Council briefed on proposed 180-foot PUD at 1400½ and 1404 East Riverside Drive

On Oct. 21, 2025, the Austin City Council received a briefing on a development assessment for a proposed planned unit development, or PUD, on two parcels at 1400½ and 1404 East Riverside Drive in the East Riverside Corridor.

Joy Harden, with Austin Planning, told the council the site is 2.62 acres, is currently undeveloped (previously the site of Acton Business School), and lies in the Lady Bird Lake watershed and waterfront overlay. She said the applicant proposes a residential project of approximately 381 units, seeks CS (General Commercial Services) as the baseline zoning for the PUD, requests 12 code modifications and is asking for a maximum building height of 180 feet where the site is now limited to 96 feet.

The proposed project includes a set of “superiority” items the applicant offers in exchange for additional entitlements: 15 on-site affordable units at 60% of median family income (MFI), off-site stormwater capture and treatment using innovative water-quality controls, dedication of 1.17 acres as parkland (about 44% of the site), on-site long-term bicycle…