There are two cranes up at East 11th and I35.

Yes, I was surprised to see those that last night when coming home (out of town all weekend). I knew they were building new apartments over there, didn't realize it was going to be a 2 crane operation.

I like it. That will significantly help build the East 11th corridor :tup:

Now if they could just do something about 12th Street. I bought my house on East 12th back in 2004 at the time there was a plan to clean up East 11th and 12th Streets. Eight years later 11th has come a long way, 12th not so much.

AGREED. What's the status with the big residential project over there?

It must be the Eleven apartments.

Website: http://www.forestargroup.com/real-es...roperty/id=592

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl....html?page=all

So does that mean that the Whole Foods tower behind the current headquarters fell through?

I have been wondering if the City of Austin requires a certain percentage of every new apartment development to be efficiencies or one bedroom units. Some cities do this to keep low income (affordable for the neighborhood) apartments available. It seems to me that Austin is becoming unaffordable for most renters. What is Austin doing besides charging a fee for affordable units then building them all in one development? I should know this after 20 years here but I do not.:shrug: Thanks.

No. Still in discussions with Schlosser (the developer of the "tower"). Zoning and original site plan have already been approved by the city.

There are a several errors in that Jones Lang LaSalle report she quotes in her story:

1. Whole Foods signed a short-term lease at Las Cimas Office Park on Loop 360 - they say they are "looking" for 300K sf but they have already tenantively agreed to take Schlosser's building behind their headquarters once it gets built. The only thing that will change that will be a delay in construction.
   
   
2. PPD has been looking for a large flex or industrial space to consolidate all of their locations for almost 2 years. Eventually they will end up signing a lease somewhere, but their search is moving as slow as molasses.
   
   
3. HID is building a large industrial building in TechRidge so they are only looking for temporary industrial space to occupy until their building gets built.
   
   
4. WhaleShark was thisclose to signing a long term lease at Seaholm, but the developers couldn't guarantee a delivery date for the redevelopment and WhaleShark won't sign a lease if they don't know when they can move in, so they are talking to their current landlord about expanding their existing office space onto two more floors in the building. WhaleShark may still end up going to Seaholm if they can't work out their office expansion, but they are VERY unhappy with the Seaholm developers right now.
   
   
5. Alcatel-Lucent just signed a lease renewal for 75,000 square feet for their current office space at 12515-5 Research Park, so they are not in the market looking for office space.

Skyhouse
 

I'm a bit surprised to see that Skyhouse is taking up that whole space from the Legacy parking garage to River St. They too are putting the garage separate and abutting Legacy at 7 floors. At lease that will leave some Milago tenants with a view rather than totally blocked by another tower. There are no heights in the site plan but at 7 floors that seems equal or slightly less than the Legacy garage.

I don't see that the pool will be on ground so that's nice it will be in the air maybe on top if they have one?

But I feel for the one single house at the corner of Rainy and River St that did not sell, they will be hearing lots of noise for a couple years while this is under construction.

^I haven't been able to find the building elevations yet for SkyHouse. Have you found them yet? I asked for the heights and got them by email, but I would still like to see the building elevations themselves.

And ditto on the construction noise. Over the last month they've been tearing down and starting construction on a new psychiatric hospital on property that is immediately behind our neighborhood. Our backyard faces it. They've been banging around back there tearing down the buildings and pushing dirt around. A few nights ago they were at it all night long with some bright lights lighting up the site. It's planned as a 200 bed hospital in a 2-story building. I've even seen the site plans for it.

Is this the one y'all keep referring to as that "unnamed project"? Someone earlier mentioned they thought it was the Quarters at Bandera House and I think they were right.

I googled it

(Click on the second link for an excel file on the city's website)

The address for the project is 2215 Rio Grande.

• Video Link

Read the article, this sounds like corruption to me. The building's occupants include not just individuals or couples, but also special interest groups and lobbying firms. And now they could stand to get a tax break.

While the building is historic in the sense that it was Austin's first building over 200 feet tall (not counting the Capitol and UT Tower), it's architectural merits and historical ones mostly end there.

Besides, the threat of the building ever being torn down will never be there. With the building gone, it would create the possibility of a new capitol view corridor (CVC) to protect the views of the Capitol dome, a state and local law that was put in place after the building was built in 1966. Nothing could be built in its place that would reach the same height or square feet as the Westgate Tower without likely causing opposition or the specter of a rush to create a new CVC over that lot. Also the only thing that would require/cause the building's removal would be declining living conditions or structural failure leading to it being condemned.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...landmar/nScGH/

A few photo updates from in and around downtown.

Gables at Park Plaza

I don't think this will block the view of the Monarch at least from most of the pedestrian bridge since the tower is only on the Western edge. The Eastern part is about as tall as it's gonna get.

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

http://i.imgur.com/KF3FW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/J7Fts.jpg

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

RiverView Apartments

The scaffolding is down on the Northern buildings.

http://i.imgur.com/c0lXj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/f9gkS.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/JGa5s.jpg

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

SkyHouse

Site prep continues.

http://i.imgur.com/H65XJ.jpg

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

Whitley

Topped out and work on the facade continues. I'm interested in how they cover the lower parking garage levels. In the renders it looked like limestone, it could be a nice contrast to the dark brick. I still have hope this could be a nice looking building.

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

http://i.imgur.com/xf3Yq.jpg

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

Hyatt Place

Finishing touches put on the facade, still ugly.

http://i.imgur.com/6abKw.jpg

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

Parking garage screens are up and the outside elevator is coming down.

http://i.imgur.com/yyX3q.jpg

I still hate the West side.

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

Although from the East it blends in nicely with it's neighbors.

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

http://i.imgur.com/65xxI.jpg

JW Marriott

The hole is getting deeper.

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

http://i.imgur.com/VSLb9.jpg

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

East 2nd Street is open again.

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

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

Eleven Apartments

http://i.imgur.com/nMe8O.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xA6se.jpg

These will have some great views as long as you don't mind living on the access road of I35.

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

http://i.imgur.com/C1aXM.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/oOc4I.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/S3bu7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/oupX2.jpg

Wow, that blank face on the Hyatt tower is god awful terrible. What were they thinking? Isnt that old warehouse a protected building and therefor that blank side will always be showing? Why didnt they put windows on it? Im all for density but it looks like a terd.

Great update. Thanks! It's good the view of The Monarch will still be there. That'll mean the views from it will be safe, too. And RiverView is looking nice.

I know, it's not turning out the way I hoped it would.

It does look a little better than when it was beige on the top and bottom.

http://i.imgur.com/98lxq.jpg

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

I almost think it could be salvaged if they painted fake windows on that wall.