Check out "Outlaw Blues" on DVD starring Peter Fonda if you want to see 1977 Austin. There is a car chase scene through DT (the color of the APD cars was accurate through the 80's) and they drove a boat over a dam on lake Austin.
Timing an Airline flying over 35 landing at the old airport was pretty cool too. They came in so low the highway lights were stunted so the planes wouldn't crash into them.
Great stuff. I sure miss the baby blue Crown Vic's APD used to drive. No I don't.
Fondren: Final slab was poured last week...penthouse/restrooms aren't done. Backlit art deco "fins" are still in on either side. Roof, penthouse, and architectural feature's ("fins") heights are 120'-4", 132'-5.5", and 145'-2.75" respectively. HVAC will be in the lower floors...hole in the garage is where the condensers will be blasting out.
Great stuff. I sure miss the baby blue Crown Vic's APD used to drive. No I don't.
Fondren: Final slab was poured last week...penthouse/restrooms aren't done. Backlit art deco "fins" are still in on either side. Roof, penthouse, and architectural feature's ("fins") heights are 120'-4", 132'-5.5", and 145'-2.75" respectively. HVAC will be in the lower floors...hole in the garage is where the condensers will be blasting out.
Thanks for the info...... last question
Will the "fins" be a light fixture or an architectural feature that is lit? Make sense?
Unscientific construction count;
I used Emporis as my main reference, all buildings, including schools and garages as they were built out of growth needs. Here's the rough but revealing results:
80's - 56
90's - 10
2000's - 80 and counting.
2000's clearly the winner, 90's, dead. What decade had the biggest impact in terms of all construction in the entire Austin area, including I35 corridor, 360,
Mopac, 183, including the Arboretum, you be the judge. My vote is still the
80's because of the huge amount of ground it covered. Almost all the major hotels along 35 from south of DT to Runberg, not to mention the Arboretum complex were built in the 80's including the 3 mids at 71 and 35. Credit UT for a good percentage of the 2000's #'s.
I am confused because Austin doesn't have that many highrises. If we're talking non-highrise development as well, then that's a whole other story. The 1990s had tons of development, just not much in the highrise category. And of course if non-highrise development is included the 2000s have been outrageous, and there's no way the 1980s could match. So many houses, schools, retail centers, hotels, office buildings, hospitals, etc. like never before in this region that have sprawled in every direction.
I think the 2000s have certainly been a bigger highrise boom in Austin than the 80s. But when you consider the change from 1980 to 1990, versus 2000 to 2010 I believe the 80s were more dramatic because we went from really nothing to something in the skyline dept. This time we're just going from small to midsized.
The numbers I posted doesn't represent houses, apartment complexes, 7-Elevens, small strip centers, or just high-rises, and is not 100% accurate.
The purpose was to highlight the bigger impact projects throughout the city during the last 3 decades and to generate debate on which decade had a bigger impact.
I totally agree with Scottolini.
due to ridging and the overall dry airmass developing. Also due to the dry conditions on the ground. Expect a high tomorow of 106. and on thursday (I know the weatherservice is not calling for it ) a record breaking 108 to 110. This has set up simmilar to 2000. Temps are jumping with any sign of sunshine. just today the temp spiked to 101 after 6 when the sun came out from a cloudbank. Now when the clouds clear look out record books. Sorry dont mean to get off topic. Just think how the construction boom has caused an urban heat island. the more Austin builds the higher the temps near the center of town go. Also the temps at the Airport are higher because of the increased concrete parkinglots and such.
Thanks for the info Chewy. I was just wondering, if La Vista on Lavaca has changed names and design and all, then why is the website still calling the building 'La Vista on Lavaca' and nothing seems to have changed in the plans. Why so?
Just think how the construction boom has caused an urban heat island. the more Austin builds the higher the temps near the center of town go. Also the temps at the Airport are higher because of the increased concrete parkinglots and such.
Quick, someone grab a camera and find out what the heck they're doing in La Grange then, because man, it was 105F there the other day and only like 101F in Austin. La Grange, what you up to? Maybe the Chicken Ranch went urban. I don't know.
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due to ridging and the overall dry airmass developing. Also due to the dry conditions on the ground. Expect a high tomorow of 106. and on thursday (I know the weatherservice is not calling for it ) a record breaking 108 to 110. This has set up simmilar to 2000. Temps are jumping with any sign of sunshine. just today the temp spiked to 101 after 6 when the sun came out from a cloudbank. Now when the clouds clear look out record books. Sorry dont mean to get off topic. Just think how the construction boom has caused an urban heat island. the more Austin builds the higher the temps near the center of town go. Also the temps at the Airport are higher because of the increased concrete parkinglots and such.
Although the urban heat island effect can increase the temperature by a few degrees, this three-week heat wave is the result of a persistent high pressure ridge over this part of the country. All areas, including rural areas unaffected by the urban heat island effect, are suffering through this ridiculous heat wave. Interestingly, Camp Mabry is running hotter than almost anywhere in central Texas. It didn't used to. I've been discussing this with other meteorolgists and found that the weather service has checked the Camp Mabry thermometer and found nothing wrong. However, the weather service allows a tolerance of plus or minus two degrees on its thermometers, so it's possible that the Camp Mabry thermometer is indeed reading high, but within "acceptable" tolerance. But no matter what, this is a historic heat wave (the worst in Austin's history).
due to ridging and the overall dry airmass developing. Also due to the dry conditions on the ground. Expect a high tomorow of 106. and on thursday (I know the weatherservice is not calling for it ) a record breaking 108 to 110. This has set up simmilar to 2000. Temps are jumping with any sign of sunshine. just today the temp spiked to 101 after 6 when the sun came out from a cloudbank. Now when the clouds clear look out record books. Sorry dont mean to get off topic. Just think how the construction boom has caused an urban heat island. the more Austin builds the higher the temps near the center of town go. Also the temps at the Airport are higher because of the increased concrete parkinglots and such.
I should have mentioned that I didn't mean to say you were attributing the heat wave to just the urban heat island effect. I was just expanding on what you already mentioned. Thanks for bringng this up. You mentioned the year 2000...I remember when it got up to 112. It was terrible. I got home from work that day and my yard was all dried up even though I had watered the day before!
I've been running in the heat of the day (5-6 PM).. and honestly I've gotten really used to it. I sweat buckets and drink lots of water, but I'm starting to like the heat wave.
I also have a few pics to post later today. They are of the skyline while driving back into town on 71 SE. Wow has that vantage point changed, especially from the elevated sections in front of ABIA. The Austonian is already popping up in unexpected places. For instance, I saw it poke above the horizon while still in Bastrop County (a few miles from the Travis Co. line). I will be out this weekend doing some additional "Austonian spotting"
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The laptop is back!!! These photos are from various days last week.
Some morning photos from the Hilton pool deck.
Where are all the people, you may be wondering. The pool is in the shade most of the morning, and on this day they decided to clean the pool. During 4th of July holiday. Good thinking, guys!
Older part of downtown:
Austonian at 52 floors:
W Hotel & Residences, on a gloomy morning:
Some photos of the commuter rail, which they seem to be testing every day now.
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Just think how the construction boom has caused an urban heat island. the more Austin builds the higher the temps near the center of town go. Also the temps at the Airport are higher because of the increased concrete parkinglots and such.
I don't know.
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