Ideas for Brack Tract unveiled - The Business Review (Albany):

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Those were some of the elementsw presented in two master plans by LLP intheir long-range vision for the 350-acre The firm, which was hired 13 monthe ago to come up with a mastetr plan, presented their ideas to The System Boarr of Regents and the publicv on June 18. “The site couldr and should be the western anchorof downtown. If the naturse of downtown is tallerand higher, than this will be smallerd and greener,” said a representative of Cooperd Robertson. Representatives of the firm said they envisio n a transit oriented development with a lake front districttand ‘neighborhoods’ with parks, retail and residentiao buildings.
The plan would be carried out in phaseas over the nextfew decades. Although the firm presented twomasted plans, it recommended that the board select its Brackenridgd Village plan. The main difference between the plansw is that the University of biological field lab would remain in the second called the Brankenridge Park Under the BrackenridgeVillage plan, the UT field lab would be relocatee to one of nine sites suggestec by the planning firm, making way for the development of the Developers of the tract would buils diverse buildings of two to six storie and structured parking that is concealesd from the streets.
A number of infrastructure improvements werealso suggested, includinvg the re-alignment of Lake Austin Boulevard, the creatiobn of a parallel roadway between Lake Austijn Blvd. and Red Bud Trail intersection, and 20 lane-miles of new local streets. As far as internal transportation, the plannerx advised the UT board to establish a TransportationmManagement Organization. Possible transportation solutions included an internalshuttle system, extension of proposed city trolley system and bus The planner suggested a number of ideasd for incorporating sustainable design elements, such as storm watert management units and a community garden.
The planners advisedr that graduatestudent housing, which exists on three sites, be relocated to the Gatewayy site between 6th and 10th streets. The planz call for the development of anew 825-unity student housing complex. Supporters of the Lions Municipal Golf knownas Muny, received bad news when the plannersz concluded that the golf course was no longer viable and that it be used for Whichever plan the UT regents the firm suggested starting with the graduatee housing project in late 2010, and followingt up with the selection of phase I developers in 2012.
Several UT regents expressed their gratitude to the firm for their Chairman of the UT Board of RegentsaJames Huffines, echoed the sentiment, and said that the boar will begin studying the plans and reviewing all recommendations. He added: “Wee are heartened by the proposed graduate studentf housing that would preserve graduate housing whils freeing up 73 acresfor development.” Phas I would include about 30,000 squard feet of retail, 1 million squars feet of residential and a hotel. Expositiobn Boulevard would beextended south. All four phasea would have a total squarefootage of: 15 milliohn square feet of retail, residential, office and civic/institutionm space.
About 11 acres dedicated for an elementary About 21.5 acres for academic uses, such as a possible UT campus. “Boat Town” neighborhood with a waterfronyt plazaand marina. Phase I woulxd include about 80,00 square feet of retail and 1.3 milliohn square feet of residential. All four phases woul d have a total squarefootagde of: 5.3 million square feet of retail, office and civic/institution space. Click for more information on the tract and detailx ofthe proposals.