New year, new skyline.
Each year brings major development news to Austin, and 2024 is slated to be no different. From a major overhaul to our highway system to new public spaces and several new high rises, here are 10 Downtown developments we’re watching this year.
I-35 Capital Express Central | Construction will begin this year on a $4.5 billion overhaul of I-35, stretching from Hwy. 71 to US 290 E. In addition to widening and lowering parts of the highway, TxDOT plans to implement “caps” and “stitches” that will allow for pedestrian and bike access.
The University of Texas at Austin Medical Center | Goodbye, Frank Erwin, hello MD Anderson. Crews are currently slowly dismantling the nearly 50-year-old arena, which will make way for a new hospital in partnership with the country’s best cancer treatment center. The project — which also includes a second hospital tower — is expected to cost $2.5 billion total and join Austin’s burgeoning Innovation District.
Sixth&Blanco | About two acres of West Sixth Street will be transformed into a mixed-use development featuring five stories of retail, hotel, and residential space. After years of planning, the space’s current vendors — like Swedish Hill — are expected to close this month to make way for construction on the project.
Historic Sixth Street restoration | Stream Realty Partners, which owns more than 30 properties on Historic Sixth Street, plans to begin work restoring and renovating several buildings in the historic district. Architecture firm Clayton Korte is spearheading the effort — read our interview with Paul Clayton to learn more about their process.
Block 21 | The mixed-use development that houses ACL Live and the W Austin is in the process of undergoing $40 million in upgrades. Public-facing renovations — which include the hotel’s entrance and dining, plus a new 2,060-sqft terrace at ACL Live — are expected to be complete by this summer.
Wilson Tower | Although promised at 80 stories tall — potentially becoming the tallest skyscraper in the state — Wilson Tower is now poised to reach 45 stories and stand at a height on par with the Frost Bank Tower. Construction is just beginning and the tower isn’t likely to be completed for some time.
Waterline | Meanwhile, Austin’s actual tallest tower is well under construction, with completion anticipated in 2026. The Rainey Street district development is expected to contain the 1 Hotel Austin, 350+ luxury apartments, and 700,000 sqft of office space.
The Confluence | The second phase of Waterloo Greenway’s plan to transform Waller Creek and build a 1.5 mile greenway through downtown is now underway. This phase focuses on the southernmost stretch of the greenway and adds three pedestrian suspension bridges, additional trails, multiple new public green spaces, and more than 1,550 new trees.
Luminary | This 35-story condo tower will contain 286 homes, 4,800 sqft of retail and restaurant space, and set aside 10,000 sqft for the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas. The project’s start date has not been announced, but condos are expected to cost between $600,000 and $3 million.
Sixth and Guadalupe | Austin’s current tallest tower is now accepting applications for residents, and will soon contain the fourth location of “The Kitchen,” a chain owned by Elon Musk’s brother, Kimbal Musk. Read our interview with the skyscraper’s lead architect, George Blume.
