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Austin i35 cap and stitch final plan reconnecting downtown east west

🎥 Austin’s I-35 Cap & Stitch Plan: What It Means for the Future of Downtown

The long-debated redesign of I-35 through downtown Austin is finally moving forward. On May 22, ...2025, the Austin City Council approved a $105 million “Cap and Stitch” plan aimed at reconnecting East and West Austin with green, community-oriented spaces built over the highway.

🛣️ What’s in the Plan?

“Caps” are deck plazas that will be built over the sunken sections of I-35

These will create new public spaces like parks, trails, and plazas

The project includes a mix of city-funded caps and TXDOT-funded stitches

It’s a compromise—better than doing nothing, but not the transformative boulevard many hoped for

💡 Key Takeaways:

I-35 will still expand, but now with an added focus on urban reconnection

Downtown Austin and East Austin will gain more accessible, pedestrian-friendly connections

Construction planning still to come; actual transformation will take years

The original vision—turning I-35 into a boulevard—has been sidelined

Sean Bukowski breaks down what this plan means for Austin’s future development, traffic, and livability.

🔥 Top 10 FAQs about Austin’s Cap and Stitch Plan
What is the Cap and Stitch Plan for I-35?
It’s a city-approved strategy to build deck plazas (“caps”) and connective infrastructure (“stitches”) over the sunken sections of I-35 to improve downtown connectivity.

How much will the Cap and Stitch Plan cost?
The city of Austin has approved $105 million in funding for the cap portions of the project.

Will I-35 still be expanded under this plan?
Yes. The highway expansion is proceeding, but with added infrastructure to reconnect the city’s east and west sides.

What’s the difference between a ‘cap’ and a ‘stitch’?
A cap is a deck plaza built over the highway for parks or public use. A stitch reconnects roads and pedestrian pathways across I-35.

Is this the original vision for I-35’s redesign?
No. Many urban planners preferred a boulevard-style redevelopment. This compromise retains the freeway while adding limited urban enhancements.

How many caps will be built?
Five caps are currently planned and funded by the city.

Who’s funding the rest of the work?
TXDOT will fund the stitches, while the City of Austin is funding the caps.

When will construction begin?
A timeline has not been finalized. The next step is planning, followed by staged implementation.

How will this impact East Austin residents?
The plan aims to reconnect historically divided communities but still faces criticism for not going far enough in addressing systemic disconnection.

Where can I learn more?
Visit Bukowski Law Firm’s blog for deeper legal and planning insight.Show More

Austin i35 cap and stitch final plan reconnecting downtown east west

🎥 Austin’s I-35 Cap & Stitch Plan: What It Means for the Future of Downtown The long-debated redesign of I-35 through downtown Austin ...

Elon Musk's Texas Company Towns: The Story Behind Snailbrook and Starbase.

What happens when one of the world’s most powerful tech entrepreneurs starts building towns in Texas? In this video, we take you inside ...

What happens when one of the world’s most powerful tech entrepreneurs starts building towns in Texas? In this video, we take you inside Elon Musk’s ambitious—and controversial—vision for two company ...towns: Snailbrook in Bastrop County and Starbase in Cameron County.

🔍 Snailbrook, often referred to as Musk’s modern-day utopia, is a planned residential community designed to house workers from The Boring Company, SpaceX, and potentially Tesla. Nestled in Bastrop County just outside of Austin, this private town reportedly includes over 100 homes, a Montessori school, swimming pool, and grocery store—all part of Musk’s effort to create a self-contained, employer-owned ecosystem where work and life blend seamlessly. The name "Snailbrook" itself is a nod to the Boring Company’s mascot, Gary the Snail, a symbol of overcoming slow tunneling speeds.

🌍 On the southern tip of Texas sits Starbase, a SpaceX launch site that’s evolved into a full-fledged company town, with its own government structure and growing population. Originally known as Boca Chica Village, the area has been absorbed into a rebranded entity dubbed “Starbase, Texas,” following Elon Musk’s tweet in 2021 stating his desire to create a new city. Since then, Cameron County residents voted in favor of incorporation, and Starbase has officially become a city. It’s now home to engineers, rocket builders, and cutting-edge aerospace research on the Gulf Coast.

🕰️ Why It Matters:
These projects revive a 19th- and 20th-century American tradition—the company town—but with a 21st-century twist. Unlike historic company towns built by mining or textile corporations, Musk’s towns are rooted in high-tech industries and private innovation. But they raise critical questions:

Who governs a private town built by a billionaire?

What rights do employees have when their employer owns their home?

Will these communities set a new precedent for corporate-led urban planning?

📈 Key Topics Covered:

Snailbrook's master plan and zoning in Bastrop County

Starbase’s city incorporation process and local election

Historical parallels to towns like Pullman, Illinois and Hershey, Pennsylvania

How tech giants like Musk are reshaping geography, housing, and work culture

The legal and social implications of employer-owned cities

🏛️ Historical Context:
In the early 1900s, companies like Pullman and Hershey built towns for their workers that offered housing, stores, schools—and control. These towns created a deep dependency on the employer, often stifling labor rights. Musk’s towns evoke that past, while adding Silicon Valley ideals of efficiency and innovation. Whether this becomes a new urban model or a cautionary tale is yet to be seen.

📚 Sources & Further Reading:

Vanity Fair – Elon Musk’s Texas Towns
🔗 https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/03/elon-musk-texas-town-starbase

BBC – Starbase, Texas Becomes Official City
🔗 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39j8rj4nmmo

Teen Vogue – What to Know About Snailbrook
🔗 https://www.teenvogue.com/story/elon-musk-building-town-texas-what-know

Wikipedia – Snailbrook, Texas
🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snailbrook,_Texas

Wikipedia – City of Starbase Incorporation Election
🔗 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Starbase_Incorporation_election

🔔 Subscribe for more videos about the intersection of technology, policy, and urban development.

📍 Drop your thoughts in the comments—Would you live in a town built by Elon Musk?

#ElonMusk #Snailbrook #Starbase #Texas #CompanyTown #SpaceX #TheBoringCompany #UrbanPlanning #TechNews #SmartCities #ElonMuskTexas #SnailbrookTexas #StarbaseCity #SpaceExplorationShow More

Austin’s New Zoning Rule: Could Single-Stair Apartments Transform Housing?

🏙️ Austin’s Housing Fix? Why Single-Stair Apartments Might Change Everything Austin has long struggled with skyrocketing housing ...

🏙️ Austin’s Housing Fix? Why Single-Stair Apartments Might Change Everything

Austin has long struggled with skyrocketing housing costs—outpacing every major Texas city. But change is in the air. In this video, ...we explore a bold new ordinance passed by the Austin City Council that allows the construction of single-stair apartments—a building design that could unlock a new wave of housing development across the city.

I focus a lot on housing across Texas, but Austin is my home—and lately, the City Council has actually earned some credit for pushing through a series of housing-friendly reforms. This latest move? It might be the most quietly powerful one yet.

📌 What You’ll Learn in This Video:

What are single-stair apartments—and why were they banned before?

How this code change can bring more “missing middle” housing like duplexes and fourplexes to Austin neighborhoods.

The economic and fire-safety reasons behind the shift.

How the new rule makes adaptive reuse and infill development far more viable.

What this means for renters, developers, and the future of Austin’s housing affordability.

🧱 Why This Matters:
For years, Austin’s building codes required two stairwells in most multifamily buildings—making it expensive and impractical to build anything smaller than a large apartment complex. The single-stair ordinance removes that barrier, allowing for:

Smaller, lower-cost apartment buildings

Better use of tight or irregular lots

More diversity in housing types

Faster permitting and construction

🔥 Safety Still Comes First: Don’t worry—these buildings must still meet strict fire safety standards, including sprinkler systems, fire-rated construction, and short exit distances.

💡 Big Picture:
This ordinance is just one part of a larger pro-housing trend in Austin. Other recent reforms include:

🏘️ HOME Initiative: Up to 3 units allowed on single-family lots

🚫 Elimination of Parking Minimums: Reducing unnecessary construction costs

🏙️ Density Bonus 90 (DB90): Taller buildings in exchange for affordable units

📉 And it's already having an impact—rents in Austin have started to fall as more supply comes online.

👉 Read More on This Topic:
Full blog post: https://www.bukowskilawfirm.com/post/austin-embraces-single-stair-apartments-to-tackle-housing-crisis

📣 Let’s Talk:
What do you think of Austin’s single-stair ordinance? Is this the kind of change we need in more U.S. cities? Drop a comment and join the conversation.

🔔 Subscribe for more updates on housing policy, real estate law, and Texas land development.

#AustinHousingCrisis #SingleStairApartments #UrbanPlanning #TexasRealEstate #AffordableHousing #LandUseReform #MissingMiddle #HousingAffordability #AustinZoning #CityPlanningShow More

It’s property tax season in Texas. Don’t forget to file that protest. #propertytaxes #texas

Tulsi Gabbard’s Homestead Exemption Drama: Mistake or Manipulation? #CNNReport #texaspolitics

Tulsi Gabbard: Texas Resident or Hawaii Voter? Homestead Exemption Controversy Explained 🏠🔥 Hey folks, Sean Bukowski here. 👋 This week, ...

Tulsi Gabbard: Texas Resident or Hawaii Voter? Homestead Exemption Controversy Explained 🏠🔥
Hey folks, Sean Bukowski here. 👋 This week, we’re diving into a hot political story that’s raising eyebrows across ...Texas and beyond.

💥 CNN just dropped a report claiming that Tulsi Gabbard filed for a Texas homestead exemption—a tax break strictly reserved for your main, full-time residence—while allegedly still casting votes in Hawaii. 🤯

⚖️ I was interviewed for the article to clarify what the Texas Homestead Exemption is really supposed to be used for—and let's just say, it doesn’t exactly fit the situation CNN described.

📍Here's the bottom line: If you're not living in Texas full time, you shouldn’t be claiming a Texas homestead exemption.
📬 And if you're voting in one state while claiming tax benefits in another? That raises serious questions—maybe even legal ones.

I’m not here to accuse anyone of breaking the law—but this is exactly the kind of gray area where tax law, residency, and voting rights collide. ⚠️

🔎 Is this just sloppy paperwork… or something more calculated? You be the judge. But one thing’s for sure—this situation exposes how easily the system can be gamed, and how little people understand about what these exemptions really mean.

👉 Read the CNN article if you can (paywall warning), and let’s talk about how Texas property tax laws are being misused—whether intentionally or not.
🗣️ Leave a comment with your take, and don’t forget to subscribe for more no-fluff legal insights.

💬 10 FAQs About the Texas Homestead Exemption & Residency Conflicts

1. What’s the real purpose of the Texas Homestead Exemption?
To lower property taxes on your primary, full-time residence—not a vacation home or political base.

2. Can you live in Hawaii and get a Texas homestead tax break?
Not legally. The property must be your permanent residence.

3. Is it a crime to vote in one state and claim a tax exemption in another?
While not always criminal, it could be considered voter fraud or tax fraud depending on the facts.

4. What’s the penalty for wrongly claiming a Texas exemption?
You could face back taxes, penalties, interest, and even referral to the DA's office in some counties.

5. Why does this matter politically?
Residency issues go beyond taxes—they strike at the heart of voter integrity and public trust.

6. Are politicians held to the same standards?
In theory, yes. In practice? Not always. That's why public pressure and scrutiny matter.

7. Can you have two primary residences?
No. “Primary residence” by definition means one place.

8. What documents prove Texas residency?
Driver’s license, vehicle registration, voter registration, and utility bills—all must show the same Texas address.

9. How does this affect regular taxpayers?
When people bend the rules, everyone else picks up the slack in higher taxes and decreased trust.

10. Is Tulsi Gabbard the first politician to do this?
Not by a long shot. But with the spotlight on her now, it’s reigniting the debate on dual residency and political accountability.Show More

Top Reasons Developers Are Betting on Dallas CRE, is the Office Market in Dallas Making a Comeback?

📈 **Is Dallas the Next Big Office Market Comeback Story?** Let’s find out. In this video, we explore the surprising surge in office ...

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Austin i35 cap and stitch final plan reconnecting downtown east west

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