AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 315

MichaelB · #**6281** Posted **Aug 22, 2009, 3:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muffler

I moved to Austin today and haven't seen the downtown skyline since SXSW. It's really starting to shape up very nicely, especially with the Austonian in place.

Welcome to Austin!

AustinSkyscrapers · #**6282** Posted **Aug 22, 2009, 4:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Could you imagine how lovely it would look if we had One PPG Place next to the Frost Bank Tower. I think the combination would look very regal.

That combination of One PPG Place and Frost seems very exquisite.
It would be impressive. But where are you going to put PPG Place, west, north, east, or south?
Regal indeed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I saw downtown tonight from East Riverside, east of I-35, and holy smokes, the skyline is looking impressive from there. It seriously looked like another city. I couldn't believe how big it looked. The fact that it was at night added to the looming quality of it.

If we add more skyscrapers along Rainey Street, and east of Brazos, we
could see a skyline that matches with a pop. of 1,000,000!

One thing I want with all Austin buildings is that they have a color other
than white in their lighting system. Like 111 Congress is blue, 100 Congress is red and orange, and Monarch is rainbow. A few buildings with white is okay, but I want all of the skyscrapers have different schemes and colors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muffler

I moved to Austin today and haven't seen the downtown skyline since SXSW. It's really starting to shape up very nicely, especially with the Austonian in place.

Welcome to the City of Austin. We are proud to have you here.

LoneStarMike · #**6283** Posted **Aug 22, 2009, 5:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinSkyscrapers

100 Congress is red and orange,

I thought 100 Congress had white lights (except for a few special occasions like Christmas and that one summer they had red, white and teal lights.) When did they adopt a red and orange color lighting scheme?

priller · #**6284** Posted **Aug 23, 2009, 3:29 AM**

From today:

For some reason I've always found the Holly St. power plant to be visually appealing. Not sure why. Austonian really stands out in the distance.

Driving down Cesar Chavez. You can see they've moved up to floor "58" now:

A closer look from the opposite direction:

Later in the day we walked down to the Bat Fest to see what that was all about.

By this time it was getting kind of dark, but I walked by the W for a few shots:

nixcity · #**6285** Posted **Aug 23, 2009, 5:29 AM**

Good variety Priller, gotta love the Driskall. Also, I too like the Holy St. Plant but feel like it will be so much better for the neighborhood when it is dismantled. Anyone know when that will be. The contrast of the plant with the trees and river is quite strange.

KevinFromTexas · #**6286** Posted **Aug 23, 2009, 7:20 AM**

Nice pics. The mechanical penthouse is still adding to the height in South Austin. I was wondering how large it would appear. Most of them are tiny and don't appear to add much height, but it really is adding height to the building. Basically from my view it just appears that the building has slimmed slightly at the top. In some fleeting glimpses/views there doesn't seem to be any or much space between the crane and the top of the building. The building is still surprising me every time I see it. I saw it today from South First near Annie Street, and it really looms over the trees there. I love those fleeting glimpses of the skyline where you get a quick view of it popping over the tree line and then dropping back down. It makes it all the more impressive.

StoOgE · #**6287** Posted **Aug 23, 2009, 2:39 PM**

I live up off Burnett and 45th area and it pokes it's head out all over the place from up here and seems to tower over the rest of downtown.

I can only imagine how tall T. Stacey would look

Regarding One PPG place. The top of the building is really pretty. It's ground level leaves a ton to be desired.

JACKinBeantown · #**6288** Posted **Aug 24, 2009, 3:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

From today:

Driving down Cesar Chavez. You can see they've moved up to floor "58" now:

Leave it to Austin to be the one place to NOT count actual floors, as opposed to so many who count semi-existent floors (like the ESB for example).

priller · #**6289** Posted **Aug 24, 2009, 3:51 PM**

Well, the thing is, I don't know if you would call them actual floors. From the beginning the Austonian was described as having 56 floors, with the gym on the top floor. It was only very recently that the 59 number has been offered. And while these are doubtless real floors you can walk about on, they're still dedicated mechanical floors that the residents probably won't be able to access.

So do those kind of floors "count" as real floors? I don't know what the standard is.

StoOgE · #**6290** Posted **Aug 24, 2009, 3:58 PM**

I just got an email from savetownlake.org

I'm not sure what is going on with it, do any of you have any insight into what these projects are (90 and 120 feet) and where they are trying to build them on town lake? (East or West of Mopac)

danny1010 · #**6291** Posted **Aug 24, 2009, 5:31 PM**

I think it's east of 35. There was an article in today's Daily Texan on it...

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/top-stor...hanges-raise-resident-concerns-1.1819561

zx14 · #**6292** Posted **Aug 24, 2009, 10:27 PM**

There is no standard on floor counts. Depends on the powers that be with the building. Look if the Austonian has 56 floors than the Sears tower has 103 floors. Simple as that. What about the empire state building. With that consideration. Why not put a litte floor atop the glass part of the spire of 360 and say it has 50 floors. There is no logic. But if you can walk on the floor and there is a roof above you it is a floor. The Austonian has 59 floors period.

zx14 · #**6293** Posted **Aug 24, 2009, 10:30 PM**

Also to escape the worst of the heat in Austin. The greenbelts are a good bet. Though still hot the pws temps dont lie. The one a spicewood and loop 360 has had ony 18 100 degree days this summer. That is less than a third of what the mabry location has observed. There hottest temp this summer 101.5

KevinFromTexas · #**6294** Posted **Aug 24, 2009, 11:25 PM**

One way I've always considered for counting a floor is would you be able to walk into the building, walk across the lobby to the elevator bank and take the elevator to the 59th floor? If so, I would probably count it, but if the general public can't access it by simply using the public elevator, then I wouldn't count it. Some of these floors might only have access by the building's freight/utility elevator or with some special access through the public elevator like with a key or a card or something. Otherwise some other mechanical floors might only be accessible by a stairwell or even a lone ladder up the wall. The Frost Bank Tower by the way, has two mechanical floors above the 33rd "top floor". Of course the public will never see them, so they might as well not exist.

ndirishdad · #**6295** Posted **Aug 25, 2009, 12:30 AM**

Any update on Tracy Tower? Thomas Green Project? They had been pretty quiet. As for Austonian, it publicly advertised as a 56-story condo tower. The crown they are building now is alike putting a roof on the house. Anyhow, Austonian people stated it s a 683-foot tower but it does look like taller than 683' to me. It might be a little over 700 foot?
Really look forward for Austonian's topped out in few days!!

StoOgE · #**6296** Posted **Aug 25, 2009, 1:30 AM**

T. Stacey is "scheduled" to start construction on the parking garage in late 2009. The old motorbank has been knocked over at the location in question. We'll see if T. Stacey starts moving forward in a few weeks/months.

The water treatment plant has to wait until the city reroutes all of the utility/infrastructure stuff. I'm not even sure the city has actually sold the land at this point.

OU812 · #**6297** Posted **Aug 25, 2009, 1:32 AM**

does anyone know if the high floors of these condo towers have a lower outdoor temperature? like if you step out on the balcony, is there a "cool" breeze? sure would help on these ridiculous endless 100 degree days.

KevinFromTexas · #**6298** Posted **Aug 25, 2009, 1:40 AM**

I'm going to email them and see what they say about the height. It sure does seem to be close to the crane, which we had guessed would be around 740 feet tall.

KevinFromTexas · #**6299** Posted **Aug 25, 2009, 1:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OU812

does anyone know if the high floors of these condo towers have a lower outdoor temperature? like if you step out on the balcony, is there a "cool" breeze? sure would help on these ridiculous endless 100 degree days.

I doubt it. It was warm on the 41st floor of Spring back in February. Now in the dead of winter when it really is cold out, I would imagine it would be cooler up around the top of The Austonian. I doubt any of the shorter buildings would really be affected like that. I have heard stories of people in Seattle seeing snow falling while in the upper floors of the Columbia Center (Seattle's tallest), but then no snow falling at street level. It's just that 950 feet off the ground the air is cooler than at street level. Our climate here is warmer and drier and we don't have any buildings that tall, so I'm not sure you'd witness any major temperature differences.

Strayone · #**6300** Posted **Aug 25, 2009, 1:51 AM**

I would think if you were on the shaded side of the Aust. it would be cooler than at street level most likely a little breezier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OU812

does anyone know if the high floors of these condo towers have a lower outdoor temperature? like if you step out on the balcony, is there a "cool" breeze? sure would help on these ridiculous endless 100 degree days.