I would also add there is a difference between being a skeptic and over-dramatic. Being skeptical about the Fairmont is fair, I have been skeptical along much of its process.

Pronouncing a project dead that was just announced through unofficial channels and is going through approval processes due to lack of news is jumping the gun.

32 story Aloft proposed at 7th & Congress

http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=206616

Starwood mentions it on its website with an April 2016 opening:

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corpor...brandFilter=AL

Awesome! I like the tower design as well as the set back, so I see no problem of this thing getting approved.

From the pdf in your link:

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...ntownAloft.png

And at Street Level:

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/...townAloft2.png

Awesome. City on fire!

What a great looking building! The renderings really show what the finished product will look like and how it will interact with the area around it. I really like the cohesiveness with the balcony in relation to the Stephen F. Austin Hotel across the street. It looks to be about 330 feet tall. Love it!

I'm assuming this is the same project that was just revealed to be the Aloft Hotel? Mods, will you do the retitling honors? :) and perhaps someone with madd computer skillz can post some of those renderings for us!

Unless they start the process now and get underway soon, it won't happen. Lending for hotels will dry up very quickly with the number of projects in the pipeline or already under construction.

Kevin will take care of it when he wakes up. :)

I don't want to be negative, but I kinda agree with you here. The design is great, though. It would be pretty neat to see this thing built, but I won't hold my breath!

If the Fairmont gets going pretty soon that will definitely be the case. If the Fairmont fails there is room for a few others to sneak in.

The high rise apartment market should be close to saturated for the time being as well - if most of the proposals get built. Our best hope to continue this boom is for a few condo towers.

Condo and office is where the action will be over the next few years. Also, apartments aren't tapped out just yet. There's still significant demand - even with all the current projects - for apartment projects.

Is that a blank wall facing Congress to the south?

Sorry that Aloft Hotel design is boring, a rectangle with dark shiny panels and Texas stone up front. Think W with some stone, but less design in the tower portion. I like terraces or round or something less boxy.

This building is spectacular.

A blank wall is REQUIRED when a building is built to the property line. The Plaza is the best example in downtown.

This is a great looking building and it really blends in with the neighborhood. The tall slenderness of it and window design really does pay homage to the Stephen F. Austin Hotel next to it.

If you hold a sheet of paper up to the image facing Congress with the Aloft Hotel, Stephen F. Austin and the Littlefield Building and mark it, the Aloft Hotel seems to be about as tall as those two buildings combined. The Stephen F. Austin Hotel is 188 feet to the mechanical penthouse and the Littlefield Building is 147 feet to the mechanical penthouse. Those two combined is 335 feet, so it's right around that height.

Very sleek. I like it a lot.