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Tag Archives: City of Austin Downtown Density Bonus
Council endorses development bonuses near the Capitol
A rule prohibiting tall buildings near the Texas Capitol may soon be relaxed, opening up a sleepy part of downtown to more development. City Council passed a resolution Thursday that would allow properties currently under the Capitol Dominance Overlay –…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • May 20, 2022
Council adopts new interim fees for Downtown Density Bonus program
Developers of some downtown towers will have to pay more toward affordable housing after City Council voted 10-0-2 on Thursday to increase the Downtown Density Bonus program’s in-lieu fees. The program offers developers more height and density in exchange for…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • May 21, 2021
Council to change Downtown Density Bonus fees, consider new FAR rules
Long-awaited changes to the Downtown Density Bonus Program are back on track after City Council passed a resolution Thursday aimed at maximizing the affordable housing fees generated through the program. “I am very confident that the changes that we’ve initiated,…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Apr 26, 2021
Council approves Rainey towers, pledges new LDC push
On Thursday City Council approved increased floor area ratio for three new towers in the Rainey Street area, bringing 1,000 more homes – 55 of them affordable – to the area. The approval of the towers may have consequences beyond…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Apr 9, 2021
Featured Collection: Austin Energy 2022 rate case
Austin Energy ramps up outreach for proposed rate changes
Austin Energy has entered the public hearing phase of its base rate review process, following its proposal to raise service costs. The monthslong dialogue with stakeholders and city staff, slated for resolution by City Council in November, has surfaced predictable…
More Headlines for Austin Energy 2022 rate case
- Workers demand labor protections at Austin Energy base rate rally
- Impartial examiner report backs up Austin Energy base rate proposal, but critics aren’t giving up
- Council to debate controversial rate increase for Austin Energy customers this fall
- Austin Energy amends initial proposal at base rate review conference, but critics say it’s not enough
Council discusses a recalibrated Downtown Density Bonus program
City Council members on Tuesday supported recalibrating the Downtown Density Bonus program to increase the community benefits developers must provide in exchange for more floor area ratio. The changes – should Council vote to implement them – could shape the…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Apr 7, 2021
Planning Commission endorses Rainey high-rise
The Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend construction of a skyscraper on Rainey Street that would be one of Austin’s tallest buildings. 90-92 Rainey St., currently occupied by Container Bar, would become a residential high-rise with about 450 residential…
Development • By Harrison Young • Jan 29, 2021
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City tries to get developers to embrace 'great urban design'
While the most often discussed aim of density bonuses has been to create affordable housing, the city also hopes to use them as a way to encourage other community benefits, including superior design. “We’re trying to shift the narrative and…
Development • By Jack Craver • Nov 8, 2018
Community Development Commission grapples with CodeNEXT
The Community Development Commission voiced frustration over lack of outreach and discussion with the CodeNEXT team during a special called meeting earlier this month. The first draft of CodeNEXT, Austin’s land code rewrite, has been out since January, but some…
Land Development Code • By Lisa Dreher • Jul 27, 2017
Austin Police Department Budget, 2012-2022
During the 2020-21 budget process, City Council cut $31.5 million from APD’s budget, citing the protests and “community outcry against the disproportionate impact of police violence on Black Americans, Latinx Americans and other non-white ethnic communities,” according to the approved…
The many balancing acts in Austin's quest for affordable housing
When it comes to providing housing that is affordable to Austin’s poor and working-class residents, city leaders have very few tools at their disposal. The city is barred by state law from implementing the types of regulations that other major…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Jul 25, 2017
CodeNEXT proposes new program to bolster affordable housing
CodeNEXT, the proposed overhaul of the city’s Land Development Code, dramatically expands an existing city program that offers developers incentives to build housing reserved for low- and middle-income buyers and renters. In a presentation to City Council members on Wednesday,…
Land Development Code • By Jack Craver • Jun 22, 2017
Bills threaten Austin's land use plans
Brie Franco, the city of Austin’s chief legislative strategist, gave City Council a brief update at Tuesday’s work session before rushing off to do some last minute lobbying. The city is facing a number of legislative attempts to curb its…
Texas State Legislature • By Jo Clifton • May 3, 2017
Tovo pushes alternatives in lieu of fees-in-lieu
Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo is pushing ahead in her efforts to steer the city’s density bonus programs in a new direction. Near the end of last year, she initiated a staff review of the current programs, suspecting that there…
