Texas Capitol View Corridors

The Capitol View Corridors are a series of legal restrictions on construction in Austin, Texas, aimed at preserving protected views of the Texas State Capitol from various points around the city. First established by the Texas Legislature in 1983 and recodified in 2001, the corridors are meant to protect the capitol dome from obstruction by high-rise buildings. While supported by cultural and historical preservation organizations, the corridors have also been criticized for limiting the potential for the development of new tall structures in downtown Austin.

History

In 1931, the City of Austin, aiming to preserve the visual preeminence of the 303-foot (92 m) Texas State Capitol, enacted a local ordinance limiting the height of new buildings to a maximum of 200 feet (61 m). From that time until the early 1960s, only the University of Texas Main Building Tower was built higher than the limit, using an exception allowing for additional height with a greater setback. On November 10, 1962, the Austin Statesman announced that real-estate developers were planning a new high-rise residential building adjacent to the Capitol called the Westgate Tower. The proposed design for the tower was 261 feet (80 m) tall, significantly exceeding the city's height limit, although it compensated with a setback for the upper portion.

The prospect of so tall a structure so close to the Capitol met with significant hostility as plans proceeded. In January 1963, Texas Governor Price Daniel voiced his opposition to the proposed tower in his final address to the Texas Legislature. Resistance continued as construction progressed, with State Representative Henry Grover of Houston introducing a bill to condemn the property in February 1965, which was defeated in March in the Texas House of Representatives by only two votes.