Former Concordia University Site Redevelopment

[nixcity]

I think this is the best redevelopment site in all of Austin and the article says the hotel is already under construction, that must be the big hole they have been digging. Also, one of the renders looks like there is a building taller than the hotel, that must just be the "vision." Too bad there is no rail transit over there, it looks like a perfect TOD.

[Mopacs]

Here's a fly-through video of the development at build-out. Includes a south-facing pano from what is presumably the upper floors of the Hotel Andaz

http://eastave.net/assetts/media/movie_sm.html

The video shows how close the development is to the UT campus. You have to think that UT students will take up a good chunk of the residential units within, if the Triangle project is any indication. I believe the Red River shuttle bus passes within a block of the project. Perhaps the route will take a quick 'jog' onto East Avenue itself.

[Mopacs]

...and it does (Route "RR"):

http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transp...ustin-bus.html

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Looks like the Quarry Village on super-steroids.

[Jdawgboy]

You know I normally would be upset about the fact that they lowered the heights from up to 300 feet to where they are now but I think it was the right thing for the location. It will still be a very nice dense area and yet not out of place for the height.

[priller]

We need some pictures on this thread! This is the first building, where Texas Monthly will reside. These were taken on Dec 13, 2008. Since then the building has topped out (I think) and they've started adding the parking structure.





This is the view from the southwest:


From the south:

[Paul in S.A TX]

Impressive! How close is this to the Mueller development?

[Mdlx]

Originally Posted by Paul in S.A TX

Impressive! How close is this to the Mueller development?

Its roughly a mile from Mueller along 38.5 St.

Or in other words a very short bike ride.

[KevinFromTexas]

Here are a few from I-35 I took on 1/17. Sorry for the quality, the first two shots were on the wrong setting, so I had to rush to fix it and had to hang out the window for these two.

[alexjon]

Stripmall + a few floors of office space = this

[hookem]

Originally Posted by alexjon

Stripmall + a few floors of office space = this

I don't see surface parking lots, and I do see green roofs (and walls), so I'm happy with it.

[priller]

Originally Posted by alexjon

Stripmall + a few floors of office space = this

Oh, come on. I think of this as a slightly more dense Domain.

[Dan Denson]

Originally Posted by priller

Oh, come on. I think of this as a slightly more dense Domain.

Regarding the domain, I like the looks of it a lot more than the domain (and the location is very appealing).

[Samwill89]

Originally Posted by alexjon

Stripmall + a few floors of office space = this

You could make that argument for any development or any downtown. So I take that as a compliment.

[JoMo]

Kevin here are the heights of the buildings straight from the building elevations
-Texas Monthly Office Building
T.O.Parapet - 119' -8 1/2"
T.O.Mechanical Penthouse - 127' -10 1/4"

-Hotel Andaz
T.O.Roof - 182'-0"
This this the height limit set by the PUD

[KevinFromTexas]

Thanks! Is that first height for the Texas Monthly building to the main roof parapet or the mechanical penthouse parapet? Do mechanical penthouses typically have parapets? Surely there is some maintenance needed up there, so I would think so for safety reasons.

And do you know what the main roof height is for the Hotel Andaz?

If you know the heights of all the buildings, I'd love to hear them. Main roof and mechanical penthouse heights, even for the shorter buildings.


This looks like a great project. That flyover video that Mopacs posted really shows how nice it'll be.

[arbeiter]

It looks great, but does anyone want to hang out that close to the double decks of IH-35? And I think this is a secret ploy to prevent expansion of 35 for the next 100 years!

[Raining Inside]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

It looks great, but does anyone want to hang out that close to the double decks of IH-35? And I think this is a secret ploy to prevent expansion of 35 for the next 100 years!

I hang out out on the double decks every day. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

[JoMo]

Kevin the first height is to the top of parapet for the main roof. Typically you do not have a parapet on mech. penthouse, any maintanece for the mech units will be inside the penthouse not on top. When you have a parapet you have to either have internal drains or downspouts and scuppers, so most mech penthouse have a sloped roof that drains off onto the main roof system. Also parapets do not have to very tall, just enough to turn up your roof membrane and flash it. If there is equipment close to a parapet you will need fall protection so sometimes you can just have a little bite taller parapet for this or u can add life safety cables that people can tie down too.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

It looks great, but does anyone want to hang out that close to the double decks of IH-35? And I think this is a secret ploy to prevent expansion of 35 for the next 100 years!

Based on the renderings and plans, it appears there is a significant buffer between the freeway and even the closest buildings. For instance, the TexasMonthly tower has its parking garage directly adjacent to the decks (and only the upper-most windows facing east). Everything is oriented away from the interstate.

Also, there appears to be a large wall extending out and north from the TXMo building (almost like a fortress). If you look closely, there is an entry way to/from the freeway's access road, 'cut out' of this wall (forming a monument-type entrance).


This image is from the perspective of the southbound upper deck.