PROJECTS PEAKING The Rainey Street area has multiple major developments underway, including at least seven additions to the downtown skyline.
the past. The 48-story high-rise only moved forward after developers agreed to avoid wiping out pieces of the historic district by relocating old bungalows within the property to serve as eateries or bars. “While the landscape of Rainey has changed over recent years, its charac- ter and attraction is unwavering. It’s important to us to keep the history and authenticity of the Rainey neigh- borhood alive,” said Lauren Little, marketing director for developer LV Collective. For Royal Blue Grocery’s owners, enough demand built at their Rainey location—now their busiest—that they decided to open a second store less than a half mile away. “It took a long time; it cost a lot of money, but we’re glad we have it because we know that it’ll only grow as those buildings get completed over there,” co-owner Craig Staley said. Even at the height of building activ- ity, the end is not in sight just yet with even more projects proposed. “Despite the slowdown in newly announced projects in the area, there is robust potential for future devel- opment once the current crop of active projects have delivered and are absorbed by the market,” the Down- town Austin Alliance, which monitors downtown and represents local prop- erty owners, said in a statement. Getting around Rainey’s economic and cultural boom is not without some problems, however. Dana Evans has owned a space at The Shore condominiums for more than ve years, but he said local disruptions made it “almost unliv- able.” He moved to Leander while waiting for the area to settle down so he can sell his place. Moving through the Rainey area is often di cult with bargoers, scoot- ers and heavy vehicle tra c clogging
SOURCES: AUSTIN ENERGY, CITY OF AUSTIN, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, VARIOUS DEVELOPERS COMMUNITY IMPACT
Key:
Bars
Road or lane closed
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ONGOING PROJECTS
1 Waterline
98 Red River St.
74 STORIES • 352 UNITS, 251 ROOMS • MIXED USE
3
2
2 The Travis
8
50 STORIES • 414 UNITS 80 Red River St.
4
BEN THOMPSON COMMUNITY IMPACT
56 STORIES • 300 UNITS 3 The Modern Austin Residences 610 Davis St.
5
RAINEY STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT FEDERAL
4 Vesper
35
9
6
84 East Ave.
41 STORIES • 283 UNITS
7
5 Paseo
RENDERING COURTESY LINCOLN PROPERTY COMPANY
80 Rainey St.
1 Waterline
48 STORIES • 557 UNITS
10
6 Cambria Hotel 68 East Ave.
16 STORIES • 212 ROOMS
LADY BIRD LAKE
7 700 River
700 River St.
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43 STORIES • 377 UNITS • MIXED USE
SOURCES: AUSTIN ENERGY, CITY OF AUSTIN, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, VARIOUS DEVELOPERS COMMUNITY IMPACT
RAINEY STREET DISTRICT CITY
8 The Con uence OTHER UPDATES 9 Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center Waterloo Greenway Phase 2
BEN THOMPSON COMMUNITY IMPACT
10 Rainey substation
50% increase to downtown energy grid capacity
11 Rainey Trailhead
Phase 2 expansion
Park improvement project
RENDERING COURTESY LV COLLECTIVE
N
5 Paseo
MAP NOT TO SCALE
vertically, but area stakeholders said now is likely the peak of development with more than 4 million square feet of new construction underway. Projects now in motion include a 16-story hotel on East Avenue, the long-awaited Emma S. Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Cen- ter expansion, and several living or
mixed-use spaces such as Water- line—set to be Texas’ tallest tower at over 1,000 feet. Austin Energy also invested $30 million in a new substa- tion on Lambie Street to power the new growth. Paseo broke ground in February and is bringing a new look to its property at 80 Rainey St. while also preserving
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to make sure that—growth is very important—but to make sure that we do listen to these concerns of peo- ple who live there or around there.” Rush on Rainey The area’s pro le has already moved
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