AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 217

KevinFromTexas · #**4321** Posted **Dec 9, 2008, 2:28 PM**

I'm fine with them putting that hotel on hold. My hope is that when they do their financing that they won't hold back on the quality of design. I'd rather them wait then to try and do it now and cut corners to save money. The idea of a 26-story cheap looking hotel is a scary thought. Maybe by then too the hotel market will warrant something bigger too, and maybe a better design.

jgouger · #**4322** Posted **Dec 9, 2008, 4:09 PM**

Yeah I agree with Kevin. Hopefully by reworking their project they can come out with a more interesting design. Austin needs more interesting architecture than just a typical box with windows (cough cough Bank America Tower).

They really should start giving tax credits to developers that push the edge with architecture and think outside of the box. This would be a good way to offset the cost of good design.

Maybe I'm being too hopeful but perhaps the Legislature can legalize gambling in Texas and then the Marriott project can be reworked into Austin's first casino!

Northcrossed · #**4323** Posted **Dec 9, 2008, 4:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgouger

Maybe I'm being too hopeful but perhaps the Legislature can legalize gambling in Texas and then the Marriott project can be reworked into Austin's first casino!

I thought the Waller Creek TIF was going to be the casino district (which is probably why Travis County went in on it 50/50 with the city).

MichaelB · #**4324** Posted **Dec 9, 2008, 5:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I'm fine with them putting that hotel on hold. My hope is that when they do their financing that they won't hold back on the quality of design. I'd rather them wait then to try and do it now and cut corners to save money. The idea of a 26-story cheap looking hotel is a scary thought. Maybe by then too the hotel market will warrant something bigger too, and maybe a better design.

KEV! I Sooooo agree with you. That company has a reputation for cheap looking buildings as it is. I do not want a scaled down generic Marriott on prime Congress property. Better to ditch it than build an eyesore....I would rather wait.

OU812 · #**4325** Posted **Dec 9, 2008, 9:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgouger

Maybe I'm being too hopeful but perhaps the Legislature can legalize gambling in Texas and then the Marriott project can be reworked into Austin's first casino!

Just like the out-of-control toll road situation in this town, WE the people can't ever vote for the things most important to us. We can't vote to decide whether WE want tolls over our existing highways, ONLY the politicians. And we can't vote to decide if casino gambling should be legal in Austin or the state- only the politicians. It's sickening really. And how much different than straight up communism?

Here's a thought: legalize casino gambling and use the tax revenue to upgrade the 5 existing highways now planned as tollways. Unfortunately I would probably sooner see donkeys fly.

austintilIdie · #**4326** Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 12:17 AM**

Wouldn't mind seeing highway upgrades and creating right-of-way for future mass transit options. Was on the way home today going north on mopac to the 183 split...the clog of N183 is a sad sight. Glad I was going "south" to Lamar Blvd. 183 also needs some love between 290W and 71/BenWhite Blvd.

I know Ben White has other issues as well..

NThomas · #**4327** Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 3:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

KEV! I Sooooo agree with you. That company has a reputation for cheap looking buildings as it is. I do not want a scaled down generic Marriott on prime Congress property. Better to ditch it than build an eyesore....I would rather wait.

The outcry of the relocations on the sight might hurt future business more and more the longer the Marriott is kept on hold. Not from out-of-towners, but those familiar with Austin recommending & booking hotels.

ahealy · #**4328** Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 4:52 AM**

I would like to see this project disappear. The design is so extremely ugly, I cannot bear to see a "just add water" marriott box with windows on Congress ave.
I live in the 2nd street district as well, and it feels to me that this hotel will greatly constipate the east flow of the district.

ivanwolf · #**4329** Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 4:58 AM**

hey a couple of cranes went up on the UT campus today. Does anyone know what's going on. Looks like the cranes are about in the 8 to 12 story range.

KevinFromTexas · #**4330** Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 5:46 AM**

For anyone not outside right now, it's snowing a bit guys. Half of Travis County is covered by an area of snow.

zx14 · #**4331** Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 6:39 AM**

if the snow does not stick on the ground down town look at the top of 360 or frost bank and you will see it.

LoneStarMike · #**4332** Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 7:40 AM**

Wow! I'm glad I finally got my laptop fixed (after 3 days) and read your message about the snow, Kevin. Here in my 'hood (S. Lamar near Ben White) we had heavy sleet 4-5 hours ago, but I had no idea it was now snowing. I went outside just now and it's coming down pretty good. It seems to only be sticking to the cars in the parking lot but melting everywhere else.

And if I remember correctly, I heard Mark Murray on KVUE mention we had a high of 81 degrees Tuesday and now early Wednesday morning, it's snowing.

Don't ya love Texas weather?

Xeelee · #**4333** Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 9:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

Yes...he'll be a great deal better than what we've had for 8 years, but it's going to be difficult to undo all the damage.

This statement is in accordance with my equations.

Northcrossed · #**4334** Posted **Dec 11, 2008, 1:09 PM**

Austonian may have to cancel self cleaning dog poo project

By John Kelso | Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 12:13 PM

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/kelso/index.html (not static URL, so content there will change)

(excerpted)

On Tuesday night I attended the Halfway Party thrown on the 19th floor of The Austonian, the swank condo going in at Congress Avenue and Second Street. The party was to celebrate that the building has reached 26 stories, and is, in other words, halfway up.

...

You really had to want to get to this party to get to this party. Party goers dressed to the nines had to ride up the side of the building in a construction elevator that was basically a cage that jerked when it left the ground.

Actually, you had to ride in two of these cages. The first one clanked up the building to the 10th floor, then you got off and climbed onto another one that went to the 19th floor.

...

But the big disappointment of the evening came when I found out from Terry Mitchell, a member of The Austonian’s development team, that the condo might ditch the self-cleaning doggie john. The condo had planned to put this unique machine in the 10th floor urban garden area. It’s a stainless steel plate, with a blade that scrapes away the poop into a sanitary system.

...

“The concern was that the machine, the way it’s designed, that dogs wouldn’t use it,” Mitchell said. “It’s made out of stainless steel and I’m a little concerned what it would be like in a Texas summer.” Yeah, you’d hate to have to use a spray can of Pam to get your poodle loose from a sheet of steel, especially when you’ve just paid $550,000 to $3.8 million for a condo.

KevinFromTexas · #**4335** Posted **Dec 11, 2008, 3:59 PM**

It was on the 19th floor??? Oh man!

*Runs to Flickr to see if there are any photos from the event*

priller · #**4336** Posted **Dec 11, 2008, 4:12 PM**

Yeah, I'm kind of sorry I didn't go now.

MichaelB · #**4337** Posted **Dec 11, 2008, 5:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

Yeah, I'm kind of sorry I didn't go now.

yeah... that actually sounds like fun!

BUT DO NOTICE THAT KELSO WENT! He loves that "poop" as much as the next person.... a lot of that other stuff he says is his curmudgeon way of stirring up....well, poop. Doesn't every one have someone his age in their life that like to "get people's goat"?

Dan Denson · #**4338** Posted **Dec 12, 2008, 3:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

I would like to see this project disappear. The design is so extremely ugly, I cannot bear to see a "just add water" marriott box with windows on Congress ave.
I live in the 2nd street district as well, and it feels to me that this hotel will greatly constipate the east flow of the district.

Anyone have a depiction of the current Marriott design? I've been hearing about it being so ugly but haven't found a good depiction.

Strayone · #**4339** Posted **Dec 12, 2008, 5:06 AM**

Funny stuff...poop, Kelso, scary elevators! ...1/2 have "party's" for condo towers do sound fun as well.

KevinFromTexas · #**4340** Posted **Dec 12, 2008, 5:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

Anyone have a depiction of the current Marriott design? I've been hearing about it being so ugly but haven't found a good depiction.

This is the only one we've seen of it so far:

I'm thinking though that the design will be different. This rendering shows three towers. Those smaller two towers have been canceled. The project hasn't been made smaller, infact it's larger, but they placed all the hotel rooms in a single tower. They're calling it 26 floors, but it was supposedly 34 floors at one point.

And of course greenbelt's rendition of it if it were about three times as tall and plagued with a big gorilla. Also notice the giant people eating pigeons.