Rainey Street food trucks ordered to move; a new development in the works

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Nick Simonite

Lustre Pearl was the last Rainey Street landmark to be pushed out in favor of high-rise buildings. The street on the east side of downtown is one of the hottest niches of Austin.

Jan Buchholz

Staff Writer- Austin Business Journal

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The operators of at least two food trailers at the Rainey Street Food Court took to Facebook Friday to announced they'd been given notice to move off the property at 74 Rainey St.

"Rainey Street Food Park land owner has moved his building schedule up a year. Beef Cake shop will have to move before 12/30/14," was posted on Facebook by The Beef Cake Shop.

Some digging on the city of Austin's Planning and Development Review website indicates that there's a completely new owner of the 0.57-acre site — New York-based Fremont Holdings LLC.

That company — with an address in Manhattan at 165 E. 73rd St. — purchased the parcel this summer from an entity that originally planned to build a 32-story apartment building.

Fremont Holdings altered the project somewhat and resubmitted a site plan that was rejected because of new development requirements.

According to a letter submitted to the city Oct. 30 by Fremont's attorneys — DuBois Bryant & Campbell LLP — the added requirements "will impose a severe hardship ... "

As such, Fremont has asked the city for a Fair Notice Review, an administrative review process that would allow the new developer to proceed based on previous requirements.

A spokeswoman with the city said Friday that a decision could be rendered within the next two weeks. The city staff has the power to make that decision without input from the Planning Commission or City Council.

Jan Buchholz covers commercial and residential real estate, construction and architecture and retail and restaurants for the Austin Business Journal.