Riverside Development in Crosshairs of Activist Troupe

The flyer Defend Our Hoodz has been distributing about the proposed "New Domain" development

Neighborhood activists Defend Our Hoodz have identified a few new targets: real estate firm JLL, developers Presidium Group, and private investor Nimes Capital, the stakeholders behind the proposed "New Domain" mixed-development project eyed for roughly 97 acres of land northeast of Pleasant Valley and East River­side. The catch? Existing, reasonably priced housing already sits in that location. The four complexes known as the Ballpark Apartments currently boast a variety of student- and family-friendly housing options, including four-bedroom units, a scarcity in Austin's market. In a flyer distributed last week, DOH accused JLL, Presidium, and Nimes of buying the land to "make it a fortress for the rich."

Said fortress is planned to include 4,700 apartments, 600 hotel rooms, 4 million square feet of office space, and 435,000 square feet of commercial space. The development team's lawyer Michael Whellan filed five rezoning applications for the land with the city's Planning and Zoning Department earlier this year, and was supposed to see them first deliberated by the Planning Commission last Tuesday, Sept. 11. But instead, DOH bust in for a brief protest, and commissioners granted the city's request for an indefinite postponement; according to backup documents, senior city planner Scott Grantham wanted to allow more time for the city's ongoing traffic impact analysis review. Land use liaison Andrew Rivera said notices for a public hearing will be sent out, but he does not know when.