Austin | 6G | 874 Feet | 65 Floors | Complete

[architeckton]

Hey, does anyone know if anything is going on or planned for the old post office site?

I know it isn't the post office site proper, but 600 Guadalupe may be getting redeveloped soon. The link below takes you too a drone shoot done for a commercial client. The highest images come in at 773 feet.

http://panowings.com/folders/600guadalupe/

Construction cam link.
http://webcampub.multivista.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=aPublicWebcam.page&WebcamPublicPageUID=3541F03E-9E1B-4E7D-A2A6-E3C4B0C3B2C1

[AusTxDevelopment]

I know it isn't the post office site proper, but 600 Guadalupe may be getting redeveloped soon. The link below takes you too a drone shoot done for a commercial client. The highest images come in at 773 feet.

http://panowings.com/folders/600guadalupe/

That's the Extended Stay hotel. Sutton had it but now Lincoln Property Company controls that site. I don't know if they bought it or partnered on it, but they are planning an office building there. Those are some very specific heights - 419 feet and 773 feet. Developers usually get these panorama shots done to market the views to potential investors and/or tenants of their future buildings. Whether or not that is what this is, I have no idea.

[The ATX]

I know it isn't the post office site proper, but 600 Guadalupe may be getting redeveloped soon. The link below takes you too a drone shoot done for a commercial client. The highest images come in at 773 feet.

http://panowings.com/folders/600guadalupe/

That's very interesting. That would go along with what scraperwill said about 600 Guadalupe which is the motel site that had a CVC filing late last year.

[The ATX]

This is from the CVC determination. Half of the block is good to go up!

http://i.imgur.com/ZeDlVo6.png
https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/public-search-other?t_detail=1&t_selected_folderrsn=11620426&t_selected_propertyrsn=1126127

[The ATX]

Two months after the 600 Guadalupe CVC determination request, a "development related" tree survey was done of the block. This is from the end of December and Sutton's name was still on the documents.

http://i.imgur.com/ynj1UGM.png
https://abc.austintexas.gov/attachment/attachmentDownload.jsp?p=rhL9yeJHMmUCynYV0gpaHYQlUeakbjOS5oWueW5EJIq7inE%2BsPiJJR3CO38Fn9WPo5kPrLtpNNTfu4oi7c8ZhaRpZJoQdjMVnvEEqOQ3%2BOZln1MHGsdJ7z0lzuJxrs7%2F

[We vs us]

I love this site.

[the Genral]

I love this site.

I love it more.

[The ATX]

Are you guys talking about 600 Guadalupe or SSP? :)

[the Genral]

Are you guys talking about 600 Guadalupe or SSP? :)

I'm talking abut the panowings link a few posts above. I just spent about 20 minutes playing around on it.

[The ATX]

The Panowing views at 773' are incredible. Based on the construction progress of the buildings in the views, the drone pano could be from this past week.

[We vs us]

Are you guys talking about 600 Guadalupe or SSP? :)

Ha! SSP, natch. Where else are you going to find such obscure but completely golden links? Plus, the advance intel on new stuff is just staggering. Regularly scooping the media by months.

So panowings is totally awesome, too.... interesting how dense we look at '419 (when the camera is still within the vicinity of the Austin Plateau) vs how dense '773 looks -- with nothing nearly that height, and all the surrounding parking lots and single story buildings exposed.

[The ATX]

Those are very specific heights. If those are potential views for marketing purposes, then a structural height is likely 20-30' higher than the top level view height, so (potentially) around an 800' building.

Exactly. Since this potential new tallest actually has some permit filings, it has some credibility. The drone shots and some reliable SSP insider info add some good corroborating evidence to this project as well.

[KevinFromTexas]

With our water front starting to fill in a bit, it makes sense that we'd start getting some taller ones further north in downtown. That's pretty much how I've always assumed it would be. The river flowing through our downtown is fairly wide and the whole area around it creates parkland. It's not like in a few other cities with narrow rivers that flow through the heart of their downtowns where they're lined with buildings right up to the water's edge in places. I sort of like the idea of having the taller buildings be farther away from the river, not because of Nimby sentiments, but because I think it'll make the skyline appear more interesting. I don't know. I just think a 700 or 800 foot building or even 600 foot one so close to the water would look a bit strange. The Austonian is at least two blocks north of the river. Besides, I'd rather be able to see a couple of 400 footers stepping up to an 800 footer (more layers and more buildings) than one single building blocking the others. Once the water front is completely filled in, we'll be appreciating any taller buildings that happen farther north so their construction can be seen from the river and parkland to the south of downtown. There really aren't many good vantage points of the north side of downtown and the northwest side of downtown to watch those areas fill in much, so having something taller than can be seen from farther away I think will be appreciated.

[drummer]

With our water front starting to fill in a bit, it makes sense that we'd start getting some taller ones further north in downtown. That's pretty much how I've always assumed it would be. The river flowing through our downtown is fairly wide and the whole area around it creates parkland. It's not like in a few other cities with narrow rivers that flow through the heart of their downtowns where they're lined with buildings right up to the water's edge in places. I sort of like the idea of having the taller buildings be farther away from the river, not because of Nimby sentiments, but because I think it'll make the skyline appear more interesting. I don't know. I just think a 700 or 800 foot building or even 600 foot one so close to the water would look a bit strange. The Austonian is at least two blocks north of the river. Besides, I'd rather be able to see a couple of 400 footers stepping up to an 800 footer (more layers and more buildings) than one single building blocking the others. Once the water front is completely filled in, we'll be appreciating any taller buildings that happen farther north so their construction can be seen from the river and parkland to the south of downtown. There really aren't many good vantage points of the north side of downtown and the northwest side of downtown to watch those areas fill in much, so having something taller than can be seen from farther away I think will be appreciated.

These are some good thoughts and observations. I've often thought about that as well. I've gone back and forth on the step-down approach to the river, and I"m leaning more toward it for some of the same reasons you mentioned.

I also think that Lavaca and Guadalupe would be a pretty cool corridor for height going north, but it seems that there are quite a few CVCs between 7th and 14th streets...but there are a couple lots that could yield a pretty unique building due to said corridors, of course. The other thing is that these two streets travel all the way through downtown and then continue south via S 1st, so it would be good for more density anyway, even if not with significant height.

The fact that the CVCs sort of form a triangle split by the Congress CVC could bring some really cool effects with more and more height and density throughout. If the height was limited to the river, that would never be seen.


Edit: Another area with no real CVC limitations that seems to go under the radar is bordered by West, MLK, Lavaca, and 15th or so to the south. This area seems untapped to me...right by West Campus, UT, the Capitol area, and the downtown core to the south.

[jowens]

http://panowings.com/folders/600guadalupe/

This ROCKS!!!!:notacrook::worship:

[JACKinBeantown]

http://panowings.com/folders/600guadalupe/

This ROCKS!!!!:notacrook::worship:

It sure does. I love how you can see the effects of the capitol corridors taking shape, especially on the far west side of downtown.

[The ATX]

This is trilliondollarted's post from the update thread. I also copied all the posts related to this project from the update thread beginning with the Panowing's drone view link that indicated that this could be a tall project.

608 Guadalupe
63 Floors
849 Feet to parapet and then looks like some additional above that to top
809 to top of 63rd floor
probably should get a thread.
http://i.imgur.com/t94EuNa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eZpriVg.jpg

[KevinFromTexas]

So it'll have "shoulders" like the Sears Tower does, and at the 54th floor at 710 feet. I likey.

According to that, it looks like it'll be office and residential. I know that was mentioned already, but those levels show "O" - presumably indicating office, and "R" for residential. The 63rd floor is actually the roof slab. It'll have 62 actual floors.

[Jdawgboy]

Now this is nice, I'm assuming mixed use. This is the plus side about CVCs. Now they just need to build it ASAP.

[The ATX]

Now this is nice, I'm assuming mixed use. This is the plus side about CVCs. Now they just need to build it ASAP.

I'm wary about it being Sutton since nothing has been built here by them.

It's thankfully not Sutton any more. See AusTexDevelopment's post - 2nd one in this thread.

[GoldenBoot]

I think the tower as proposed is 866' tall (to the tip of the crown). The crown seems to rise ~16.5' above the parapet level.

[the Genral]

Now this is nice, I'm assuming mixed use. This is the plus side about CVCs. Now they just need to build it ASAP.

It looks like 18 floors of office above the pedestal with one heck of a outside break area, topped out with condos. I first thought pedestal, hotel, condos, but the height would have been considerably less. If it was all office, we might have had something closer to 1000ft. This will be awesome given the location and finally getting a supertall (by Austin standards) further north from the river. I like this thing. I hope I'm not being toyed with again.

[KevinFromTexas]

I think the tower as proposed is 866' tall (to the tip of the crown). The crown seems to rise ~16.5' above the parapet level.

I was using a sheet of paper up against the screen and marked it at the highest part of the crown above the last listed height on the elevation (the parapet), and I came up with 20 feet by comparing that distance to other listed levels. If that's true, that would make it 869 feet.

[The ATX]

Apparently Lincoln Property is behind this one as well as the other potential new tallest at 308 Guadalupe (along with Phoenix Property Co.). That seems like a pretty full plate.

[gabetx]

That drone pano would make sense at 419' and 773'. Maybe 419' is the view from the first residential level while 773' would be a penthouse view.

Judging by the renderings, plan, and the quality and specific heights of the pano's, this seems like it may have a strong backing. It is a beautiful building!

[N90]

This tower about to make that 400-600 ft plateau in our skyline into its bitch!

Awesome bro!!!

[Mopacs]

Wow, I hope this comes to fruition. Based on the SSP diagram page for Texas, this would be the 5th tallest building in the state (roof height), or 7th when including spires, etc.

http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=78054597

Would that be correct, Kevin?

[KevinFromTexas]

Yeah, it'll have the 5th highest roof in the state, only behind the Williams Tower in Houston.

Those other two with spires - the one in Houston is a communications mast, not technically a spire. The one in Dallas is architectural and was actually added years later after the building was built. The height that has always been listed for that one is 886 feet to the spire and 710 feet to the roof, but that has always seemed off to me. I've never thought of the spire as being that tall. In fact, if you measure it with Google Earth, the overall height of the building comes up to 850 feet - 36 feet shorter. The roof height is 707 feet as measured with Google Earth, which isn't far off of the 710 foot number for the roof. If those numbers are correct then 608 Guadalupe would be the 5th tallest in the state in both categories. It'll also have the 6th highest number of floors in Texas and be only the 7th building in Texas with at least 60 floors.

[smith_atx]

Wow please happen.

[wwmiv]

Love the height, hate everything about the design except for the trusses.

[GoldenBoot]

I was using a sheet of paper up against the screen and marked it at the highest part of the crown above the last listed height on the elevation (the parapet), and I came up with 20 feet by comparing that distance to other listed levels. If that's true, that would make it 869 feet.

You could very well be correct. My estimation was not quite as detailed.

If you are correct, the building, as shown, would be 869.5' tall. Don't forget about those inches. :)

[GoldenBoot]

Love the height, hate everything about the design except for the trusses.

A spire or two would be nice.

[AustinGoesVertical]

Please don't be a tease, this is a very pleasant surprise. I love the rendering and the diagonal trusses on the one side (kind of like the John Hancock in Chicago). This is a monster building, and it will be very interesting to see how this impacts a major building at the post office site. That would be a dense section there. I like the architectural element at the top. That crown would look awesome lit. I also love that turquoise blue glass.

[JoninATX]

One thing I notice if this tower is built, it will be the only 800 footer in the state of Texas

[lzppjb]

This rocks!

[drummer]

This would be nice! Hope it happens. I'm okay with the trusses, actually.

It's difficult to tell from the rendering, but would this have a similar cut-out to 5th & West and Seven? The first rendering seems to show that on the west side of the tower and I know there's a CVC through the lot (thanks to wwmiv's wicked cool map (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1OmWNgmriRu9gDHuwrrVaRxb03W8&hl=en_US&ll=30.269512978117206%2C-97.74707795347445&z=18)).



Edit: By the way...seeing wwmiv's wicked cool map makes me really hopeful about the post office block. No CVCs cutting through it...what an opportunity! (now back on topic)

[ILUVSAT]

One thing I notice if this tower is built, it will be the only 800 footer in the state of Texas

Isn't Renaissance Tower in Dallas in the 800's? I think it's official height is somewhere near 890' (with spires).

[ILUVSAT]

Oh...Sweet tower, by the way. I really hope to see this come to fruition. I'd love for Austin to have a tower taller than Oklahoma City. Hee hee.

[DoubleC]

Greaaaat! I sort of like how the CVC adds shape to the building by making it wedge shaped rather than just a block tower. Hoping it won't get downsized!

[ahealy]

wwwwooooowwwwwww! This design can make sweet sweet love to me.

[Sigaven]

Another big soulless parking garage at the bottom, ugh. But other than that, wowza! Can we yank the spire from the Fairmont and put it on top of this one? :D

[starboy92]

Love the Height but I have a complaint. So I assume its office residential with maybe some retail at the bottom. at this height shouldn't we expect more from a building. how about an observation deck complete with restaurants for the public. A mall maybe? you only need a 1/3 of the podium to create a little department store or indoor mall galleria etc. venues for public events would be nice. this is just a quick opinion but I'm tired of buildings that take away whole blocks from the city and offer nothing to its citizens. just a general thought.

[ILUVSAT]

...A mall maybe? you only need a 1/3 of the podium to create a little department store or indoor mall galleria etc. venues for public events would be nice. this is just a quick opinion but I'm tired of buildings that take away whole blocks from the city and offer nothing to its citizens. just a general thought.

Interesting idea. However, where are your customers going to park? Obviously, it is far more costly to have an underground garage. And, I too, hate all of these ugly podium car parks.

Additionally, you'll need more than one square block for a "mall." If I'm not mistaken, this entire site encompasses 1.63 ac (just under 71,000 SF). The Whole Foods down the street is about 10,000 SF bigger than this whole site.

Yes, you could build "up;" use multiple floors of the podium to increase the total rentable SF. But, again, where are these customers, employees and residents going to park? Underground or in the same size podium car park above the "mall?"

Still, an intriguing idea.

[Geckos_Rule]

I talked to one of my buddies in commercial real estate who went to a Lincoln presentation on this building today. According to the presentation, it's going to be finished by December 2020. Also, it's going to have 500,000 sq ft of office space, and 300,000 sq ft of residential space.

[ILUVSAT]

I talked to one of my buddies in commercial real estate who went to a Lincoln presentation on this building today. According to the presentation, it's going to be finished by December 2020. Also, it's going to have 500,000 sq ft of office space, and 300,000 sq ft of residential space.

Awesome! Did they give you a sense of a start time? Are these going to be condos or rental flats (apartments)?

[KevinFromTexas]

Love the Height but I have a complaint. So I assume its office residential with maybe some retail at the bottom. at this height shouldn't we expect more from a building. how about an observation deck complete with restaurants for the public. A mall maybe? you only need a 1/3 of the podium to create a little department store or indoor mall galleria etc. venues for public events would be nice. this is just a quick opinion but I'm tired of buildings that take away whole blocks from the city and offer nothing to its citizens. just a general thought.

Neat idea. I hate malls, though. But, I guess if downtown was going to have one, one place I would think would be nicer to have one would be closer to Republic Square Park. That would make either the Travis County block or the post office block good options for one topped with a tower, of course. As ILUVSAT suggested, a mall might need a bigger site, which I'm not sure about, but it would be crazy if a developer got bullish and developed both the Travis County and post office block with a mall in both buildings facing each other across the park, again, topped with towers, of course.

[Jdawgboy]

Awesome! Did they give you a sense of a start time? Are these going to be condos or rental flats (apartments)?

Hmm... If they want it completed by Dec 2020 then possibly a groundbreaking mid to late 2018? That means we have at least a year before we see any dirt flying with this. Hopefully that won't be too long a wait. The sooner they start on it, the better the chances that it will become reality.


I suspect that this may be the building Genral's acquaintance was talking about.

[The ATX]

I think the end of 2020 is a typical overly optimistic first date that developers throw out when they announce a project. A site plan hasn't been filed, and they usually take a year or two to get approved for big projects. Even with no excavation for underground parking, I think two years to build this would be pushing it. Also, financing would need to be secured fairly soon.

[GoldenBoot]

A site plan hasn't been filed, and they usually take a year or two to get approved for big projects.

I wouldn't arbitrarily throw 1-2 years out there. I don't believe that is necessarily true. It depends on the overall complexity of the project - how detailed are the original plans (i.e., if the developer has all of his/her ducks-in-a-row when submitting the original plan to the city)? Additionally, it depends on it's location - is it being proposed in an area where it could be contentious?

Typically, the site plan process can take as little as 9 months on a tower project. Maybe 12 months depending on how many questions the city has and how quickly the developer answers said questions. I would agree...more complex and contentious project may take much longer to get approved (if approved at all).


Even with no excavation for underground parking, I think two years to build this would be pushing it. Also, financing would need to be secured fairly soon.

I agree. From start to delivery, this thing (as currently proposed) may take 30 or so months to build.

A construction facility does not necessarily need to be secured "soon." However, I'm pretty sure they are already working on that aspect of the project, should this proposal be a "real one."

Is Sutton still involved with this?

[starboy92]

doesn't necessarily have to be a mall I'm just saying buildings like this would be better if they were more interactive with outsiders rather then just having amenities for the dwellers inside. The J.W Marriott is pretty good about that I feel a better example would be the Time Warner Center In New York City. either way this building is still pretty rad. It will be exciting to see when it rises.

[The ATX]

In case anyone has noticed, there is a historic home on the NE corner of the block built circa mid-1800s. Approval to demo the building won't happen and approval to move it would be unlikely. From Streetview:

http://i.imgur.com/AAe3pPv.png



But it you look at the CVC determination posted earlier in this thread, the home is not included in the CVC determination. So it appears that this little house will remain. I think it's really cool that a nearly 200 year old home will share the block with this tower.

http://i.imgur.com/ZeDlVo6.png

[lzppjb]

That house/office was brought up by some guys on the shaggy thread. They said the tenant owns part of the block, and the building is from 1854.

It'll just end up like the JW where those couple of older buildings were left on the corner, and the pedestal is build around them.

[the Genral]

wwwwooooowwwwwww! This design can make sweet sweet love to me.

Eeeeeeewwwwwwww....

[the Genral]

I suspect that this may be the building Genral's acquaintance was talking about.

I see J.A. pretty frequently, I ask for updates, he stands by what he told me, for what its worth. Aside from that, I think our next boom will be as Kevin stated earlier, taller. By the time the city population reaches 1 million, we are going to have one amazing skyline.

[JACKinBeantown]

Great news on the height! I'm not too thrilled with the design. It looks like a lot of the other nondescript buildings that have popped up in the western part of downtown in the last few years. Oh well, I've come to learn that I have to take what I can get.

[IluvATX]

Reminds me a lot of the Comcast Technology Center in Philly, only with a curved crown instead of a 300' lantern.

[the Genral]

Reminds me a lot of the Comcast Technology Center in Philly, only with a curved crown instead of a 300' lantern.

If we were getting something like the Comcast tower, I'd be in line with ahealy for sloppy seconds.

[wwmiv]

Just FYI on the malls discussion:

Portland has a mall downtown that takes up multiple city blocks, is multi-story, and is connected via skybridges over the streets that bifurcate those blocks. It's lovely. However, there is only minimal parking given their light rail system providing a steady stream of visitors and a downtown with a much larger residential population.

[N90]

Sadly with the recent heartbreaks we've had in the past month, I think you guys know what I'm talking about, I can't take this seriously until there is an official announcement.

I hope it's real but I feel like there's a good chance it may not be.

Remember with the last faux project, we thought we were finally getting a 900 + footer...

[myBrain]

With the open crown and the cross-bracing zig zag running up the top, it has a very mechanical look to it that I think will compliment the Independent's screened in crown.

[ahealy]

With the open crown and the cross-bracing zig zag running up the top, it has a very mechanical look to it that I think will compliment the Independent's screened in crown.

I thought the same thing. This is pretty great for a next-level Austin tallest. I do think the crown could use an antenna though

[KevinFromTexas]

I thought the same thing. This is pretty great for a next-level Austin tallest. I do think the crown could use an antenna though

I'm usually not crazy about spires, but yeah, looking at the west elevation, I was thinking it would look alright for this one to have one.

http://i.imgur.com/eZpriVg.jpg

[loonytoony]

Is Sutton still involved with this?

Rumored to be Lincoln and Lynd

[drummer]

In case anyone has noticed, there is a historic home on the NE corner of the block built circa mid-1800s. Approval to demo the building won't happen and approval to move it would be unlikely. From Streetview:


But it you look at the CVC determination posted earlier in this thread, the home is not included in the CVC determination. So it appears that this little house will remain. I think it's really cool that a nearly 200 year old home will share the block with this tower.


I like that also. It seems that it just might be possible to preserve some stuff and have new stuff at the same time after all....whodathunkit?

[ATXPhil]

Rumored to be Lincoln and Lynd

That is interesting...Lincoln and Lynd have been competitors up to this point on both their development and property management platforms.

Also in responding to the Sutton question: Sutton's sole investment focus these days seems to be just gobbling up as many downtown development sites as they can for land plays. They originally bought the land for what is now the Millenium Rainey project, publicized a rendering of two 50-story towers and subsequently sold it to Dinerstein, which then built that huge missed opportunity of an 8-story building.

Sutton also bought out all of the Villas on Town Lake condos, flashed a rendering of two 50+ story buildings and subsequently sold the site to Genesis (at least they still plan to build something 40 stories tall).

The Waller Park Place sites will inevitably get sold off to some other group as well and will never happen as originally proposed (fingers crossed that may turn out to be a good thing). I have lost all faith in Sutton's ability to actually deliver new towers. They just create hype around the site potential to add more value for reselling land parcels in the future.

[ILUVSAT]

...I have lost all faith in Sutton's ability to actually deliver new towers. They just create hype around the site potential to add more value for reselling land parcels in the future.

If you have lost faith in Sutton then there was something he did to give you that faith. What specifically was that? When has he shown the "ability" to build what has been proposed?

Sutton has never built a tower. Furthermore, it's clearly obvious that it was never his intent to develop the land he acquired. He is the new "Tom Stacy." More of a commercial real estate property and land investor - not a "major project" developer. Which is not a bad thing. He's made a hell of a lot of money in "hyping" his properties to increase their value and selling them. I would not necessarily condemn him for his business model.

[ivanwolf]

You could very well be correct. My estimation was not quite as detailed.

If you are correct, the building, as shown, would be 869.5' tall. Don't forget about those inches. :)

This is correct. I used a work program that scales PDF images. The top part is 20' making it 869.5' total.

BUT if you measure from the right side of image which is south and 6th street, the measurement is 3.25' more. (at the PDF resolution I scaled at I could be off by a couple inches but still). Total height from 6th street should be 872.75ish?

[JoninATX]

Isn't Renaissance Tower in Dallas in the 800's? I think it's official height is somewhere near 890' (with spires).

You are absolutely right, I forgot about Renaissance Tower. I'm sure I missed a few others as well. Though it may not be Texas first 800 footer, but it will be the first one for Austin.

[ATXboom]

Unfortunately we have to let this go... Sutton is just flipping the property. They don't build anything.

[KevinFromTexas]

This is correct. I used a work program that scales PDF images. The top part is 20' making it 869.5' total.

BUT if you measure from the right side of image which is south and 6th street, the measurement is 3.25' more. (at the PDF resolution I scaled at I could be off by a couple inches but still). Total height from 6th street should be 872.75ish?

Interesting. 873 feet (rounded up from 872 feet 3/4 inches) would make it taller than Charlotte's tallest. Theirs is 871 feet. I'd be real interested in seeing the rest of the elevations that show all 4 sides of the building.

Here's the breakdown on where we would rank with this one:

We'd be passing Oklahoma City, Denver, Minneapolis, Detroit, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Mobile, Miami, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City with this one, and Charlotte if it indeed is 872 feet 3/4 inches tall.

Only Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York would have taller buildings in the US.

A few caveats, Miami has several towers planned that would be taller than this, even several supertalls. Denver also has a 74-story tower planned that is stated as being at least 800 feet. Jersey City also has several tall towers planned. One 79-story tower and even 95-story tower that is assumed will be at least 1,000 feet.

[lzppjb]

Unfortunately we have to let this go... Sutton is just flipping the property. They don't build anything.

Second post on this thread says it is a Lincoln property now, not Sutton.

[KevinFromTexas]

One thing about that is that Sutton never made a public announcement about any plans they had. I wouldn't be surprised if it was circulating in real estate circles, but they never mentioned it publicly. It seems like if they were solely interested in promoting the site for major development that they'd be seeking the publicity with the announcements. I remember the T. Stacy project getting all kinds of press coverage. This is the first I've heard of any plans for something for that block, though, it doesn't surprise me at all.

[ATXPhil]

If you have lost faith in Sutton then there was something he did to give you that faith. What specifically was that? When has he shown the "ability" to build what has been proposed?

Sutton has never built a tower. Furthermore, it's clearly obvious that it was never his intent to develop the land he acquired. He is the new "Tom Stacy." More of a commercial real estate property and land investor - not a "major project" developer. Which is not a bad thing. He's made a hell of a lot of money in "hyping" his properties to increase their value and selling them. I would not necessarily condemn him for his business model.

Sutton developed the Plaza Lofts downtown back in the early 2000's, which at 12 stories is considered a high-rise. They were not very active during the late 2000's or early 2010's but then started buying up development sites downtown. I'm not condemning the business model, and you're right they have probably made a ton of money without any real development risk. But Mac Pike has been telling every media outlet around town that Sutton is going to develop the sites. I was actually in attendance at the Bisnow forum listed in this article below in which he was a panel speaker and he boasted to a room of 400+ Austin real estate professionals about how Sutton would be developing the towers.

You're also right that (in hindsight) this was clearly not their intent but that was my point. He goes on to say in this article that Sutton would be "start the permitting process immediately." And he goes into detail about floor plans, etc. which is a lot different than just producing renderings to hype the potential of a project. So yeah, I had hope at one point that they had partnered with some mega-institutional equity firms with deep enough pockets to make a 1.2M Sq. Ft. development happen as was rumored with WPP and they might actually build something.

https://www.bisnow.com/austin-san-antonio/news/mixed-use/sutton-cos-to-build-significant-mixed-use-in-waller-creek-61686

[BuildingATX]

Unfortunately we have to let this go... Sutton is just flipping the property. They don't build anything.

Lincoln and Lynd build things.

[loonytoony]

Sutton developed the Plaza Lofts downtown back in the early 2000's, which at 12 stories is considered a high-rise. They were not very active during the late 2000's or early 2010's but then started buying up development sites downtown. I'm not condemning the business model, and you're right they have probably made a ton of money without any real development risk. But Mac Pike has been telling every media outlet around town that Sutton is going to develop the sites. I was actually in attendance at the Bisnow forum listed in this article below in which he was a panel speaker and he boasted to a room of 400+ Austin real estate professionals about how Sutton would be developing the towers.

You're also right that (in hindsight) this was clearly not their intent but that was my point. He goes on to say in this article that Sutton would be "start the permitting process immediately." And he goes into detail about floor plans, etc. which is a lot different than just producing renderings to hype the potential of a project. So yeah, I had hope at one point that they had partnered with some mega-institutional equity firms with deep enough pockets to make a 1.2M Sq. Ft. development happen as was rumored with WPP and they might actually build something.

https://www.bisnow.com/austin-san-antonio/news/mixed-use/sutton-cos-to-build-significant-mixed-use-in-waller-creek-61686

Sutton also did the Brazos Lofts, as well as a number of apartment to condo conversions. One I remember is The Spring (on Robert E. Lee not high-rise downtown).

[ATXCirca2014]

Statesman ran a story on this tower today:

http://www.statesman.com/business/exclusive-austin-tallest-tower-planned-for-west-sixth-and-guadalupe/f2Wd6rCFueQEQlDJO5S6mM/

[deerhoof]

http://www.statesman.com/business/exclusive-austin-tallest-tower-planned-for-west-sixth-and-guadalupe/f2Wd6rCFueQEQlDJO5S6mM/

BOOM! It sounds like this one might get taller.

"The tower as currently designed has 62 stories, although ultimately there could be more, possibly up to the “mid-70s” range, Lynd said."

[myBrain]

New renderings from article -- with some substantial differences from the first rendering. IMO this one is more bland

http://i.imgur.com/5Mgmf72.jpg

[loonytoony]

http://www.statesman.com/business/exclusive-austin-tallest-tower-planned-for-west-sixth-and-guadalupe/f2Wd6rCFueQEQlDJO5S6mM/

BOOM! It sounds like this one might get taller.

"The tower as currently designed has 62 stories, although ultimately there could be more, possibly up to the “mid-70s” range, Lynd said."

Also, "We’re moving full speed ahead,” Lynd said" :cheers:

[GoldenBoot]

Mid 70's??? Oh, please!!!!!!!

If the design remains the same and the floor-to-ceiling ratio stays constant; this thing could top out around 1050' with 75 stories (after adding the current design of a 20' crown).



**Austin Business Journal (https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2017/08/04/austins-skyline-to-reach-new-heights-high-rise.html) picked up the Statesman story too. There are more renderings in their slideshow, but, I cannot get them downloaded to post.

[KevinFromTexas]

Somebody pinch me!

The article mentions that they might be considering pushing the height to the mid-70s range on the number of floors. It's 62 floors now. Let's just say that they add 13 floors for a total of 75 floors. Let's say they split that number 7 for residential and 6 for office. Going by the elevation that we've already seen, the residential floors right now are each 11 feet slab to slab. The office floors alternate between 14 feet and 15 feet slab to slab for each floor.

So with 7 new residential floors that would be 77 more feet added.

For the 6 additional office floors, while alternating between 14 and 15 feet, that would add 87 feet to the tower's height.

Those two together is 164 feet.

The article also says the height is 850 feet tall, which is odd because we've worked out on the forum that it'll be 873 feet when measuring the highest part of the crown and the lowest elevation along 6th Street. If it is indeed 850 feet, that would make it 1,014 feet tall with the 13 additional floors. That would already make it the new tallest building in Texas. If is 873 feet at the 62-story height, that would push it to 1,037 feet with the new floors.

That is amazing.

As I mentioned earlier, even at the 873 foot height, we could expect to pass Oklahoma City, Denver, Minneapolis, Detroit, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Mobile, Miami, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City with this one, and Charlotte if it indeed is 872 feet 3/4 inches tall. Now, Jersey City is working on one that is 899 feet. It's actually under construction now. And Miami has about 8 buildings over 1,000 feet in development, though, they haven't started yet.

With the possibility of 608 Guadalupe being 1,037 feet tall, we could end up easily passing Jersey City, and then Miami would have only three proposals that would be taller than this one.

This would also mean that since we'd go from 873 feet to 1,037 feet with the increased height that we'd be passing Houston, Dallas, Seattle, and Cleveland in addition to the ones I listed above.

We would also have a higher roof than Los Angeles, Atlanta and possibly Philadelphia, depending on how tall the spire is on the Comcast Innovation & Technology Center is.

So in that case, architecturally, only New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Atlanta would have taller buildings than Austin.

[The ATX]

More renderings form the ABJ:

http://i.imgur.com/6BS4Xtx.png
http://i.imgur.com/gSgLGnO.png
https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2017/08/04/austins-skyline-to-reach-new-heights-high-rise.html

[The ATX]

This one shows the circa 1854 house in the corner of the site:

http://i.imgur.com/ArXcnbM.png
http://www.statesman.com/business/exclusive-austin-tallest-tower-planned-for-west-sixth-and-guadalupe/f2Wd6rCFueQEQlDJO5S6mM/

[GoldenBoot]

Awesome. Thanks. Would you have time to post the east façade image. The one taken of the NE corner. I believe it is the first one on the ABJ slideshow.

[KevinFromTexas]

Here are some larger sized renderings from the Austin Business Journal article:

Southwest

http://i.imgur.com/APNpKsd.jpg
Gensler

Southwest

http://i.imgur.com/2dehhiC.jpg
Gensler

East

http://i.imgur.com/8b39Igv.jpg
Gensler

Northeast

http://i.imgur.com/WrkRQEU.jpg
Gensler

South

http://i.imgur.com/jaIX0fD.jpg
Gensler

[jbssfelix]

Beat to the punch.

[gabetx]

If this is considered a 5 sided building as pictured in the rendering, ends up being in the 70+ story range, making it well over 1,002 ft., and has 5 sides, it will definitely be taller than the JP Morgan tower in Houston.

Currently, the JP Morgan tower is the tallest 5 sided building in the world, just saying!

[KevinFromTexas]

It looks to me like the design in these most recent renderings is different from what we saw in the building elevation because the building elevation clearly showed two equal setbacks on the north and south sides of the tower that created the illusion of "shoulders". These seem to show setbacks in the same general place, but they don't appear to be of equal height.

[myBrain]

Here are the rest:

http://i.imgur.com/2ZLzTSJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wkyATYS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sdRVEvh.jpg

edit: Also beaten to the punch

[clubtokyo]

Please build this! I love it!

[N90]

Whoa!!

And the best part is that it's now an official project. Confirmed by media with a real timetable to work with.

I wanna see them add 10-15 more floors! Texas needs a new supertall, Austin will be the new Sheriff in town!!

[the Genral]

That will also be the biggest pedestal in town...one square block. That alone will no doubt take months to build. I think this building was always meant to be 72 floors.

[Jdawgboy]

What I find interesting is that they plan to open up the office portion while the upper half is still under construction! I guess it's been done with other buildings but definetly a first for Austin.

[The ATX]

This definitely makes up for the Block 185 disappointment. But I wonder how it will affect Lincoln's plans for the 308 Guadalupe/Travis Co. block project? This project seems to be moving forward as quickly as possible while the recent announcement about the Travis Co. block project read as if there were no imminent plans.

[N90]

This definitely makes up for the Block 185 disappointment. But I wonder how it will affect Lincoln's plans for the 308 Guadalupe/Travis Co. block project? This project seems to be moving forward as quickly as possible while the recent announcement about the Travis Co. block project read as if there were no imminent plans.
If that's the Catch 22 situation where this tower moving forward may put the Travis Co. block on hold, then it's not a bad Catch 22.

Because both towers haven't been built yet, we can only ask ourselves one question:

If it came down to where we could only have one of them, which would you choose?

I would choose this one over the Travis Co. block tower. Taller, moving forward, more distinct design for the Austin skyline, etc.

[The ATX]

If that's the Catch 22 situation where this tower moving forward may put the Travis Co. block on hold, then it's not a bad Catch 22.

Because both towers haven't been built yet, we can only ask ourselves one question:

If it came down to where we could only have one of them, which would you choose?

I would choose this one over the Travis Co. block tower. Taller, moving forward, more distinct design for the Austin skyline, etc.

If it came down to an one or the other situation, I would also take this one over an unknown 308 Guadalupe tower. But we don't know what the Travis Co. block tower will look like. I don't think the current renderings we have for that project is the Lincoln/Phoenix project.

[AustinGoesVertical]

Mid-70 range means 72 floors could be in play, which makes me think this is the one The Genral heard buzz about. I love the renderings... looks glitzy and clean. Reminds me a bit of the Comcast Center in Philly, which is exactly the type of signature tower I envisioned in Austin. There's potential to light that glass-encased crown as well. But more than anything, I love how Austin itself informs this building in both the CVC and in the old house remaining on the corner. That juxtaposition is going to look very cool. Full speed ahead tells me this one is as much of a go as anything else currently on the slate. Immensely excited for this one. If it is indeed over 1,000 ft, then Austin will officially be in businesss!

[hequals2henry]

I know they don't look completely the same, but this building reminds me of Abeno Harukas in Osaka, Japan.

Abeno Harukas, Osaka, Japan (https://www.google.com/search?q=abeno+harukas&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS731US732&tbm=isch&tbas=0&source=lnt&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjG9Ontir_VAhVHhlQKHeOaDlAQpwUIHg&biw=1920&bih=950&dpr=1)

[the Genral]

Mid-70 range means 72 floors could be in play, which makes me think this is the one The Genral heard buzz about.

He broke the news that Austin was getting a 72 story tower. And here we are, a few months later, looking at a realistic chance of getting one. I'm hoping his tip on a Virgin Hotel is accurate too. It's time for another chat with him.

[urbancore]

Who is financing this one?