AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 343

KevinFromTexas · #**6841** Posted **Nov 19, 2009, 5:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thymant

What makes people think that the 21c still has a chance at getting built? Just asking.

Word is that they are at least still pursing the hotel portion of the development. I would imagine with everything that they've planned so far, if they do go through with developing the hotel, I see little reason to doubt they won't develop the other projects. The other two towers are sort of an integral part of the design.

zx14 · #**6842** Posted **Nov 19, 2009, 2:45 PM**

hold hold hold. get used to it guys. Lets just hope not on the football field.

ATXboom · #**6843** Posted **Nov 19, 2009, 3:58 PM**

There is market demand for the hotel portion... hence move on it now assuming there is a lender.

The property is owned by 21C... I would assume they have a business plan to maximize that investment over time and market conditions. If it were not going to be built, that property would most likely be on the market for sale... nor would you hear anything regarding the hotel or any other portion. Additionally, 21C leaders are visiting Austin next week to make some announcements...

I beleive the 49 story tower represents the next "high end" condo in the vain of Four Seasons, Austonian, and W. Clearly the condo portion has to wait until those units are absorbed and there is new demand for high end condos. Simple supply & demand with a sprinkle of lending that will determine the roll out schedule for the 21C vision. If I had to wager a guess, I would say it would be 2012 at the earliest that the condo tower gets moving into detailed engineering/final plans.

Assuming the economy is on track and the world doesn't end... I imagin between 2012 and 2015 we will see a condo tower boom similar to what we just witnessed... most likely at least one of the 360 follow on towers gets built (service the low and mid end buyers) and perhaps a tower on the Green property as I think there are time limits on the use of that land??

Lets reverse the question... Tell me why you think this project would completely vaporize based on what we know today?

austin4life · #**6844** Posted **Nov 19, 2009, 6:45 PM**

has anyone heard anything reguarding the T.Stacy condo project? Is it dead, or does it have some chance?

Jdawgboy · #**6845** Posted **Nov 19, 2009, 7:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austin4life

has anyone heard anything reguarding the T.Stacy condo project? Is it dead, or does it have some chance?

There is visible movement on that front now. If you go down to Brazos and 6th you will see work being done on the pipes underground. That has to be completed first before anything els can start.

StoOgE · #**6846** Posted **Nov 19, 2009, 9:08 PM**

Stacey had a quote out that he is doing the infastructure work so that he can hit the ground running when the market turns around. Who knows what that means, but he still has plans for it. I believe right now they are rerouting some piping/public works stuff so that the tower can rise at some point.

ATXboom · #**6847** Posted **Nov 19, 2009, 9:28 PM**

My office is in Stacey's dark tower... 515 Congress.

Lots of street work around the block... I asked around a few of the workers and they mentioned moving through lines. I could assume this may be some sign of progess... allowing for demo, digs, etc

Rumor I heard over a year ago now was that Stacey was close to arranging some type of deal with Ritz Carleton... they would operate the hotel and the condo's would be branded under Ritz + the office component managed by him. 830 ft minimum was the height rumor ~70 stories.

Deductive logic tells me you again have to wait until the 3 high-end condos are pretty full to begin... there is need for hotel space and with the Houston developer backing out of the museum tower property all together there will be a market for office space in the next several years. If the economy picks up who knows... My guess is we probably see this thing become real between 2012 and 2016.... if not then, it won't be Stacey's project or perhaps property.

priller · #**6848** Posted **Nov 20, 2009, 12:22 AM**

Hmm, I was under the impression that the work was for the "great streets" overhaul that Brazos is getting.

austin4life · #**6849** Posted **Nov 20, 2009, 3:01 AM**

did anyone happen to get pictures of any austin towers lighting up blue?

KevinFromTexas · #**6850** Posted **Nov 20, 2009, 3:23 AM**

^There was an article a while back that quoted Stacy as saying some of the work there was for infrastructure that would provide utilities for his project. So things are moving forward somewhat. They also of course demolished the old bank drive through where the parking garage will go.

KevinFromTexas · #**6851** Posted **Nov 22, 2009, 3:11 AM**

I was downtown today and just happened to drive by Green. They've just recently demolished the water tower. It was a bit of a surprise seeing it laying there. This water tower was 83 feet tall.

hismasterplan · #**6852** Posted **Nov 22, 2009, 8:12 PM**

I always loved seeing the city project that moving 'eyeball' graphic on the water tower during New Year's eve. Thought they should do that every week. We won't be seeing that again.

KevinFromTexas · #**6853** Posted **Nov 22, 2009, 11:46 PM**

Man, the fog this morning was insane. We went up to Belton early this morning. We passed downtown this morning at 5:30 am, and the fog was so thick that even while driving on I-35 at 5th Street you could not see a single building west of the Hilton Garden Inn near I-35. Everything else was totally out of view. It was like the skyline just disappeared. The fog was very thick and down to about 50 feet. The only highrise anywhere near downtown that I could make out the top was the Towers of Town Lake. Even the huge light towers in Round Rock near SH-45 were disappearing. The fog was so thick that the light from the towers only came into view once you were basically under them. I've never seen it that foggy before. It was foggy like that all the way to Belton. The expo center up there just about disappeared too, and it's not much more than 100 feet tall.

Urbannizer · #**6854** Posted **Nov 23, 2009, 1:12 AM**

Found a new rendering of Hotel Van Zandt

http://www.wdgdallas.com/

HOSPITALITY> Hotel Van Zandt

Dan Denson · #**6855** Posted **Nov 23, 2009, 2:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Man, the fog this morning was insane. We went up to Belton early this morning. We passed downtown this morning at 5:30 am, and the fog was so thick that even while driving on I-35 at 5th Street you could not see a single building west of the Hilton Garden Inn near I-35. Everything else was totally out of view. It was like the skyline just disappeared. The fog was very thick and down to about 50 feet. The only highrise anywhere near downtown that I could make out the top was the Towers of Town Lake. Even the huge light towers in Round Rock near SH-45 were disappearing. The fog was so thick that the light from the towers only came into view once you were basically under them. I've never seen it that foggy before. It was foggy like that all the way to Belton. The expo center up there just about disappeared too, and it's not much more than 100 feet tall.

I slept a little late and didn't even hear about all that fog. In years past, especially in El Nino winters, we've gotten fogged in for several days straight, to the point where the airport has been closed in the middle of the day. We've had three-day stretches where the temperature didn't rise above about 38 and you could hardly see the house across the street. I understand that such prolonged fogs occur a lot in places like Sacramento and Salt Lake City. I don't remember that happening here last year, though, as it was such a dry winter.

arbeiter · #**6856** Posted **Nov 23, 2009, 5:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ()_T

Found a new rendering of Hotel Van Zandt

http://www.wdgdallas.com/

HOSPITALITY> Hotel Van Zandt

Looks kinda boring, although I do like the high windows on the ground floor.

jowens · #**6857** Posted **Nov 23, 2009, 4:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Man, the fog this morning was insane. We went up to Belton early this morning. We passed downtown this morning at 5:30 am, and the fog was so thick that even while driving on I-35 at 5th Street you could not see a single building west of the Hilton Garden Inn near I-35. Everything else was totally out of view. It was like the skyline just disappeared. The fog was very thick and down to about 50 feet. The only highrise anywhere near downtown that I could make out the top was the Towers of Town Lake. Even the huge light towers in Round Rock near SH-45 were disappearing. The fog was so thick that the light from the towers only came into view once you were basically under them. I've never seen it that foggy before. It was foggy like that all the way to Belton. The expo center up there just about disappeared too, and it's not much more than 100 feet tall.

At around 7:30 yesterday i was driving east on SW Pkwy at the crest of the hills where the AMD campus sits. I was above the fog, however you could see the fog hovering over the city. What was so cool about it, only the Austonian was poking above the well defined fog line. Sorry no pics of this.

Myomi · #**6858** Posted **Nov 23, 2009, 5:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ()_T

Found a new rendering of Hotel Van Zandt

http://www.wdgdallas.com/

HOSPITALITY> Hotel Van Zandt

I don't think anything will match up to the original 29 story plan. I feel like the bottom section is nice, but the top is pretty standard stuff. I guess everything can't be spectacular....

That site actually has three (if I found them all) projects from Austin. If you look through that site, there are also new renderings for the Zilker Park Residences development. I feel like they are trying to make it seem like that condo is right in the middle of the park, which if I remember correctly, it clearly is not.

More interesting is that, along with the Hotel Van Zandt rendering, there are also rendering for a project called "Hotel Zilker." From the website: it is a "69 key, 4 story hotel situated on Zilker Park and Barton Springs Road. The 60,000 square foot project includes a 5,000 square foot restaurant and a 11,000 square foot athletic facility." I haven't heard anything about this project even existing, so it's brand new to me? Anyone else have any info on it?

Dan Denson · #**6859** Posted **Nov 24, 2009, 1:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowens

At around 7:30 yesterday i was driving east on SW Pkwy at the crest of the hills where the AMD campus sits. I was above the fog, however you could see the fog hovering over the city. What was so cool about it, only the Austonian was poking above the well defined fog line. Sorry no pics of this.

That is really cool.

On Friday, while it was raining steadily, I was having a late lunch at La Feria on RR620 between Bee Cave and Lakeway. The restaurant is on a high plateau and looks across a valley toward Austin. At the restaurant, we were in the clouds intermittently and at times the visibility dropped to almost zero. A few minutes later, you could see the valley again. This pattern repeated for the hour I was there.

KevinFromTexas · #**6860** Posted **Nov 24, 2009, 3:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myomi

More interesting is that, along with the Hotel Van Zandt rendering, there are also rendering for a project called "Hotel Zilker." From the website: it is a "69 key, 4 story hotel situated on Zilker Park and Barton Springs Road. The 60,000 square foot project includes a 5,000 square foot restaurant and a 11,000 square foot athletic facility." I haven't heard anything about this project even existing, so it's brand new to me? Anyone else have any info on it?

I think that is also part of the Hotel Zilker project. I remember the original article announcing it and it mentioning that it would be multi-use with hotel and residential uses in 3 buildings that would be 4 to 5 floors. I also was about to add it to Emporis, but I'd already done it a while back.