AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[hookem]

Originally Posted by eburress

I think balance between residential and commercial is key because among other things, you end up with reverse commuting which somewhat defeats the purpose of in-town housing - like here in San Diego, where so many people live downtown or close-in but work out in the 'burbs.

Yes, but some reverse commute is not a bad outcome, and should help traffic by distributing it more evenly among all the available roadway.

[ahealy]

With office buildings being in the subject..Are there ANY new developments with the AMOA/Office Tower project?... And any speculation as to when the Schlosser project will break ground?

[AustinSkyscrapers]

Sorry to break it to you, ahealy, but your AMOA/Office Tower project is dead. Museum Tower was cancelled 2 years ago. We really need an office tower by 2012. Try the block behind One Congress Plaza. (That's the parking lot east of the Austonian.)

[ahealy]

I know I know, But doesn't AMOA still own that block? Technically something will end up there; I'm just wondering what..

[eburress]

Originally Posted by hookem

Yes, but some reverse commute is not a bad outcome, and should help traffic by distributing it more evenly among all the available roadway.

I agree, as long as things are pretty evenly distributed.

[Downtown_Austin]

Originally Posted by ahealy

With office buildings being in the subject..Are there ANY new developments with the AMOA/Office Tower project?... And any speculation as to when the Schlosser project will break ground?

I believe we will not see construction for a couple of years. It's difficult to imagine investors willing pony up 40-50% equity into a new project. Especially, when we are on the cusp of the greatest fire sale of commercial property in decades, maybe longer.

//One vocal member of the COA planning commission told me she was optimistic, FWIW.

[Nickelplate]

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

I believe we will not see construction for a couple of years. It's difficult to imagine investors willing pony up 40-50% equity into a new project. Especially, when we are on the cusp of the greatest fire sale of commercial property in decades, maybe longer.

//One vocal member of the COA planning commission told me she was optimistic, FWIW.

Especially when you consider many suburban lowrise office buildings have been built and are still sitting vacant atleast here in the northwest of Austin. The two buildings built in Research Park finally received tenents this year after being on the market for quite some time. Office buildings near Lakeline Mall are still empty. I know the want for space downtown is greater, but still unlikely for a new large space at larger prices until the economy turns.

[WAustinResident]

I think we are more likely to see a crane free downtown before we see another building go up.

[nixcity]

^Yea, you are right but that might not be such a bad thing. Another office builiding would really bring more traffic into downtown during rush hour. It would be best to wait until rail (real rail that is) is in place. However, it seems like 1 or 2 of the 8 current hotel proposals could break ground this year. Whichever 1 or 2 are the first to be done stand to do real well.

[AustinSkyscrapers]

Crane free town should be by Winter 2010. (The W should be complete as well as the Federal Courthouse). Nothing bad of course. We are easing out of the boom. Next building coming is probably some office one out of downtown of the 100 feet range.

[OU812]

Originally Posted by Nickelplate

Especially when you consider many suburban lowrise office buildings have been built and are still sitting vacant atleast here in the northwest of Austin. The two buildings built in Research Park finally received tenents this year after being on the market for quite some time. Office buildings near Lakeline Mall are still empty. I know the want for space downtown is greater, but still unlikely for a new large space at larger prices until the economy turns.

austin has such a pathetically low amount of office/commercial (or resi) high rise outside of the downtown core. every time i visit dallas or houston i'm always amazed by the number of tall bldgs out in the burbs. i guess part of it might have to do with austin's strict zoning rules and pesky neighborhood groups. a 12 story condo tower was supposed to go up around 183 & oak knoll a couple of years ago, but the neighborhood fought it and apparently won.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by OU812

austin has such a pathetically low amount of office/commercial (or resi) high rise outside of the downtown core. every time i visit dallas or houston i'm always amazed by the number of tall bldgs out in the burbs. i guess part of it might have to do with austin's strict zoning rules and pesky neighborhood groups. a 12 story condo tower was supposed to go up around 183 & oak knoll a couple of years ago, but the neighborhood fought it and apparently won.

I know what you are talking about... but you know what else you could call those mid-rise office buildings out in the burbs of Dallas, Houston, or even LA? Sprawl.

If every 12+ story project for the next 10 years happens only within Austin's CBD, I'd say that's a good thing. Doubt it would happen, but if it did... we'd be light years ahead of any other TX city.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by hookem

I know what you are talking about... but you know what else you could call those mid-rise office buildings out in the burbs of Dallas, Houston, or even LA? Sprawl.

If every 12+ story project for the next 10 years happens only within Austin's CBD, I'd say that's a good thing. Doubt it would happen, but if it did... we'd be light years ahead of any other TX city.

Agreed. Apart from VMU corridors along major thoroughfares and true secondary business cores, midrise office buildings in the burbs incentivise sprawl and therefore inhibit dense growth downtown. That isn't to say that the VMU corridors and secondary cores don't also inhibit dense downtown growth, but they do so in a way that is still beneficial.

On a different, but related, point: there are so many opinion pieces out at the moment in which developers and urban planners argue that the future of development is so-called walkable suburbs. I largely agree with the analysis. However, I wonder how (if ever) that will be achieved in Austin without a push for VMU development and true TODs (not even considering the NIMBYs).

[mars-man]

I have a pretty good rear view of Seaholm and it appears that at least the low-rise retail phase has broken ground. A big hole has been dug in the northwest area of the parcel — the section nearest to the curve in the RR tracks — and it's getting bigger. Literally truckload upon truckload of dirt is being hauled off each day. The hole could be the beginnings of some underground parking, in which case infrastructure like the Bowie Street extension and pedestrian underpass can't be far behind.

Anyone have any specifics on whether Seaholm has attained the financing to actually move forward? If the timeline on the website is to be believed and the hotel is expected to open in fall 2011, then they would certainly be starting construction by now.

[AustinSkyscrapers]

^^^^ Cool find there Mars man. I don't know if they secured financing yet. By the way, there's a good chance that that render was a Sketchup Model!

[mars-man]

Well, I don't know if looking out my window qualifies as a find. That rendering has been up for years now at http://www.seaholm.info/. But all the digging activity is definitely new.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by OU812

austin has such a pathetically low amount of office/commercial (or resi) high rise outside of the downtown core. every time i visit dallas or houston i'm always amazed by the number of tall bldgs out in the burbs. i guess part of it might have to do with austin's strict zoning rules and pesky neighborhood groups. a 12 story condo tower was supposed to go up around 183 & oak knoll a couple of years ago, but the neighborhood fought it and apparently won.

The tallest building in Austin outside of downtown or Central Austin (technically, UT and West Campus are outside of downtown) is the Tower of the Hills building on 183. It's 159 feet tall. Not only is it the tallest building outside of our core, but it's also just inside of Williamson County, which makes it the tallest in Williamson County.

Originally Posted by hookem

I know what you are talking about... but you know what else you could call those mid-rise office buildings out in the burbs of Dallas, Houston, or even LA? Sprawl.

Definitely. While it is nice to see those buildings making a skyline, it's just sprawl. I rode around in San Antonio a few years ago around some of the clusters of buildings near Loop 410, and it's just awful sprawl. Horrible sidewalks, really narrow, not level and broken. High speed limits. Basically off limits to pedestrians or people on bikes. And anyway, the buildings around there were only around 150 to 200 feet max. Normally, I would ride all over an area to explore it, but I didn't feel safe doing that there. Crime wise the area was fine, but I just didn't want to get run over.

Anyway, this is a case where height and density matter diddly if the buildings don't interact with the street and offer some pedestrian activity. Sure, it's dense, and sure the buildings are tall, but if it's not built like a neighborhood, than it won't be one.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by mars-man

Anyone have any specifics on whether Seaholm has attained the financing to actually move forward? If the timeline on the website is to be believed and the hotel is expected to open in fall 2011, then they would certainly be starting construction by now.

I wish that Goldenboot would still post. He last visited the forum last month, but man, he would always have the facts on this stuff. Where are you Goldenboot???

[ahealy]

Regarding the big hole in the ground: I am crossing my fingers that it will be the beginning of SOMETHING with Seaholm. I see them working from my window each morning, and it's getting pretty deep. Hopefully it's not just pipe work or something.
Also, The Pfluger extension is coming along very quickly!

[OU812]

umm sorry but i don't understand;-) isn't 183 north already considered 'sprawl'? if not, what are all the businesses alongside 183 considered? what about ben white between i35 and mopac? or i35 from 183 to parmer? mopac north? etc. etc. i just think it's more aesthetically pleasing to look at high rise buildings alongside these corridors rather than endless strip malls.

hwy 75 north/central expressway in dallas is a good example of a nice looking corridor filled with high rise development. not totally walkable but DART light rail runs nearly parallel.

the galleria area (loop 610 & westheimer) in houston has several skyscrapers, and it's quite walkable. it's kind of like houston's 2nd downtown. good mixture of office + condo.

i guess the domain area is poised to be austin's 2nd downtown, although that'll probably take 20 years.