AUSTIN | 99 Red River/Block 190/98 Red River Phase II | ? Floors | ? Feet | Proposed

[migol24]

I think skybridges are getting too much credit than they even deserve. More likely most folks won't use it all that much and probably won't even be much of a factor. It's just a small convenience for the people that live or work in the buildings.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by enragedcamel

I'm the opposite. I think Austin could use a lot more skybridges. I understand why some people don't like them (e.g. they take away from pedestrian traffic at the ground level) but they can also be huge timesavers when going from one building to another.

I'd rather we make our streets safer for pedestrians than providing them a "safe passage" above the chaos. The only reason to need one, and it's obvious since it's right above the parking garage, is so you can park in one tower and walk over to the next one.

I think if someone is having trouble with the heat here then they're probably not the type of person who goes downtown very often anyway. And I don't believe for a second that a few skybridges is going to change their behavior.

Even in a place like the Domain where the development feels like a retirement community in Florida, the building designs there don't exactly lend to having skybridges be favorable. Who wants to live on the 2nd floor of an apartment there with a view down the street of a skybridge? You also can't just plop them into a building anyway you please. The residential units want to be looking outward from the building onto the street, so gobbling up a section of the building's facade/streetwall with a skybridge is a bit of a waste of space in those developments. I suppose it would work better in a residential building where the residences started higher up, say above a 8 to 10 floor parking garage, but so far most of what's at the Domain isn't that tall yet. And, sure, it can be done for the office buildings there, but I question what removing those pedestrians from the street will do the atmosphere of the place. Some of the big office towers at the Domain have already created dead spaces. So far, everything at the Domain is exactly the type of stuff we complain about in downtown, namely huge parking garages and little street interaction.

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by migol24

I think skybridges are getting too much credit than they even deserve. More likely most folks won't use it all that much and probably won't even be much of a factor. It's just a small convenience for the people that live or work in the buildings.

I agree. From the rendering it appears to connect from the hotel of phase I to the office of phase II. I believe only the people from the office space will realize it’s there, and there wouldn’t really be a need for guest/apartment dwellers to venture to that end.

[Geckos_Rule]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

I agree. From the rendering it appears to connect from the hotel of phase I to the office of phase II. I believe only the people from the office space will realize it’s there, and there wouldn’t really be a need for guest/apartment dwellers to venture to that end.

Agreed. Theoretically there could be demand for it if there was a large amenity or public space on Phase II, but it would be rare (if not just strange) to see that built without it being part of Phase I's marketing.

Hopefully like the Shore Condos and the Van Zandt right next door, there is enough of a delay between these two developments that they don't end up perfectly matching, and are at least a bit varied in their designs. The Van Zandt isn't incredible, but it turned out better in person than any rendering or prior plans showed.