AUSTIN | Projects & Construction III

[NYC_Longhorn]

Hey guys, do you think the Fairmont will have a helipad? It sure looks like they are planning for that possibility.

[AusTxDevelopment]

The Austin Towers blog has some thoughts and an update on the Fairmont Hotel. Above is the pic from the blog (I haven't seen that one before but I may have missed it) and below is a link to the blog post.

Fairmont Hotel To Break Ground This October
http://www.austintowers.net/Austin_D...in-october.php

[migol24]

Originally Posted by AusTxDevelopment

The Austin Towers blog has some thoughts and an update on the Fairmont Hotel. Above is the pic from the blog (I haven't seen that one before but I may have missed it) and below is a link to the blog post.

Fairmont Hotel To Break Ground This October
http://www.austintowers.net/Austin_D...in-october.php

That link doesn't work.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by migol24

That link doesn't work.

It does for me.

[AusTxDevelopment]

Originally Posted by migol24

That link doesn't work.

The link works for me and my colleages, but it's a blog so maybe your security settings are blocking your access? If you can't get it to work for you, visit the Austin Towers main page (link below) and then click on the 2nd tab at the top called "Blog."

http://www.austintowers.net/

[migol24]

Originally Posted by AusTxDevelopment

The link works for me and my colleages, but it's a blog so maybe your security settings are blocking your access? If you can't get it to work for you, visit the Austin Towers main page (link below) and then click on the 2nd tab at the top called "Blog."

http://www.austintowers.net/

Thanks. It's been working now. It must have just been my browser.

Once this thing gets built, it would be awesome for Austin having two buildings with spires on it.

[Syndic]

Here are some more images of the Manchester from that PDF linked to in the Austin Towers article. I hadn't seen these before.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Here are some more images of the Manchester from that PDF linked to in the Austin Towers article. I hadn't seen these before.

I believe these are old schematics & renderings.

[Jdawgboy]

says that it will rival the Austonian in height. Does that mean that the roof height will actually be in the 600 foot range or is that just including the spire? The drawing render has the spire but the color renders do not have it. I have not seen those either so if they are old, they sure were not posted on here.

[KevinFromTexas]

The building wouldn't be the first in Austin with a rooftop helipad. Pinnacle Campus has one and so does the Southfield Building at I-35 & Ben White.

[AusTxDevelopment]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The building wouldn't be the first in Austin with a rooftop helipad. Pinnacle Campus has one and so does the Southfield Building at I-35 & Ben White.

And those of us who have been in Austin since the 80's remember the Intel building - then known as the Temple-Inland building - at 1300 South MoPac had a helipad that annoyed the crap out of the neighbors. Noisy as hell. It's still there but they converted it to parking.

[AusTex]

Looking at the info for the Fairmont Austin...the street facade on Caesar Chavez will be a blank wall with stair well exits...nothing more. OK two windows at the corner of Red River [correction: not Rio Grande] for the seating area for the lobby, but nothing more.

The "Front Entry/Lobby" will be facing north to Waller Creek;

indoor and out door seating at the lobby/bar will face west onto Red River [correction:not Rio Grande];

garage entry/exit will face east on "Sabine Street" Palm Park;

and the emergency exits for the conference area will face south on Caesar Chavez.

I am eager to see this hotel rise...however, why is the blank face of the hotel facing the MOST traveled street of the site?!? A blank wall on Ceasar Chavez seems against all that the City of Austin is trying to create with the Great Streets program. Am I missing something with these drawings?; Or is the Fairmont Austin turning its back to a MAJOR entry street into our downtown?

What am I missing?

[cvillehorn]

Just that the aforementioned Rio Grande is actually Red River Street for the west facing side. Additionally, I don't see a completely helpless looking south side facade in the renderings. It appears great streets will be implemented on the part in compliance with the construction code. Logistically it makes sense the lobby entrance is to the north even if south might be more visually trafficked. With the improvements to Palm Park and development of Sabine Street alongside the Waller Creek plan, I expect the isolation of such a striking building (albeit with the 'bad' side facing traffic) to be nicely marginalized with the surrounding upgrades and infill. Hard to project that now without more comprehensive renderings. Remember this project is 3 years from being complete. I expect that entire area to look markedly different by that time.

What's not to love? (Love it when emoticons appropriately capture syntax btw)

Originally Posted by austex

Looking at the info for the Fairmont Austin...the street facade on Caesar Chavez will be a blank wall with stair well exits...nothing more. OK two windows at the corner of Rio Grande for the seating area for the lobby, but nothing more.

The "Front Entry/Lobby" will be facing north to Waller Creek;

indoor and out door seating at the lobby/bar will face west onto Rio Grande;

garage entry/exit will face east on "Sabine Street" Palm Park;

and the emergency exits for the conference area will face south on Caesar Chavez.

I am eager to see this hotel rise...however, why is the blank face of the hotel facing the MOST traveled street of the site?!? A blank wall on Ceasar Chavez seems against all that the City of Austin is trying to create with the Great Streets program. Am I missing something with these drawings?; Or is the Fairmont Austin turning its back to a MAJOR entry street into our downtown?

What am I missing?

[AusTex]

Originally Posted by cvillehorn

Just that the aforementioned Rio Grande is actually Red River Street for the west facing side. Additionally, I don't see a completely helpless looking south side facade in the renderings. It appears great streets will be implemented on the part in compliance with the construction code. Logistically it makes sense the lobby entrance is to the north even if south might be more visually trafficked. With the improvements to Palm Park and development of Sabine Street alongside the Waller Creek plan, I expect the isolation of such a striking building (albeit with the 'bad' side facing traffic) to be nicely marginalized with the surrounding upgrades and infill. Hard to project that now without more comprehensive renderings. Remember this project is 3 years from being complete. I expect that entire area to look markedly different by that time.

What's not to love? (Love it when emoticons appropriately capture syntax btw)

Thanks for the correction of the street! I corrected it on my post.

The drawings are old and the finished building will look different than the rendering. I learned a long time ago to not judge a development until it is COMPLETLY finished. Sometimes the last little flourish of work pulls the whole thing together. What a statement the building will make for Austin, our downtown, and future conventions. I am hopeful that it will get built.

[ahealy]

Has it been confirmed that they're building a helipad on the building?

[Syndic]

Found this on reddit. SIAP.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/sl...-changing.html

10 projects that will change Austin's skyline

Austin is in the midst of a construction boom that will reshape the city over the next decade. The city of Austin's list of ongoing projects now spans more than five pages of development in the planning stages and under construction. We've gone through the list and are highlighting in this slideshow 10 of what we found as the most interesting projects. You can find an in-depth guide to the changes taking place around Republic Square in this week's print edition. Last year, Editor Colin Pope weighed in on 47 projects that will change downtown Austin, and many are now taking shape.

[lzppjb]

Maybe the renderings just aren't complete?

[JoninATX]

Travis County approves $1.3 million in tax breaks for National Instruments

By Farzad Mashhood American-Statesman Staff

Travis County approved the third and final portion of $7.4 million in state and local incentives to support a 1,000-job expansion proposed by National Instruments in Austin over the next decade.

Travis County is giving $1.3 million in tax breaks to the company, or about 43 percent of additional property tax revenue that would be generated by the expansion project over 10 years, with commissioners approving it unanimously. Commissioner Margaret Gómez was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

The average annual wage for the new jobs is $65,000, and the lowest-paid 10 percent of the workers would make about $40,000, according to the county. The building’s construction would provide an $11 an hour minimum wage for construction workers.

“I fully support this application. I am no lover of these sorts of deals, but in this respect, National Instruments has come before us and met every aspect of the economic development policy that we put forward in November,” Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt said.

On Thursday, the Austin City Council unanimously approved $1.7 million in breaks and the Texas governor’s office has said it has agreed to back National Instruments’ expansion with $4.4 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund.

http://www.statesman.com/news/busine...eaks-fo/nWqJJ/

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

Travis County approves $1.3 million in tax breaks for National Instruments



http://www.statesman.com/news/busine...eaks-fo/nWqJJ/

Well, so much for that.

National Instruments withdraws from 1,000-job economic incentive deal
Robert Grattan
Austin Business Journal
June 9, 2014

National Instruments has canceled the economic incentive deal it signed with the city of Austin last year to create 1,000 jobs and invest $80 million over the next 10 years.

The Austin-based company notified the city on May 22 it would no longer be pursuing the deal.

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

Well, so much for that.

National Instruments withdraws from 1,000-job economic incentive deal
Robert Grattan
Austin Business Journal
June 9, 2014

Eh, no surprise to me. I kinda new something was up when the initial groundbreaking was suppost to occur but didn't.