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Old Posted Mar 12, 2018, 2:51 PM
JRG1974 JRG1974 is online now
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Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 106
Quote:
Originally Posted by ahealy View Post
Aw shucks, thanks

Fryguy, I know! I know! I love most of the projects we have going on here in Austin, but it can feel kind of premature at times. San Antonio's downtown (in my eyes) already appears way more established than Austin's CBD. I guess what I'm trying to say is.... I'm very excited about the idea of a few new 400-600ft projects, but you don't need to build like crazy to make the core great. Austin can't get back all the shit it's torn down over the decades and that makes me feel like we've kinda sold the city a bit.


aaaand fuck yeah, FROST!
I went to UT 20 years ago, back when Austin was still weird. Now when I go back, it feels a lot more west coast mainstream. It is still a great place to visit. It has just changed.

Austin's downtown has exploded. A few months ago I saw a show at the Palmer Center. After, we walked out and stood on the veranda that overlooks the river. The lights of the tall buildings were beautiful. It was nice to see all the tall buildings.

During the day, that is the only really nice thing you can say about 70 percent of the buildings. They are tall. They look like the same building just turned different ways. With as much money that is being spent, I would have thought that the city could have demanded more from the buildings from an architectural stand point. It reminds me a lot of Honolulu. A lot of tall faceless residential buildings. There are some gems. I just thought that Austin would be able to demand better.

You look at the older buildings, and they look like children lost among in a sea of adults. Lost and out of place. They may not have as much glass and glitz, but they were unique and quirky. The new buildings were built as if they never existed. Only the Frost building looks like it was ready for the transition. Aside from view corridors, does Austin have any design review? In the end, I would still love to have some of those buildings. Austin has definitely grown up.

As someone has mentioned, why do we keep comparing ourselves to Austin? Is it purely that it is close. People keep talking about Austin like everything going on there is great. San Antonio has a history like few cities west of the Mississippi. There is no town in Texas, that could have a place like the Pearl. There is a lot of history, we should do a better job of embracing it.

As for a tall building in San Antonio, I just hope that we don't get something like Oklahoma City. The Devon Tower is beautiful, but it completely obliterates the rest of their downtown. There is no harmony. San Antonio is a slow growing city, so we should use that to our advantage. If we do get a tall building, it needs to be able to blend in better with the skyline. We should take our time and get it right. There is a parking lot at Broadway and 3rd that I think would be a great place for a tall building. Coming from the airport, it would sit nicely in the middle of the skyline. It would bookend the business district with the Frost Tower on the west and this one on the east. It would help to frame in Travis Park and give it a little more life and purpose. It would look great come down Broadway, and it would look great behind the Christmas tree if they keep it in Travis Park.

Those are my thoughts...
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