AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[tgbAustinite]

great pix guys! and yes, hopefully La Vista will get a facelift!

[KevinFromTexas]

Finally got the rest of my pics done from the 30th and 31st.

From Barton Creek Mall.
















Four Seasons Residences. The building should be level with the crane once it's finished.








21Rio and Texas Monthly Office Building progress.


From Saint Edward's University.










21Rio and W cranes.




Spring.

[LoneStarMike]

Wow! Those are fantastic. I especially liked the nightime ones from Barton Creek Square Mall. Notice how the green of the Monarch is reflected off 360. I'm thinking when the Austonian is done, it will reflect lights from other buildings - like One Congress Plaza.

Lately the weather and the lighting conditions have been perfect for taking photos.

[JGFrisco]

Here's a quick thought. If you want to estimate where W will wind up, look at where the crane for the Austonian is now. It appears to be 30-40' lower than the top of Frost. Pretty close approximation.

Also, won't the Four Seasons be pretty even with One Congress?

[DFW LUV]

Excellent pics KFT!

Austin looks impressive!

[KevinFromTexas]

Thanks guys.

Originally Posted by JGFrisco

Here's a quick thought. If you want to estimate where W will wind up, look at where the crane for the Austonian is now. It appears to be 30-40' lower than the top of Frost. Pretty close approximation.

Also, won't the Four Seasons be pretty even with One Congress?

That sounds right for the W. And yeah, the Four Seasons is supposed to be 394 feet. One Congress Plaza is 397 feet (according to the architects and a GIS service). So those two will be just about level with each other. The building should be level with the very top of the crane or maybe a tad higher.

[bigdogc]

shouldnt the W be a tad bigger than ashton? austonian hasnt surpassed ashton yet.

[KevinFromTexas]

Yes, the W will be 64 feet taller than The Ashton. I think JGFrisco was talking about the top of the crane for The Austonian at this point, not the base of it. The W will even be 2 feet taller than the roof of 360. It will actually have the 2nd highest roof in the city, that is if you don't count the Frost Bank Tower's crown as the roof. Technically the roof of Frost is at 442 feet. The crown actually sits on top of and around that point.

[JGFrisco]

I was talking about the current level of the Austonian crane boom. Looking again, it's probably around 480-490' right now, so the W will be very close but just below it.

[OU812]

looking at all these awesome downtown pictures and the transformation taking place, i can't help but be a little sad to think we probably won't see another significant high-rise development after the W is finished for a long looooong time. unless of course the economy miraculously rebounds real quick like.. any predictions?

[nixcity]

Just outside of downtown the Andaz hotel will be almost 200 feet, however, after that maybe only 1 or 2 of the hotel projects and 1 residential breaking ground in 09' would be a bonus. My best bets would be Van Zandt, Seaholm and for the residential Ovation.

[Northcrossed]

Originally Posted by OU812

...i can't help but be a little sad to think we probably won't see another significant high-rise development after the W is finished for a long looooong time...any predictions?

I predict that if the "W" gets only half-built it will be called the "U".

[Northcrossed]

Block 21 to include office space in addition to W
Austin Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/02/09/daily10.html

Beau Armstrong, CEO and president of Stratus Properties Inc., will discuss updates to Austin’s Block 21 project, including the addition of about 35,000 square feet of office space to that development, at a CCIM Central Texas real estate symposium on Feb. 10.

Armstrong said there will likely be a full floor user who will take up most of that space, as well as some dedicated office space set aside for condominium owners. Stratus has been talking with a law firm that’s been interested in leasing that office space and will likely become the tenant, he added.

Armstrong also said the project is still moving ahead on schedule, and construction workers will pour the first floor within the next few weeks. The W Hotel and condominium plans remain the same, he said. Pre-sale numbers total about 44 percent so far. The planned KLRU Austin City Limits theater may also grow in size, from about 2,200 seats to approximately 2,500, he said.

“Sales have been virtually nonexistent since the beginning of November, although we’re beginning to see few people poke their heads out of the hole,” Armstrong said. “But we’re not delivering it for another couple years. I think things will be considerably better by then.”

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Northcrossed

I predict that if the "W" gets only half-built it will be called the "U".

Or the 'V'. For two reasons, first, V comes before W, and if you put two 'V's together you get 'W'. [/nerd]

About the W. I wonder if the addition of 35,000 square feet of space will add any height to the building. I would imagine that would be at least one floor.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by OU812

looking at all these awesome downtown pictures and the transformation taking place, i can't help but be a little sad to think we probably won't see another significant high-rise development after the W is finished for a long looooong time. unless of course the economy miraculously rebounds real quick like.. any predictions?

I don't see that as a negative thing. We really have been lucky with our high rise boom (just ask SA), and time for absorbing the new housing and office space will be good.

The Austonian alone is quite amazing for the city. I was thinking about this, maybe Kevin knows.. Austonian is the tallest U/C in Texas, correct? When was the last time a building over 680 feet was started in Texas? And assuming completion as planned in 2010, it will be the first building over 680 ft in built in Texas in how long?

[chewy]

Hey gang. Loooong time lurker and occasionally I see a post I can shed some light on, so I decided to go ahead and sign up and give my occasional 2 cents.

Today's 2 cents:
The La Vista building is tentatively called "Fondren". The Sutton Company bought it from the original folks. It will no longer look as bad as the original design. More contemporary with a potential lighted feature on the sides similar to the green features on AMLI on 2nd.

[KevinFromTexas]

Yes, the Austonian is the tallest under construction in Texas right now at 683 feet with 56 floors.

Dallas has the Mandarin Oriental Dallas & Residences which will be 650 feet with 43 floors. It was under construction, but is now on hold.

Houston has MainPlace which is under construction. It will be 630 feet tall with 46 floors.

The last time a building as tall or taller than the Austonian was built in Texas was in 1987 when Dallas' Comerica Bank Tower was built. That building is 787 feet tall with 60 floors. It's an office building. That was also the last time a building with more floors than The Austonian was built. Two other 700 footers were also built in Texas that year. Houston's Heritage Plaza which is 762 feet tall and has 53 floors, and Dallas' 738 foot JPMorgan Chase Tower which has 55 floors.

The last time a 600 footer was built in Texas, was in 2002 when Houston's 1500 Louisiana Street was built. That building is 600 feet tall with 40 floors. It was the former home of Enron.

It should also be noted that both Houston and Dallas have at least one 700 footer in the works.

[shanny]

and we have an 830 footer in the works fingers crossed!

[hookem]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

It should also be noted that both Houston and Dallas have at least one 700 footer in the works.

In the works = proposal stage, not u/c or approved, right?

[KevinFromTexas]

It's proposed. I'm not sure if it's approved yet, and it's definitely not u/c.

There's a rendering of it in the Dallas Update thread:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=139426&page=12