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Council hears PUD development assessment for Towne Lake YMCA site proposing condo towers, 90 affordable units and new Y
Summary
Austin staff and the applicant briefed council on a proposed PUD at 1100 W. Cesar Chavez (Towne Lake YMCA) that would add up to 750 condominium homes, a minimum of 90 on‑site affordable rental units and a rebuilt downtown YMCA; speakers raised questions about 425‑foot height requests, water quality, and potential use of about four acres of parkland.
City planners on Dec. 9 briefed the Austin City Council on a development assessment for a proposed planned unit development (case CD20250003) at 1100 West Cesar Chavez Street — the Towne Lake YMCA site — that would combine a rebuilt YMCA, family‑focused affordable housing and high‑density condominiums.
Joy Harden of Austin Planning told council the 4.8‑acre site is currently zoned LICONP (60‑foot baseline) and is designated civic in the Old West Austin neighborhood plan. The applicant is requesting 16 code modifications, a maximum building height of up to 425 feet and a very large floor‑area‑ratio bonus; in exchange the applicant proposes a minimum of 90 on‑site affordable rental units (targeting 30–80% MFI with an average under 55% MFI), roughly 110,000 square feet of civic and office uses, approximately 35,000 square feet of ground‑floor pedestrian‑oriented uses, and about 10,000 square feet of restaurant space. Harden also described proposed sustainability features including on‑site water‑quality treatment, a minimum 10,000‑square‑foot green roof, a 3‑star Austin Energy green‑building target, dedicated EV charging spaces and photovoltaic panels.
Kathy Kurris, president and CEO of the Greater Austin YMCA, said the project would be “a once in a generation opportunity” to deliver early education and childcare downtown, expand senior and youth programming and provide on‑site family housing. Walter Moreau of Foundation Communities described plans for a seven‑story, 90‑unit family affordable building with two‑ and three‑bedroom units adjacent to the YMCA. Developer representatives emphasized economic benefits if the non‑taxable YMCA site converts to taxable property and said taxes generated by the proposed development could help fund public improvements.
Public commenters and several council members pressed the applicant and staff on environmental and neighborhood impacts. Steve Amos, chair of the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association, characterized the requested heights as an almost sevenfold increase over the 60‑foot baseline and urged lower, more approachable massing for the riverfront edge. Joe Riddell and others criticized the development assessment for lacking a detailed site layout (driveways and building footprints) and raised concerns about tree preservation and a possible survey boundary issue affecting parkland trees.
On parkland and water‑quality questions, Liz Johnston of Watershed Protection said APO staff were not aware of any proposal to discharge wastewater into green space and stated, “we would not support release of any wastewater into the green space.” Randy Scott of Parks and Recreation said overlaying the proposal on parkland indicated roughly four acres could be used for roadways or water‑quality elements and that any use of parkland would require Chapter 26 approvals by a sponsoring department; he noted mitigation could range up to a stated estimate of $80,000,000. Applicant representative Steve Joiner denied the project would use parkland for private purposes, saying proposed park‑adjacent elements are intended as community benefits and that the applicant is willing to discuss funding public improvements.
Council members asked technical questions about impervious cover and water‑quality mitigation; staff and applicant said they are pursuing a combination of on‑site subsurface treatment, green‑roof approaches and possible off‑site treatment options. On affordable housing, staff explained the minimum 90 units are calculated from bonus square footage in the PUD and that the number could change if the overall unit count changes; further details would be negotiated in the formal PUD application and subsequent reviews.
No formal action or vote occurred at the work session. Harden said the applicant may now submit a formal PUD application, which will undergo detailed review by multiple city departments, the Environmental Commission and the Planning Commission before returning to council for a decision.
The council asked staff to share relevant vision‑plan materials and committed to continued review of environmental, parkland and affordable‑housing guarantees as the PUD application advances.
