AUSTIN | Ikon Austin (Town Lake Lofts, East Ave Apts, One) | 353' | 30 FLRS | Pro - Page 5

The ATX · #81 Posted **Jun 8, 2018, 1:23 AM**

I think the site plan for this project with four names will be approved soon. They seem to be close to clearing the comments for approval, and an update was made to the site plan a couple weeks ago.

427MM · #82 Posted **Jun 8, 2018, 1:52 AM**

Thanks, ATX. This one is especially exciting.

corvairkeith · #83 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 7:46 PM**

Site prep?

trilliondollarted · #84 Posted **Jun 13, 2018, 8:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by corvairkeith

Site prep?

I believe that was the staging for the hike bike bridge under congress.

Geckos_Rule · #85 Posted **Jun 14, 2018, 3:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trilliondollarted

I believe that was the staging for the hike bike bridge under congress.

Yup. It's been there for at least a month or two.

The ATX · #86 Posted **Apr 30, 2019, 8:12 PM**

An update! The site plan had been stuck in "Review" for a year. It's highly unusually for a city review phase of the site plan approval process to last more than a couple months. Today the site plan status changed to "Tolling - hearing pending". I don't know what that means. But based on info in the site plan attachments, I think right of way issues with TxDot may have been the reason for the delay.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...rtyrsn=5062238

Syndic · #87 Posted **May 10, 2019, 3:52 AM**

nvm

427MM · #88 Posted **May 11, 2019, 4:05 AM**

TXDoT is such a plague on our city. Really wish they were more about "Transportation" and not simply stuck on Highway expansions.

The ATX · #89 Posted **Jul 8, 2019, 6:21 PM**

The site plan must be close to approval. The construction permit was filed today.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...rtyrsn=5062238

The ATX · #90 Posted **Sep 14, 2019, 10:39 PM**

We should get some more info about this project next week. The "ePlan: Expedited Review" construction permit went into review this week. So the formal filing that is currently in review should be added to the permit in the next week or so. Check for an attachment added to this filing:

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...rtyrsn=5062238

The ATX · #91 Posted **Sep 19, 2019, 10:24 PM**

The formal construction permit filing was added to the permit today. Nothing really new. It's still 30-stories, and nothing much seems to have changed with the project. But they still have a lot of comments to clear before getting a permit.

The ATX · #92 Posted **Nov 30, 2019, 4:45 AM**

Five and a half years in and with at least four different names, this project made another baby step. Last Tuesday (11/26) the City updated the E-Review construction permit with what the developer still needs to do. Dare I say this is finally looking close to being approved?

https://abc.austintexas.gov/attachme...sBF5k7zw%3D%3D

I'm still rooting for this project mainly because of its unique location at the absolute farthest SE corner of downtown.

http://www.rhodepartners.com/project...ue-apartments/

The ATX · #93 Posted **Nov 30, 2019, 5:11 AM**

Ha. Right after my last post I went to the Richman Group's website to look for updates and saw that they changed the name again. It's now Ikon Austin. But they still don't have any renderings.

zrx299 · #94 Posted **Nov 30, 2019, 4:36 PM**

It would be nice if architects would start moving away from the trend of Tower-pedestal-on-a-Podium, with a huge gap in between. It just looks awkward.

I might feel differently if I was one of the handful of people who might actually use such an amenity floor, but looking from the outside it's just awkward. Like our city now just starts at floor 12 or whatever.

Echostatic · #95 Posted **Nov 30, 2019, 6:14 PM**

I like the visible space between uses. 70 Rainey is probably the best example existing today but 17th & Guadalupe (Proposed) has a similar separation. Nice outdoor space on higher floors and when there's built-in vegetation it comes out really good looking.

We vs us · #96 Posted **Nov 30, 2019, 10:37 PM**

This was the one with the really problematic car ramp, if I remember. Glad to see it's not entirely dead.

I agree, re: parking podiums. They're just awful. It's still interesting to me that land value here still doesn't quite incentivize builders to put some/all parking below grade, and maximize human-occupied square footage above ground.

Does anyone know if that's a code thing, or a value thing, or what?

the Genral · #97 Posted **Dec 1, 2019, 12:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

This was the one with the really problematic car ramp, if I remember. Glad to see it's not entirely dead.

I agree, re: parking podiums. They're just awful. It's still interesting to me that land value here still doesn't quite incentivize builders to put some/all parking below grade, and maximize human-occupied square footage above ground.

Does anyone know if that's a code thing, or a value thing, or what?

I researched this quandary a while back out of curiosity and the answer is quite simple. It can cost up to twice as much or even more to build an underground garage. Initial cost include excavating, shoring, and in some cases, dealing with a high water shed. I discounted the water table issue as a preventative due to the number of towers in NYC that line the Hudson and East Rivers. Secondly, the cost to exhaust. Well enclosed parking pedestals require high cost equipment to vent exhaust fumes, which is why we end up with 3rd and Shoal and the Independent's screening or in other cases, wide open gaps. Hotel Zsa Zsa Gabor once promised to put all their parking underground as a show of respect to the park and surrounding blocks. They dumped that idea I think partly due to the high water table, but mostly to lower the cost of the project in order to secure financing. At least their parking podium looks ok. It all comes down to how deep the developer's pockets are and how much they are willing to spend on aesthetics in the Austin market. The outsides have almost always taken a backseat to what's on the inside of the building. Regarding if its a code thing...I doubt it, but if there's eventually a code restricting parking podiums, I'd welcome it. Btw, Miami has its share of condos sitting on parking podiums with amenity floor separation between the living and the dead space ( parking). I welcome the break up between the two.

KevinFromTexas · #98 Posted **Dec 1, 2019, 12:28 AM**

This one and 70 Rainey are examples of the right way to do a podium+tower. At least, in form, so far. That might change with the facade materials.

austlar1 · #99 Posted **Dec 1, 2019, 4:10 AM**

I thought I saw a for sale sign at this site the other day indicating the land was available for purchase. I was going by pretty fast, so maybe I am mistaken. This is the site at the tip of the block where the road turns to go under 35 at Town Lake?

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2525...!3m1!1e3?hl=en

The ATX · #**100** Posted **Dec 1, 2019, 4:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

I thought I saw a for sale sign at this site the other day indicating the land was available for purchase. I was going by pretty fast, so maybe I am mistaken. This is the site at the tip of the block where the road turns to go under 35 at Town Lake?

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2525...!3m1!1e3?hl=en

That's it. If you Streetview the site there is a for sale sign on the property with a "SOLD" sticker on it. The Streetview dates with the SOLD sign go back as far as 08/2016 and is still there on the 04/2018 Streetview. Maybe the same sign is still there.