Just wandered around ACC Highland, here's my thoughts

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by Komeht

It's more economical to re-use some of the buildings. The end result won't look anything like it is now and those surface parking lots are going away.

So this means the redevelopment of Highland Mall will happen around the existing newly remodeled ACC and their being there does not detract from full implementation of the master plan? If so great!

[centralaustinite]

Yes, there will be no mall at Highland! And remember, Dillards, JC Pennys and Macy's left the mall before ACC acquired it. The mall concept has long been dead in that location.

Eventually, the mall footprint will all be ACC buildings (completely renovated and repurposed like the northern end is now) and most the parking lots that face Airport will be mixed use, apartments and retail developed in phases by Red Leaf Development.

here is a 16 page pdf that was presented to the Austin Chamber of Commerce in May.
https://www.austinchamber.com/public...evelopment.pdf

It has lots of nice pictures to give you an idea of the plan, it will be implemented in stages and probably won't be complete for 20 years. The work on this is already 6 years in, the neighborhood association started pushing the zoning and planning part of it even before ACC got involved.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Yes, there will be no mall at Highland! And remember, Dillards, JC Pennys and Macy's left the mall before ACC acquired it. The mall concept has long been dead in that location.

Eventually, the mall footprint will all be ACC buildings (completely renovated and repurposed like the northern end is now) and most the parking lots that face Airport will be mixed use, apartments and retail developed in phases by Red Leaf Development.

here is a 16 page pdf that was presented to the Austin Chamber of Commerce in May.
https://www.austinchamber.com/public...evelopment.pdf

It has lots of nice pictures to give you an idea of the plan, it will be implemented in stages and probably won't be complete for 20 years. The work on this is already 6 years in, the neighborhood association started pushing the zoning and planning part of it even before ACC got involved.

No doubt what ACC did to their space was fabulous, but I was hoping that their section would have been connected to the rest of the mall in the interim. That would allow students to access the food court until the rest of ACC construction is done. If it will take 20 years, then that would have been a more sensible thing to do.

[passionatearts]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Yes, there will be no mall at Highland! And remember, Dillards, JC Pennys and Macy's left the mall before ACC acquired it. The mall concept has long been dead in that location.

Eventually, the mall footprint will all be ACC buildings (completely renovated and repurposed like the northern end is now) and most the parking lots that face Airport will be mixed use, apartments and retail developed in phases by Red Leaf Development.

here is a 16 page pdf that was presented to the Austin Chamber of Commerce in May.
https://www.austinchamber.com/public...evelopment.pdf

It has lots of nice pictures to give you an idea of the plan, it will be implemented in stages and probably won't be complete for 20 years. The work on this is already 6 years in, the neighborhood association started pushing the zoning and planning part of it even before ACC got involved.

Thanks for the link! I wanted to give you some reputation points, but City Data says I can't do that until I rep some other people.

I'm wondering what the plan is beyond Highland Mall? The whole corridor of Airport Blvd from Lamar to I-35 seems very outdated and ripe for some sort of redevelopment. I heard something about some rezoning in the area, but I don't know what became of that.

[centralaustinite]

There is a "great streets" type of program in the works for Airport. Great streets isn't the exact name but I can't think of the correct one.

There are lots of changes coming, the boarded up gas station near Tyson's Tacos is going to become a Shawn Cirkel tapas place, the old Stallion Grill will also be a high end restaurant.

Interestingly the other dead mall on Airport, that nearly empty strip mall to the northeast of the intersection of Airport and Lamar (sort of opposite the Black Star Coop) is being leased again! There was a plan for it to be redeveloped but the ground owner (UT systems) didn't go for it. So now, there are some big spaces in a central location going for cheap in there! Who knows what will happen with it.

Single family homes in that area are seeing significant appreciation.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

There is a "great streets" type of program in the works for Airport. Great streets isn't the exact name but I can't think of the correct one.

Are you thinking of the Form Based Zoning, or something different?

[tom331]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

There is a "great streets" type of program in the works for Airport. Great streets isn't the exact name but I can't think of the correct one.

There are lots of changes coming, the boarded up gas station near Tyson's Tacos is going to become a Shawn Cirkel tapas place, the old Stallion Grill will also be a high end restaurant.

Interestingly the other dead mall on Airport, that nearly empty strip mall to the northeast of the intersection of Airport and Lamar (sort of opposite the Black Star Coop) is being leased again! There was a plan for it to be redeveloped but the ground owner (UT systems) didn't go for it. So now, there are some big spaces in a central location going for cheap in there! Who knows what will happen with it.

Single family homes in that area are seeing significant appreciation.

I heard that HEB would be there months ago. But, with your updated news of UT system rejection, HEB news might just be a rumor.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

So this means the redevelopment of Highland Mall will happen around the existing newly remodeled ACC and their being there does not detract from full implementation of the master plan? If so great!

It's part of the full implementation of the master plan.