The Town Center has been officially named – Aldrich Street. It’s not a name we hear much around Mueller Austin just yet, since the street is only a block long at this point, but looks like that is all going to change as the construction of the Town Center marches on.
You will likely hear differing opinions about the name (or already have!). Frankly, I’m just happy we’ve got something else to refer to it as other than “the town center,” which sounds anything but organic.
As evidenced by the name that has been given to the Town Center, Aldrich Street will be the main drag. Think wide sidewalks, a la 2nd Street District & South Congress, lined with trees offering shade (eventually) and space to gather.
The corner of Aldrich & Robert Browning will be the hub of activity, anchored by a Hotel & Cinema (at least that’s the vision!), which will essentially be lifted off of street level and house retail underneath to continue supporting the notion of walkability & energy that can be interrupted by long stretches of building offering no activity or eye candy.
The street will be lined with restaurants and stores and will connect to Lake Park via a Paseo, that will be lifted as it crosses Simond Avenue, to create a clear pedestrian crossway and enhance connectivity between the Town Center and Lake Park.
A few additional tidbits of information gathered at the recent Town Hall:
- A commitment to a diverse architectural style supported by utilizing different design architects for the buildings, which will be built at different times and give Aldrich Street District a more organic look & feel.
- Parking is a hot topic and there’s lots of concern regarding how it is going to be handled. Catellus announced that there will be two district parking garages; it has not been determined as of yet whether they will be pay lots or free. These garages will be in addition to the apartment and hotel parking that will be self-contained.
- Residential permit parking is highly likely to help control neighborhood parking, which is of particular concern for Section 6, currently under construction and other nearby streets.
As I’ve mentioned previously, the goal of the developer is that 30% of the businesses in the town center will be local. In an effort to help reach that goal, the card you see pictured above was handed out at the Town Hall meeting for the community to pass out to their favorite businesses that they would like to see join the Aldrich Street District.
If you weren’t able to attend and would like some of these cards, feel free to stop by Mueller Central and pick some up.
Additionally, Catellus would like to hear from the community members about your vision for the Aldrich Street District – you can take that survey here. This is not just for Mueller residents. Anyone interested in the future of Mueller is encouraged to partake.
