AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 301

Mopacs · #**6001** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 4:45 PM**

^^^ Wow, I just added the 6000th post to this thread. I think I deserve a plaque of recognition

EDIT: Oops, my bad. That award goes to AustinSkyscrapers.

KevinFromTexas · #**6002** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 4:56 PM**

I know there are countless buildings that have had more floors added to them, if only one on the roof. At least two of San Antonio's tallest have had floors added. The Nix Hospital had some kind of penthouse added to the roof and a new elevator shaft. Then the Drury Hotel had about a 10-story addition to its podium wing. There's several others too. I know there's one in Waco where a 5-story building had three floors added. It was an old office building and is now used for apartments. There's more too, but yeah, definitely not on the scale as the BCBS in Chicago.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**6003** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 5:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mopacs

^^^ Wow, I just added the 6000th post to this thread. I think I deserve a plaque of recognition

EDIT: Oops, my bad. That award goes to AustinSkyscrapers.

Remember, "Slow and Steady Wins The Race" -Aesop
And don't forget I also finished up the 300th page. I remember we were behind in posts agnst the Austin update thread. Now we're way ahead of them.

hookem · #**6004** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 6:42 PM**

I was searching for things about adding floors to some of Austin's downtown towers, and came across a couple of cool youtube links. Sorry if they've already been posted before...

Frost Bank crown under construction video, taken from a crane for the film about Austin / Gary Bradley called "The Unforseen"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmYOGCuWWqo&feature=related

This guy has youtube videos of riding the elevators in Austin's taller buildings.. guess he is an elevator enthusiast... hopefully he'll get into 360, Spring, and the Austonian one of these days --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pp9YjQJ_zM

zx14 · #**6005** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 10:26 PM**

frost bank could judging by its structure add another 33 floors to be the tallest in texas. Also in Houston there is a building that is 40 somthing floors that was designed by and also identical to our black building. Dont know the name of it but the 25 story black building on 6th and congress.

tgbAustinite · #**6006** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 10:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austin242

Renders of Mex-Amer Center
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/macc/site.htm

thanks for posting these. i had no idea there were more phases planned.

tgbAustinite · #**6007** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 10:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mopacs

I wonder if it has anything to do with the huge chemical plant fire in Bryan?

where i live everything outside had an orange glow. i opened all the shades in the house and everything inside turned orange. it's like i was back in college again...

the Genral · #**6008** Posted **Aug 1, 2009, 4:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WonderlandPark

Kevin, the Blue Cross tower was designed from the start to add 25 floors to. It was engineered and approved as such. I lived in Chicago in the mid-90s and followed the story, thinking that it was pretty darn unique to design a building that you could almost double in height and square footage. Most buildings are overengineered for safety, but there is no intention or provision for doubling or even adding a few more floors.

BSBS is one of the rarest examples of this case. There haven't been or will not likely be many more buildings of this sort designed and built.

As for the photo, wow, this view really shows how damn tall the tower is.

Did the tenants have to vacate the building when the floors were added?

AustinSkyscrapers · #**6009** Posted **Aug 1, 2009, 2:21 PM**

Everybody, I'd like to report something important here.
I received word from the Austonian Blog that the Austonian has 59 floors. The remaining 3 are in the crown. Check out the latest post there.

Plus a picture of the Austonian on the blog.

shanny · #**6010** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 3:28 AM**

theyre probably only gonna be catwalk-like floors much like the ones in the crown of the frost tower. it would be hard for them to light the crown if they were "true" floors, which is why the building is only listed as 56. i could be wrong, just my two cents.

my guess is something like this

jowens · #**6011** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 3:40 AM**

Does anyone know if there's a lighting scheme for The Spring?

The lighting on Legacy is simply majestic!!

KevinFromTexas · #**6012** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 4:56 AM**

Even if there are full floors up there, they're likely only for mechanical use, and not habitable. So officially, the building should be listed as having 56 floors.

Myomi · #**6013** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 3:36 PM**

Hey, in regards to the MACC constuction, they are definately working on Phase 1A. If you look at the renderings, the curved sections is divided into two sections by a corridor that goes through the curve. What they are currently building is that southern section of the curve in phase 1. I actually talked to the city park planner in charge of the construction of the MACC phase 1, and she said that there are no funds approved, as of yet, for phase 2 and 3.

As for saying that they can add 33 floors to frost, all i can say is where do you guys come up with this stuff. Do you have any sources for your outlandish claims?

AustinSkyscrapers · #**6014** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 3:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowens

Does anyone know if there's a lighting scheme for The Spring?

Not sure, all we've seen for lighting for Spring is residential lights, lights that light up the residents' condominiums. The rendering doesn't show much either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanny

theyre probably only gonna be catwalk-like floors much like the ones in the crown of the frost tower. it would be hard for them to light the crown if they were "true" floors, which is why the building is only listed as 56. i could be wrong, just my two cents.

my guess is something like this

Mechanical floors at the most, uninhatitable, mechanical.

zx14 · #**6015** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 5:15 PM**

I did not base the adding 33 floors to Frost on fact. Just my oppinion because the base of the structure is so wide that doubling the height could be possible. I am not an engineer so I may be wrong. Frost just looks like it could be taller.

nixcity · #**6016** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 7:13 PM**

Isn't the federal courthouse supposed to break ground soon? It certainly isn't anything huge but at least gives us something else to watch go up.

priller · #**6017** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 7:47 PM**

I noticed a backhoe tractor sitting at the corner of 5th and Brazos today. That's where T. Stacy plans on building the big parking garage, part of it's plan for 2 towers on the next block.

Is the demo about to begin?

hookem · #**6018** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 8:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

I noticed a backhoe tractor sitting at the corner of 5th and Brazos today. That's where T. Stacy plans on building the big parking garage, part of it's plan for 2 towers on the next block.

Is the demo about to begin?

You know, I just now realized what that taller T-Stacy building reminds me of...

http://www.zeppelincollectables.com/pages.php?pageid=4

StoOgE · #**6019** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 8:06 PM**

well, mid-late 2009 for the parking garage has been the rumored start time, so that would be about right for the schedule for the project.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**6020** Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 9:19 PM**

Hmm, a backhoe tractor at the T.Stacy site, I'm interested in what is to happen.