Here's my latest list of active Austin projects that are at least 10-stories and/or 100'. I have documentation for 47 such projects now. There are more, but I can't nail down the documentation. Of the four status types (Proposed, Demo, Site Prep and U/C) it is not always clear what "Demo" and "Site Prep" mean. "Demo" can mean the site is being cleared for the start of construction or simply that the lot was cleared for a project that won't be built any time soon. "Site Prep" can mean anything from the site being fenced off for future construction or a big hole has already been dug for the underground parking levels prior to the immediate start of construction. So what I did was highlight in yellow all of the projects that are U/C or have been publicly announced as breaking ground with all of the financing in place and with construction immediately following the demolition and/or site prep. For all practical purposes everything in yellow is under construction.

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...stingPage1.png
http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...stingPage2.png
http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...stingPage3.png

Haha!

You know just for the sake of not looking like a clone of the Marriot, I am in favor of the spire on this one. It might not look so bad. As long as its more needle-like, otherwise we'll be calling this one the Walkie Talkie Building. Or the old school Nokia brick building :D

We already have a USB stick (Austonian) and an SD card (JW Marriott). :D

Lol... that was to funny! :cheers:

Some pictures I took yesterday while walking around downtown.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/...7c058079_b.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5602/...2d382e8f_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7510/...03cb4f45_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7476/...ab3607bd_b.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3948/...91302d8d_b.jpg

16 new mixed-income town homes coming to East Austin

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3946/...1dd83e38_o.jpg

http://m.bizjournals.com/austin/blog...in.html?r=full

This blows... Fairmont is shorter now?!?!!!! Damn it!!!!!

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news....257263.735534
http://i.imgur.com/hw9IpwR.jpg

Fairmont Hotel
 

Ok, so I've been sending emails to Gensler and Manchester trying to get the heights. Someone from Manchester came back yesterday with info from Gensler. The heights are:

595 feet to the spire.

456 feet to the "crown" - this should be the top of the mechanical penthouse.

It's listed as 37 floors, but in reality there are only 36 actual occupied floors. The reason for the discrepancy is it's tradition in the hotel industry to skip the 13th floor. So they go from 12 straight to 14.

It will also have 4 levels underground for parking. She said is breaks ground in November.

She said the design is complete, but that a different architecture firm is handling the skybridge to the convention center.

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

Nice pics, Jon. Thanks for the update. I really like that view of Seven. And it's good to see the Hotel Zaza finally moving forward.

Thanks Kevin, I notice about a month ago how Seven sticks out on W. 7th. Looks pretty cool like that. :)

Thanks Kevin.

Even worse that I thought. Almost a quarter of the building's listed height will be an odd-looking spire.

This is a real disappointment from the original design! It seems obvious that the cost of building the tower in its original form was going to cost well north of $400 million. If not, then what happened to the design?

Heck, they've cut 120' off the building (not including the spire) and raised the budget by $20 million.

I wish they (Manchester & Gentler) could have added some swerves or undulations to the façade...at least it would be more interesting than a cookie-cut version of a convention hotel. However, I don't think anyone at Gentler's Austin office can draw anything but a straight line.

I read that the firm doing the Waller Creek design is also doing the skybridge.

Read the same.!

Sad to say...
 

This is worse than boring - especially when compared to the initial design proposals. This project stands at a crucial gateway to downtown. Its message: meh, whatever - I've got a spire - sort of.

We fell for it again.
 

As usual, it seems the rendering was only to generate money for a "cost engineered" boxy version. So was that first ambitious design ever a possibility, or just "the guys" throwing a few curvy ideas around the office? This is such disappointing massing after the first one. A plinth for parking and a kleenex box tower. Stone Age in it's sophistication.

I still think the Fairmont looks nice. It isn't anywhere near as nice as the original design, but it'll still be a good addition to the skyline.

A few photos from yesterday.

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

http://i.imgur.com/ivxq88M.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tTjJ5OL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/w0jXcwJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/q6JjkAO.jpg

Do you guys think that Austin's light rail has a chance of getting passed this election? I like the idea of being able to visit and get around easier with rail. I hope they decide to give much of the rail its own right of way. Don't want it to end up like METRO Rail in Houston (stopping and slowing traffic).

I don't think it will pass.