AUSTIN | Third + Shoal | 389 FEET | 29 FLOORS | U/C | Complete

[chundercracker]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Does 3rd and Shoal function as Proper's parking garage?

All parking in Austin Proper are for residents only. Hotel, valet, and visitor parking is going through the garage in 500 West.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by chundercracker

All parking in Austin Proper are for residents only. Hotel, valet, and visitor parking is going through the garage in 500 West.

Yep, thought that was probably right, and why I asked. The hotel stuff has to go offsite somewhere, and would partly explain the 3rd and Shoal parking situation.

[Jdawgboy]

Well if the hotel parking is going to 500W which in itself is a huge parking garage, just does a better job at hiding it, why make the parking podium so high for this tower? Isn't the whole urban tech crowd into rideshare or taking mass transit, or riding bikes? If this is yet another building adding more parking than it really needs I'm going to start complaining to the city council and say enough with these massive parking podiums. It's time to put limits on the amount of parking these developments can have. We don't need this much parking. I'm DT at least once (and frequently multiple times) a week both day and night and I have no problem finding parking whether metered or in a garage. Fact is you can see many people DT don't get around by car. By the way, what are those strange things people are riding on that are kinda like skateboards but have like a wheel or ball or something in the middle? I see a lot of people DT using them. Feel like I'm now in the out of the loop old crowd lol.

[KevinFromTexas]

Actually, I'm amazed at all that we're even getting office towers related to tech companies. The logic in the 90s was for tech companies to be on some sprawling suburban campus a la "Office Space". My brother works for a database management software company that has offices in East Austin, but he works from home probably 3 days a week. They live in Austin, but "in the suburbs". The thing is, a downtown can really only be so urban up to a point. Until the entire city is able to somehow make carfree transit options accessible to the majority of people, any time those people venture into downtown for anything, they'll likely still be doing in their car. If you live in a place where 98% of the things you do require your car, then visiting another place where you don't need it will likely be something you're consciously thinking about.

I don't really mind the parking garages within the towers so much as I wish they'd do a better job of concealing them.

My fear is that if we do put parking limits on these office towers, it might drive away tech companies back to the suburbs. Maybe not, but...I mean, I hope not.

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

By the way, what are those strange things people are riding on that are kinda like skateboards but have like a wheel or ball or something in the middle? I see a lot of people DT using them. Feel like I'm now in the out of the loop old crowd lol.

I don't know. I haven't seen that yet. I did see a guy riding a skateboard wtih two really bright LEDs attached under the front of the board and two bright taillights on the back. It was funny looking, but smart, too. I noticed him pretty quick a ways down the street.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Actually, I'm amazed at all that we're even getting office towers related to tech companies. The logic in the 90s was for tech companies to be on some sprawling suburban campus a la "Office Space". My brother works for a database management software company that has offices in East Austin, but he works from home probably 3 days a week. They live in Austin, but "in the suburbs". The thing is, a downtown can really only be so urban up to a point. Until the entire city is able to somehow make carfree transit options accessible to the majority of people, any time those people venture into downtown for anything, they'll likely still be doing in their car. If you live in a place where 98% of the things you do require your car, then visiting another place where you don't need it will likely be something you're consciously thinking about.

I don't really mind the parking garages within the towers so much as I wish they'd do a better job of concealing them.

My fear is that if we do put parking limits on these office towers, it might drive away tech companies back to the suburbs. Maybe not, but...I mean, I hope not.



I don't know. I haven't seen that yet. I did see a guy riding a skateboard wtih two really bright LEDs attached under the front of the board and two bright taillights on the back. It was funny looking, but smart, too. I noticed him pretty quick a ways down the street.

I've seen something similar where the board was lit up around the edges. These strange boards with the wheel or whatever it is seem to work like a segway where they lean forward a little and it starts moving.

[eskimo33]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

By the way, what are those strange things people are riding on that are kinda like skateboards but have like a wheel or ball or something in the middle? I see a lot of people DT using them. Feel like I'm now in the out of the loop old crowd lol.

I saw one a couple years back during SXSW and talked to the rider, he said it was a little tricky to learn as the are motorized. They are called Onewheel and I would probably fall off and break something.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

My fear is that if we do put parking limits on these office towers, it might drive away tech companies back to the suburbs. Maybe not, but...I mean, I hope not.

I don't think so. As someone that works at a tech company, most people, in my experience at least, want to be downtown. Tech companies are overwhelming young, educated and progressive. I think the days of suburban campuses are over, as they should be.

[chundercracker]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Actually, I'm amazed at all that we're even getting office towers related to tech companies.

Legal and medical professions used to dominate the downtown demographic because of proximity to their places of business and salary requirements to live downtown.

Now that tech is on its way to being one of the highest paying fields (you'd be surprised how much the median salary is at Facebook), it only makes sense to put their places of business where people want to live. Big tech these days are money printing machines with ridiculous margins that are far cries from the hardware/software sweatshops of places like Dell. Techzilla's here, whether we like it or not.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

I don't think so. As someone that works at a tech company, most people, in my experience at least, want to be downtown. Tech companies are overwhelming young, educated and progressive. I think the days of suburban campuses are over, as they should be.

Tell that to Apple lol

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Tell that to Apple lol

Obviously, there are still some companies in the burbs, but I think the vibe/culture/demographics are way different.

[chundercracker]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Tell that to Apple lol

Tech companies don't hire just "tech workers". Amazon, Apple, Dell both hire a significant amount of people that aren't developers/engineers because they have significant manufacturing/distribution/retail/customer/sales components of their business. I don't think the Apple campus in Austin takes a very prominent role in R&D.

Compare that to Google and Facebook, which are all online and developer heavy workforces. These companies need to sell quality of life in order to lure talent from urban centers on the west coast which explains their emphasis on being downtown.

[corvairkeith]

From last weekend.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by corvairkeith

From last weekend.

Photo shows how poorly 3rd and shoal interacts with the creek. I was walking past the other day and really took a long look. That big blob on concrete on the right side is just awful. The building sucks the life out of the site. Between that and the underdesigned parking levels that face west..... it's just not a good neighbor.
When you are in that building on their partial terrace looking toward the library , you will have a great vibe and view. When you are across the creek looking east you will not be greeted well by this building.
Yes the east side of the creek is steep.... 360 addressed it well... looks like Proper is too.

To personify the building.... it just doesn't seem to care.

[the Genral]

Yep to everything you said MichaelB. Seeing it up close and personal is even more disappointing then pictures. My feelings haven't changed about the doing it this way for economic reasons bullshit and had to step away from the forum for a bit because I thought Gesler was getting too much appreciation, because he honored us with his insightful posts. This building sucks, and now we have to learn to live with it.

[MichaelB]

I hear ya...
I work in a design field and feel the pain of "Value engineered" all the time.
The trick is... you gotta own it when it happens.
I will give all due respect to the architect and feel his/her pain in the budget issues...
but...
lets admit/hope that is what it was.... a client and/or budget issue.... and not first generation design choices.

And in my case..... in would not go in my portfolio! ;-)

[JoninATX]

If anything I hope they could atleast cover the wall with vines?

[78701]

I feel for the Independent buyers with East-facing residences, especially on the lower floors.

[ahealy]

I totally agree with you Michael. I really hope they strip that crap off and place windows in.

The finished product belongs in a 90's suburban office plaza.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by ahealy

I totally agree with you Michael. I really hope they strip that crap off and place windows in.

The finished product belongs in a 90's suburban office plaza.

!!! Or glase over the entire wall ( including concrete) with a massive mural!
....ok.... at least the crappy concrete wall??? (hey!)

[78701]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

!!! Or glase over the entire wall ( including concrete) with a massive mural!
....ok.... at least the crappy concrete wall??? (hey!)

Oh, no need to worry about that. I'm sure there are graffiti sprayers out there getting ready to pounce. This foundation has already been tagged, they covered with black, visible on the cam here.