Austin to host open house for transit and housing planning in Riverside

Austinites who live in the East Riverside area are invited to get together for an open house that will introduce residents to city projects in the neighborhood, while gathering feedback for a big new development spanning 125 acres.

The East Riverside Open House will take place January 24 from 10 am to 1 pm at 2400 Grove Blvd. The City of Austin, Austin Transit Partnership, and CapMetro will all be in attendance.

A city newsletter says guests will be able to “ask questions, talk to the project teams, share ideas and provide feedback that will help guide investments in this vital corridor.”

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape what’s next for the East Riverside Corridor in a way that serves the people who live here now,” said Austin City Council Member José Velásquez in the newsletter. “I’m excited about this chance to introduce these projects to our community and to bring together staff from across the City and our partners at CapMetro and ATP.”

Some projects the open house will discuss include:

• The East Riverside Corridor Planning Initiative: A general project organizing the area to determine how it grows. It will update the East Riverside Corridor Vision Plan and Regulating Plan. Technically two plans, they were adopted in 2010 and 2013, and a City Council vote in 2024 directed staff to ensure the corridor plan aligns with planned new transit lines.
• The Grove-Riverside Site: A three part, 125-acre development that will later contain the Grove Station on the Austin Light Rail. The light rail is scheduled to be completed in 2033. One idea taking shape is a mixed-use development with affordable housing.
• CapMetro’s Transit Plan 2035: A five- and 10-year plan for expanding Austin’s bus and commuter rail system. The long-term plan entails 41 “realigned” bus routes, 19 route improvements, and six brand-new routes.
• New pedestrian and bike paths: The newsletter does not detail which paths the open house will discuss.

Although many of the projects discussed are more than a decade old, the Grove-Riverside Site is still relatively new and the city hasn’t decided on any construction or developer. Austinites still have a chance to input high-level feedback.

The city is collecting RSVPs for the East Riverside Open House via Google Forms.