AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[priller]

There are still a ton of Capitol view corridors in effect. Too many, in my opinion.

[priller]

It's been a long time since I've taken any photos at the Star Riverside site. Went by there today during lunch. They've done a ton of work since I last looked, they're well under way on the underground parking levels. But curiously only about 5 people were working on site. Maybe it was because it was lunch time.





Huge drainage area:



Austonian moved up to 47th floor today. Now officially the 2nd tallest building in Austin!













While the camera was moving around I accidentally snapped a shot. But I thought it turned out pretty cool.

[Strayone]

Thank you Priller ...LOL! I do love the Capitol but I love the developments DT of the city as much or more. Also your pics from 2 pages back are sick, they looked almost animated...very nice!
On another similar note I was driving on I35 toward DT today and intended to get off near Highland mall but decided to go on to see the view from the upper deck. As I viewed the skyline it occured to me that as much as I want the continued growth I am now at that point where I just want to see the finished product. IE... I am looking forward to no cranes in the view and all the buildings finished. Most large cities don't have such a unfinished look as our fair city does. I'm in no way complaining but it has been what 3 yrs. of cranes and I am forgive me looking forward to the beauty of the end product. Don't hate me...just thinking (typing) aloud.

Originally Posted by priller

There are still a ton of Capitol view corridors in effect. Too many, in my opinion.

[Northcrossed]

Originally Posted by OU812

Thank god for forums like this where people can appreciate the beauty of skyscrapers. Ever get into arguments with people that think all these new high rise buildings are a blight to the city? These are same types that hate all forms of growth no matter what and always lament on the old hippy sleepy days of 1960s Austin.. "Armadillo World Headquarters"!! ...ad nauseum lol

I'm sorry for being born here, but I'm still smart enough to realize that our downtown was a waste of infrastructure (Rachel Maddow just got a tingly feeling) without taller buildings. And people living indoors for a change.

Don’t be so fast to disregard middle-aged native Austinites, though. We’re the only ones who remember little things like how the City promised us that the John Henry Faulk Central Library (c. 1979) was a permanent solution to our book overpopulation problem. Now, thirty years later, we’re being told “oh, no, it was just a temporary solution.” Like they expect you to believe that Austin voters in the 70’s would agree to spend tens of millions of dollars (back when a million bucks was a lot of money) on a temporary anything. Maybe you do believe it; you wouldn't know.

Meanwhile, we’re being told the police department headquarters building (same era, same scale budget, same “permanent solution” boast for the voters) is hopelessly overcrowded and needs to be replaced with something twice as large, only now it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Has it not occurred to the geniuses at City Hall or the APD that half of the police department’s work is administrative, and the completely distinct other half catches bad guys, takes them to jail, works with the DA’s office, and testifies in court?

So the administrative half of APD could stay where it is, and the patrol and detective divisions could use...hmmm...they’d need a building close to the jail and courthouse...I wonder.... Why, there’s the [soon to be vacant] John Henry Faulk building one block from the jail and the courthouse! We could put the other half of the APD in that building the citizens already bought (and maybe even paid for, unless the City was dumb enough to sell 50-year bonds). APD needs twice the square footage downtown and I just found it for them for about $10 a square foot to remodel a bit, instead of the $300 a square foot they’d need to build a new police palace.

But don’t listen to us middle-aged native Austinites. We cherish you big-sales-tax-generating, big Austin Energy* consuming immigrants who left whatever hellhole you were in to come here and tell us how you did it in California or San Antonio ("LOOPS…MUST HAVE LOOPS…OR…WILL……DIE!!!") and why your way is the only way. And we know you'll vote for any proposition, any increase in public indebtedness, any folly or whimsy, because that's the way you did it back home. But "good on ya" for paying for a disproportionate share of it for me. And it really was better here in the 70's.

*not just a utility, but a big profit center. Thank you for keeping your 3,500 sq. ft. house at 68 degrees all summer long. Ka-ching!

[nixcity]

^I've been here almost 9 years and I still find that funny. I moved from Wichita, Kansas and I don't want us to do anything like they do there, but I do get that feeling from a lot of the Californians. Your idea to repurpose the library sounds great, I wonder if that has been proposed, especially in a time of financial need. However, one must be weary when a city (especially one that doubles in population every 20 years) says they have a permanent solution, things will change, but we definately should look at as many ways possible to reuse or repurpose spaces.

[KevinFromTexas]

Native Austinite here. I was born in San Antonio, but that was only because my folks had a family doctor there.

Great shots, priller. The sunset last night was amazing. Our backyard was bathed in a haunting orange glow. Glad you captured it.

I know what you mean about the cranes, Strayone. They were a very cool sight back in 2000 since it was really the first time there was major construction in Austin since I had become interested in skyscrapers. They're still cool of course, and a great sign that the city is doing well, but yeah, I do long for the finished product. A few cranes can be sort of beautiful really, but a ton of them can make the skyline look cluttered and awkward.

Originally Posted by Northcrossed

Don’t be so fast to disregard middle-aged native Austinites, though. We’re the only ones who remember little things like how the City promised us that the John Henry Faulk Central Library (c. 1979) was a permanent solution to our book overpopulation problem. Now, thirty years later, we’re being told “oh, no, it was just a temporary solution.” Like they expect you to believe that Austin voters in the 70’s would agree to spend tens of millions of dollars (back when a million bucks was a lot of money) on a temporary anything. Maybe you do believe it; you wouldn't know.

Haha, well, Austin is well known for that actually. I mean our "temporary" city hall took residence in a tiny, 1970s(1960s?) built, uninspiring, tan colored building for 30 years that had previously been used as the offices of a lumber yard (Calcasieu Lumber).

I think the future plans for the Faulk Central Library is to move the Austin History Center there, which ironically is located nextdoor in the previous central library. lol

I believe the police headquarters was built in 1982. A lot of people say it's ugly, and it is, but I sort of have a thing for strange architecture.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by Northcrossed

I'm sorry for being born here, but I'm still smart enough to realize that our downtown was a waste of infrastructure (Rachel Maddow just got a tingly feeling) without taller buildings. And people living indoors for a change.

Don’t be so fast to disregard middle-aged native Austinites, though. We’re the only ones who remember little things like how the City promised us that the John Henry Faulk Central Library (c. 1979) was a permanent solution to our book overpopulation problem. Now, thirty years later, we’re being told “oh, no, it was just a temporary solution.” Like they expect you to believe that Austin voters in the 70’s would agree to spend tens of millions of dollars (back when a million bucks was a lot of money) on a temporary anything. Maybe you do believe it; you wouldn't know.

Meanwhile, we’re being told the police department headquarters building (same era, same scale budget, same “permanent solution” boast for the voters) is hopelessly overcrowded and needs to be replaced with something twice as large, only now it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Has it not occurred to the geniuses at City Hall or the APD that half of the police department’s work is administrative, and the completely distinct other half catches bad guys, takes them to jail, works with the DA’s office, and testifies in court?

So the administrative half of APD could stay where it is, and the patrol and detective divisions could use...hmmm...they’d need a building close to the jail and courthouse...I wonder.... Why, there’s the [soon to be vacant] John Henry Faulk building one block from the jail and the courthouse! We could put the other half of the APD in that building the citizens already bought (and maybe even paid for, unless the City was dumb enough to sell 50-year bonds). APD needs twice the square footage downtown and I just found it for them for about $10 a square foot to remodel a bit, instead of the $300 a square foot they’d need to build a new police palace.

But don’t listen to us middle-aged native Austinites. We cherish you big-sales-tax-generating, big Austin Energy* consuming immigrants who left whatever hellhole you were in to come here and tell us how you did it in California or San Antonio ("LOOPS…MUST HAVE LOOPS…OR…WILL……DIE!!!") and why your way is the only way. And we know you'll vote for any proposition, any increase in public indebtedness, any folly or whimsy, because that's the way you did it back home. But "good on ya" for paying for a disproportionate share of it for me. And it really was better here in the 70's.

*not just a utility, but a big profit center. Thank you for keeping your 3,500 sq. ft. house at 68 degrees all summer long. Ka-ching!

And this, folks, is where all the jokes come from. And rightfully so.

[Saddle Man]

.

[KevinFromTexas]

Yeah, but they do have a point about the Armadillo World Headquarters. Haha, I mean where else could you share a doobie with city leaders and bring hippies and rednecks together in a fairly peaceful way? Seriously, the place was known for allowing pot, but the police never busted the place because they knew local politicians, even state politicians, frequented the place, and there was a fear they'd wind up busting them. Not to mention the place was legendary for music. AC/DC did their first North American concert there in 1977. And Willie Nelson a bunch of others owe their careers to the place. It's gone now of course. One Texas Center on Barton Springs occupies the spot.

As for the Faulk library building being reused for the police station, I would think it's too small for their needs. Not only that but I doubt it would fit their needs either. It would likely need to be gutted and rebuilt inside to fortify the walls and make it secure for inmates. Any windows that were in the inmate area would likely have to be replaced too.

[Northcrossed]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

As for the Faulk library building being reused for the police station, I would think it's too small for their needs. Not only that but I doubt it would fit their needs either. It would likely need to be gutted and rebuilt inside to fortify the walls and make it secure for inmates. Any windows that were in the inmate area would likely have to be replaced too.

Not the entire police department, just those functions (about half the personnel and office space needs of the headquarters) that need to coordinate with the county facilities one block away. Need more parking? Then do a joint project with the county on their several blocks of nearly-vacant land (and include free parking for jurors, and watch the response rate to jury summonses increase).

The only "inmates" at ADP headquarters are ones that just got arrested in an interrogation room...then they're delivered to the county. Arrestees from the field are taken directly to the county jail adjacent to the courthouse (I don't know this from personal experience, it's just what I've read). The crime lab is in an industrial complex out on Cameron Road, and 911 and radio/wireless data support are at Mueller. That would leave plenty of room in the existing HQ for administration.

I agree that you don't want all that ground-floor glass, but they could warehouse the glass (to replace panes on upper floors over the years), cinderblock-in those windows, and it's fortified. Put stucco or even real bricks on the outside if you want.

I'm a member of the History Center Association, and am aware that they want to move (expand, actually, since the old-old library is an architectural treasure itself) into Faulk, but as a citizen I've been looking for the magic tree that all the municipal money grows on and I can't locate it. I'm beginning to think it doesn't exist, even though voter behavior tells me that it must.

The existing police headquarters is supposed to have a very large atrium, rivaling a Hyatt hotel (again, I haven't been there). Since they've got people working on staircase landings (I wonder what the fire department thinks of that) why haven't they decked-in the atrium and added floorspace that way? Because they don't have to...they'll just put a bond offering on the ballot and, presto, hundreds of millions of dollars to build a new thingy instead of making the existing thingy more usable at a fraction of the cost.

[Dan Denson]

Originally Posted by Northcrossed

I'm sorry for being born here, but I'm still smart enough to realize that our downtown was a waste of infrastructure (Rachel Maddow just got a tingly feeling) without taller buildings. And people living indoors for a change.

Don’t be so fast to disregard middle-aged native Austinites, though. We’re the only ones who remember little things like how the City promised us that the John Henry Faulk Central Library (c. 1979) was a permanent solution to our book overpopulation problem. Now, thirty years later, we’re being told “oh, no, it was just a temporary solution.” Like they expect you to believe that Austin voters in the 70’s would agree to spend tens of millions of dollars (back when a million bucks was a lot of money) on a temporary anything. Maybe you do believe it; you wouldn't know.

Meanwhile, we’re being told the police department headquarters building (same era, same scale budget, same “permanent solution” boast for the voters) is hopelessly overcrowded and needs to be replaced with something twice as large, only now it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Has it not occurred to the geniuses at City Hall or the APD that half of the police department’s work is administrative, and the completely distinct other half catches bad guys, takes them to jail, works with the DA’s office, and testifies in court?

So the administrative half of APD could stay where it is, and the patrol and detective divisions could use...hmmm...they’d need a building close to the jail and courthouse...I wonder.... Why, there’s the [soon to be vacant] John Henry Faulk building one block from the jail and the courthouse! We could put the other half of the APD in that building the citizens already bought (and maybe even paid for, unless the City was dumb enough to sell 50-year bonds). APD needs twice the square footage downtown and I just found it for them for about $10 a square foot to remodel a bit, instead of the $300 a square foot they’d need to build a new police palace.

But don’t listen to us middle-aged native Austinites. We cherish you big-sales-tax-generating, big Austin Energy* consuming immigrants who left whatever hellhole you were in to come here and tell us how you did it in California or San Antonio ("LOOPS…MUST HAVE LOOPS…OR…WILL……DIE!!!") and why your way is the only way. And we know you'll vote for any proposition, any increase in public indebtedness, any folly or whimsy, because that's the way you did it back home. But "good on ya" for paying for a disproportionate share of it for me. And it really was better here in the 70's.

*not just a utility, but a big profit center. Thank you for keeping your 3,500 sq. ft. house at 68 degrees all summer long. Ka-ching!

I hear ya...but change happens. And it's been a lot of natives of the city and state that have been driving the change, in pursuit of the big dollars. The John Kelso mentality that "it's someone else's fault" is BS.

Change is how it is just about everywhere in the sunbelt. Rapid change.

For me, I'd love it if we had preserved a lot of the great things from the past (e.g., the famous clubs, restaurants, landmarks) but I also like the excitement and energy of the current Austin. Architecturally, this city was the most boring place on earth until just a few years ago. What's happening now appeals to a lot of us who also would like to have some of the things we used to have.

[Northcrossed]

Originally Posted by Dan Denson

Architecturally, this city was the most boring place on earth until just a few years ago. What's happening now appeals to a lot of us who also would like to have some of the things we used to have.

It's perfectly fine for free enterprise to risk its capital to make things exciting and should be rewarded by the marketplace when it succeeds, but building an "exciting" cophouse is a misuse of public funds.

You newbies don't remember that the City bought One Texas Center for office space because the developer went TU before it was complete and we got it for next-to-nothing. It's a dull building, but an excellent use of your tax dollars. Would it be worth an extra million if it came with neon tubes on it? How much more for marble floors? Why not gold toilets? Now it's an exciting building (that most people will never notice or enter) but it cost a billion dollars...good use of your tax money? Draw the line, Mr. Taxpayer. You're going to be paying for it for the next 30-50 years, even if it gets torn down in 25 (ask the people of Dallas how they're going to finish paying for their Reunion Arena bonds when they just knocked it down).

California though everything was going to be wonderful forever just 5 years ago (because real estate only goes up, right?) and now they're an economic basket case, but they still have to pay for everything that made it so wonderful there so they issue worthless IOUs as state income tax refunds (but demand payment in dollars or you go to jail) and rifle through people's safe deposit boxes for loot (true story, check the SF Chronicle archives) to keep the state going, sort of. Detroit keeps having fantasies about light rail (they already have a monorail) to serve neighborhoods that are half-vacant and rapidly depopulating, and spending a billion or so to redevelop their convention center for --- get this --- THE AUTO SHOW! Like there's going to be a Detroit Auto Show in 5 or 10 years. True story; check the Detroit Daily News and/or Detroit Free Press websites (use the print edition viewer, it has more stories than the HTML-based news pages)...they've been daily topics in both newspapers for months.

But, hey, it's just money, right? We'll just pick some more off the magic tree.

[Saddle Man]

.

[Scottolini]

Absolutely! Every time I see the Texas State Capitol building, or the University of Texas Clock Tower I get pissed off. What were those tax and spend liberals thinking blowing our money on such extravagances?

[Scottolini]

And don't get me started on the Austin airport, City Hall, Butler Park and it's fountain draining our tax dollars away, or any of the other countless "exciting" boondoggles plaguing our city.

[Myomi]

Yeah, and don't forget Zilker Park and the land around Town lake. What a waste of space. The city should definitely lease all of it to the highest bidder.

[OU812]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

I go to school in Arkansas now, a small town, about 24,000. It was a terrible terrible terrible decision. The morons like the ones in my photo are everywhere. I am used to these people and it makes me sick that when most of the world thinks of the US they still think of it as being composed mostly of idiot rednecks. But I can assure you that these people are for real and there are many of them and its scary but yes, they are dying out in most places. But in states like Arkansas, a lot of the kids I know are just like these tards. Its truly sad.

Hey not for nothing but I thought you might get a kick out of these videos (if you haven't already seen them in person lol). I used to know guys like this from back in high school. Heck I partied with 'em a time or 2 or 6...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNPxIibhcKY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95qZtwJNjxk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fds_hupE2vQ&feature=related
Well I guess rednecks provide at least one rather valuable asset: comic relief! hehe

[OU812]

Originally Posted by hookem

Aw, don't be dissing on Alex Jones. He's keeping Austin weird!

Sorry, I would have to respectfully disagree. I used to have a cable access show back in the mid/late 90s and would always see Jones hanging around the TV station. I always found him to be one of the most arrogant jerks I've ever had the misfortune of running across. And I always wondered how he made a living because he was ALWAYS at the station day and night (driving there in his big expensive SUV at the time no less). I assumed that maybe he was a trust fund kid and didn't know what else to do with himself. Now he probably makes money selling ads off his stupid website or hocking gaudy bumper stickers and T-shirts or whatever else to sell his phony agenda. I mean really pay attention to the way this guy acts and carries himself- it's all classic narcissistic delusions-of-grandeur behavior. His voice is irritating as hell too. Dang, see now I'm all riled up. I'll just stop and not respond anymore about this clown. By the way, want to listen to quality talk radio get Sirius/XM, has everything: business, self-help, comedy, non-political talk, etc. etc.

Also, I don't think Jones is keeping Austin weird, he's keeping Austin PARANOID more like it.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Great shots, priller. The sunset last night was amazing.

Man, I'll drink to that.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I know what you mean about the cranes, Strayone. They were a very cool sight back in 2000 since it was really the first time there was major construction in Austin since I had become interested in skyscrapers. They're still cool of course, and a great sign that the city is doing well, but yeah, I do long for the finished product. A few cranes can be sort of beautiful really, but a ton of them can make the skyline look cluttered and awkward.

You know it still may be awhile before we see our skyline without any cranes. The W hotel is still in the early stages of construction and by the time it gets close to being topped out, we may possibly have some projects that are on hold now finally start up. C21, Ovation possibly, who knows. I have a feeling though that it may be another 5 years or more that we will continue to see cranes in our skyline.