New lakeshore landscape unfolding From the cover
South Central Waterfront
What’s happening?
District developments 1 151 S. First St. (One Lady Bird Lake) 2 305 S. Congress Ave. (Statesman PUD*) 3 311-315 S. Congress Ave. 4 500 S. Congress Ave. 5 200 E. Riverside Drive 6 600 E. Riverside Drive (Cidercade PUD*)
The lakeside landscape south of downtown is moving closer to long-awaited transformation with millions of square feet of mixed-use space and public areas across a series of high-rises. The redevelopment of vacant or underused land throughout the nearly 120-acre South Central Waterfront district has been anticipated for well over a decade. Several landmark projects are planned around the area, with most yet to break ground. The RiverSouth o ce tower on the district’s west side, completed in 2022, was billed as the rst of many higher-prole modern developments coming to the South Central Waterfront. That wave of construction has yet to materialize but is on the way, starting with the One Lady Bird Lake residential tower that broke ground this year. Development is taking place without formal city regulations—and requirements for community benets—that were envisioned through a public framework for projects districtwide. While some aspirations from that process may not be realized, the city launched a broader planning eort this fall to set a 10-year blueprint for downtown that now includes the waterfront district. Council member Zo Qadri, who represents the area, said it’s among the most important opportunities for shaping Austin’s growth in the years ahead. “These areas sit at the heart of our city, and the planning decisions we make today will determine how accessible, connected, and welcoming they are for decades to come,” he said in a statement.
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Central City District West Campus Downtown
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South Central Waterfront
Colorado River
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In 2024, a city consultant projected about 30 million square feet of new development across the South Central Waterfront within 15 years, including:
*PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS; LARGER, COMPLEX PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE MORE CITY REVIEW AND PUBLIC BENEFITS
Housing: 16.84M sq. ft. Parking: 6.79M sq. ft. O ce: 3.9M sq. ft. Retail: 1.9M sq. ft. Hotel: 541,750 sq. ft.
In addition to private projects, the district will also serve as the juncture of the proposed Austin Light Rail system. That would include lines running to the south, east and north connected to a new waterfront station with infrastructure on or near some redeveloping properties.
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTINCOMMUNITY IMPACT
The backstory
oversee the district vision plan also hasn’t convened since March, putting it at risk of being dissolved under city policy. At its last meeting, former Chair Jim Stephenson said project outlines became “wildly inconsistent” with local goals with developers “wiggling out” of aord- able housing requirements. Looking ahead, Qadri said he’s prioritizing development that improves public spaces, mobil- ity options and local environmental goals while providing aordable housing benets. “Past planning eorts created a strong foun- dation, and the work ahead gives us a chance to build on that foundation with a more coordi- nated and accountable approach,” he said.
Goals for South Central Waterfront construc- tion were set in a formal vision framework plan adopted in 2016. That served as a roadmap for residents’ desire to bring public amenities to the area alongside expected growth, such as including hundreds of aordable housing units to ensure the district didn’t build out for luxury living only. However, regulations intended to turn vision plan goals into rmer requirements never came together. After months of public review, zoning updates crafted for that purpose were inde- nitely shelved before a City Council vote last September. A community advisory board formed to
District goals A local vision plan highlights hopes for millions of square feet of new construction, including:
20% of new housing built being aordable
A districtwide network of streets, sidewalks and open space
Waterfront parks and trails
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTINCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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