AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 296

lzppjb · #**5901** Posted **Apr 17, 2019, 10:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Also, this is not the first time we've seen this tower pop up here. Someone had posted that same rendering a couple of months ago.

I knew it looked very familiar.

The little dogleg about half way up reminds me of the planetarium we missed out on.

www.hok.com

lzppjb · #**5902** Posted **Apr 17, 2019, 10:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Looks like the surface lot on the south side of 7th between San Jac and Trinity... across from the Episcopal church. The downward sloping street toward 6th, and the footprint gives it away IMO.

This is where I'm thinking as well.

The ATX · #**5903** Posted **Apr 17, 2019, 11:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Also, this is not the first time we've seen this tower pop up here. Someone had posted that same rendering a couple of months ago.

Yes, I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers this same project and discussion from about a year ago.

Stuff gets buried so quickly in the update thread. But this may be is a new Ziegler Cooper link to the same renderings with a little more info.

KevinFromTexas · #**5904** Posted **Apr 17, 2019, 11:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Looks like the surface lot on the south side of 7th between San Jac and Trinity... across from the Episcopal church. The downward sloping street toward 6th, and the footprint gives it away IMO.

I think you're right. It would be nice to get rid of that lot.

The ATX · #**5905** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 3:53 PM**

This potential project won't be popular. A pre-development tree assessment for the 400-417 block of Lavaca was filed today. The request is to remove the trees for a building design. Based on the address range and the location of the trees, it's at least a quarter block and includes Halcyon and Lavaca Street Bar. It's directly across the street from Hotel ZaZa. This area of downtown has no CVC.

Development Assessment:

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...rtyrsn=2018821

From Google maps:

chinchaaa · #**5906** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 4:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

This potential project won't be popular. A pre-development tree assessment for the 400-417 block of Lavaca was filed today. The request is to remove the trees for a building design. Based on the address range and the location of the trees, it's at least a quarter block and includes Halcyon and Lavaca Street Bar. It's directly across the street from Hotel ZaZa. This area of downtown has no CVC.

Ok, no. Downtown is going to feel so sterile and boring if we tear down every building with some history. I really hope City Council doesn't allow this.

The ATX · #**5907** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 4:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Ok, no. Downtown is going to feel so sterile and boring if we tear down every building with some history. I really hope City Council doesn't allow this.

I doubt that the City Council can do anything if the project is something allowed under current zoning. If the developer needed a zoning change, the Council would have the opportunity to vote no on the change. But the trees and any historical designations to buildings on the site could be roadblocks.

atxsnail · #**5908** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Ok, no. Downtown is going to feel so sterile and boring if we tear down every building with some history. I really hope City Council doesn't allow this.

As someone who spent a good amount of time at Halcyon over the past 15 years, I'll personally help tear the building down if it gets us proper sidewalks on that corner. How many teeth have been lost to that staircase I wonder?

freerover · #**5909** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Ok, no. Downtown is going to feel so sterile and boring if we tear down every building with some history. I really hope City Council doesn't allow this.

What is the history of this building?

freerover · #**5910** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 5:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

This potential project won't be popular. A pre-development tree assessment for the 400-417 block of Lavaca was filed today. The request is to remove the trees for a building design. Based on the address range and the location of the trees, it's at least a quarter block and includes Halcyon and Lavaca Street Bar. It's directly across the street from Hotel ZaZa. This area of downtown has no CVC.

Development Assessment:

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...rtyrsn=2018821

From Google maps:

What’s interesting is the owner of that lot also owns the lot next to it with Fado. You would think a redevelopment would include it as well.

StoOgE · #**5911** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 5:43 PM**

Yeah, I'm all for development, but the old warehouse district needs some level of protection.

We've already lost a lot of it.

KevinFromTexas · #**5912** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 6:34 PM**

Lame. Halcyon was the location of our mini-forum meet last month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by atxsnail

As someone who spent a good amount of time at Halcyon over the past 15 years, I'll personally help tear the building down if it gets us proper sidewalks on that corner. How many teeth have been lost to that staircase I wonder?

Quote:

Originally Posted by freerover

What is the history of this building?

These buildings really were warehouses up to 100 years ago. That's why they have those elevated "sidewalks". In reality, back then, they were merely loading docks for trucks to back up to. Pedestrians likely walked around the trucks in the street to avoid flying boxes being unloaded from trucks.

We vs us · #**5913** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 7:42 PM**

Shoot, man . . . let a brother know when you're doing mini-meetups will ya?

paul78701 · #**5914** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 8:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freerover

What’s interesting is the owner of that lot also owns the lot next to it with Fado. You would think a redevelopment would include it as well.

There is not a single tree to speak of on these lots. The nearest tree is in front of Academia (just east of the old Fado). It may include that as well? Unless, the address is a typo?

paul78701 · #**5915** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 8:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atxsnail

As someone who spent a good amount of time at Halcyon over the past 15 years, I'll personally help tear the building down if it gets us proper sidewalks on that corner. How many teeth have been lost to that staircase I wonder?

Could it be that this development request is simply for upgrading the area by putting street level sidewalks below the elevated ones?

KevinFromTexas · #**5916** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 8:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

Shoot, man . . . let a brother know when you're doing mini-meetups will ya?

It was kind of impromptu. One of the forumers here who hasn't posted in a while just out of the blue messaged me saying he'd be in town and wanted to meet up. I invited JDawgboy along, and the three of us walked around during SXSW one night.

paul78701 · #**5917** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 8:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul78701

Could it be that this development request is simply for upgrading the area by putting street level sidewalks below the elevated ones?

The more I think about it, I bet this is about sidewalk improvements. It wasn't long ago that updates were made just south of here for the Cap Metro stops. This could be a continuation of improving the walkability around these updated bus stops.

They probably haven't been able to work on sidewalk improvements here due to the ZaZa construction closing off the sidewalks on the other side of the street.

427MM · #**5918** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 10:14 PM**

Wish we'd let them sell their air rights to someone who needed it just outside of downtown. Ready for the CBD to grow its boundaries so that there isn't as much pressure on everything in the core to redevelop. Or of we could finally get World Class to move off center and do something!

freerover · #**5919** Posted **Apr 19, 2019, 10:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul78701

The more I think about it, I bet this is about sidewalk improvements. It wasn't long ago that updates were made just south of here for the Cap Metro stops. This could be a continuation of improving the walkability around these updated bus stops.

They probably haven't been able to work on sidewalk improvements here due to the ZaZa construction closing off the sidewalks on the other side of the street.

It's not identified by the city as a sidewalk that has funding for reconstruction. Still, the firm that filed that permit doesn't really do big skyscrapers. Here is their portfolio: http://www.honeycombhexagons.com/por...#portfoliojump

The ATX · #**5920** Posted **Apr 20, 2019, 1:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freerover

It's not identified by the city as a sidewalk that has funding for reconstruction. Still, the firm that filed that permit doesn't really do big skyscrapers. Here is their portfolio: http://www.honeycombhexagons.com/por...#portfoliojump

The billed to firm on the permit is the civil engineering firm handling the permitting process for the unnamed developer. Civiltude helps with the permitting on a lot of local projects including significant high-rise projects, Block 185 for example. Those type of firms don't usually keep updated portfolios.