AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[bigdogc]

does ovation look anything like this?

[Dale]

^ Is that a police sketch of the proposed building ?

[bigdogc]

I think someone saw it on one of those public access channels a while back and made it a kodak moment?

[hismasterplan]

anyone ever looked at the 360 webcam and seen a train going across the train bridge over town lake in the background? its something cool to catch

[ndirishdad]

Check http://www.urbanaustin.org/images/a/a5/Block52_South.jpg
for the Block 52 building rendering.. I hope it is what you are looking for?? Go Fightin Irish Go!!!

[Lextx97]

Originally Posted by bigdogc

does ovation look anything like this?

Kinda reminds me of the eyewitness sketch of the leprechaun spotted in Alabama:

[ATXboom]

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 2:54 PM CDT
Arthouse expanding
Austin Business Journal



Arthouse is renovating and expanding its historic home in downtown Austin, and announcing a $6.6 million capital campaign.

The Austin visual arts organization is planning a $6.6 million makeover for its headquarters at 700 Congress Ave. The nonprofit has raised $3.4 million in gifts and pledges so far to cover construction.

The expansion will "give the people of Austin and Texas a 21st century landmark building -- a building that clearly projects our mission and represents a sea change in terms of originality and creativity in Austin," the organization says.

Arthouse says the expansion will triple its total space from 7,000 square feet to 20,830 square feet.

The two-story building, built in 1850, is four blocks south of the Capitol building. In 1920, it housed the Queen Theater and it was turned into Lerner Shops department store in the 1950s.

Plans call for renovating existing space and the addition of three new galleries, two artists' studios, a 90-seat community/screening room and a 5,500-square-foot rooftop space with a movie screen. Arthouse has tapped New York-based architecture firm Lewis.Tsurumake.Lewis to design the renovation.

The organization, which was formerly the Texas Fine Arts Association, has been operating out of the downtown building, which it owns, since 1998.

Arthouse currently presents seven exhibitions annually, and offers teen educational programs. It serves over 20,000 visitors a year.

The nonprofit hopes to begin construction in 2009 and complete the renovation in 2010.

[priller]

Spring update:
















A few more:

[KevinFromTexas]

^ Great pictures! Really like the up close shots of Spring.

[ATXboom]

PICTURES: http://www.austintowers.net/Austin_Downtown/index.html

Arthouse Announces Striking Downtown Expansion Plan
March 19, 2008 23:34 Filed in: Development Watch

Arthouse, a downtown contemporary art museum located on Congress and 7th, today announced plans to remodel and expand their downtown galleries and educational facilities. According to Arthouse, "The plans -- developed by Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis, New York-based architects, the Board’s Building Committee and Staff -- will triple total space from 7,000 sq. ft. to 20,830 sq.ft."

Arthouse (formerly the Texas Fine Arts Association) was founded in 1911, and for more than ninety years it has advocated for the support of contemporary art in Texas, organizing exhibitions and presenting them in Austin and statewide. From its home, the Jones Center in downtown Austin, Arthouse pursues its mission: to promote the growth and appreciation of contemporary art and artists in Texas. The museum is well respected for its innovative exhibits and programs.

With the $6.6 million renovation and expansion, the project will “recycle” the current building which in the 1920’s was the Queen Theater, a key part of the Queen/Paramount/State theater “block,” and in the 1950’s became a Lerner Shops department store. Three new galleries, two artists’ studios, a 90-seat community/screening room, and a 5,500 sq. ft. rooftop space with a 33 foot x 17 foot movie screen will be added.

The highlight of the Arthouse project is the innovative architecture of the renovated structure. The striking building features randomly placed green translucent bricks, a modern awning reminiscent of the building's department store past, large glass windows including live projections on the upper floor, and a dramatic rooftop deck with an open air movie theater. The main space on the second floor also doubles as a large screening room.


The Arthouse project follows Austin Museum of Arts recent announcement of a new free-standing 40,000 square foot museum and a separate 425,000 square foot 30-story office tower on the current lot at West Fourth & Guadalupe. Together, these projects mark an exciting expansion of downtown arts options. With regular events, gallery openings, and now rooftop movies, these venues will continue to thrive as cornerstones of the emerging downtown cultural scene.

[ATXboom]

Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 6:23 AM CDT

Austin Business Journal

Stubb's, the iconic barbecue restaurant and music venue, is seeking several zoning changes for its proposed $5 million expansion.

Richard Suttle, the attorney who represents Stubb's, is asking the city for a zoning variance to allow construction in the 25-year and 100-year floodplains of Waller Creek. Suttle is also seeking zoning changes that would waive certain parking requirements and release an alleyway. In addition, Stubb's is seeking to purchase a 400-square-foot portion of the property owned by the city.

Austin-based design firm Nasso and Barber is the project's architect.

The expansion would add an indoor 2-story auditorium that holds 1,500 people, and reconfigure an outdoor amphitheater from a capacity of 2,200 to 3,500.

"It's a nice size because it will appeal to up and coming bands," Craig Nasso, principal at Nasso and Barber, told the city's Downtown Commission. "Many of [downtown] clubs are too small and some venues are too big so we really need this size for the city."

Interior improvements to the restaurant are planned, including a new kitchen and bathrooms.

Suttle says the project will coordinate with the planner ultimately hired for the Waller Creek tunnel project, which will take Stubb's and other businesses out of the Waller floodplains. The city is currently reviewing bids for that contract.

According to Suttle, no date for Planning Commission or City Council review of the zoning requests has yet been set.

[KevinFromTexas]

ATXboom, can you please include the author's name for both of those articles? And can you please include a link to the ABJ article?

[Complex01]

Nice pics. Love the last one with the sun in the frost tower.

Its odd my friend came over my shoulder and said hey the picture looks like an owl (the frost tower). Its odd though, its not the first time i have heard or read that about the buiding. Anyhow nice pics...

[KevinFromTexas]

Regarding the Capitol Tower. I had emailed someone with the project and they told me the building is currently 246 feet tall. He said with the new crown that it would be 259 feet tall. That seems a bit short, though. I'll probably send another email once it gets underway.

From the Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/03/21/0321austininc.html

AUSTIN INC

Downtown building is missing its crown

FROM STAFF REPORTS
Friday, March 21, 2008

Building awaits its crown

The renovated Capitol Tower office building on East Ninth Street is filling up fast with high-profile tenants, including Project DaVinci, a new ad agency being created for Dell Inc., and the LatinWorks ad agency.

PRS Equities Limited has spent several million dollars renovating the 24-year-old building.

Leases are signed for all but 3,000 square feet of the building, said Jerry Reinhart, PRS president and CEO.

But one element is still missing: a concave roof on top of the 20-story building, which is shown in all the renderings.

"It's a complicated feature to put up there," Reinhart said. "There are staging considerations, and we also have to make sure it's structurally sound. We're just moving slowly so when we do put it up there it looks like it was intended to look and it doesn't cause the building to blow away."

Rendering:

[hookem]

Its odd my friend came over my shoulder and said hey the picture looks like an owl (the frost tower). Its odd though, its not the first time i have heard or read that about the buiding. Anyhow nice pics...

When I'm walking downtown, on more than one occasion I've passed up an "Austin segway tour" near the east side of the hike-and-bike trail... and the guide will usually mention something about Frost looking like an owl.. or ask the tourists, what animal does that building remind you of???

Same thing gets said about the UT tower to new students... it looks like an owl, was designed by somebody from Rice, etc. That was happening way before Frost was ever built...

dunno what the owl/Austin thing is all about. Should look like a bat!

[DanE008]

^^^ In regards to Frost, it couldn’t have at all been intentional because one of the main reasons it looks like an owl is because of the Frost logos (eyes). Well the building was designed way before the architect even knew Frost was going to be a tenant, so what’s with all the hoopla?

[Saddle Man]

It's Molock's temple.

[KevinFromTexas]

It's funny because the man who designed the UT Tower (Paul Philippe Cret) was actually from Philadelphia. It should look like an eagle instead. Ha.

[ATXboom]

Info on what is supposed to go at former Fox n Hound site... wonder why it was denied??

Gables is developing plans for a mixed-use tower with residential
above ground floor retail/restaurant, on the current site of the Ginger
Man pub, the former Fox and Hound Smokehouse and a surface
parking lot.

found here: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/downloads/ep_data_0308.pdf

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Info on what is supposed to go at former Fox n Hound site... wonder why it was denied??

Gables is developing plans for a mixed-use tower with residential
above ground floor retail/restaurant, on the current site of the Ginger
Man pub, the former Fox and Hound Smokehouse and a surface
parking lot.

found here: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/downloads/ep_data_0308.pdf

Denied?