-
Here is the monthly update from John Gillam of the Facilities Services Division of the Library System:
North Village Branch Library Replacement Project: The construction of the new North Village Branch Library continues to progress well, though hampered somewhat of late by rainy weather and, more critically, by the loss of the project’s roofing subcontractor just as that particular trade was scheduled to start their portion of the building. Due to difficulties recently encountered on another project, the long selected roofing firm was forced, for insurance reasons, to withdraw from the North Village Branch Library Project. Our general contractor has hastened to solicit bid proposals from other roofing companies, and it is hoped that a low, responsive bidder will be approved shortly by the Department of Small and Minority Business Resources to start work on the site.
(more…)
-
A board meeting was held on January 21 and continued on January 27. The time at the January 21 meeting was devoted to a report by the Development Committee on the Village redevelopment. Representatives briefed the board on the project concept. The developer is seeking an early opt-in determination for the VMU overlay on the property. This determination involves a decision by the Planning Commission, followed by a final decision by City Council.
The Development Committee is following the project to insure it is compatible with our residential area. The Development Committee was tasked with collecting input from residents and communicating these criteria to the developer in an attempt to impose neighbor-friendly restrictions on the redevelopment. The board meeting was adjourned until Jan. 27.
-
The shopping center just to the south of our neighborhood, The Village, was sold to Capital City Partners in October of 2007. What impact will this have on the North Shoal Creek neighborhood? The new owners are planning a Vertical Mixed Use project that would completely change the face of The Village as we know it.
Some numbers to consider:
Currently the Village is developed to 147,000 square feet of retail.
Proposed development:
645,000 square feet of retail, residential and commercial
410 residential units averaging 910 square feet to a maximum of 2100 square feet
1247 parking spaces on the ground and in garages up to 6 stories tall
6 screen movie theatre built out on a second level
88,000 square feet of office space
97,000 square feet of commercial space
27,000 square foot fitness facility
(more…)
-
The Village Shopping Center is the area that includes the Alamo Draft House, Obee’s, Fuddruckers, etc. It was purchased last September and the new owners, the Lamy Group, intend to take the existing 147,000 sq. ft. and expand it to 645,000 sq. ft. of residential, retail and office space. In order to accomplish the increase in density for this development, they are asking for a zoning change from GR to GR-VMU (Vertical Mixed Use). To see the City case information for this Zoning change, go to this site and search by Case Number using: C14-2007-0207In theory, VMU allows for increased density and a mixture of residential, retail and commercial to encourage a more efficient use of the property. It should also encourage people to play, shop, and work closer to home, and to use public transportation more frequently. In exchange for relaxed standards of setback, height, and parking, etc., the City requires that 10% of the residential units be set aside as “affordable housing.” The affordable units are funded by HUD and administered through the Austin Housing Authority. For more details about VMU, see the City of Austin website.
-
Below are the monthly updates concerning the build progress of the North Village Library. John Gillam had forgotten to send these to me, but was nice enough to send me the last few months of updates. The roof is going on this week and we are still on track for a Jan 2009 grand opening. Here is the update from December. The June through November updates are also available when you click the continue link below.
December
The construction of the new North Village Branch Library is proceeding at a pace that the surrounding neighborhoods find very exciting, judging from the number of approving emails and telephone calls the Library Department has received on that subject of late. In large part, their excitement doubtlessly stems from observing the sizeable shipment of structural steel being delivered to the site on December 7, 2007, followed closely by the erection of the structural skeleton of the building by a small army of workers employing cranes and other heavy equipment. The roof installation expected immediately after the first of the year will probably cause a similar buzz in the community, but other benchmarks denoting progress include the contractor’s completion of the underground biofiltration pond and the parking lot curb layout. Equally promising for the project management team has been the successful resolutions coordinated with Austin Energy for the path of electrical service for the building and with the concrete subcontractor for the creation of the architectural columns so prominent in the facility’s design. At this time, Library Department officials are not aware of any reasons why the new North Village Branch Library cannot be made completely ready to open to the public, as previously scheduled, on Saturday, January 24, 2009.
