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BY BEN THOMPSON
2 towers proposed at light rail connection site in South Central Waterfront Plans for new high-rises south of downtown at a key juncture in Austin’s Project Connect rail are close to securing final city approval. The overview thumbs-up in December and a second approval on Feb. 27. Their final vote could come on March 27, after press time. 200 E. Riverside PUD BARTON SPRINGS RD.
City Council signaled in February the developers could meet an affordable housing requirement by paying into the city’s housing fund rather than include income-restricted units onsite. Speaking for property owners the Hunt family, attorney Richard Suttle said the fee option ensures taller towers can be built instead of a smaller residential building. He also noted the property’s relationship to the planned Project Connect transit system. Zooming in The property off Riverside Drive may end up as a hub for the proposed Project Connect branches. Current designs call for southern, eastern and central rail lines to meet at 200 E. Riverside Drive alongside the elevated Waterfront Station. Suttle said the project team has faced difficulties with the city zoning case while negotiating over
The rezoning of 200 E. Riverside Drive would allow for two high-rise towers up to 500 feet, or potentially 50 stories, near the south shore of Lady Bird Lake. They’d include about 1.4 million square feet of offices and 30,000 square feet for retail. The property is being rezoned as a planned unit development, or PUD, which can see greater building allowances traded for public benefits. A quick note A broader city framework for new development in the surrounding South Central Waterfront dis- trict is stalled. Still, several other high-rise project plans around the district remain in progress. What happened City officials gave the Riverside PUD an initial
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rail and station designs with the Austin Transit Partnership, the entity overseeing Project Connect. Still, he said the property owners plan to save space for transit infrastructure. ATP executive vice president Jennifer Pyne said the entity is coordinating with property owners on the rail blueprint, and aims to minimize impacts to adjacent properties where possible before moving for any right-of-way acquisitions.
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