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Austin, TX

Austin breaks ground on first carless affordable housing project

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Austin breaks ground on first carless affordable housing project


The city of Austin celebrated the groundbreaking of its first carless community Saturday morning, an affordable condominium in East Austin that will be powered completely by solar energy.

The Ivory condominiums will be named after Scottie Ivory, a longtime advocate for equal opportunity in East Austin. In an effort to be even more affordable and sustainable, this community won’t have parking lots or garages, but will instead eliminate the need for car payments and gas by providing residents with electric bikes instead.

Jame Houston Jr.’s family has lived in this East Austin home for three generations. He says it’s just not the same neighborhood anymore.

“The neighborhood changed. They did a lot of new remodels, you know, a lot of building new houses and stuff.” Houston said. “People just moved in, you know, it came from, you know, just different parts of the states and different parts of the world, and they’re just buying in.”

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Gentrification has been a longstanding concern in East Austin.

“It’s hard for us to, you know, to try to keep, you know, making that payment,” Houston said.

ALSO| Community members concerned with ‘weak’ APD Chief applicant pool

In fact, nearly everyone CBS Austin tried to speak to for this story was from out of town, staying in remodeled AirBNBs.

“They knew that one day this property would be the most valuable property in the city and let you pay rent for 27 years,” District One Austin city councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison said. “And didn’t fix nothing.”

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But the Chestnut Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation is trying to fight back with the groundbreaking of The Ivory condominiums, a new affordable housing project on Chicon Street between 12th and 13th. 40 of its 53 units will be for low-income families.

“Austin right now, I and the city council, are dedicated to affordability first,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. “Affordability first.”

Not only will the community be entirely solar-powered, but it will also be completely carless. Residents won’t need a vehicle but instead will be provided an electric bike. And there will be two communal electric vehicles for when public transportation won’t work.

“They get to go where they make their money, it’s easy for them to jump on the bus, walk, whatever…” Harper-Madison said.

Harper-Madison lives within walking distance of The Ivory and hopes this kind of community becomes a blueprint for the future.

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“This is the kind of template for the rest of the city, rest of the nation,” Harper-Madison said. “These people don’t need parking, in which case, if they don’t need parking, it made it more affordable.”

And while James isn’t so sure about the carless situation, if it keeps people in East Austin, he’s in support of his new neighbors.

“If they’re building it and people can live, I think it’s a good arrangement. I think it would be a good place to live,” Houston said.

This project is possible because of the Affordability Housing Unlocked Ordinance Madison helped get passed in 2019, which modified certain development restrictions.

The Ivory’s website says tenants are expected to move in by the Summer of 2025.

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Austin, TX

Building cleared after non-credible bomb threat made in Downtown Austin

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Building cleared after non-credible bomb threat made in Downtown Austin


A Downtown Austin building was cleared after a bomb threat was made Saturday night.

Police say that the call came in at 9:38 p.m., after which officers arrived to the scene and cleared a nearby building at 311 E 6th St.

ALSO: H-E-B delights Austin airport travelers with surprise gift vending machine pop-up

The threat was found to not be credible, and no one was injured.

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Police say no one is in custody and they will be clearing the scene shortly.



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Austin, TX

The richest small town in Texas tops our most popular Austin stories

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The richest small town in Texas tops our most popular Austin stories


Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson held a press conference Friday to discuss a new deal with Southwest Airlines and its expected impact on the city.

The deal, approved Thursday by the Austin City Council, awards Southwest $2,750 for each new Austin-based hire over the next five years. In exchange, the airline plans to add 2,000 high-paying jobs with an average salary of $180,000 and invest in local workforce initiatives, including the city’s new Austin Infrastructure Academy.

Officials say the deal will strengthen Southwest’s presence at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where the carrier already handles more than 40 percent of all passenger traffic.

The partnership is expected to bring in nearly $20 million in local tax revenue, and the incentive program will last for five years and pay Southwest up to $5.5 million.

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Mayor Watson said the agreement will not only create new jobs in Austin but will improve the overall experience at AUS.

“We’re building lives and careers at the same time we’re building tarmacs and terminals,” Watson said. “Southwest is choosing Austin because our people, our workforce, and our future make us a smart investment. This deal creates thousands of good-paying jobs, improves the passenger experience, and ensures the benefits flow directly to Austin workers, families, and tourists. This agreement is proof that Austin means business and cares about the success of its people.”

Read the full story at KVUE.com.



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Austin, TX, Proves It’s a Ski Town at Ikon Pass Stoke Night – SnowBrains

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Austin, TX, Proves It’s a Ski Town at Ikon Pass Stoke Night – SnowBrains


Austin Loro Stoke
Austin skier Ricky Stillwell and his son are stoked to be heading to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Alyeska this coming season. | Photo: Bob Witowski

You might ask, “Why is there an Ikon Pass Stoke Event in Austin, Texas?” 

Fact: There are more skiers and snowboarders in Texas than in Colorado. According to a 2017 Snowsports Industry Association study, Texas is home to roughly 800,000 skiers and riders, compared to Colorado’s 500,000. That impressive number puts Texas third in the nation for total ski and snowboard participants, behind only California and New York. Texans alone make up about 6% of all U.S. ski and snowboarders. And the proof is on the slopes: Ski areas in Colorado and New Mexico report that a staggering 70% of their out-of-state visitors hail from the Lone Star State. Yes—the legend of Texans being everywhere on the mountain is absolutely true.

Fact: Every Texan who skis is a destination skier. With no local ski resorts that are a quick Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake City or short interstate drive away, Texans go big: they travel, stay longer, and spend more at Ikon Pass Destinations. As Kristin Rust, Vice President of Communications for Alterra Mountain Company, puts it, “Texas is a huge market, and Austin has a great number of pass holders.” With Ikon Pass offering such a wide network of resorts, and Texas home to so many skiers, Austin is a natural place for a Stoke Event.

This year’s Ikon Pass Stoke Event took place at Loro, the wildly popular South Lamar hangout blending Asian smokehouse flavors with laid-back Austin vibes. The gathering drew a lively crowd of local Ikon Pass holders. Guests enjoyed a spread of standout dishes—Oak-Grilled Edamame, Wonton Chips and Dip, Arugula & Melon Salad, and Oak-Smoked Brisket—paired with beer, wine, soft drinks, and Austin-meets-après cocktails like an Old Fashioned and, of course, the non-traditional slope-side margarita, a playful nod to Jimmy Buffett and the city where Margaritaville was written.

Austin Loro StokeAustin Loro Stoke
Adam, Kailee, and Darius leaning into the Austin ski vibe and good times at Loro in Austin. | Photo: Bob Witowski

Attendance was strong, and the outdoor, under-the-oaks setting added an easy, welcoming feel. The energy was high as skiers swapped plans for upcoming trips to Ikon Pass destinations including SkiBig3 in Banff, Jackson Hole, Killington, the six Utah resorts on the pass, and the perennial “home resorts” for Texans—those in Colorado and New Mexico. Members of Austin Skiers, the city’s long-standing ski and travel club, were out in force and buzzing about club trips to the Ikon Pass resorts of Snowmass, Mt. Bachelor, SkiBig3, and Steamboat.

Austin Loro Ikon Pass StokeAustin Loro Ikon Pass Stoke
Austin Skiers—Joyce, Ann, Crystal, Bob, Susie, and Stuart—are buzzing with excitement as they get ready to chase fresh snow at their favorite Ikon Pass destinations this season. | Photo: Bob Witowski

A major hit of the night was the CMH Heli-Skiing virtual-reality experience, a full 3D immersion complete with helicopter-ride visuals of the Canadian Rockies and a run down untouched powder with a small ski group. Riders found themselves carving turns, watching skiers float past, and looking up, down, and across the alpine terrain—an astonishingly vivid taste of what a heli-ski trip feels like. The CMH station stayed packed all evening.

Austin Loro StokeAustin Loro Stoke
CMH Heli Skiing’s Virtual Reality experience amped up the stoke and had everyone dreaming of deep turns this season. | Photo: CMH Heli Skiing, Fox Wang

The night wrapped up with a spirited swag giveaway, where lucky attendees scored prizes including Yeti mugs, a coveted Shot-Ski, and an Ikon Pass. What a great way to top off a fantastic night!

In the end, the Ikon Pass Stoke Event proved to be a fantastic celebration of Austin’s vibrant ski community—a chance to meet fellow snow lovers, swap stories, and get excited about the season ahead. For one night, Austin truly became a “Ski Town.”

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