AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 55

ATXboom · #**1081** Posted **Jun 28, 2007, 6:42 PM**

Jdawg... check the latest update for the Marriott on the Texas/South Central page.... or check out the Austin Chronicle. There was an update given by the developer and the towers are not to exceed 34 stories. No more specfics than that however I would guess one tower will be 34 stories and the other shorter.

Priller... understand it is tough without a rendering. I think the Katz condo may have enough info with the stories [I think 35... but check the latest update on TX/south central] and the rendering. Thanks for working all of that up!!

priller · #**1082** Posted **Jun 28, 2007, 6:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mars-man

And I like your glass-half-full observation about the afternoon sun!

The main reason I said that is because I know a woman who sold her condo in the Milago and one of the main reasons was that she had a west-facing room and couldn't take the sun in the afternoon. She's sort of semi-retired and was home a lot. She complained about the sun every time I saw her.

mars-man · #**1083** Posted **Jun 28, 2007, 6:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strayone

I caught the tail end of a Kvue story about Northcross Wlamart, they mentioned that a gas station will be removed, must be the Exxon at the corner of Anderson. It's the first I've heard about this. There is alot of work going on there also, the Bealls is gone from the look of it and that whole end seems to be getting gutted. I'm surprised it is moving allong this fast, I guess Walmart has settled on their plans for the place and there will be no more discussions with the neighborhood groups.

Hmmm... my understanding is that the gas station in question would have been Wal-Mart's, and that it's one of the components they agreed to give up, along with being open 24 hours and making their employees wear leg irons.

KevinFromTexas · #**1084** Posted **Jun 28, 2007, 11:22 PM**

First of all, awesome work, priller. 360 looks really nice there. And I'm looking forward to the Seaholm Tower. Good design there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I thought one of the towers was going to be only 31 stories and the other like 15 storys???

Yes. The latest revised height is 31 floors, up from 26 floors. Now they're saying that building will front Brazos Street. They actually did away with the 15-story tower and they moved the 11-story tower to the other side of the block so that it's along Congress Avenue.

EDIT: Here's my post in the Marriott thread in the Texas section.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=2924310&postcount=52

I saw this at Statesman.com and thought I'd post it. It's a video montage of the demolition and clean up of the Intel shell.
http://www.statesman.com/news/mplayer/news/21489

GoldenBoot · #**1085** Posted **Jun 29, 2007, 4:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

The problem with the Post Office towers is all I know of it is a fuzzy photo taken from a TV, I think -- not enough to even make a guess at a model. And all I have of the CLB tower is the one rendering -- no sizes or floorplans or anything. If anyone has more info, let me know!

FYI:

CLB is now proposing a 34-story, ~420’ tower for their site in the Market District (up from 32 stories and 395’). I do not know the exact footprint size of the project, however, the development will contain 7,300 SF of ground-level retail and the “tower” will be setback from the podium by 15’-17’, I believe. Also, the “tower’s” floorplates may be in the neighborhood of 5,000-5,500 SF.

Novare’s Block 51 development, a.k.a., Ovation, has been proposed as a 37-story, ~420’-500’ tower. Plans currently call for 30,786 SF of retail (both ground and possibly on a second level). As for the tower itself, I’m not sure as to the floorplate size. Nonetheless, the entire development is proposed to encompass 513,207 SF. Thus, I believe that there will definitely be some type of setback from the podium level.

With regards to the Marriott & JW Marriott...I watched the entire Design Commission presentation by Richard Suttle & Todd Halamka (of HOK) this past Monday and the Marriott convention hotel is proposed at 34 stories, with it's length running north-south along Brazos St. The JW Marriott is proposed at 11 stories abd its length also runs north-south, but along Congress Ave. The massing design seems unimpressive at this point. However, it is still very early and the development team is expected to present an actual draft rendering at the next Design Commission meeting in late July. Furthermore, the 34-story hotel seems to be, at least in the massing model, several tens-of-feet short of 111 Congress (which is 391’).

KevinFromTexas · #**1086** Posted **Jun 29, 2007, 7:11 AM**

Regarding the footprint of the CLB Tower - what the developer told me is that the building will be 96 by 112 feet. It will be 112 feet long along West 7th Street, and 96 feet wide north/south. I had sent him an email a while back after someone on the forum mentioned that their sign mentioned it would be 34 floors, not 32. I asked him about this, and he said at this point they aren't sure what the floor number will be. I asked about the start date and he said either September or October of '07.

Here is the model that I did for their presentation to city council, (red and white square tower, lower right). Like you, priller, I too was having trouble getting a grip on the design. I only have one rendering to go by. I modeled it here at 400 feet as that's what he said (at the time) how tall it would be. By the way, the two large blue towers near the CLB Tower represent the post office towers. Please disregard their height, color, shape and arrangement on their blocks. I did them like that at the developer of the CLB Tower's request.

See the rest of my model pictures here:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=243039

priller · #**1087** Posted **Jun 29, 2007, 2:04 PM**

Thanks Kevin and Goldenboot, that information helps a lot. I made a quick model, using the render they did for a texture. It was a very low-res picture, though, so I'm not going to show the building too closely. But it least it gives you an idea.

brackenridge · #**1088** Posted **Jun 29, 2007, 3:50 PM**

Does anybody have any info. about Spring ? Have they started construction yet ? I lookeed at their website and it said construction would start in April.
Thanks in advance.

GoldenBoot · #**1089** Posted **Jun 29, 2007, 5:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by brackenridge

Does anybody have any info. about Spring ? Have they started construction yet ? I lookeed at their website and it said construction would start in April.
Thanks in advance.

Ground Breaking = July 24, 2007

priller · #**1090** Posted **Jul 1, 2007, 12:38 PM**

I finally got around to finishing my 360 model this weekend. I went back and made the glass a little darker and the stucco parts more white (except for the very bottom, which is supposed to be a little "sand" colored, I think), so it looks more like their model. I left the decks plain, for now. Some parts, like the bottom rear, I'm still not sure about. What do you think?

Texas Tuff · #**1091** Posted **Jul 1, 2007, 6:23 PM**

Looks fantastic!!!! I still continue to be amazed at how you create such detail on these models.

AusTex · #**1092** Posted **Jul 2, 2007, 12:41 PM**

Thanks Priller I look forward to every post. Especially these great models. They are fantastic. I am glad you have the interest and talent to do these. I smile and gawk at out future downtown. Thanks again for your continuing effort.

The 360 gives me the feel of a ship crusing through the downtown. I think it is heading for the river, will take a left and go straight to the Gulf heading to Grand Cayman and Anguila then steam ahead to the Seychelles and on to the Maldives...

Strayone · #**1093** Posted **Jul 3, 2007, 3:19 AM**

^ I think someone (priller) mentioned that the background - sky image changes while working on google earth modeling, but it seems like most images look like it is always cloudy, is this in line with what the weather is at the time? It would be nice to see 360 in a sunnier setting, it looks faint as well as most of the buildings. anyone else notice this? Still I really look forward to any of the stuff being done on the GEarth site.

priller · #**1094** Posted **Jul 3, 2007, 12:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strayone

^ I think someone (priller) mentioned that the background - sky image changes while working on google earth modeling, but it seems like most images look like it is always cloudy, is this in line with what the weather is at the time? It would be nice to see 360 in a sunnier setting, it looks faint as well as most of the buildings. anyone else notice this? Still I really look forward to any of the stuff being done on the GEarth site.

No, the sky always looks the same. And it's not even part of the normal Google Earth, it's an add-on made by another modeler I downloaded. So the clouds always look the same, although I suppose I could always find (or make) a new cloud texture for it.

The buildings look brighter or dimmer depending on the angle you're viewing them from. If looking from the south, they look pretty bright; from the north, kind of dull. Not anything I can do about that, I'm afraid.

andrew.A..T..X · #**1095** Posted **Jul 3, 2007, 8:28 PM**

Nice work on the sketch up priller. I tried texturing the t stacy tower but it was really hard so i blew it off. Your really good at that the buildings are dead on.

ivanwolf · #**1096** Posted **Jul 3, 2007, 11:50 PM**

I noticed that they are working on the next floor on the Monarch today, looks about half done. Guess they are starting back up on the tower. I can't count them from my office from the ground so I am not sure what floor it is, but I would guess they have only 2 or 3 left to finish.

360 is laying the 27th floor. this one I can count since i know that the 17th floor is that patio.

Strayone · #**1097** Posted **Jul 4, 2007, 12:30 AM**

^Some time back a fella on the jobsite said they had finished the main floors, I haven't counted the floors in a while but I still think this is the top and crown area that is being worked on.

andrew.A..T..X · #**1098** Posted **Jul 4, 2007, 2:30 AM**

which one is taller now? 360 or monarch?

priller · #**1099** Posted **Jul 4, 2007, 2:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrew.A..T..X

which one is taller now? 360 or monarch?

According to the plans I downloaded from the city, the floor level of the top floor of the Monarch is at 735' 4" (I presume that means above sea level).

Floor 27 of the the 360 building is at 751'.

In case anyone is curious, the floor-to-floor height in the Monarch is 9' 8" for all but the top 2 floors. For the 360 building, it's 10' 7".

I'm looking forward to the day when the 360 building surpasses the Frost Tower and becomes the new tallest building in Austin. That will call for a beer!

Blakesalot! · #**1100** Posted **Jul 4, 2007, 6:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller
I'm looking forward to the day when the 360 building surpasses the Frost Tower and becomes the new tallest building in Austin. That will call for a beer!

Here, here!