Domain/North Austin Development Updates

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

This will not happen unless they decommission the entire campus. The research that goes on there involves biological and chemical compounds that could be catastrophic if something goes wrong and thus they need the land around the buildings to act as a geographic buffer.

Plus the research reactor

I'm not a nuclear=scary guy, but the fences and everything are in-part for security.

[AusTxDevelopment]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

This will not happen unless they decommission the entire campus. The research that goes on there involves biological and chemical compounds that could be catastrophic if something goes wrong and thus they need the land around the buildings to act as a geographic buffer.

No kidding.

https://nuclear.engr.utexas.edu/netl/triga-reactor

[Urbannizer]

Domain X4

[clubtokyo]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Domain X4

Excited for Sway to open!

[AusTxDevelopment]

Here's another Domain office building that was sent around as an email from Endeavor, but isn't listed on their website yet.



Edited to add: This is where it's located, per the original concept from Endeavor:

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by AusTxDevelopment

Here's another Domain office building that was sent around as an email from Endeavor, but isn't listed on their website yet.



Edited to add: This is where it's located, per the original concept from Endeavor:

This has gotten bigger by 60k sq. ft. and a few floors. Increased density!

[KevinFromTexas]

Domain 11 has 14 foot slab-to-slab heights with a stated roof height of 235 feet with 15 floors. Dividing the height by the floors you get 15.6666666667 feet. So that should put Domain 9 around 204 feet. That's going to be four 200 footers pretty close together. Throw in Domain Tower at 181 feet, Domain 8 at 167 feet, plus the Archer Hotel and Maravilla at the Domain and the dozen or so nearby high rises outside of the Domain and there's a decent skyline starting to take shape up there.

Domain 12 - ~266 feet - 17 floors - Proposed
Domain 11 - 235 feet - 15 floors - Proposed
Domain 10 - ~219 feet - ~14 floors - Proposed
Domain 9 - ~204 feet - 13 floors - Proposed
Domain Tower - 181 feet - 11 floors - U/C - 2018
Domain 8 - 167 feet - 11 floors - U/C - 2017
Renaissance Austin Hotel - 145 feet - 10 floors - 1985
Stonebridge Plaza Two - 142 feet - 9 floors - 2001
National Instruments Headquarters I - 141 feet - 8 floors - 2002
Stonebridge Plaza One - 138 feet - 9 floors - 1999
Braker Pointe III - 135 feet - 7 floors - 2002
Maravilla at the Domain - 133 feet - 11 floors - Proposed
Arboretum Plaza I - 132 feet - 9 floors - 1984
Arboretum Plaza D - 131 feet - 10 floors - 1985
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 901 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 903 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 905 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
Austin Archer Hotel at the Domain - 121 feet - 2016

18 buildings over 120 feet. By comparison, West Campus has only 11 buildings over 120 feet. The UT Campus has 22 buildings over 120 feet.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Domain 11 has 14 foot slab-to-slab heights with a stated roof height of 235 feet with 15 floors. Dividing the height by the floors you get 15.6666666667 feet. So that should put Domain 9 around 204 feet. That's going to be four 200 footers pretty close together. Throw in Domain Tower at 181 feet, Domain 8 at 167 feet, plus the Archer Hotel and Maravilla at the Domain and the dozen or so nearby high rises outside of the Domain and there's a decent skyline starting to take shape up there.

Domain 12 - ~266 feet - 17 floors - Proposed
Domain 11 - 235 feet - 15 floors - Proposed
Domain 10 - ~219 feet - ~14 floors - Proposed
Domain 9 - ~204 feet - 13 floors - Proposed
Domain Tower - 181 feet - 11 floors - U/C - 2018
Domain 8 - 167 feet - 11 floors - U/C - 2017
Renaissance Austin Hotel - 145 feet - 10 floors - 1985
Stonebridge Plaza Two - 142 feet - 9 floors - 2001
National Instruments Headquarters I - 141 feet - 8 floors - 2002
Stonebridge Plaza One - 138 feet - 9 floors - 1999
Braker Pointe III - 135 feet - 7 floors - 2002
Maravilla at the Domain - 133 feet - 11 floors - Proposed
Arboretum Plaza I - 132 feet - 9 floors - 1984
Arboretum Plaza D - 131 feet - 10 floors - 1985
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 901 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 903 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 905 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
Austin Archer Hotel at the Domain - 121 feet - 2016

18 buildings over 120 feet. By comparison, West Campus has only 11 buildings over 120 feet. The UT Campus has 22 buildings over 120 feet.

Personally, I'd divide these into two separate lists:

The first set actually functions as a visual cluster of towers:

Domain 12 - ~266 feet - 17 floors - Proposed
Domain 11 - 235 feet - 15 floors - Proposed
Domain 10 - ~219 feet - ~14 floors - Proposed
Domain 9 - ~204 feet - 13 floors - Proposed
Domain Tower - 181 feet - 11 floors - U/C - 2018
Domain 8 - 167 feet - 11 floors - U/C - 2017
Maravilla at the Domain - 133 feet - 11 floors - Proposed
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 901 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 903 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
IBM Austin Executive Briefing Center Building 905 - 129 feet - 7 floors - 1991
Austin Archer Hotel at the Domain - 121 feet - 2016

Whereas the towers on the second list are outlying miscellaneous towers that are visually disconnected from the rest:

Renaissance Austin Hotel - 145 feet - 10 floors - 1985
Stonebridge Plaza Two - 142 feet - 9 floors - 2001
Stonebridge Plaza One - 138 feet - 9 floors - 1999
Arboretum Plaza I - 132 feet - 9 floors - 1984
Arboretum Plaza D - 131 feet - 10 floors - 1985

These two towers could honestly be placed on either list, depending upon our own individual definitions of a "cluster" of towers. For me, I'd place them in the main cluster of towers (the 1st list):

National Instruments Headquarters I - 141 feet - 8 floors - 2002
Braker Pointe III - 135 feet - 7 floors - 2002

Speaking of Braker Pointe, this is an interesting property to me with just as much potential as the IBM/Brandywine campus yet is so much less likely to see redevelopment until we have commuter rail in that corridor precisely because it is geographically isolated from the Domain by the rail tracks. Once commuter rail exists on the corridor (I see this as inevitable and only a matter of time), a station platform would allow for pedestrian traffic crossing the rail line into the Domain.

[KevinFromTexas]

Yeah, they aren't really part of the same skyline. Actually, none of those except the newest ones in the Domain are actually tall enough to crack the horizon. I've been able to see Domain 8 from the South Austin Hospital garage some ~11 miles away along with the Arboretum buildings and the two Stonebridge Plaza buildings, but not much else from that area. They would pretty much need to be double those heights to really show up and create a skyline. San Antonio's medical center sort of comes to mind.

[drummer]

As to the question of whether or not the Domain is truly going to be an urban center (as opposed to a "flubbed...urbanist thing" as We vs Us so aptly put it) I think the area is still salvageable. I think it's just going to take a lot of intentionality moving forward. If the developments continue to be built with an inward focus rather than seeing how they can connect more broadly to the greater neighborhood, I'd agree that it won't happen.

I have a question for you folks who understand the city codes and plans moving forward...perhaps Novacek or someone else can enlighten me and others. Is there any sort of plan to create more of a true grid in the future? For instance, there are so many random streets that lack any sense of planning or foresight, which leads to some of the disconnected feeling, in my opinion. Also, as the area develops, I'd have to wonder if some of the simple, one-story buildings will be replaced in the future. I've always been curious as to whether or not a true "second downtown" in the urban sense could/would ever be achievable in this area, but those are some barriers I see to that happening. Thoughts?

[wwmiv]

delete

[KevinFromTexas]

This would be great.

http://www.mystatesman.com/events/ne...bj2cT6mVp9FtM/

Shoal Creek Trail may triple in length, from downtown to Domain

By Nancy Flores - American-Statesman Staff

From outdoor enthusiasts to history lovers, Austinites on Wednesday night met to plan the possible tripling of the length of the Shoal Creek Trail, which runs 3.25 miles from Lady Bird Lake to 38th Street.

“Imagine walking or biking on a continuous pathway from downtown Austin all the way up to the Domain,” said Joanna Wolaver, executive director of the Shoal Creek Conservancy.

Plans will lay the groundwork for major improvements to the Shoal Creek Trail and the extension of the trail northward past U.S. 183. When complete, the new trail is expected to span more than 10 miles and connect places such as the Northern Walnut Creek Trail, the Domain, the J.J. Pickle Research Campus, the University of Texas and downtown Austin. The conservancy said the project’s cost will be determined during the planning process.

[Armybrat]

In our case a pedicab would be the preferred mode of transport on said trail.

Actually, a few pedicabs should be able to do well hauling folks like us around the domain. haven't seen one there yet.

In the meantime I'm still hoping to win the powerball so we could buy a condo in the Independent for family use. No luck so far.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

This would be great.

http://www.mystatesman.com/events/ne...bj2cT6mVp9FtM/

It'd be interesting to see where and how the trail would move away from the creek, as stated in the article. This would especially be interesting as it gets to 183 and north of there. Either way, more connectivity is a good thing!

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

It'd be interesting to see where and how the trail would move away from the creek, as stated in the article. This would especially be interesting as it gets to 183 and north of there. Either way, more connectivity is a good thing!

I expect that most of the non-creek sections south of 183 will probably just be a redesign of Shoal Creek Blvd. In fact, I'd expect that the only actually on-the-creek sections north of 38th will be The Grove, between Hancock & 2222, Northwest Park, and between Anderson & ~Steck. Outside of that, the area is too residential, too wealthy/politically involved, and too close to the creek to warrant even attempting to put it on the creek itself.

North of 183 until to the Domain will definitely be the piece of the puzzle (probably along Neils Thompson, which is already planned to be a pedestrian connection thru the Pickle Campus to the Domain as noted above by Novacek) that starts to extend dense residential and commercial development south of the Pickle Campus. However, these northern sections of the potential hike and bike trail are probably a good 10+ years off from construction, so let's not hold our breaths in the meantime.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I expect that most of the non-creek sections south of 183 will probably just be a redesign of Shoal Creek Blvd. In fact, I'd expect that the only actually on-the-creek sections north of 38th will be The Grove, between Hancock & 2222, Northwest Park, and between Anderson & ~Steck. Outside of that, the area is too residential, too wealthy/politically involved, and too close to the creek to warrant even attempting to put it on the creek itself.

The off street portion actually stretches just north of 38th today. I wouldn't be surprised to see that stretch slightly more, to perhaps 39 1/2, since the west side there backs up to commercial, not residential.

Possibly along east of Jefferson all the way to the Grove, since all the houses there are west of Jefferson (though transitioning between those two sections may be too hard).

They still need to figure out what/if they can do anything about the on-street section along 31st.

They might be able to do an off-street section between shoalmont and 2222.

Originally Posted by wwmiv

North of 183 until to the Domain will definitely be the piece of the puzzle (probably along Neils Thompson, which is already planned to be a pedestrian connection thru the Pickle Campus to the Domain as noted above by Novacek)

Through Pickle will definitely be what's there to start, once the Mopac project work finishes up in (early?) 2018. That'll get you from the Shoal Creek Blvd to the Domain (and then to NI and the Mopac path up to the Walnut creek trail).

The problem with Pickle is that it's only a through route 6AM-6PM M-F. Then they shut the gates.

Longer term, from talking to the CoA bicycle program, it sounds like they want a different route. They're apparently talking to UT to see if they could get them to move the west fence line of Pickle in about 10-15 feet, and route a path there. Between the UP property and Pickle.

If the lone star rail had happened, they might be talking about routing it in that RoW, but hopefully they're not going to wait on that turning around. Though the urban trails master plan does call for a route along the UP line eventually (from 2222 to the mopac crossing).

http://www.austintexas.gov/urbantrails

Edit: of note, despite what it says in the article, most the sections of the shoal creek trail are priority II in the master plan, not priority I. It's the shoal creek foundation pushing them to be prioritized more.

[AusTxDevelopment]

Some Domain, IBM, Top Golf & National Instruments photos from today. A little hazy this morning. The entire imgur album with many more pictures all at full resolution is here: http://imgur.com/a/s1sDc

Domain looking sort of Northwest with Domain Tower under construction in the foreground



Domain looking South



Looking Southwest



Looking toward MoPac



Looking South



Apartment Construction



Rock Rose



Area where Domain 9, 11, 12 will be built



IBM Campus with the under-constructon Schwab campus in the background and Top Golf to the right



Closer look at Top Golf



National Instruments

[H2O]

I really like, no love! all these aerials, but one thing about getting a little above these sites is that it really exposes all the flaws in planning and architecture, even if the places are relatively successful at pedestrian level.

[KevinFromTexas]

The thing that strikes me the most about the Domain that makes it feel considerably less urban is the lack of a grid system of streets. It makes it feel so much more suburban than even the heights and designs of the buildings do. You have quasi-grid streets that just dead end at a block and streets that snake around. It makes it feel like a jumbled mess. Those curves in the streets were meant to slow down traffic, and they will, but they'll decrease the efficiency as well. And I know that older cities all over the world were laid out that way, but without any significant landmarks, I get lost in a place like that. lol San Antonio's downtown is that way with a grid that shifts and even turns, but they at least have landmarks that remind you where you are.

[The ATX]

Nice. Site Prep has started on Domain 11 (Homeaway), and it looks like Domain 12 will be starting soon.