03.27.2024

SUBSCRIBE | REFER

Today’s Forecast

🏙️ Downtown dreaming

Everything you need to know about Austin’s South Central Waterfront district

A drawing of Austin, with Lady Bird Lake stretching in the middle, shows a clump of skyscrapers and tall buildings south of the lake on the other side from Downtown.

The vision for the South Central Waterfront district outlines a second Downtown-like development south of Lady Bird Lake. | Art by Stephanie Bower, via the City of Austin

Austin’s South Central Waterfront initiative — a plan encouraging intentional, Downtown-like development south of Lady Bird Lake — is gaining steam, with implementation potentially beginning as early as this summer.

About a decade of effort will culminate as a draft regulations plan on the desks of Austin City Councilors next month. Here’s what you need to know.

What are we talking about?

The South Central Waterfront Vision Framework was adopted in 2016 as a set of guidelines for the development of 118 acres along Lady Bird Lake, south of Downtown.

The concept? To get ahead of rapid development predicted for the south Austin area, which abuts popular public spaces like Auditorium Shores and the South Congress shopping district. In total, the SCW district spans 56 parcels of land between South First Street and Blunn Creek.

In 2022, the City directed staff to develop a set of regulations for this area. That set of regulations was released in draft form last month.

A map outlining the South Central Waterfront district with colors denoting the building height allowances. — Under the draft plan, larger buildings — with a floor-to-area ratio of 24:1 — will be allowed in the red zones on this map, with building size gradually decreasing outward.
|
Graphic via the South Central Waterfront Combining District & Density Bonus Program draft plan

Breaking down the plan

The draft plan centers on two major facets: a combining district and a density bonus program.

Combining district
The established combining district clusters the parcels together as a group, delineating properties affected by the proposed regulations.

Density bonus program
The optional density bonus program will allow developers to build larger buildings in exchange for community benefits like affordable housing or green spaces. This effort is similar to the Downtown Density Bonus Program, which was established in 2014.

Under the draft plan, the tallest building allowances would be clustered on the intersections of South Congress Avenue, Riverside Drive, and Barton Springs Road, with size becoming gradually more restricted on the southern and eastern edges of the district.

In the long run, the city envisions the plan will bring ~480 new affordable housing units to the area.

What's next + how you can get involved

Asked

What do you want to see more of in Austin’s South Central Waterfront district?

A. Public green spaces and trails
B. Public transportation
C. Affordable housing
D. Retail, restaurant, and office space

Share your input

Events

Wednesday, March 27

Test Batch Flight | Wednesday, March 27 | 3-10 p.m. | Blue Owl Brewing, 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., Ste. #300, Austin | Cost of purchase | Buy a beer and get an additional four test batch brews to taste and rate.
Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatles | Wednesday, March 27 | 6:45-8:45 p.m. | AFS Cinema, 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd., Austin | $35-$62 | Listen to music under the gentle glow of candlelight.

Thursday, March 28

Elizabeth Olds and Women Printmakers of the WPA Era | Thursday, March 28 | 6-7 p.m. | Harry Ransom Center, 300 W. 21st St., Austin | Free with RSVP | Learn about women printmakers from a panel of art curators, paired with the Ransom Center’s exhibition on prints by Elizabeth Olds.

Friday, March 29

NCHM Annual Easter Egg Dye-o-Rama | Friday, March 29 | 12-4 p.m. | Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel St., Austin | Free | Eggs, dye, wax resists, and volunteer helpers will be provided at this day filled with crafts, live music, scavenger hunts, and lawn games.
Texas Hold ‘Em | Friday, March 29 | 4 p.m. | Cheer Up Charlies, 900 Red River St., Austin | Free | See performances by Diamond Dior Davenport and Lucy Fur at this event also featuring beats by DJs Amarji and Scam Likely Lepore.

Saturday, March 30

Austin Zoo Annual Easter Egg Hunt | Saturday, March 30 | 8 a.m. | Austin Zoo, 10808 Rawhide Trail, Austin | $10 | Egg hunters age 10 and younger are invited to search the zoo grounds for colorful Easter eggs — a separate hunt for kids three and under will also be set up.
Game Night | Saturday, March 30 | 5-7 p.m. | Jo’s Coffee - South Austin, 5532 Menchaca Rd., Austin | Free | Enjoy half-off chips and salsa, queso, or frozen lemonade while you lean into your competitive side with an array of free board games.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Civic

Travis County Commissioners Court approved a 100% property tax exemption for qualifying child care providers yesterday. Austin City Council enacted the ordinance — aimed at reducing child care costs — last November, after voters approved the move in the fall election.

Announced

Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic will leave the Lone Star State for New Jersey this year, he announced on Instagram. The concert — featuring Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and Maren Morris — will take place at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden.

Now Open

New Fortune 2, the return of Chinese restaurant New Fortune that closed three years ago, opened this month at 12300 FM 620. Chef-owner William Wong’s menu is largely the same, centered on dumplings, buns and bao, plus noodle and rice dishes. (Eater Austin)

Cause

Austin Pets Alive! launched its Yes Alive! campaign to raise money for expansion. The shelter is requesting help raising a collective $45 million to build four locations, starting with a new animal hospital. (Community Impact Austin)

List

Twenty-seven Texans made it on Bloomberg’s top 500 Billionaires Index, including Central Texas figures Elon Musk ($187 billion), Michael Dell ($99.5 billion), and H-E-B’s Charles Butt and family ($13.3 billion). See the full list.

Real Estate

The recently opened Juno East Austin apartment building is mostly made of wood, making it the first mass timber residential building in the city. The style of construction was developed in Germany + Austria, and involves thick layers of compressed wood. (Austin Business Journal)

Sports

Should Wemby take a step back after this season? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the San Antonio Spurs with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Travel

Looking to beat the summer heat? Head to Seabrook, Washington’s award-winning, walkable beach town. Home to mild temperatures, beaches, luxury vacation homes, biking + hiking trails, restaurants, and more — it’s an ideal getaway for everyone. Use code TEXAS10 for 10% off all bookings this year.*

Try This

So, you’re planning an event. With our self-service advertising options, you can create some buzz in Austin + make sure people show up. Psst… Your listing could be featured in this newsletter in as little as two days. Rack in the RSVPs.

Concert

🎼 It’s a spring thing

Bob Schneider, Kody West to perform at Hill Country Galleria’s Saturday Night Concert Series

A crowd of people sitting on picnic blankets faces toward a stage, not seen in the photo. Behind them, the Galleria shops are in the background.

Enjoy the springtime weather with a free concert at the Hill Country Galleria. | Photo courtesy Hill Country Galleria

April showers may bring May flowers, but springtime weather means one more thing for Central Texas: outdoor concerts.

The Hill Country Galleria announced the lineup for its Saturday Night Concert Series, which returns next Saturday, April 6. The free event series takes place on the lawn inside the Bee Cave shopping center, so bring a picnic blanket or some lawn chairs. Shows will last from 7 to 9 p.m. each night.

This year’s lineup includes:

Bob Schneider | April 6
Scott Strickland | April 13
Madam Radar | April 20
Jo James | April 27
Cam Allen | May 4
Kody West | May 11

Looking for more free tunes? Stay tuned for announcements from these other free summer concert series:

The Drop-In | The Long Center
Hot Summer Nights | Red River Cultural District
Blues on the Green | Zilker Park

The Buy

The Buy 3.27.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

New denim on Nordstrom Rack. We’re seeing great finds in women’s jeans from Joe’s, Good American, and Lucky Brand, all perfect for a spring refresh.

Share ATXtoday

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

Facebook

Twitter

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_5}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.

Claim your rewards

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
London

From the editor

I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve been floored by the beautiful patches of pink evening primrose I’ve been seeing around the city lately. I think these little beauties are slowly climbing my list of favorite Texas wildflowers.

Missed our previous newsletter?

›

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY