AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[Texas Tuff]

Nice pics Priller, especially the first one.

[priller]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

What floors are they working on on The Austonian and Four Seasons? They gotta be on about the 29th or 30th on the Four Seasons.

They've just started floor 32 on the Four Seasons, which is essentially the top deck, where the pool will be.

The Austonian is moving the supports up to start working on floor 42 today. The 41st floor is the first floor that is slightly inset, with large balconies on the north and south ends, rather than on the corners.

[Downtown_Austin]

It's good to see someone make good use of one of those Rainey Street houses. Found Lustre Pearl the other night while walking towards Lady Bird Lake. One of the coolest vibes in downtown, IMHO.

[Strayone]

A couple low quality shots while walking the town lake trail.
Big A at 41 floors great viewfrom 2nd street


DT from the foot bridge


A couple shots of the notorious billboard.

[tgbAustinite]

good shots fellas! can't wait to check out lustre pearl, sounds like a cool, low-key venue.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by priller

They've just started floor 32 on the Four Seasons, which is essentially the top deck, where the pool will be.

Thanks for confirming that, priller. I knew the bottom part that's enclosed went up to floor 13 and I was sitting here last night with one eye closed, with a toothpick in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other (God I'm old) and I thought I counted up to 32 as well.

I haven't been downtown in a couple of months, so it's nice to see the progress.

Great shots, everyone.

[OU812]

Originally Posted by priller

The Austonian is moving the supports up to start working on floor 42 today. The 41st floor is the first floor that is slightly inset, with large balconies on the north and south ends, rather than on the corners.

Question: if the Austonian is going to be a total of 56 stories, will it actually be the equivalent height of a 57, 58, 59+ story with the large crown??

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

Thanks for confirming that, priller. I knew the bottom part that's enclosed went up to floor 13 and I was sitting here last night with one eye closed, with a toothpick in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other (God I'm old) and I thought I counted up to 32 as well.

Haha, awesome.

Originally Posted by OU812

Question: if the Austonian is going to be a total of 56 stories, will it actually be the equivalent height of a 57, 58, 59+ story with the large crown??

Only if those other buildings have boring tops! The mechanical penthouse on The Austonian is supposed to be 61 feet tall. So about ~4 floors in height. The main roof of the building is supposed to be 622 feet high, while the top of the mechanical penthouse will be 683 feet. And with the mechanical penthouse being that tall, there probably will be several levels inside of it. Maybe 2 or 3 with a "scaffold level" above that. Just my guess. Officially though, mechanical levels within rooftop penthouses aren't counted. The Frost Bank Tower, while it has 33 office floors, also has 2 mechanical floors on the roof inside the crown. The mechanical penthouse is 27 feet tall.

[priller]

Here are some W photos from yesterday. About half of the platforms for the 3rd floor are set up. They're really making progress now.

[alexjon]

Austin looks kinda urban in these photos!

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by alexjon

Austin looks kinda urban in these photos!

Downtown really is getting there.

If we can get the water treatment plant project built in the next 10 years I think we will have arrived.

[Dan Denson]

Originally Posted by hookem

I don't think it will help for this billboard, but they should probably try to rezone before any other adjacent commercial property does the same thing. Ultimately, maybe the HOA can buy the adjacent property then lease it with restrictions (such as the billboard). They'd have to have deep pockets, though... and I'm not sure how many of the units really are affected that much by the billboard. It's got to be worst for the developer or whomever holds all the unsold inventory... I thought there still was quite a bit.

Yes, it could be bad for the developer. I know I would mark this development off my list of places I would live. I don't know that everyone would feel that strongly, but there probably are some.

[KevinFromTexas]

Nice shots, Priller. I really like that first one. Unique angle there with the two cranes pointed in opposite directions.

The city council will vote on Thursday on whether to restore or not to, the old height restrictions along the river around downtown. It would return the restrictions to the 96 foot height restriction that was adopted in 1985.

Lady Bird Lake development rules coming to a vote
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/04/25/0425ladybird.html

Originally Posted by the above article

A plan to cap the height of buildings along Lady Bird Lake at a maximum of 96 feet is coming before the City Council on Thursday in what could be a politically charged vote.

The proposal would restore height limits along the lake that were approved in 1986 but effectively wiped off the city's books a few years later. Some neighborhood activists say those height limits are necessary to preserve the character of the lake, which meanders in an east-west line through the central part of the city.

One of the candidates for mayor, Council Member Lee Leffingwell, has been pushing for the height restrictions, which are sought by many of the neighborhood activists who are backing him, including the Austin Neighborhood Council.

Another mayoral candidate, Council Member Brewster McCracken, is a self-described New Urbanist who has pushed for more dense development in the middle of the city, a position that could further strain his relationship with the neighborhood groups should he vote against the proposal.

[shanny]

Austonian Correction

I have always been skeptical of the Austonian's crane being at 550' right now (and I know some of you were thinking the same thing). I thought that there is no way that crane can be at 550' and the final building at 683'...they are going to run out of floors and the building will finish at around 650'

So...I used the stacking method and calculated the height of the remaining floors once the Austonian reaches 515' (the height of the frost tower) and discovered that the crane actually is at about 575'.

Any thoughts? Am I wrong? I cant be the only one who had this cross their mind!

[migol24]

Originally Posted by shanny

Austonian Correction

I have always been skeptical of the Austonian's crane being at 550' right now (and I know some of you were thinking the same thing). I thought that there is no way that crane can be at 550' and the final building at 683'...they are going to run out of floors and the building will finish at around 650'

So...I used the stacking method and calculated the height of the remaining floors once the Austonian reaches 515' (the height of the frost tower) and discovered that the crane actually is at about 575'.

Any thoughts? Am I wrong? I cant be the only one who had this cross their mind!

i think the line you crossed that connects to the frost tower would actually be slightly higher. since the frost is further behind and would actually get bigger in your perspective making the frost look taller and might actually bring that blue line up higher. i dunno... make sense?

[shanny]

I dont think so....one congress plaza 391ft(brown building in front of frost) and one american center 395ft (behind the austonian) appear to be the same height and are six blocks apart. there is a 4ft height difference between these buildings. the austonian and frost tower are only two blocks apart. i think this picture was taken from high enough for the height of the buildings not to be skewed.

regardless, the crane is not at 550'

[arbeiter]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Nice shots, Priller. I really like that first one. Unique angle there with the two cranes pointed in opposite directions.

The city council will vote on Thursday on whether to restore or not to, the old height restrictions along the river around downtown. It would return the restrictions to the 96 foot height restriction that was adopted in 1985.

Lady Bird Lake development rules coming to a vote
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/04/25/0425ladybird.html

What a terrible idea. I think it's a combination of altruistic typical "old school liberal" Austinites that think that high-rises = Dallasification. Having high-rises next to the water is not a bad thing, in fact, it makes the city prettier if they're nice buildings. Ever seen the Melbourne Yarra water front? it is a mixture of bridges, subtropical trees, and narrow, very tall high-rises. It looks amazing.

I think that as long as the actual Lady Bird Lake trails and parkland is preserved, there's no need for any height restriction, or only for a moderate one (maybe under 450) or something.

[Downtown_Austin]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

I think that as long as the actual Lady Bird Lake trails and parkland is preserved, there's no need for any height restriction, or only for a moderate one (maybe under 450) or something.

I'm ambivalent about blanket height restrictions across the lake. I'm more concerned about the Austin Neighborhood Council political machine driving the outcome. It would be nice to be able to go vertical on the Statesman property.

[jowens]

Originally Posted by shanny

I dont think so....one congress plaza 391ft(brown building in front of frost) and one american center 395ft (behind the austonian) appear to be the same height and are six blocks apart. there is a 4ft height difference between these buildings. the austonian and frost tower are only two blocks apart. i think this picture was taken from high enough for the height of the buildings not to be skewed.

regardless, the crane is not at 550'

FWIW, there's a somewhat considerable elevation difference between these buildings that exaggerates the 4' advantage height One American Center has over One Congress Plaza.

[tgbAustinite]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

What a terrible idea. I think it's a combination of altruistic typical "old school liberal" Austinites that think that high-rises = Dallasification. Having high-rises next to the water is not a bad thing, in fact, it makes the city prettier if they're nice buildings. Ever seen the Melbourne Yarra water front? it is a mixture of bridges, subtropical trees, and narrow, very tall high-rises. It looks amazing.

I think that as long as the actual Lady Bird Lake trails and parkland is preserved, there's no need for any height restriction, or only for a moderate one (maybe under 450) or something.

i largely agree. it can be gorgeous if done right. central austin needs more density and needs to have a larger urban core, on both sides of the river; especially with the way the city's growing.