Fresh scaffolding, new facades, and the constant whine of power tools are turning Austin’s Sixth Street into less of a ghost town and more of an active construction zone. Developers and architects are racing to rehab long-vacant storefronts, concentrating heavily on the blocks between Sabine and Red River while also pushing work farther west. Crews are repairing historic brick, restoring cornices and peeling boards off old windows, all in service of a plan to shift the corridor from a late-night drinking strip into a neighborhood that functions during the day as well as after dark.
Paul Clayton, principal at local design firm Clayton Korte, has called the rehabilitation “meaningful” and says he wants to be able to bring his family to Sixth Street and “feel safe” while visiting, Clayton told KXAN. His firm is teaming up with developer Stream Realty on several of the restorations, focusing on preserving historic facades while updating the interiors so they can house restaurants and shops instead of sitting shuttered.
Who Owns It And What’s Being Fixed
Stream Realty has quietly become the dominant landlord on this stretch of Sixth, acquiring roughly 31 properties along the corridor and taking control of much of its vacant commercial space. The company has already launched exterior renovation work on dozens of storefronts. It has branded the effort “Old 6th” and converted a restored building at 600 Sabine into a leasing office called The Dive. As reported by Community Impact, the restorations are meant to protect the street’s historic character while preparing the spaces for restaurants, retailers, and other daytime-friendly uses.
City Reopening And Safety Plans
City officials have their own role in the makeover. Earlier this year, they moved to reopen blocks of Sixth Street to vehicular traffic on weekends as part of a broader public safety strategy tied to the district’s revival. Mayor Kirk Watson has said that reinvesting in Sixth Street is a central pillar of improving safety in the entertainment district, according to reporting by the Austin Monitor.
Design Approach: Old Character, New Uses
On the design side, the marching orders are clear: keep the old bones, change what happens inside. Architects are retaining original brickwork, cornices, and other historic details, while completely reconfiguring interiors so they can accommodate restaurants, coffee shops, and small retailers instead of bare floors and boarded doors. MySA reports that the design team is aiming for a mix of respected local operators and select national concepts that can keep foot traffic going during the day.
What Comes Next: Tenants, Timelines And Concerns
Stream Realty says it is “excited to welcome the first round of tenants” and hopes to have several announcements soon, the developer told KXAN. The company had previously said it was negotiating with a range of tenant types and hoped to see new concepts opening within about a year and a half. Community Impact reported that the team expects the first restaurants to open in 2026.
Not everyone is fully sold on the makeover. Some longtime residents and business owners are voicing concerns about rising rents and the potential loss of the gritty character that put the corridor on the map in the first place, a debate over Sixth Street’s future tracked in earlier coverage.
What To Watch
Over the next several months, watch for lease announcements and the first visible tenant build-outs, which will offer the real test of whether Old 6th feels like a neighborhood or a rebranded bar strip. How many local operators sign on will go a long way toward determining whether the project actually lands its daytime-destination goals…