AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 202

KevinFromTexas · #**4021** Posted **Oct 9, 2008, 12:37 PM**

If you guys have "connections" and know of a good source, do find out for sure how tall it'll be according to the most current plans. This thing would end up having the 2nd highest roof in the city, (only third if you include Frost). It would be a shame not to know for sure how tall one our tallest buildings was.

Raining Inside · #**4022** Posted **Oct 9, 2008, 5:40 PM**

The W plans filed with the city were posted in either in this thread or the Austin update thread several months ago. That's where the 478' height came from. I just don't feel like looking for them.

Scottolini · #**4023** Posted **Oct 9, 2008, 7:17 PM**

Pressler on West Fifth Street is now under construction.
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/realestate/10/09/1009goingup.html

Image from UrbanAustin.org

Northcrossed · #**4024** Posted **Oct 9, 2008, 11:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OU812

i wish there was an elevated EAST-WEST expressway that sliced right through downtown so i could get a good look at all the high rises

Is there something wrong with your brakes? Why don't you just stop and park somewhere (Riverside betw. Lamar & S. 1st works well for that purpose) and look all you want?

priller · #**4025** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 3:24 AM**

Way back in 1962 there were plans to build several freeways cutting through downtown. Here's a map of the proposed highways (the red lines)

The only highways from this plan that was built close to design was MoPac (well, and I-35). But look at what they had planned downtown. The "Crosstown Expressway" would have gone from Mopac @ 12th and then roughly followed MLK. Right behind the capitol. The "Central Expressway" would have gone along Guadalupe, right next to UT and right into downtown. The "Town Lake Expressway" would go along CC and add another bridge across town lake.

This was in 1962!

Here was the planned intersections for the Crosstown and Town Lake highways:

Samwill89 · #**4026** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 3:34 AM**

Thank GOD that didn't happen!

Strayone · #**4027** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 3:51 AM**

Anyone notice the picture has "section of the proposed Mopac Blvd express.." typed on the left side of the photo, I thought it looked odd compared to the map since I was looking at I35 instead of mopac. I believe it has what would have been the 5th and 6th ramps as well as the crosstown ramps just above them. Considering how grand the plan was they sure slimmed it down, and I almost wish more parts of it would have been built. That looks like a mess but considering the sub standard system we have...I'm just saying?

Scottolini · #**4028** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 3:51 AM**

I agree, but you would have thought maybe the leadership of our city could have gotten some of our highways built. I mean, we don't even have 183 or 71 complete to the airport. 290 West goes down to one freaking lane before you get to Oak Hill. Maybe we could have had some improvements to I-35, so it's not a such a parking lot. Finish out some of the incomplete interchanges around town. Upgrade some arterials.

And of course, if none of these road improvements, maybe they could have at least focused on getting Austin a top notch mass-transit system. Instead we have neither a great road system, or a great mass-transit system.

Strayone · #**4029** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 3:54 AM**

Thanks shanny for the illustration of the proposed heights, any chance in doing it with a far more recent photo/photo's?

OU812 · #**4030** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 4:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottolini

I agree, but you would have thought maybe the leadership of our city could have gotten some of our highways built. I mean, we don't even have 183 or 71 complete to the airport. 290 West goes down to one freaking lane before you get to Oak Hill. Maybe we could have had some improvements to I-35, so it's not a such a parking lot. Finish out some of the incomplete interchanges around town. Upgrade some arterials.

And of course, if none of these road improvements, maybe they could have at least focused on getting Austin a top notch mass-transit system. Instead we have neither a great road system, or a great mass-transit system.

let's face it, austin has a looong history of lackluster transportation leadership. right now we have some of the worst in office because they refuse to build anymore non-tolled expressways. everything will be tollways from now on. at least that's the current sentiment. what really angers me is that with all the new toll road initiatives, NONE address IH-35 directly (most congested roadway in the city). 35 is like one of the worst designed freeways in the state: short exit/extrance ramps. lanes narrow down from 4 to 3 in the most dense part of the city- downtown. weird. they should have spent the toll road money to build an entirely elevated bypass ABOVE IH-35 from 183 to William Cannon. and if it has to be tolled, so be it. if it was built like the 183N viaduct that be an extra 6 lanes north/south. will probably never happen though. anyways i'm not going to rant about this, makes me too pissed off just thinking about it. maybe we'll all get lucky and have a nice mass transit RAIL system in place 10 years from now.

priller · #**4031** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 4:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samwill89

Thank GOD that didn't happen!

I know. It's kind of amazing, looking back at it, that people thought it was a good idea. My, how times change.

alexjon · #**4032** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 4:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

I know. It's kind of amazing, looking back at it, that people thought it was a good idea. My, how times change.

Yeah, well, Robert Moses came to Portland and nearly obliterated it with freeways: http://cafeunkown.blogspot.com/2007/03/portland-of-robert-moses-robert-moses.html

sakyle04 · #**4033** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 4:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Northcrossed

Is there something wrong with your brakes? Why don't you just stop and park somewhere (Riverside betw. Lamar & S. 1st works well for that purpose) and look all you want?

lol.

that has to be the funniest reply i have ever seen on SSP...

priller · #**4034** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 7:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexjon

Yeah, well, Robert Moses came to Portland and nearly obliterated it with freeways: http://cafeunkown.blogspot.com/2007/03/portland-of-robert-moses-robert-moses.html

Very interesting, thanks for posting that.

priller · #**4035** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 7:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OU812

maybe we'll all get lucky and have a nice mass transit RAIL system in place 10 years from now.

If we had gotten lucky (or rather, smart) and passed the 2000 light rail proposal we would already have that. What a huge mistake that was.

KevinFromTexas · #**4036** Posted **Oct 10, 2008, 10:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sakyle04

lol.

that has to be the funniest reply i have ever seen on SSP...

Roller coasters could work too. You could get your picture taken with the skyline at the top, then scream on the way down.

JGFrisco · #**4037** Posted **Oct 11, 2008, 2:41 AM**

Austin has poor freeways because the city fathers didn't want them. They intentionally discouraged them, believing that if you didn't build it, they wouldn't come.

They didn't build it...but they came anyway. And now it's a mess.

Another part of the problem is that the state allocates highway money by district, and each district gets a chunk regardless of growth. That's why they are spending hundreds of millions building a crosstown freeway in Lubbock, where it is not needed.

When I was in civil engineering classes at UT in the late 80's, I interviewed with a company that had been retained to design the construction of freeways for 183 and Ben White. In 1987, the design was COMPLETE, including 290 from Bergstron to past the Y in Oak Hill, and 183 from Bergstrom to Cedar Park. I saw the plans myself.

But 21 years later, much of that has not been done. Part is because Austin didn't want them...part is because Austin has little political pull in this conservative state.

Raining Inside · #**4038** Posted **Oct 11, 2008, 2:58 AM**

Exactly.

KevinFromTexas · #**4039** Posted **Oct 12, 2008, 2:16 AM**

A few shots from this morning. The lighting was nasty so I was having trouble keeping the right settings.

21Rio making a nice impact.

Crane pieces waiting to be installed at The Austonian.

ivanwolf · #**4040** Posted **Oct 14, 2008, 1:14 AM**

The W is listed on the site plans as being 446' and having 35 stories so based on their typical floor height that would add 2 more floors of 14' each equals 474' BUT, the top 4 floors are larger at 16' each so 2 more floors would be 478' total. It depends on which floors they increase to the greater height. (note that plans start ground level at 100' so subtract that from the printed height).

Here is the site plan:

Also you all have talked of the hole below the site, it is also on the site plan and is a "Water Storage Tank w/Sand Filter".