Latest news with #NatashaHarper-Madison
Axios
07-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Determining the future of Austin's interstate
Austin's plan to build park-like plazas over an expanded Interstate 35 is now in jeopardy, shaken by soaring construction costs, a city budget deficit and a fickle federal partner. Why it matters: The idea was to one day create a semblance of continuity from East Austin to downtown across a highway that has long served as a cultural, racial and physical barrier. That highway will now grow even broader as part of a multibillion-dollar plan that state officials insist will ease traffic. Catch up quick: Work is underway on the highway expansion, with the 8-mile piece through Central Austin expected to finish by 2032 — at a cost of at least $4.5 billion. The project includes: Dismantling the existing I-35 upper decks north of Manor Road. Adding two non-tolled high-occupancy lanes in each direction from U.S. 290 East to Ben White Boulevard, for a total of at least 15 lanes — though there will be more when frontage roads are folded in. Sinking lanes beneath ground level from East Oltorf Street to East Riverside Drive and from East Cesar Chavez Street to Airport Boulevard. Between the lines: Essentially powerless to stop the project, which has faced opposition from some City Council members, the city launched an initiative — Our Future 35 — that promoted an extensive system stitching together the two sides of the highway, including with tree-filled green spaces. By the numbers: Fully realized, the project could cost as much as $1.4 billion. That would cover eight stretches of the highway totaling about 26 acres. Yes, but: Congressional action means a $105 million grant expected from the U.S. Department of Transportation is now in jeopardy, Mayor Kirk Watson reported to council members last week. Meanwhile, the city faces a budget deficit and officials are looking for ways to winnow down expenses. The intrigue: Escalating construction costs, compounded by inflation, have already limited the scope of another major Austin transportation project, the light rail system called Project Connect. What they're saying: At an April work session about the caps, Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison described the expense as "the cost of trying to retrofit a major metropolitan city." "But the sustained community division, the physical barrier that I-35 continues to be to segregate our communities, to limit access to resources and opportunities for residents of East Austin," has a cost as well, she said. "Our problems have been that we have underbuilt, and we're trying to catch up to the growth and to the infrastructure needs that we've had," Council Member José "Chito" Vela said. The other side:"I like this idea of a once-in-a-generation investment opportunity for cap and stitch," Council Member Mike Siegel said at the April meeting. "But there might be other once-in-a-generation opportunities, whether it's housing, whether it's fixing leaky pipes or other, you know, necessary capital projects."
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One challenge in Austin's fight against homelessness? The cost of land
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) showed even though Austin's capacity to shelter and house people experiencing homelessness has grown significantly over the past five years, it's still far from enough to meet the need. Thursday, as Central Texas leaders talked about how they may come together to fund shelter and housing for people experiencing homelessness over the next decade, one obstacle was hard to ignore. $350M over 10 years: Austin City Council votes to prioritize homelessness spending Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison aptly put it: 'It's not the houses that are expensive y'all, it's the dirt underneath 'em.' That's something Texas Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, has teased she's trying to tackle at the state level. Her staff said the state owns nearly 200 parcels of land in Travis County. 'In addition to state dollars to assist with this, I also believe that we should look at all state properties within the city of Austin and within Travis County that would be appropriate for re-purposing or co-locating deeply affordable housing so that we can continue to expand our affordable housing and most especially our supportive housing stock,' Eckhardt said. It wouldn't be the first time the state has pitched in land to help people at risk of, or already experiencing homelessness in Austin. Camp Esperanza — a non-congregate shelter of tiny homes run by The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) — was built on Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) land. TxDOT recently purchased additional acreage next door to help the operation expand, something Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said at the time was 'one of those examples, I think, of where government works.' Homeless shelter Camp Esperanza could double in size after TxDOT land purchase But barring additional help from the state, the city of Austin may have to continue to rely on its own residents. You're already paying for land acquisition through Austin's affordable housing bonds. Austin voters have approved multiple housing bonds over the past decade: one for $55 million in 2006, another for $65 million in 2013, then for $250 million in 2018 and most recently $350 million in 2022. Austinites voted for more affordable housing. Where did your money go? KXAN has previously reported the largest chunk of funding from the 2018 bond went to purchasing land. Of that $250 million, $100 million was set aside for land acquisition. The city told us it's been able to buy nearly 60 acres of undeveloped land and three hotels with that money. As for the most recent bond in 2022, the city of Austin has told us that even though they have less strict buckets for how they'll allocate that money, it will largely be used the same way as the 2018 bond, and large chunks will go toward land acquisition. 'I think it might be one of the most important components to addressing affordability in the city of Austin is using our assets and comprehensively taking an assessment of our assets and allocating those resources,' Harper-Madison said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
