AUSTIN | The Austonian | 683 FT / 208 M | 56 FLOORS | T/O - Page 21

TexasPlaya · #**401** Posted **Jul 14, 2009, 4:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnme

I live in H-town so I only have the opportunity to travel to Austin 2 or 3 times a year. The skyscraper boom in Austin is very similar to Houston's boom in the 1980's. I believe Austin will challenge Houston's skyline in ten years, so Houston needs to start building now or get passed up. None of our current tower construction is over 700 feet, but there is a proposed 89 story tower for the Galleria area. The Austonian is looking good and I am glad Austin is getting a taller skyline.

Austin has got an impressive boom going on but I think Houston will be skyscraper king of TX for awhile, definitely for the next few decades. Austin's boom has been almost completely residential while Houston's was office space, which I find interesting. However, some friendly competition is always good. Remember Houston has either recently completed/or has under construction 3 500 ft buildings.

Kudos to Austin for its impressive boom!

AustinSkyscrapers · #**402** Posted **Jul 14, 2009, 4:31 PM**

I congratulate Austin for such an impressive show. I am glad I live there. (But not exactly for that reason).

Austin Boom Summary:

800-899:
1 Stale Proposal

700-799:
1 Proposed

600-699FT:
1 Under Construction
1 Proposed

500-599FT:
2 Completed
3 Proposed

400-499FT:
2 Topped Out
1 Under Construction
1 Approved
4 Proposed

300-399FT:
2 Built
1 Under Construction
5 Proposed

djvandrake · #**403** Posted **Jul 14, 2009, 5:17 PM**

My opinion but I think they're doing a first rate job on this one. I think the finished product is likely to be quite a bit better looking than the renders would suggest. Nice to see the temptation of value engineering didn't strike this one. Congrats Austin.

Lecom · #**404** Posted **Jul 14, 2009, 9:37 PM**

Rather sleek, especially for a condo tower.

How many floors are left to go?

Saddle Man · #**405** Posted **Jul 14, 2009, 9:44 PM**

.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**406** Posted **Jul 14, 2009, 11:50 PM**

Yea, the Austonian site says that the 56th floor will be reached on July 20, 2009. They will surely be off schedule. I think by August 10 of this year it will be complete.

Mopacs · #**407** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 4:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by djvandrake

My opinion but I think they're doing a first rate job on this one. I think the finished product is likely to be quite a bit better looking than the renders would suggest. Nice to see the temptation of value engineering didn't strike this one. Congrats Austin.

I couldn't agree more... the glass and color is in my opinion superior to all previous renders. I'm very happy with the product.... and definitely looking forward to the crown.

Mopacs · #**408** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 4:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnme

I live in H-town so I only have the opportunity to travel to Austin 2 or 3 times a year. The skyscraper boom in Austin is very similar to Houston's boom in the 1980's. I believe Austin will challenge Houston's skyline in ten years, so Houston needs to start building now or get passed up. None of our current tower construction is over 700 feet, but there is a proposed 89 story tower for the Galleria area. The Austonian is looking good and I am glad Austin is getting a taller skyline.

You are most certainly welcome. The fascination with a new tallest for me is extreme. If I'm anywhere near or within view of downtown, I have a camera at my disposal (most recent shots taken with a pocket 10x optical zoom Panasonic). You should have seen the progress shots of Frost tower in 2003-2004. I flooded this board with a stream of photo sets!

Skyscrapers... you are correct. I have my spots, for purposes of progress comparison.

Mopacs · #**409** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 4:52 PM**

Example... May 2003

June 2003

July 2003

Scottolini · #**410** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 6:36 PM**

Wow, thanks for sharing those Mopacs! I didn't frequent websites like this at that time, so I never remember seeing any photos of Frost under construction. Of course I would look when I went downtown, or when it came into view from a distance once it got to be taller, but it's not the same as seeing it in a photograph.

photoLith · #**411** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 10:25 PM**

Frost tower was built just in 04? I thought id had been there for a long time, weird.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**412** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 10:25 PM**

I remember when I watched it go up from Mopac@Colorado River when I was a toddler. Oh the times.

By Theunforeseenfilm on Flickr:

SLO · #**413** Posted **Jul 16, 2009, 3:33 AM**

I was in Austin this past weekend and took some photos, I'll post later. This tower looks great is so much taller than everything else, Im glad downtown is not as defined now by Frost, I just could never get into that crown on top. DT Austin looks great, its completely transformed by all these new towers....

Scottolini · #**414** Posted **Jul 16, 2009, 4:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinSkyscrapers

I remember when I watched it go up from Mopac@Colorado River when I was a toddler. Oh the times.

By Theunforeseenfilm on Flickr:

That was during our first highrise boom of the decade. Frost, Hilton Convention Center Hotel you can see u/c in the background of this pic, 300 West Sixth, Hampton Hotel, Plaza Lofts, Austin City Lofts,and the Marriott Hotels near the convention center as well. If we only knew then what was to come...

AustinSkyscrapers · #**415** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 4:42 PM**

All that can be considered the Technology Boom of the 2000's.
The thing I like about that picture is that the Sun almost lines up with the center steel beam. It reminds me of summer solstice in Stonehenge, UK.

hookem · #**416** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 9:22 PM**

Something I don't understand is why the state-wide significance of the Austonian isn't mentioned more. I know the "tallest residential building in the West" is claimed by the builders, and the tallest residential in Texas/tallest tower outside of Houston and Dallas facts are on emporis. But what seems more amazing to me (please correct if I am wrong):

* When complete, the Austonian will be the tallest building built in Texas since 1987
* Currently, The Austonian is the tallest building under construction in Texas since 1987
* Currently, the Austonian has the only 50th - 53rd floors in Texas since 1987

Think about it... when you walk out onto a floor labeled "51" anywhere in Texas, it will either be the Austonian or a building at least 22 years old! And 1987, when the last building of this height or higher was built in our state, was during the oil boom. What was going on at the time?

* The TV show Dallas was still on the air
* Reagan was president
* The Soviet Union still existed
* The Berlin Wall still existed
* The web and internet didn't exist (well, technically it was in universities & govt... but effectively it did not exist)

....so, is the Austonian the most significant building built in Texas since the oil boom?

AustinSkyscrapers · #**417** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 9:39 PM**

The Austonian is to me is the most significant building in Texas since the oil boom. We Austinites and Austonians claim this honor. Frost Bank Tower comes in second because it became an icon of Austin.

KevinFromTexas · #**418** Posted **Jul 18, 2009, 6:34 AM**

Some random shots over the last month.

6/20.

7/16.

From behind the Specs Liquor/Best Buy at Texas 71 & Mopac in SW Austin.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**419** Posted **Jul 18, 2009, 8:27 PM**

The Austonian is starting to pop up in new places.

photoLith · #**420** Posted **Jul 18, 2009, 8:33 PM**

What Id really really like to see is a photo of the skyline from the same place taken in like 1999 or something compared to austin now.