Downtown Water Treatment Plant Decommissioned, New Neighborhood to Emerge
December 16, 2008 23:58 Filed in: News
For those who feel that the heart of downtown Austin
is the aging Green water treatment plant, today is a
sad day. After 83 years, the Green plant has been
decommissioned as a first step to redevelopment of
the prime site just north of Ladybird lake.
With the removal of the plant, the City begins ones of its most important and ambitious urban redevelopment projects. Over the next few years, the City and developer Trammell Crow will remove the plant and replace it with large scale multi-use development that restores the natural street grid. In fact, Trammell Crow was selected because they proposed the most dense and ambitious plan for the site
When the project is complete, as many as five high-rise buildings - some as tall as 40-stories -- will be added to the Austin skyline. In addition, a new retail district will connect the 2nd street district to the Seaholm development, creating a vibrant new downtown region which will draw many more residents, workers, and visitor downtown for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
Renderings of Proposed Green Water Treatment Plant Redevelopment
The Trammell Crow proposal for the Green site includes the following components:
- A 350,000-square-foot hotel and a 250-unit senior assisted living facility in addition to condos, apartments, offices and retail space.
- Five public squares could accommodate as many as 2,700 people.
- 5,200 new parking spaces
- The proposal includes an Austin Car Share program, bicycle bays, and electric refueling stations
- Restoration of the downtown street grid which will ease congestion and streamlie the flow of traffic into downtown
- The proposal offers to make 25 percent of its rental units affordable--defined at 80 percent of the city's median family income--and offered to make a donation to the city's affordable housing fund for every condo it sells, estimating that total donations could reach $2.5 million.
Seaholm District Planning Map: Click to Enlarge
Here is a summary from the Statesman of today’s ceremony:
After supplying water to Austinites for more than 83 years, the Green Water Treatment Plant was decommissioned Tuesday, with city officials and former plant workers among the dozens who gathered for a ceremony at the plant.
The plant site is part of the Seaholm district along Cesar Chavez Street that in coming years will become a development of apartments, condos, office space and retail.
The intake pump at the plant, which went online in 1925, was turned off in September, which stopped the city's oldest water treatment plant from pulling water from Lady Bird Lake.
On Tuesday, Austin Water Utility officials, Mayor Will Wynn, council members and Austin Water Utility retiree Jerry Eschberger spoke about the plant's history and future. Afterward, officials turned the clear well valve to the off position.
With the removal of the plant, the City begins ones of its most important and ambitious urban redevelopment projects. Over the next few years, the City and developer Trammell Crow will remove the plant and replace it with large scale multi-use development that restores the natural street grid. In fact, Trammell Crow was selected because they proposed the most dense and ambitious plan for the site
When the project is complete, as many as five high-rise buildings - some as tall as 40-stories -- will be added to the Austin skyline. In addition, a new retail district will connect the 2nd street district to the Seaholm development, creating a vibrant new downtown region which will draw many more residents, workers, and visitor downtown for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
Renderings of Proposed Green Water Treatment Plant Redevelopment
The Trammell Crow proposal for the Green site includes the following components:
- A 350,000-square-foot hotel and a 250-unit senior assisted living facility in addition to condos, apartments, offices and retail space.
- Five public squares could accommodate as many as 2,700 people.
- 5,200 new parking spaces
- The proposal includes an Austin Car Share program, bicycle bays, and electric refueling stations
- Restoration of the downtown street grid which will ease congestion and streamlie the flow of traffic into downtown
- The proposal offers to make 25 percent of its rental units affordable--defined at 80 percent of the city's median family income--and offered to make a donation to the city's affordable housing fund for every condo it sells, estimating that total donations could reach $2.5 million.
Seaholm District Planning Map: Click to Enlarge
Here is a summary from the Statesman of today’s ceremony:
After supplying water to Austinites for more than 83 years, the Green Water Treatment Plant was decommissioned Tuesday, with city officials and former plant workers among the dozens who gathered for a ceremony at the plant.
The plant site is part of the Seaholm district along Cesar Chavez Street that in coming years will become a development of apartments, condos, office space and retail.
The intake pump at the plant, which went online in 1925, was turned off in September, which stopped the city's oldest water treatment plant from pulling water from Lady Bird Lake.
On Tuesday, Austin Water Utility officials, Mayor Will Wynn, council members and Austin Water Utility retiree Jerry Eschberger spoke about the plant's history and future. Afterward, officials turned the clear well valve to the off position.