AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[Jdawgboy]

Are they planning to put up a second crane on the Spring site? I still see a crane piece right along the edge of Bowie Street that looks like it could be a base for another crane. Also they are setting up large tents I guess in preperation for the groundbreaking ceremony at the W hotel site.

[WestAustinite]

Speaking of cranes...from the AAS today.

-----------------

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A crane being used to build a downtown apartment building toppled onto the structure's wooden frame this morning, sending dozens of workers scurrying for safety.

No one was injured in the 9:15 a.m. incident near Red River and Ninth streets. Austin Fire Department Division Chief Dawn Clopton said an operator was on the crane during the collapse and that up to 40 construction workers were in the area at the time.

"We are very lucky; lucky that no one was standing in that area," Clopton said.

The crane did not appear to be one of the giant cranes used to build high rises. Clopton described it as a portable piece of equipment with legs that extend to stabilize it.

Fire officials and workers from Greystar Development and Construction Group were working this morning to stabilize the structure, which is currently a two-story wooden frame. Clopton said the incident likely will be investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The building under construction near the Sheraton Hotel is going to be a four-story apartment building over three floors of underground parking, Clopton said.

Red River Street remained closed near Ninth Street until around 11:30 a.m.

[KevinFromTexas]

^ Yeah, I just heard about that one the news. Crazy. Just a week or so after the construction worker death at Lavista on Lavaca, a crane falls at Red River Flats. It wasn't a tower crane, just one of those portable cranes. Those type of cranes are also un-manned, they're operated using a remote control.

[G Lee]

Originally Posted by priller

I remember you guys noting the same about the Shore. What does that signify?

It's a tradition. When a building is topped out they put a tree on the top.
I don't know where that started.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topping_out


That link talks about the ceremonial activities. When the Frost Bank Tower was topped out, the newspaper did a story on it that all 600 workers had a huge feast in the building's lobby. They also did similar things to some of the last beams. One was to place little tin crosses in one of the columns. They also of course topped it off with a tree.

Ah, good Kevin, I'm glad you still had one of the links. Once upon a time we had a nice discussion about this tradition on the forum. There is more info on line. I found several that referenced peagan rituals as an origin that just became a tradition. (Like the peagan holiday tree, shhhhhh!)

http://newweb.ig.utexas.edu/news/spotlig...PSESSID=5ad33a511f0800cd7a0ae0383823c715

[ivanwolf]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

^ Yeah, I just heard about that one the news. Crazy. Just a week or so after the construction worker death at Lavista on Lavaca, a crane falls at Red River Flats. It wasn't a tower crane, just one of those portable cranes. Those type of cranes are also un-manned, they're operated using a remote control.

Acctually Kevin this crane though small and more portable had a operator that sat in a small windowed box like the big ones but about half the width and when I saw it, it was about half way up the base. The Statesman article referanced that the operator was OK and not injured. Wish I had a pic of it, and I searched all the news places for a image showing the operator box but could not find one. At least everyone is all right, its just wood and steel that they have to rebuild.

[KevinFromTexas]

Click on the link for a rendering:

From the Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/realestate/10/11/1011goingup.html

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Skyline condo project headed for East Austin

Thursday, October 11, 2007

What: Construction on a $40 million, 118-unit luxury condominium complex called Skyline is scheduled to begin later this year. The public sales period begins today. A preview event is scheduled for Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. at East Eighth Street and Interstate 35. Badges must be downloaded from www.skylineaustin.com/view in order to attend.

Who: Interurban Development LLC is an Austin-based real estate developer. The executive team includes Rance Clouse, Gary Krieg, Matt Mathias and Edgar Cardenas. Skyline was designed by Houston-based Jackson and Ryan architects.

Where: At the intersection of East Eighth Street and Interstate 35 on Robertson Hill, between the French Legation and Interstate 35.

FYI: Skyline will feature a 14,000-foot "Skydeck" offering panoramic views of downtown Austin. The Skydeck will feature an open-air amphitheater, a community fire pit, a saltwater pool and a spa. Skyline will offer four home types: town homes, terrace homes, brownstone style walk-up homes and lofts. These homes will offer floor-to-ceiling windows, open loft plans, hardwood floors and built-in appliances.

Completion date: Spring 2009.

[DTAustin]

Originally Posted by AustinGuy

I gotta agree with this. The locations of most of the announced downtown projects are much better than the Milago. This means the Milago sellers will probably have to significantly underprice all of the new projects downtowns until they are sold out & constructed if they want their units to sell.

In the longer term, Milago should be a good location and once we absorb most of these new projects, Milago should start to appreciate again. Maybe picking up a cheap unit at Milago from someone who really needs to sell sometime in the next few years could be a good investment strategy?

One other thing to keep in mind is that the specific location of the condo in the building has an impact on the sale price as well as the location of the complex. Last year, most of the Milago condos on the market for a long time were on the lower level facing East. The more desirable condos face West and give you a great view of Town Lake. I don't know if the condos currently on the market are in a good location or not.

I also think the design of the building plays into resale as well. The hallways are very long and somewhat dark, giving a hotel feeling. Each condo has its own AC unit on the roof. The finish out is not the best in the world. I was in the club room there a few months ago and noticed that the handles were falling off of the cabinets. I'm sure a reseller would fix this in a private condo before selling, but it does play into the overall feel of the building.

Of course the building location, mortgage problems, and number of units on the market play into the resale, too.

A good (maybe not so good) comparison is the sales at the Railyard. The Railyard is not nearly as nice as Milago, but most of the Railyard condos are on the market for less than 7 days. I'm sure the location and price / sq ft are part of the reason, but the number of condos for sale is another reason. Most condos at Milago are > $300/sq ft. Most at the Railyard are < $300/sq ft, except for the smaller condos which are less than 690 sq ft. Those condos are going for about $310/ sq ft.

As far as condos at 360 go, I think the prices have gone up significantly since they first went on sale - probably by about 20-50K for identical floor plans. Thus, if an investor who got in on day 1 may be able to sell at what appears to be a reasonable price and still make money.

It will be very interesting to see what happens after the initial lock up period with the new buildings.

[DTAustin]

Originally Posted by WestAustinite

Speaking of cranes...from the AAS today.

-----------------

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A crane being used to build a downtown apartment building toppled onto the structure's wooden frame this morning, sending dozens of workers scurrying for safety.

No one was injured in the 9:15 a.m. incident near Red River and Ninth streets. Austin Fire Department Division Chief Dawn Clopton said an operator was on the crane during the collapse and that up to 40 construction workers were in the area at the time.

"We are very lucky; lucky that no one was standing in that area," Clopton said.

The crane did not appear to be one of the giant cranes used to build high rises. Clopton described it as a portable piece of equipment with legs that extend to stabilize it.

Fire officials and workers from Greystar Development and Construction Group were working this morning to stabilize the structure, which is currently a two-story wooden frame. Clopton said the incident likely will be investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The building under construction near the Sheraton Hotel is going to be a four-story apartment building over three floors of underground parking, Clopton said.

Red River Street remained closed near Ninth Street until around 11:30 a.m.

The statesman has some pictures at

http://www.statesman.com/news/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=39127

[jgouger]

Does anyone know what time The W's grand opening party starts @ tonight?

In other news, when they announce something, they move fast here! They just publicly announced the Skyline Condo Project the other day in the Statesman, and the sales office (near Which Which) looks to be almost ready!

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by actham

I noticed that the 360 crane is now anchored to the building in 3 places. Does anybody know what if any damage occurs to the condos that have the anchors in them? Do the anchors leave marks in the ceilings? I would hope that the construction process would not leave 6 damaged condos.

I hope this helps. I believe they simply bolt them into the concrete, although they could be clamped on in some other projects. I started a thread on the subject in the 'Engineering' section of the forum. Go here to see the thread with pictures, and hopefully some info from someone who knows for sure.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=139233

[KevinFromTexas]

Block 21 breaks ground...

From the Austin American Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/realestate/10/13/1013magic.html

Magic & Co. get ball rolling at Block 21

Groundbreaking for downtown development brings out ex-NBA star.

By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Saturday, October 13, 2007

NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson on Friday helped kick off the official groundbreaking of Block 21, the downtown development that's getting $50 million from his private equity fund. It's the first investment in Austin for his Los Angeles-based fund, but Johnson said it won't be the last.

"We hope to do more," including projects that will create more work force housing here, said Johnson, who became a successful businessman after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships.

The $260 million Block 21 project, among the most ambitious in downtown's current building boom, will include a 250-room W hotel and 196 high-end condominiums, as well as a 2,200-seat venue for "Austin City Limits" and other performances.

The developer, Stratus Properties Inc., paid the city $15 million for the vacant block north of City Hall.

"This project will definitely change the face of downtown Austin," Johnson said.

Although the condominiums are luxury housing, Johnson and Bobby Turner, managing partner of the Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund, said they are working with city officials to seek out investment opportunities in Austin that would include housing affordable for teachers, police officers and firefighters and other people with modest incomes.

"We hope this is the first of many investments in Austin," Turner said.

He said that the fund has invested in projects that have created more than 5,000 units of housing for moderate income families nationwide during the past three years.

Austin fits with the type of metro areas that the fund targets for investment: growing or densely populated cities that are ethnically diverse and have strong demand for housing.

But the Block 21 deal has a special appeal, Johnson said.

"This project is on par with what the university (of Texas) and the city is in terms of the energy and the feel and the winning attitude," Johnson said. "UT's winning attitude trickles into the community."

For Johnson, the highlight Friday came with meeting Darrell Royal, the former UT football coach who led UT to three national championships during his 1956 to 1976 tenure.

"I watched you defeat so many teams," Johnson told Royal. "Forget this project — this was the biggest thrill for me. I always love meeting winners and champions."

The new "Austin City Limits" venue will be a centerpiece of the development.

When KLRU's nationally known music show isn't taping, Live Nation will operate a live music/performance space in the venue. Willie Nelson and his nephew, Freddy Fletcher, will be partners in the venue.

Mayor Will Wynn said the empty block has been underused for 30 years. But he said the new development will make it a "perpetual economic engine for this part of downtown."

Renderings - Click on the thumbnails.

[andrew.A..T..X]

Did anyone catch that article in the statesman about 360? I looked for it online but couldn't find it, but anyway, this guy was talking about how the monarch and the 360 were blocking views of the Frost Bank, and eventually all of these buildings would block the capitol view also.

[sf94102]

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

Did anyone catch that article in the statesman about 360? I looked for it online but couldn't find it, but anyway, this guy was talking about how the monarch and the 360 were blocking views of the Frost Bank, and eventually all of these buildings would block the capitol view also. It was pretty interesting.

I just finished reading the article, here you go:

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/12/1012kelso.html?imw=Y

[andrew.A..T..X]

Originally Posted by sf94102

I just finished reading the article, here you go:

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/12/1012kelso.html?imw=Y

Oh, thanks, there it is

[Saddle Man]

That's just John Kelso. It's not a 'real' article. Just him TRYING to be funny, and not being very sucessful at it.

[KevinFromTexas]

Yeah I've gotten away from his columns. I used to be a quasi-fan, now though, I rarely read his stuff, and if I do, can rarely get to the end. Sorry to say, because some of his past columns were rather witty, now it's almost just rants about things he doesn't like.

[priller]

Monarch:





The crane in the foreground is for 1108 Lavaca, in the background is for La Vista on Lavaca:



More cranes. The red one is for the Spring:



Also at the Spring site, where they're really making fast progress on the digging. This is the "Austin trencher" machine we were talking about earlier this week:



Austin Music Hall. The front:



The rear:



I noticed the've started putting on the balconies at 360:

[Strayone]

Kelso had an article about Frost which had a picture of the proposed tower before I ever saw any story related to the building. He described it as having a crown that Batman's nemesis' would live in! It was the only article he wrote that I actually truly enjoyed. I admit I'm still a sucker to read his article's now and then! UGH!

[JGFrisco]

Anyone hear any news about the T Stacy building, or 21C? It would seem that the Stacy project is at least dormant right now because of the real estate market?