretty sure it will; all the symptoms are showing), these fancy flats will be selling for dirt cheap....

and I'll be buying.

unfortunately for high-end, luxury developers in Austin, history DOES in fact tend to repeat itself, and Austin's current housing market is NOT that much different from the market we saw in the early 80s. The same old symptoms portend the same old crash. Viva la unsustainable development!

- The Middle Class

My ol' buddy Satan is working on bursting the housing bubble here but he said he needs these condos first before I can buy a house in Hyde Park for $50,000 again.

Sorry, these developers are smoking too much weed. They won't sell even ONE unit at the proposed prices. I don't care if they build a condo project in this spot, but get real. People who can afford a 1 million+ condo won't be buying a ground floor unit next to the railroad tracks off Barton Springs. They'll be buying a penthouse at the 360, or an upper unit at the Four Seasons or W or Austonian.

This project will NEVER be built in the current proposed form. You can take that to the bank.

Thanks, Captain Obvious.

Dear Stupid Hippies:

The reason all new development seems to be for the rich is that the only place your reactionary neighborhood associations have relented in their Oppose All Density All The Time campaign is on the most expensive land in the city - that being the land right in and right next to downtown.

Boneheads.

The prices quoted are asking prices. Real estate isn't like fixed price retail- the prices are negotiable. If they can get $1MM to $6MM, then that's what they are worth.

"i'm so sick of all this "high-end" development bullshit. why not just, like, development for regular folks? why does it have to be for the super-rich?"

Newsflash - those people living west of Mopac are not leaving their huge homes on the lake and golf courses for a 1300 sq. feet that isn't in downtown.

what about the salamander, will someone please think of the salamander?!

Hoo-ray I say. The Treehouse has been vacant since before 1980, when I moved here. It's one of the most underutilized tracts in central Austin. A perfect example of how Austin's neighborhood associations often act against the majority of their constituents' best interests.

word.

Well there goes Peter Pan mini golf.

A long-empty derelict building that sits next to a bunch of tall office buildings will be removed. In its place, a tallish residential structure that most of us can't possibly afford will be built, adding hundreds of thousands a year in property tax revenue.

Again, we're losing: a shack that is possibly a transient colony.

We're gaining: tax revenue

Anyone who thinks there aren't enough rich people in Austin to support this project has never driven west of Mopac. The number of millionaires in a city of this size is staggering.

It's an inevitable fact that more and

more people are migrating to inner cities.

With increasing gas prices and population

increase you will be wishing there were

more condos downtown in a few years.

I support the growth and development

of Austin but, unfotunately, the poor and destitute are being pushed out of the city in

the process. What we need is more fair housing

and housing for middle income families.

Anon,

2/3rds of NYC is people who only live there as a 2nd home? Are you for real?

Secondly, don't you think the developers know a little more about what the market will (or will not) bear than you? By "you" I mean "all the people who always state that all these condos will be unloaded for $150k in N years". Sure, condo building is a speculation business and there's a good chance some number of units will either go unsold or (more likely) unbuilt due to underwhelming demand. I am going to place my bets with the developers that they know what the demand is and I don't think you're going to see condos being sold for 50% off any time soon.

Maybe Brewster McCracken will buy one since he's a faux-progressive with money to burn and he's leaving his wife anyway.

"have no problem with new developments. I love it. it's the reason why South Congress is booming and not the cracked out slummy area it was when I moved here in the early 90s. Same goes with East Austin. Same goes with oltorf/lamar. same goes for French Place. The condos bring in people. people bring in businesses that boom and blossom into awesome areas of town to live in. 20 years from now someone will bitch about how something new is coming in that will change all that."

I dont think that's what people are totally complaining about-at least that's not what I am worried about-I grew up in Austin like I said before and I honestly think it's gotten better-it's more interesting and lively now. But there is a finite amount of people who can afford a condo with an average price of 3.5 million dollars and they are likely more interested in living in NYC or SF than here. What I am worried about is that the development is slanted in one direction and it is very likely not sustainable. I remember the boom in the early eighties-there were more cranes in the sky then than there are now and when it went bust, it destroyed people-literally. Suicides, families losing everything. And I see it happening again right now. And Austin is not special enough to withstand a downturn like a bigger more important city could. Im all for development, but they need to be careful and smart about, but since this is TX, that aint gonna happen.

The part that is sad, is no one will really live in any of these places. Like NYC, 2/3 of the "residents" will be people who live in the Austin area and this is a 2nd home or rental property and then people who spend approx. 1-2 weeks per year in the city.

Luckily when this development boom bursts and all these condos start being unloaded for $150-200K the people who would like to live in them will be able to. There will also be a few that never get completed and Austin will once again be the proud owner of eyesore failed projects.

how many austinites does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

100. 1 to screw it in and 99 to complain about how much cooler the old lightbulb was.

I have no problem with new developments. I love it. it's the reason why South Congress is booming and not the cracked out slummy area it was when I moved here in the early 90s. Same goes with East Austin. Same goes with oltorf/lamar. same goes for French Place. The condos bring in people. people bring in businesses that boom and blossom into awesome areas of town to live in. 20 years from now someone will bitch about how something new is coming in that will change all that.

Suck it up or move to San Marcos. Nothing ever changes there.

Insane.

It's common knowledge that area is extremely active in terms of trianhoppers and hobos. The entire tract next to the tracks and along Bouldin Creek is practically a SaoPaulo shanty town. And, they all use the old Treehouse as meeting space and shelter.

I'm not saying they're entitled to their space, but I'm positive this redevelopment won't thwart what they've been doing for 30 years. How's that for a sexy amenity?

Also, if you're dropping six million on a condo, odds are you're overtly loaded and not intending to use this as your primary residence, so much as a trophy condo. Exactly what the city of Austin had in mind when considering density.

Thank god it's only 7 stories tall. That way, whatever we throw at it, won't miss.

A 6 million dollar condo! Someone has lost their mind. If TCAD appraises it at 6 million, you're going to pay over $150,000 PER YEAR in property tax. That's the total cost of my east Austin house that sits on 1/3 of an acre. I don't get it.

I'm not anti condo. I sort of like it. But we're not New York, where land area dictates density and price. I guess there is something to be said for amenities such as walking distance to Town Lake, but if I've got 6 million to spend on a house I'd buy something for 500k that's still in 78704, with a backyard, and still have 5.5 million leftover for gas.

Are there really that many rich people in Austin that can afford that kind of condo? And if you have that kind of money, why not get a nice house in the center city-you could for one million dollars.

Im a native Austinite, but I live in NYC now and I always fear that it is New Yorkers and Californians who this is really for-I always hear New Yorkers talk snobbishly about how much they loathe Texas and the South, but Austin is cool. Maybe they are getting pied-a-terres down there and this is who the condo is for. So they can bleach the life out of another place...

yes! price increases! drive out the poor and the lazy! that's how you know they are lazy; they aren't rich. Get it? drive them out! the rich shall inherit the Earth! or, at least, the best parts of Austin that so many of us 78704 locals have humbly called home for so many years.

i'm so sick of all this "high-end" development bullshit. why not just, like, development for regular folks? why does it have to be for the super-rich?

agh. my City is not developing the way i'd hoped. soon, this will be a land of self-proclaimed "progressives" who think it's neat to live in a city where it's cool to be "weird."

this is so the wrong direction.

$1 to $6 million is utterly ridiculous. Shows you what's going to happen to that neighborhood in just a few short years.

Not to mention, the new central park they're building close by will skyrocket prices even more.

I love that building. I had dreams that I'd win the lottery and transform it into a nice house. I just couldn't afford the property takes on a million dollar piece of property...

Ah well, screw the Long Center. Hopefully this will get millionaires into the Dougherty Arts Center and support for real art in Austin. We all know that the Long Center is more than likely just going to end up being Bass Concert Hall's schedule minus anything interesting.

so getting a six pack or a taco will require a bit of a trek

Uhm. Is walking across Dawson and then down two doors too far for rich people to go for a six pack of Lone Star? Maybe that crappy little sandwich shop on the corner there will get some more customers and stop being so crappy.

I propose a condo tax.