October 12, 2007
UT Releases Recommendations for Brackenridge Tract
UT's Brackenridge Tract Tack Force has released its initial recommendations regarding the land owned by the University west of Mopac and south of Enfield, which includes Lions Municipal Golf Course, West Austin Youth Association, the Colorado and Brackenridge Apartments, the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, a Randall's, and some other apartments and stores. The bottom line is that they suggest hiring an outside master planner to come up with a master plan for everything, and that everything should probably be redeveloped, except maybe WAYA and the field laboratory.
The report notes that the land should not be sold without a compelling reason. Our understanding is that as long as the land remains owned by the University, it is not subject to Austin zoning restrictions, so the development possibilities are wide open.
Image from Brackenridge Tract Tack Force Report.
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Just so nobody else wastes their time: they basically said "yes, we should re-evaluate uses of the tract make some money, and we'll defer on any recommendations to Yet Another Commission."
Completely useless.
Dude, if there had been any exciting content, I would have included it in the post.
I think they are suggesting getting some private master-planner (like ROMA) to come up with a master plan, as opposed to deferring to another intra-UT commission.
Some people thought/hoped they would suggest leaving some portions in place (like the bio lab and the golf course). I think the most notable thing about the report is that they suggest including everything in the master plan.
Which of course is just another way of avoiding making any actual decisions or recommendations. "Keep studying the whole thing" is less actual decision-making than "exclude these and study the rest".
The golf course would make a great park, no golf.
The great feat of modern bureaucracies is to turn that old saw "Not making a decision is a decision" on its head, so now "Making a decision is not making a decision."
Um, this is UT we're talking about. It doesn't fu.k around.
This land will be built out within five years.