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(City of Austin)
By Kali Bramble
Months of negotiations with neighbors finally paid off for the team seeking to reopen the Austin Opera House, with City Council voting unanimously last Thursday to approve the necessary zoning changes.
The vote clears the path for applicant Chris Wallin to proceed with redevelopment, so long as the total area of the music venue does not exceed 10,000 square feet. The development also includes plans for a housing complex with 10 percent of units priced as affordable to those making below 80 percent of the median family income.
“We have gone from asking for no music venue to something the size of nearby clubs, to now accepting 10,000 square feet. We do still have numerous concerns about this increased size, safety to pedestrians, emergency access, and compatibility,” said Laura Toups on behalf of the Greater South River City Neighborhood Plan Contact Team. “It’s difficult for us to say we support this, but we can say we accept it, and we believe it serves the local music community and the developer while not really serving the surrounding neighborhood.”
The application to rezone 200 Academy Drive has been inching forward since last fall, when neighbors filed a valid petition against the proposed land use changes. Opponents argue that the 4.5 acres of parking lot and office space that was once home to the Opera House is far too close to the surrounding neighborhood to accommodate the pedestrian and car traffic generated by a venue of similar size.
Longtime Fairview Park resident Brian Beattie, who is a musician, said that “200 Academy has a proven history of being a dysfunctional location for a large club. It’s never worked for the neighborhood, the concertgoers, or the club’s financial success, and now it’s less connected to South Congress than it ever was. Every neighbor and neighboring business objects specifically and only to the large nightclub and the projected nightly, hourlong, slow-motion drunken gridlock … this is highly disruptive and dangerous in the middle of a neighborhood.”
The original Opera House opened in 1972 and hosted the likes of B.B. King, Tina Turner and Stevie Ray Vaughan before shutting its doors in 1992. With its 1,700-seat capacity, the venue endured similar friction with the surrounding neighborhood and was eventually forced to limit the frequency of concerts. Concern around such encroachments peaked with the establishment of a Neighborhood Conservation Combining District overlay in 1986, designed to protect Fairview Park from further redevelopment.
Now, these protections are beginning to unravel. Proponents of the new Opera House argue that Austin’s music scene, reeling from the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and skyrocketing property taxes, is in desperate need of a medium-sized venue. Originally angling for a complete restoration, owner Chris Wallin, partner Will Bridges and architect Richard Weiss have agreed to scale back the project to 10,000 square feet.
“Having venues of every size that give opportunities to local musicians is key to a great music ecosystem and was important to (my) early success,” said Zach Ernst of Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, who now works as talent buyer at the Paramount and Antone’s. “In my current world, booking multiple venues that host both local and touring bands, I can say firsthand that our calendars are generally full from September through May and we pass on a lot of shows by local bands because we don’t have the dates available.”
With the NCCD zoning overlay removed, the Opera House team is free to pursue their project within the 10,000-square-foot limit, though it remains to be seen what this will allow in capacity. Once redesigned, the project will return to the Planning Commission, where details like traffic infrastructure and a buffer zone of residential units are sure to be hot topics.
Popular
(Gulfstream)
Elon Musk has placed an order for a new, top-of-the-line private jet: a Gulfstream G700, Austonia has learned. Delivery is expected in early 2023.
Billed as offering “the most spacious cabin in history,” the aircraft seats 19 and soars above the rest of us at up to 51,000 feet. Base price: $78 million.
The Gulfstream G700 was awarded the 2022 International Yacht & Aviation Award for excellence in cabin design this year. (Gulfstream)
According to the Gulfstream website, the G700 can fly up to 7,500 nautical miles without refueling, enough range to fly nonstop from Austin to Hong Kong. Powered by two Rolls-Royce engines, it has its own Wi-Fi system, 20 oval windows measuring 28” x 21”, and two lavatories.
The sweet new ride will replace his current top-of-line private jet: a 2015 Gulfstream G650, the aircraft that has been made somewhat famous by the automated @elonjet Twitter account, which tracks and reports his personal aircraft’s movements using public data.
Landed in Austin, Texas, US. Apx. flt. time 44 Mins. pic.twitter.com/jZ7HI0i4iV
— ElonJet (@ElonJet) June 24, 2022
Musk has repeatedly championed “free speech” as a guiding ethic in his planned purchase of Twitter. Last December, Musk offered the teenager who built the @elonjet tracker $50,000 to shut it down, citing security concerns. It’s still up.
According to the @elonjet account, Musk’s jet last traveled to Austin, where it’s been since June 23. The associated data says that his flight to Austin burned $2,573 worth of aviation fuel and discharged 4 tons of carbon dioxide.
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(Valencia Hotel Group)
Live music and beer? Say no more. With a location in Austin, and others throughout Texas, the court hotels by the Valencia Hotel Group have a new offering for weekend stays: Live Music & Longnecks.
Enjoy live music all weekend long and check out the hotels’ state-of-the-art amenities between sets. Make a splash in the pool, enjoy outdoor fire pits, or challenge your friends in a yard game while enjoying a weekend full of live music! Did we mention the package includes deluxe accommodations and a bucket of beer? Oh, and if you needed more convincing, this pet-friendly hotel means the whole family can join in on the fun.
The hotels
Explore any of the Court Hotels by Valencia Hotel Group for a memorable escape. Each property offers a unique experience remnant of yesteryear but with all of the modern amenities that make for a fun and comfortable stay. With acres of landscaped courtyards, relax and unwind in an outdoor environment perfect for doing everything or absolutely nothing at all. With locations in Austin, College Station, Irving, and Lubbock your urban retreat has never been so close.
The music
Locals and travelers alike are invited to enjoy the deep roots of Texas music all summer long with a robust lineup of live performances. From the banks of the San Antonio Riverwalk to Irving’s manicured streets, Valencia’s hotels are a place to gather and reconnect, offering uniquely Texan settings for the weekly performances.
“We’re proud of the community we’ve fostered among Texas musicians and the many rising stars who perform at our properties,” says Amy Trench, corporate director of brand marketing & PR for Valencia Hotel Group.
In Austin, you can catch good ol’ fashioned Texas country by Drew Moreland and Clayton Gardner, bluegrass by Reagan Quinn, and much, much more.
With unique programming at each of Valencia’s properties, there’s something for everyone to enjoy all summer long.
The perks
If you’re a Valencia Hotel Group Rewards member, the perks are plentiful. Enjoy up to 10% off the Best Available Rate, and for a limited time, members can save up to 15% off a stay of 2 nights or more, for select stays in 2022.
But that’s really just the beginning. At select locations, you can enjoy discounts on weeknight stays, a complimentary third night, or curated packages for a romantic getaway or a night of watching the Verde at Q2 Stadium. You’ll also find special rates for AAA and AARP Members, educators, and front-line heroes including military, law enforcement, fire, and rescue workers.