Eh wot? How is parking being handled, by an existing facility?

Yes, this is very exciting, and I was completely dismissive of the summer 2016 target when I first read the blurb in ABJ, but am happy to see this information about it being in the realm of possibility. Congress Ave. is going to be a lively street within a few years, with all the changes going on. I'm not even buggered about the strip club going in, as that will be very convenient for politicians and staff, state workers, tourists, business folks, and touring performers. People get so bent out of shape about anything pertaining to sex in the US, it's pretty amusing. Sorry for the topic drift...

Awesome!

Parking was one of the two hang ups delaying approval. The first issue was the Congress Ave. setback requirements that even the two anti-development council members voted to grant the variance for. The second hang up was the parking which was actually two issues. The first issue was convincing the City that off site parking was viable, which was largely done. But the second parking issue is what almost derailed this project. The site plan only allowed for three parking spots on site for guests to park before the valet took their vehicle to a nearby parking garage. The City Council had trouble with the fact that three temporary parking spots would somehow be enough for a hotel with 400+ rooms to keep traffic from backing up on Congress or 7th St.

Council actually just blocked the strip club a few days ago

Edit: Looks like it's still in consideration but I'd be willing to bet there's wide support amongst the council

Yay re: Aloft. This is going to be epic.

Re: the strip club, for me, it's not so much about sex. It's about the riff-raff it will attract; i.e. thugs, cholos, dudebros, creeps. If it was just working professionals attending, it would be okay, but it won't be. Already, there's too many of these losers hanging around that area giving it a really offputting vibe.

Dirty Sixth will spread onto Congress. Or they could keep it upscale so it's out of their price range.

Thank you for that very coherent explanation. I'm surprised they're not being required to at least put in a couple levels of underground parking. It's not like there's an excess of parking downtown, and the issue about traffic backing up seems pretty realistic. There are significant backups that already occur with a couple other downtown hotels that DO have parking, so maybe it would happen either way.

You're essentially wanting to regulate the"type of people" who are welcome downtown. I have that same issue with the concept of a downtown sports arena, that it will attract a type of crowd that I personally prefer would stay out of the cultural heart of the city. We're both being snobs. Every law-abiding person has an equal right to go downtown to enjoy their preferred form of entertainment. Strip clubs can attract a very high-end clientele. I've known several strippers who danced for A-list actors, world-famous musicians, political leaders, inventers, and CEOs. I wish I could name names, it's an impressive list, a much higher-end roster than the typical shot bar on Sixth Street. It depends on the particular club, but the one proposed for Congress is likely to be very high end. Sleazy clubs would never choose (nor be able to afford) a location like that.

They aren't being required to provide parking because parking is now not required for any new development downtown. Parking is now only determined by the market for parking - as it should be, in my opinion! This hotel clearly thinks it makes better business sense for them to valet and lease excess parking elsewhere (which there is plenty of). Building a bunch of parking is expensive...why should they be required to build it when then can lease out excess parking elsewhere?

This is one of, if not the first big new development to take advantage of the new rules - excited that there will now be an example to other developers that you can build without tons of new parking, at least for hotels.

THAT SAID...the valet backup issue does seem legitimate...not sure how it will play out. Hope it's not too bad. They better have some ace valets!

The backup issue I was thinking of isn't with the valets, it's people and cabs picking up and dropping off guests. I've seen some traffic snarls on... is it 3rd or 4th, can't recall, near the convention center at a hotel there. Of course that's a completely separate issue from parking. Thanks for the additional info on that. It's too bad that same type of solution isn't possible at this time for residential highrises. The skyscraper-on-a-parking-garage look is just weird.

Great news for that part of Congress and this will be a nice add to the skyline from the North.

Has anyone noticed how demo is coming along? Here's a permit filing from today for drilling test holes.

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11316435

Wholly Cow looks like a homeless camping area now, might be gutted some but I did not pear through the windows.

The site plan has been approved an released! :cheers:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11095293

The height to the main roof is 349', and the overall height is 352'. The highest hotel room is on level 33, but there is one more level above that.

Nice. That's not any different from the one we'd already seen, though. In fact, the PDF file looks to be the same one I have with a few updates.

Glad to see this one moving along. Now onto construction. I'm excited about this one. It's going to be different from most of the building's we've been watching the last few years because of its location.

Indeed. Maybe that's why it's hard for me to get as excited about this one as others; because it's not really going to impact the skyline from the commonly-photographed angles. But maybe it will make the city look better from angles we now consider less-picturesque.

To me, this is one of our first truly urban hotels. Seems to embrace foot traffic more than vehicle traffic. Really looking forward to the energy it adds to that area.

Well said...totally agree. I'm glad this is a White Lodging proposal. They get sh*t done.

They do at that. They are financing this is one themselves, so city approval was the only hang up from the beginning.

From today - a filing for tieback. They are excavating by as much as 13'.

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11330271

Has anyone been by the site lately? Wwas wondering if they started demolition?