AUSTIN, Texas — Fast development can come at the cost of historic touchstones. That could include the Sixth Street Historic District, now that the Austin City Council recently approved an ordinance amendment to allow buildings to be taller in that area.
The building heights used to be capped at 45 feet. Now, buildings can be a maximum of 140 feet tall.
The ordinance amendment was approved by the council in July. The change will apply to buildings on the 500 and 600 blocks of East Sixth Street, between Neches and Sabine streets. However, the "Capitol View Corridors" rules still take precedence over the new height allowance, meaning new builds can't block a view of the Texas State Capitol.
Preservation Austin, the only citywide historic preservation nonprofit, sent a memo in June to members of the city council explaining that although the Sixth Street Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, that does not provide existing buildings protection from demolition.
"Sixth Street is still really vibrant and important and active, obviously, but yeah, that history is really missing. That's one of the things that we're really pushing for, is that the National Register nomination for this district get updated to reflect that history," said Meghan King, the policy and outreach planner for Preservation Austin.
The nonprofit further explained that, to date, 33 properties in the Sixth Street National Register District have been designated as local landmarks. For decades, the overlay has contributed to the protection of this district by limiting the allowable height of new construction to 45 feet.
Preservation Austin said the overlay for these select blocks exposes the entirety of the district to greater risk for future code amendments and redevelopment by setting this precedent.
"The National Register nomination is super old, in the '70s. So we really want that history to be told. We want it to be interpreted, we want it to be celebrated. Then, most importantly, we want this district to be protected," King said.
Stream Realty Partners is the real estate group that pushed for the new height limit. The group currently has 41 properties on Sixth Street. A spokesperson with Stream told KVUE last year that they plan to preserve the front 15 feet of the buildings facing the street and will build up higher and farther back to try to keep the street feeling authentic.
Preservation Austin said it will continue to advocate for historic zoning for the district. Additionally, it wants Stream to invest in interpretive signage throughout the district so that the visitors to East Sixth Street can know the history of the area.
The group would also like the city council to work with property owners to explore additional preservation incentives that would support reinvestment in this district, including the Historic Landmark Commission’s recommendation that the council consider implementing tax caps for adjacent legacy businesses.
"We think that's not only the best step, but really necessary given the development pressures that are inevitably going to fall upon this district once this new development starts getting built," King said. "It's inevitably going to put more pressure on these other businesses that have been there for a long time."
KVUE reached out to Stream to see when a potential start date of construction might be, but we have not heard back.
Read Preservation Austin's full memo to the city council.
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