When construction for the new 360 Condos began last month, the development joined the growing throng of downtown living projects.
As a way to set itself apart, the 360 developers are helping to fund an expansion of the adjacent Austin Music Hall on Nueces.
The music venue will be able to hold crowds of 3,000 to 7,000 people. It will also get a new sound system. The venue will also get an additional cafe and extensive decoration. It's a move that opens the gates to residential and entertainment partnerships.
"How many large ventures, unlike 360, have come into our city and said, 'We're here, goodbye?'" music hall owner Tim O'Conner said.
But those in the local music industry say not to worry, the city won't lose its Austintatiousness.
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Music hall renovations
The developers of the 360 Condos will help pay for the expansion of the music hall.
 
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"I don't see why it has to be less Austintatious. Why can't we have more of everything? For example, Jazz has now opened its stage for promoting local musicians. The more entertainment we can bring to Austin in general, the more people that will come downtown before they even decide what kind of entertainment they're going to partake in," Matt Reppert, owner of Jazz and The Parish, said.
Other nearby businesses think the same thing. The Fox and Hound just down the street from the Music Hall is excited about the expansion and the increased amount of people it will attract.
"It means we're really going to have an opportunity to show more people what we're all about and introduce ourselves to more people who are coming to this side of town," Fox and Hound manager Sean Phoenix said.
They'll have the opportunity to do that for thousands more people when construction is complete on both the condos and the music hall.
The renovations on the Austin Music Hall are scheduled to begin sometime early next year.
