03. W. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard & Nueces Street Working Group Memo — original pdf

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MEMORANDUM Date: To: From: Subject: Meeting Date: Applicant: Working Group Members Present: 01/16/2026 City of Austin Design Commission Planning and Urban Design Working Group Downtown Density Bonus Program review of the W Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. & Nueces Street project 01/14/2026, 12:00 – 1:15 p.m., Virtual Teams Meeting Leah M. Bojo, Drenner Group, PC Nkiru Gelles, Marissa McKinney, Brendan Wittstruck Please note this Memorandum is for discussion purposes only and represents input from the Planning and Urban Design Working Group to the applicant. It is not a recommendation from the Design Commission. The applicant is requesting to participate in the Downtown Density Bonus Program (“DDBP”) to exceed the maximum FAR allowed administratively and obtain a maximum of 20:1 FAR for the DDBP half and 10:1 overall Project FAR. The western half, located outside of the DDBP area, will remain at 5:1 maximum FAR. The gross site area for the Property is 41,829 SF (North) and 41,309 SF (South), resulting in a base entitlement of 209,145 SF (North) and 516,365 SF (South). The overall Project FAR of 10:1 will allow for an additional 207,415 SF (North) and 204,623 SF (South). Per Section 25-2-586-Downtown Density Bonus Program, the first Gatekeeper Requirement states: (a) To receive bonus area, the director must determine that the project substantially complies with the Urban Design Guidelines. i. ii. The applicant must submit to the director a schematic level site plan, building elevations, and other drawings, simulations or other documents necessary to fully describe the urban design character of the project and relationship of the project to its surroundings. The Design Commission shall evaluate and make recommendations regarding whether the project complies with the Urban Design Guidelines and the director shall consider comments and recommendations of the Design Commission. Urban Design Guidelines Area-Wide Urban Guidelines Create Dense Urban Development Create Mixed-Use Development AW.1 AW.2 Compliance (Y/N) Comment Y Y 1 Density is maximized There is high variety of uses including retail, cultural, hotel, and condo. Limit Developments which Close Downtown Streets AW.3 Y Further Information Req. N N/A Y N/A Further Information Req. Y N/A No streets are being closed, including the alley, which is appreciated. The urban fabric to the west of this project is far less dense and much lower in height. It appears as though there is some articulation on the western side but it does look very bare in the elevations with a few trees/rooftop greenery. The height, setback, scale, massing and detailing of this building should respond to existing building stock. Please work to incorporate art within or outside the building that is visible from the streetscape; artwork should be permanent or rotating semi- permanent installation No important public views are present. No historical misrepresentations were presented. To the knowledge of the Working Group, none are present Based on the images shown, it does look like there are some articulated roof spaces. Please expound on this in future presentations. No themed environment was presented Recycling of existing building stock would provide adequate character or add to the project, existing buildings are not of the quality to be recycled. 5/11 3/11 Expect where arcades are present, awnings are provided at too great a height to substantively protect pedestrians from sun and rain Each parking garage has a single curb cut; one is alley-loaded and the other does not front to a primary street While building plan presents a commendable variety of street-level uses, building facade is not articulated in a way that defines the individual uses and directs pedestrians to front doors and creates pedestrian interest; scale of arcades and architecture at street level is not scaled for pedestrian comfort N Y N/A N 2 AW.4 Buffer Neighborhood Edges Incorporate Civic Art in Both Public and Private Protect Important Public Views Avoid Historical Misrepresentations Respect Adjacent Historical Buildings Acknowledge that Rooftops are Seen From Other Buildings and the Street Avoid the Development of Theme Environments AW.5 AW.6 AW.7 AW.8 AW.9 AW.1 0 AW.1 1 Recycle Existing Building Stock Area – Wide Urban Guidelines that Apply Area – Wide Urban Guidelines N/A Public Streetscape Protect the Pedestrian Where the Building Meets the Street PS.1 PS.2 Minimize Curb Cuts Create A Potential for Two- Way Streets PS.3 PS.4 Reinforce Pedestrian Activity PS.5 Enhance Key Transit Stops PS.6 Enhance the Streetscape Avoid Conflicts between Pedestrians and Utility Equipment Install Street Trees PS.7 PS.8 Provide Pedestrian-Scaled Lighting PS.9 Provide Protection from Cars / Promote Curbside Parking PS.10 Screen Mechanical and Utility Equipment PS.11 Provide Generous Street-Level Windows PS.12 Install Pedestrian-Friendly Materials at Street Level PS.13 Public Streetscape that apply Public Streetscape N/A Guidelines for Plaza and Open Spaces Treat the Four Square with Special Consideration PZ.1 Contribute to an Open Space Network Emphasize Connection to Parks and Greenways PZ.2 PZ.3 Incorporate Open Space into Residential Development PZ.4 PZ.5 Develop Green Roofs N/A Further Information Req. Further Information Req. Y Further Information Req. Y Y Y Further Information Req. N/A N N/A N Further information Req. 3 None present Working group would like to see more detail of street surfaces, including alley and planting None were noted by Working Group although legibility of site plan impeded thorough review Streetscape lighting was not clearly demonstrated in presentation There is limited parking that abuts the pedestrian realm, most parking is separated from the pedestrian by bollards, the street and furniture zones on all sides. Please provide information regarding how the entry/exit to the parking garage on 18th street notifies pedestrians that they are interacting with vehicles. Most mechanical uses are directly appropriately toward alley; however, this may negatively impact applicant’s desire to activate alley Renderings appear to be in progress; however, they demonstrated a high level of street level fenestration See comments, PS.6 5/13 2/13 Project is not proximate to a square. Project does not provide ground level open space that could contribute to a network; suggestion to consider pocket park/plaza at SW corner of site Project is not proximate to parks or greenways See comments, PZ.2; reconsideration of hardscape/circulation could allow for a meaningful pocket park/plaza at SW corner without redesign of building See comment on AW.9. Applicant marked this as not compliant in their application but it looked as though there were occupiable roofs with some amount of greenery on them. Provide Plazas in High Use Areas PZ.6 Determine Plaza Function, Size, Activity PZ.7 Respond to Microclimate in Plaza Design Consider Views, Circulation, Boundaries, and Subspaces in Plaza Design PZ.8 PZ.9 Provide an Appropriate Amount of Plaza Seating PZ.10 Provide Visual and Spatial Complexity in Public Spaces PZ.11 Use Plants to Enliven Urban Spaces Provide Interactive Civic Art and Fountains in Plazas Provide Food Service for Plaza Participants Increase Safety in Plazas through Wayfinding, Lighting & Visibility PZ.12 PZ.13 PZ.14 PZ.15 Consider Plaza Operations PZ.16 and Maintenance Guidelines for Public Plazas that Apply Guidelines for Public Plazas N/A Guidelines for Buildings B.1 Build to the Street Provide Multi-Tenant, Pedestrian Oriented Development at the Street Level B.2 B.3 Accentuate Primary Entrances N While alley activation is commendable, a small number of annual activations does not substantiate a plaza Further Information Req. Further Information Req. Further Information Req. Further information Req. N N N Y Further Information Req. Further Information Req. Plazas, except for alley activation, are not clearly defined Not addressed Not addressed Working group had difficulty discerning this on plans Renderings indicate a sterile streetscape; activation of alley, articulation of facades, and enhancement of ground-floor open space within building envelope appear possible Renderings indicate tiered planters on parking plinth but there were no planters or planting areas inside arcades or along building envelope in renderings See comments, AW.5 Tiffs Treats and potential future retail/restaurant spaces were noted. Please provide additional renders showing night views of pedestrian spaces, including the alley, as well as a plan view lighting plan. Provide additional information about operations and maintenance when plazas are addressed as well as the vertical planting that is being proposed. 1/16 2/16 Y Y Even though south building is not built to the property line it engages it from a respectful distance. Further See comments on AW.2 Primary entrances are generally well-defined in 4 Encourage the Inclusion of Local Character B.4 B.5 Control On-Site Parking B.6 Create Quality Construction Create Buildings with Human Scale B.7 Guidelines for Buildings that Apply Guidelines for Buildings N/A Additional Comments: Information Req. N Y Y N plans but not in renderings Nothing in particular presented noted distinct Austin character. Parking is accessed from a single point on 18th street for the south building and from the alley on the north building. Please expound on how parking is accessed for the north building while the alley is programmed. Buildings appear to being constructed of quality materials See comments PS.1, PS.4 4/7 0/7 • Please provide clear graphics for final presentation. It was unclear if that was an applicant issue or a Commission transmittal issue. Note that working group members had difficulty reading key dimensions and text on Great Streets plan and other slides. • Please provide a perspective rendering of the alley unprogrammed for review by the commission; please remove trees from alley views unless they are added to plans. • Provide perspective renderings that overlay the various plans that were shown. Perspective renderings should illustrate building materials, signage, lighting, and furniture. Perspective renderings that were presented in the working group were devoid of much of the furniture and signage. • Provide a diagramatic building section showing floors and vertical uses within building, including clarification that underground parking is not provided. • Consider structural soil or equivalent products for street trees not in a planting area. • Appreciate hardscape treatments at parking garage entries that match pedestrian treatments and encourage vehicles to observe and yield to pedestrians. 5