The Legacy@Town Lake: A Vertical 'Gated Community

I completely agree with this article. I live at the Milago & hate the fact that you still have to get in your car to get groceries or coffee.

And yes it may be premature to start building grocery stores or retail stores, but there should be a plan to do so in the future. Take a look at Portland, Oregon's Pearl district/downtown area, it's a great use of living space (not to mention a light rail/public transportation). Somehow, we just need to make sure that this area incorporates restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores, etc. (affordable options would be nice too) before all the highrises take all of the available space.

I so can't wait until there are 7 people per square foot in the downtown area. There is nothing more cool than paying $20+ to park for a night out and a W hotel to go buy $14 drinks at (that is if you are deemed cool enough to get in). My family and I have been waiting for some time now to be able to move out of our 1500 sq. ft. home with yard and pool so we can cram ourselves into 800 sq. ft. for 3 times the price + a monthly fee. And sharing a pool with 6000 other people in my building is going to rock. Fuck I can't wait until the next store opens up so I can get my $400 jeans and $12 smoothie. Fuck yeah, and those bodegas, been waiting years to pay $2 per banana and $6 for a gallon of milk. Oh so convenient though. I can get rid of my car...oh wait, that's right, I'm not a multi-millionaire so i still need one so I can go to work everyday. Condos = awesomeness and a better world. Why does anyone argue that rasing children outside of a small concrete box on a 35th floor could be right. Fuck, why don't they just put schools in the buildings so they never have to leave and socialize with anyone other than other rich kids who live in their building - but I understand. That may expose them to other social classes and races. I'm really hoping they put in a damn Wal-Mart on the 4th floor though. then all the hypocrties won't have to drive there to shop, they can just hide that little secret in their building.

The reason for forcing ground-level ped-oriented uses is that these buildings, unlike most crap thrown up in the suburbs, can be expected to be around for 50-100 years or more. The developers, though, aren't going to be able to think on those timeframes - and that's not unreasonable for them - so this is one of the rare occasions when new urbanism requires additional rules rather than removing old ones.

Don't buy the garbage spread by the suburbanites, though; most of new urbanism is about eliminating rules currently preventing density - not forcing it.

Whatever happened to the cafe that's supposed to be on the ground floor of the Milago? So far, that space sits empty.

Maybe the lack of foot traffic in that area has prevented them from attracting a tenant? Or maybe their not trying very hard - it seems like the building owners would want that rent and the condo owners would be pushing for it as well.

I agree with Shili in general - ground floor, pedestrian oriented businesses should be in these buildings. But, it seems like they'll have to reach a critical mass of residents first.

I hope that the city and it's partners will find a way to complete the hike and bike trail. If there was a viable loop on the east side, the high traffic between S. 1st and Mopac would spread out on to the whole trail. That would help drive traffic for businesses in Rainey street. The Waller creek tunnel and redevelopment will help, too.

From what I've been told, the Shore developers are putting all of the retail/restaurant development in the 2nd tower that will house the Kimpton Van Zandt hotel. So while the 1st Shore building doesn't have retail or a restaurant, the complex itself will have both of those things once the 2nd tower is complete.

"We want density!"

"...but it doesn't have ground floor retail!"

There's just no pleasing some people.

What's going to happen to Chain Drive?

If you hipsters would stop buying these eyesores, maybe the developers would stop building them.

don't worry y'all, you can hop on your scooter an ride to 2nd street to buy a 50 dollar t shirt. it isn't that far. the only question is, how much is it for a cab to the beauty bar?

I live in the Rainey St. area, and I would say right now there is not enough traffic over there to support much retail. I would love a place to grab a coffee in the morning or a drink when I get home, but I wouldn't open a business over there yet. I think that will change somewhat when the Shore is finished, and more so when they build the Hotel next to the Shore.

Architecturally, I think it looks like a phallus with uneven testicles. Which is to say, bad.

They won't have to drive (but they probably will, anyways).

For the scratch they're throwing down on these pads, they've got options: use the hybrid, have Jeeves pull the limo around, or hire one of those colorful pedi-cabs to squire them about.

Looks like a Cheesecake Factory on Viagra

no shit! what a great way to deter people from moving to Austin. Build the ugliest skyline in Texas. Except for the fact that residents of Austin have to be puched in the face with these eyesores. The real sad part is the people developing/designing these buildings don't even live here. Take the money and run.

Will one of you asshole developers please pick up an architecture book and development some taste in design!

Nature, thanks for the correction. The development is just south of that tree. Looks like it will be clipped, cramped and shaded, but survive, at least until the lot it is on is sold and developed.

Heyzues, that may have been true five years ago, but with this development added to the Shore and the Milago, this area will have some of the highest residential density in the city. Surely enough to support a few stores. Even if the numbers don't strictly work, I think it is a mistake for the developer not to include some retail, because I think this area's biggest weakness is that you have to drive to buy anything. I think it would be more attractive and more popular if there were a few stores there.

Charles, I like Frost Bank and some of the proposed projects, but I agree this one is especially unattractive.

blah blah blah...it's ugly as hell. That's what matters to me. Is there even *one* beautiful high rise(commercial or residential) in downtown Austin? Will there ever be?

heyzeus,

In most of 'downtown', street-level pedestrian-oriented uses (including but not limited to retail) is required, period. Rainey Street is an oddball - not quite downtown in some ways. Don't know if the part of the code requiring street-level ped-use applies there.

My guess is that the developers ran some numbers and found that there isn't enough foot or vehicle traffic in that area to justify ground floor retail (of the variety to earn rents higher than that space could earn as more residential units). As population density in the Rainey St. area increases, future projects will probably find better economics to put in restaurant/cafe/small retail space.

Actually, that tree is still there. It's on the lot next where they are building the Legacy.