Ramsay Midwood, owner of Sam's Town Point, has partnered with Barton Creek Capital to endeavor the creation of a "Little Luckenbach" district in South Austin. The Austin Monitor outlined this vision as a rural retail district with possibilities such as a farmers market, hemp cultivation, and live music. The development will be directly connected to a planned 1-mile pedestrian trail and the $270 million South Austin entertainment district project.
The birth of Sam's Town Point occurred in 1986 by Penny Grossman and has since been an iconic piece of Austin's music history. Although 2007 brought Austin's city limits to include the venue, its old-Austin charm persists. Midwood has aimed to encapsulate a similar vibe in his "Little Luckenbach" concept since he became the owner in 2017.
The "Little Luckenbach" concept is in its design phase, and set to follow other ongoing projects that have been in the planning and permitting process for over a year. These initiatives come from groups like MNO Partners, Austin NNN, United Properties, and Investcor Development, which have plans to add more than 900 apartment and residential units into the area. The district will be located in a triangle bordered by Slaughter, Menchaca and Old Manchaca Road, where there are currently 11 bar and restaurant establishments.
United Properties is set to contribute the first addition of the residential units with a 302-unit complex. Following will be Investcor's contribution, The Local, a 233-unit project set to get underway after securing a final $12 million investment to complete the capital stack.
"The next Rainey Street" is how Tylere Brennan, Investcor's principal partner, terms the South Austin District. His intention is to capture the appeal of the Rainey Street district before the high-rises took over its charm. In Brennan’s saying, the plan is to double the bar count to 22, in an effort to encourage more residents while simultaneously providing opportunities for more hospitality businesses.
While challenges of working within the extraterritorial jurisdiction lend to less stringent zoning or planning requirements, Brennan expressed that there is collaboration among developers to maintain the natural environment by preserving green spaces and trees where possible. The design will maintain the characteristically pet-friendly feel by limiting construction to five stories.
Frank Navarro, a partner at MNO Partners, confirmed the design of their planned 429-unit complex will align with the other South Austin housing and hospitality projects. Despite the lack of established formal agreements, a sense of cooperation among prospective property owners and businesses is present with hopes of obtaining district entry and permits.
Navarro continually emphasized the benefits of the entertainment district's zoning and density flexibility. He deems it as advantageous as it creates spaces for inventive and unique mixed-use projects to flourish.
Even as Bridget Dunlap, Lustre Pearl South's creator, is negotiating to introduce a restaurant-bar concept into one of these mixed-use projects, she believes that many displaced Rainey Street residents can find consolation—more options and a touch of familiarity—in South Austin's district.
