AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 275

KevinFromTexas · #**5481** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 3:35 AM**

I saw it this evening and thought, you know, that looks like a 50-story building! Amazing!

Austin is now only the third city in Texas to have a 50-story skyscraper. We're witnessing history folks. A few notes. Our first 50-story building has more floors than Dallas and Houston's first 50+ story buildings. And our's is residential. It's also the first 50+ story residential building in Texas.

Dallas - Republic Center Tower II - 598 feet - 53 floors - 1964

Houston - One Shell Plaza - 714 feet - 50 floors - 1971 (First 700+ foot building in Texas).

Austin - The Austonian - 683 feet - 56 floors - 2009

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5482** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 3:43 AM**

Yipee! This flood of information makes me happy! Floor 50 today! Thanks for the info, Kevin. It gives me a smile.

Austin Rises · #**5483** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 3:53 AM**

Austin in the making!!!

This is a great day in history. I think this gives all of us a smile!

ivanwolf · #**5484** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 4:32 AM**

I was visiting a friend out in the boonies and came across this view.

From this location on Turnersville Rd.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...97.799107&spn=0.003671,0.005112&t=h&z=18

KevinFromTexas · #**5485** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 4:46 AM**

Awesome. I had read an article that was talking about Cabelas in Buda. They interviewed a neighbor of Cabelas. They mentioned they could see the UT Tower, but I thought for sure they were seeing something else. The view above is about 12 miles from downtown just inside the county line.

jowens · #**5486** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 6:03 AM**

Great photos everyone!!

These are definately special times for our city!!!

LoneStarMike · #**5487** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 11:01 AM**

I'm loving all these photos!

zx14 · #**5488** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 12:15 PM**

Austonian has passed up the main roof of one of the most well known resedential highrises in history. The Chicago Marina City towers.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5489** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 2:13 PM**

Keep on the info and pictures I'm lovin' it!

Mopacs · #**5490** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 2:18 PM**

Great pics ivanwolf! One item of note... I spot the "Mushroom" resivoir, which is on the far north side near Round Rock. That is probably the farthest vantage point to the south that I've seen. To the north, you can spot the Mushroom from as far away as Jarrell (on I-35). We're talkin' a 45-50 mile range. Just imagine if downtown sat atop that same ridge.

tgbAustinite · #**5491** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 3:13 PM**

awesome, awesome photo updates guys! thank you!

Austin Rises · #**5492** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 3:23 PM**

Photos from this morning!!!

Enjoy!!!

Spring

We had a beautiful morning today!!!

Sun beams hitting Downtown Austin

How about our new 50 story tower!!!

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5493** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 4:13 PM**

Thanks for the photos, Austin Rises. You can now easily tell what the skyline is going to look like with the Austonian and the masses.

Mopacs · #**5494** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 4:40 PM**

Thanks

Mopacs · #**5495** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 4:42 PM**

Thanks for posting Austin Rises! What an impressive building this has become. The slender design has had more of an impact that I thought possible. It really gives the impression it is even taller than it is (in a similar way to the Bayfront towers in Corpus). The Austonian blasts away the rather 'stubby' appearance our skyline has had all these years.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5496** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 4:52 PM**

Your correct Mopacs. In the days before this boom and after the tech boom, we had a "stubby" appearance to the skyline though spacious and classical. Nowadays, we have an impressive skyline that matches the size of Austin.

zx14 · #**5497** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 9:23 PM**

dont want to crash the party but Austin has a 49 story building. I really want to see when they complete the next floor what it will look like. Starting on a floor does not mean a completed floor. Sorry guys that is just the way I feel.

rhoby13 · #**5498** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 9:47 PM**

Photos from the sky!

Mueller Development

The Domain

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5499** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 9:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zx14

dont want to crash the party but Austin has a 49 story building. I really want to see when they complete the next floor what it will look like. Starting on a floor does not mean a completed floor. Sorry guys that is just the way I feel.

Nah, we all know that it's floor 49 to the complete. We just party up when a new floor is in the making. The height of the Austonian measures up to the roof of the 50th floor not including the cement core elevator. So we just celebrate right guys? So that's not going to crash the party?!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhoby13

Photos from the sky!

I didn't see the photo rhoby. If anybody saw the picture just send it to me via Imageshack or Flickr. I'm really interested in the skyline from the sky.

OU812 · #**5500** Posted **Jun 16, 2009, 10:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myomi

Northcross, I am trying to stay on topic as much as possible, so...
I totally agree with you about wasting city blocks on low rise city buildings. I definitely think the federal courthouse and especially the library should be relocated. But that doesn't change the fact that we need a new library. The fact of the matter is that it is woefully inadequate right now. The only reason I see that we wouldn't need a new one is that there is an incredible one north of the current one. Frankly though, if you take into account UT's library, the only reason for Austin to have a library is for Austin residents to get a library card and then participate in TexShare. If you want to make that arguement, then I would actually agree with you. I frankly have no idea why people use Austin's libraries when you could use the 8th largest library in the country.
But if that argument doesn't work for you (why should a city be reliant on an outside institution for something as basic as its library), then the current library has lived out its usefulness. Both it and the police headquarters were built when Austin were less than 1/2 of it's current size. And it is not like these buildings are going to just disappear. The current library will be used for the Austin History Center. These also need a new building because they too are quickly running out of space. Adaptive reuse is already used in Austin. But that doesn't change the fact that Austin has grown very quickly and much of its old infustructure was not designed to cope with today's populations.

Austin's downtown library sucks. I use it periodically and it's a very sad situation there. Small, cramped, lame parking, stinks! (smells like a putrid mixture of urine and sweat), and quite fugly inside/out. We already voted for a new one a couple of years ago but apparently it's taking forever to get built. It's ridiculous that Austin has such a substandard "main" library considering it's supposed to be known for it's embracement of the arts, public services, education, etc.

In contrast, Irving TX, which is just a small Dallas suburb, has a nicer main library than Austin's!!