Designs on Seaholm
City officials are taking great pains to stress the word "conceptual" in the Seaholm District Master Plan, produced by the ROMA Design Group -- the San Francisco consultants retained to do much of the design and planning work on city projects. As shown here, the Seaholm Power Plant would serve as the anchor for a mixed-use district roughly defined by Fifth Street, San Antonio, Town Lake, and Orchard Street (west of Lamar, not shown). ROMA recommends the following:
Acquire four acres of Union Pacific property (A) immediately north of the plant (illustrated here with a public plaza and a Seaholm expansion). Library proponents say the site is ideal for a new central facility, a proposal that would require additional property to the west.
Build up to 520 above- and below-ground parking spaces.
Spruce up the natural character of Town Lake and Shoal Creek. "The Meadow" (B), between Lamar Blvd. and Sandra Muraida Way, is recommended for festivals and special exhibits; the "Events Green" (C) could be designed for more formal performances and other exhibits associated with the museum.
Expand roadways in the area (D) to improve local access to Seaholm -- with a more complete network of local roads to promote "calm" traffic and a "positive pedestrian environment." This shows Cesar Chavez straightened under the Lamar Bridge (E), and access between Cesar Chavez and Lamar dramatically altered.
Redevelop surrounding properties such as Austin Energy's emergency control building and the Green Water Treatment Plant east of Seaholm (F).
Also shown is the residential/mixed use development planned for the Lumbermen's property just west of Seaholm.
Jana McCann, the city's urban design officer, says she expects City Council to consider the ROMA plan early this summer.
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