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Commission releases demolition permit for 8401 Hathaway Drive school pending City documentation package
Summary
The Historic Landmark Commission approved administrative release of a demolition permit for the Burnet Middle School site at 8401 Hathaway Drive as part of the AISD 2022 bond modernization program, requiring completion of the City of Austin documentation package before demolition proceeds.
The Historic Landmark Commission on Feb. 5 released a demolition permit for the school at 8401 Hathaway Drive—identified as Burnet (formerly Lanier/Burnett) Junior High/Middle School—conditioned on completion of the City of Austin documentation package.
Dave Anderson, representing Austin Independent School District, briefed the commission on the 2022 bond program and site‑specific planning for the campus. Anderson said facility condition assessments and educational suitability reviews identified multiple deficiencies and that the bond‑funded program proposes a full modernization to replace aging systems, improve educational suitability and meet equity goals established through long‑range planning. Anderson said the design team sought to retain some historic elements in the new design where feasible and that some brick materials are intended for reuse.
Staff described the building as an example of midcentury school design by J. Roy White, built in 1958–1960 with later additions in 1999, and recommended material salvage and completion of the City of Austin documentation package prior to release of demolition. Anderson said community outreach was extensive and the district sought to maintain courtyard and wing concepts while transitioning the campus to a modern, multi‑story facility on the existing site. He told commissioners the district must move forward on schedule to meet voter commitments and student needs.
After public comment, the commission voted to release the demolition permit conditioned on completing the City of Austin documentation package. Commissioners noted the difficulty of retrofitting some midcentury school facilities for modern HVAC and safety standards and said the documentation requirement will preserve a record of the structure prior to demolition.
Ending: AISD and city staff will coordinate to ensure the documentation package is completed before demolition begins and the district proceeds with construction to meet the bond schedule.
