The South Shore Cultural District remains in limbo as the city prioritizes funding and resources for other cultural districts, pushing any substantial progress on South Shore until at least Fiscal Year 2027. A recent city memo from Anthony Segura, interim director of the Economic Development Department, explained that despite City Council’s directive to support economic […]
South Austin
South Austin is, very roughly, the portion of Austin south of Lady Bird Lake.
Posted inPlanning
‘Little Luckenbach’ could link Sam’s Town Point to $270M South Austin entertainment district
The owner of Sam’s Town Point hopes that a forthcoming mix of “rural retail” – including a farmers market and possible hemp cultivation along with live music offerings on the 10 acres surrounding the popular music venue – could link up to a planned entertainment district south of Slaughter Lane along Menchaca Road. Ramsay Midwood, […]
Posted inHousing
Mobile home park residents facing eviction in South Austin can stay a bit longer, judge rules
Roughly a dozen families living at a mobile home park in South Austin who received 60-day notices to leave will be able to stay for the time being after a Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday. Residents of the Congress Mobile Home Park off South Congress Avenue were told this summer their leases […]
Posted inCourts
Manchaca Road can now be called Menchaca Road after judge tosses case
Manchaca Road is no more. A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block the city of Austin from changing the name of the South Austin road to honor a Texas revolutionary. The nearly yearlong battle stemmed from the city’s public input process before a planned name change. The lawsuit brought by the group […]
Posted inCourts
Manchaca is (again) still Manchaca – for now
A Travis County district judge has hit pause on the city’s attempt to change Manchaca Road to Menchaca – again. Business owners from the group Leave Manchaca Alone sued to block the Austin City Council’s October decision to change the name of the eight-mile South Austin road earlier this month. They said that the city […]
Posted inCity Council
City Council votes: Manchaca to become Menchaca
Austin City Council voted Thursday afternoon to rename South Austin’s Manchaca Road to reflect its allegedly historically accurate spelling: Menchaca. While the issue may appear to be too simple for debate, the vowel in question is a placeholder for a much broader controversy involving the intersection between historical record, identity and the right way to […]
Posted inPlanning
‘Spot Zoning’ case moved to subcommittee
A strange example of patchy zoning came before the Planning Commission at its Tuesday meeting. Chair Stephen Oliver and Commissioner Michael Wilson co-sponsored an item that proposed initiating a code amendment to create an overlay district for two lots on Second Street so that a developer, represented by Land Use Solutions, could proceed in constructing […]
Posted inPlanning
‘Stealth venue’ gets caught in neighborhood’s radar
A note to Austin business owners: When seeking a late-hours permit, you might want to make sure that your social media doesn’t celebrate “great noise” as a positive attribute, particularly if your establishment is nestled between Bouldin Creek and Zilker neighborhoods. Last week, members of the Planning Commission considered a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) that […]
Posted inZoning
South Congress hotel waivers trump some neighbors’ worries
After a successful night at the Planning Commission, a new South Congress hotel will have both a pool and a driveway — despite concerns about their placement from neighbors and the church next door. While the zoning at 2510 South Congress Ave. does allow for a hotel, Krug Development was seeking compatibility waivers from the […]
Posted inCity Council
Kitchen steps into planning personnel issues
Last fall, City Council Member Ann Kitchen asked Planning and Zoning Department Director Greg Guernsey to remove the staff member who had been overseeing the formation of one of the South Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan’s contact teams because she did not like what that staff member had said to a community newspaper about the status […]
Posted inZoning
Council taps into zoning relief for South Austin beer store
A South Austin boutique beer shop looking to sell growlers to go got a boost from City Council on Thursday, but it’s not out of the woods yet. Council approved on first reading a measure to change WhichCraft Beer Store’s zoning to allow it to continue to operate at 2110 South Lamar Blvd. The vote […]
Posted inPreservation
Panel shoots down tax abatement, for now
The former home of one of Austin’s most famous African-American baseball players may soon be restored, but that restoration will take place without the benefit of a city tax abatement this year. Historic Landmark commissioners voted 7-2 to deny the tax abatement for the Willie Wells house at 1705 Newton St. after the home failed […]