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This rendering shows the rooftop of the forthcoming, 10-unit luxury condo development, The Colorfield. (Radical Galaxy Studio)
A 10-unit luxury condo development called The Colorfield will replace the so-called Graffiti Park at Castle Hill—a collection of graffitied concrete slabs formally known as the HOPE Outdoor Gallery since 2011—and help fund its relocation to Southeast Austin near the airport.
The Cumby Group, an Austin-based development and construction firm, has broken ground on the multifamily project, which is located at 1012 Baylor St., near Clarksville. It will include 10 large homes with views of the Texas Capitol and downtown as well as a new mural wall, according to a Tuesday press release. The homes range from 3,200 to 5,058 square feet and start at $3.6 million.
"The Colorfield will reside on a site with a unique, colorful history, so it's fitting that the new homes are unique and colorful as well—and help support a plan for art to endure both here and at the gallery's new home," Development Vice President Melissa Brown said in a press release Tuesday.
Graffiti Park was born out of a failed condo development from the 1980s, which was left underdeveloped until Andi Scull, then the HOPE campaign executive producer, transformed it into a temporary art installation in 2010. Contemporary artist Shepard Fairey, who designed the "Hope" campaign poster that represented President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, installed the first mural installation. Over the next decade, hundreds of artists painted over its walls.
The city's historic landmark commission approved the demolition of Graffiti Park in January 2018, after JB Cumby Construction requested permission to do so. Since then, the developer has developed a plan to support the HOPE Outdoor Gallery, which is slated to reopen in its new, 17-acre space in Southeast Austin this summer.
The Cumby Group has committed to donating $20,000 to the organization and dedicating $25,000 in time and resources to relocate the original gallery sign and a memorial art wall to be displayed at the new space. The firm will also pay $90,000 to commission artists to create a new mural wall at the Colorfield.
"It has been wonderful working with Cumby Group for the past several years to thoughtfully figure out all the best ways we could collaborate together to make this a huge relocation success story for our community," Scull said in the release.
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(Laura Figi/Austonia)
The original Z’Tejas location on West 6th Street is closing its doors after more than 30 years on the lot to make way for new development.
Z'Tejas owner Randy Cohen told Austonia the restaurant will be open at least through the end of 2022, possibly through March 2023.
Cohen said the owners—Larry McGuire of McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality—of the land have something new planned, though he’s not exactly sure what. Additionally, Cohen said maintenance costs for the old building were becoming prohibitively expensive.
“I think the people who own the dirt will tear it all down and build condos or some other development,” Cohen said. “I mean, it's a 60-year-old building, Z'Tejas has been here for 33 years and before that, it was something else. So it's just progress, that's all."
The restaurant isn’t going away though—Cohen said Z’Tejas is already looking for a new spot in the downtown area to move into. Z’Tejas also has a location in Avery Ranch, another in the works for Kyle and two in Arizona.
“We have all our ducks in a row right now and the management team is all rowing in the right direction,” Cohen said. “We're just excited, we're excited to build this iconic brand back.”
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Once he finds a new place, Cohen plans to bring along its mural, “The Last Zupper,” which features Willie Nelson, Matthew McConaughey and Barbara Jordan. Cohen also plans for the adjoining ghost kitchen, Woo Woo Burgers, to follow to the new downtown location.
“We're still booking events through the end of December,” Cohen said. “Come ‘Z' me at Z’Tejas, we'd love to see you before we’re gone.”
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(Google Street View)
Two towers could be coming just south of the Austin American-Statesman’s former headquarters in the South Central Waterfront district.
According to city filings, the proposed planned unit development agreement is set for 200 East Riverside Drive, an area Project Connect’s Blue Line is slated to pass by someday.
Carrying this out involves removing the existing building, which is a state office complex and surface parking.
The new towers in place would reach just over 400 feet at their maximum and include office space and space for retail on the ground level. The mix of office and retail is a trend that’s been cropping up in downtown sites like the Perennial and the Meta tower.
The proposal on a plot of about four acres aims to incorporate green infrastructure and create a lively environment for pedestrians. It’d also be adjacent to the 118-acres of the South Central Waterfront Initiative, which is aimed at enhancing connections to and along the waterfront over the next couple of decades.
The filing lists architects STG Design, a group involved with work on the sailboat-like Google tower.
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