Skyscrapers along 'the Drag' near UT may soon be a reality

Skyscrapers along 'the Drag' near UT may soon be a reality

April 16, 2025 / Sophie Clearwater /

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AUSTIN (KXAN) – The city is considering making changes to the 20-year-old neighborhood code for West Campus by the University of Texas to allow for taller buildings and promote even more density. 

In 2004, the city established the University Neighborhood Overlay, or UNO – a program aimed at promoting high-density and pedestrian-friendly development. The city said in part due to the success of this program, the neighborhood has grown to almost 30,000 people. 

In 2024, the city passed a resolution to make changes to UNO, aiming to increase housing, ensure access to daily needs and support the addition of a light rail. To satisfy those goals, Austin’s Planning Department has proposed creating a new zoning map. 

It includes an expansion of the UNO map, redrawing subdistricts within it, and the creation of a new maximum height limit of up to 600 feet – higher than the Frost Bank Tower downtown, standing at 515 feet. 

Skyscrapers along 'the Drag' near UT may soon be a reality
Austin’s Planning Department proposed changes to the University Neighborhood Overlay map. It would increase height caps for buildings to 600 feet in the Transit Core (yellow), 420 feet in the Inner West (red), and 90 feet in the Outer West (blue). (Photo Courtesy Austin Planning Department).

Currently, the Guadalupe subdistrict, or “the Drag,” has a height limit of 85 feet. If the city approves the new map, developers can increase building heights in this area by 515 feet.

This story will be updated.

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Sophie Clearwater

Vancouver-based environmental journalist, writing about nature, sustainability, and the Pacific Northwest.

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