Downtown Rumblings

Could Austin's next high-rise development break ground near the ARCH?

A new high-rise could be going up downtown next to the ARCH.

KVUE — The sights and sounds of downtown Austin are hard to forget. Saying the city is "vibrant" is an understatement.

However, just a few blocks over it's quite a different story. At Austin's Resource Center for the Homeless, you'll see groups of homeless people in the surrounding areas — but could you imagine that the ARCH's new neighbor might be a tower somewhere in the 30-story range?

The National Episcopal Church is behind the mixed-used development. Church officials tell KVUE the building would consist of office, retail, residential, and restaurant space.

"You'll always have homeless people among you, so we don't see that as a negative," Reverend Canon Lang Lowrey told KVUE.

The church bought the block in 2009 with plans to build a national archives facility. The nearly 70,000 square foot facility would be a part of the high-rise.

A hotel could be in the works as well. Financial details, according to Lowrey, should be released in about three months. The project will require approval from city leaders. If approved, construction could begin in 2018.

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For the full story and video, head to KVUE.

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Austin Top Chef winner debuts new National Geographic series, plus more top stories

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Editor’s note: It’s that time again — time to check in with our top stories. Here are five articles that captured our collective attention over the past seven days.

1. Austin Top Chef winner debuts new National Geographic series during SXSW. Available on Disney+, Restaurants at the End of the World is a docuseries following Kish on adventures to off-the-beaten-path pockets of the planet.

2. Boutique Austin hotel amplifies the vinyl bar scene with a moody new listening room. Hotel Magdalena opened a chic listening room on South Congress with speakeasy vibes, called Equipment Room.

3. 11 reasons to escape the Austin bustle with a day trip to Dripping Springs. Despite rapid recent growth in the Austin area, Dripping Springs still has many of the small-town features that its local residents — and transplants — all love.

4. Gothic Austin home sells after catching the eyes of onlookers during the Modern Home Tour. This all-black Victorian house sold shortly after an architecture tour brought Austinites through homes across Austin and the Hill Country.

5. Austin home buyers have more power when it comes to inventory, report says. Buyers are gaining more leverage through inventory increases across the Austin-Round Rock metro area, according to recent data from the Austin Board of Realtors.

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