The massive Borden Dairy plant redevelopment moved one step closer to approval on Thursday, when City Council passed a rezoning associated with the project on second reading.
The project would bring 1,400 residential units, a 220-room hotel, 411,500 square feet of offices, 66,000 square feet of restaurant space and 40,000 square feet of retail to the 21-acre site at 71 Strandtman Cove.
The rezoning from Limited Industrial Services (LI-CO-NP) to Planned Development Area (LI-CO-PDA-NP) would allow buildings up to 120 feet in height, or about 10 to 12 stories.
The vote was 7-2-2, with Council members Alison Alter and Vanessa Fuentes against, José Velasquez recused and Leslie Pool absent.
Alter and Fuentes explained that their votes were due to concerns around Velásquez’s recusal and the objections to the project raised by community members.
Velásquez, who represents the area in District 3, recused himself because of his ties to the East Austin Conservancy, a nonprofit partnering with developer Endeavor Real Estate to ensure that the project includes affordable housing. Ten percent of the project’s units will be affordable, and Endeavor also will donate money to the conservancy for each market-rate unit.
Alter said that while she supports the benefits the agreement will bring, she remained concerned about the precedent it could set.
“It’s very concerning to me that a zoning application can choose to enter into a discretionary agreement with a third party that results in representative voices being silenced,” Alter said.
Fuentes aired similar concerns, and she also said her vote was “in solidarity with this neighborhood.”
Council will vote on third and final reading in July, after its summer break.
