AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by P3FE

How is mid block construction logistically pulled off? Where does the crane go? Where will the materials staging area be? Will the developers lease the adjacent parking lot and transfer building materials over the heads of its neighbors? How does the foundation of a 3 story building support 20 more floors above it? Are there any engineers out there reading this?

I'm not real sure about all the answers to that. I am sure the crane will probably be either in the alley or on Congress. It'll probably be attached, though, farther away from the tower than we're used to seeing.

One of the biggest towers I can think of that was built on top of another building is the Hearst Tower in New York.

Check it out. It's not mid-block, but towers can be built on top of other buildings.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=185727&highlight=Hearst

[ahealy]

Yeah, It seems like it would just need heavy support beams to run through the original structure. I'm wondering if the time schedule is still the same (late 2012) for this project. I really haven't been this excited about a proposal since the W...I am in love with the facade.

[photoLith]

Are they going to do a facedectomy to the existing historic building on that site of the Congress Ave. Boutique? I hope they dont tear it down completely. Seems kinda strange though with them building that hotel there because just 100ft away sits a half empty block.

[KevinFromTexas]

Well this building is going to have an insanely small footprint. It's maybe 50 feet wide and 100 feet long. Once they get the foundation work done and get started on actually putting up the shell (structural framing), it'll go up faster than anything we've seen before. Most high rises do about a floor a week. I wouldn't be surprised if they get 2 floors up a week on this building. The building will have 26 floors, but there will only actually be 22 floors inside the new tower space. So they could get this thing topped out in no more than 22 weeks. So from the start of construction to it being topped out will probably be less than 6 months. That's insane, and the building very well could be finished inside of 12 months. Also since there is no need to excavate the site and dig down, it'll mean a faster construction process. Digging takes forever. I remember it took at least 6 months or more for them to dig down 5 levels for Ashton. There will be little or no digging with this tower. So I'm inclined to believe their time table.

And yes, I'm stoked about this building. It doesn't matter that it's not a 400 or 500 foot building. It's still going to be a skyline changer simply for the fact that it's so different from anything else we have in downtown. Plus the design is one of the best we've seen so far. And it will wind up being our tallest all hotel building.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

Are they going to do a facedectomy to the existing historic building on that site of the Congress Ave. Boutique? I hope they dont tear it down completely. Seems kinda strange though with them building that hotel there because just 100ft away sits a half empty block.

In the original proposal the building was supposed to be 15 floors. They had a rendering of it that showed the old building completely intact. That still seems to be the case, though, I don't doubt there will be some major changes inside it for the structural supports.

[KevinFromTexas]

They're starting construction in San Diego on their federal courthouse. It'll be 333 feet tall with 16 floors. So our new county courthouse could end up being slightly taller than that since it's 17 floors.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=5132326#post5132326

[JoninATX]

Kevin, I was thinking the samething to. Looking at San Diego Courthouse could be similar to the one being planned for Austin.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

In the original proposal the building was supposed to be 15 floors. They had a rendering of it that showed the old building completely intact. That still seems to be the case, though, I don't doubt there will be some major changes inside it for the structural supports.

Quote in article:

" The project will restore and preserve the existing historic facade. The new vertical addition will set back from the original facade to preserve the buildings existing character."

No where does it say they will retain anything but the facade. At best they may leave a bit of the front area... but I hate to say I doubt it. I bet they only keep the facade.

If that happens , it is a hugh shame. I truly wish Austin would get its poop together on Historic buildings.... it sucks that we have so many building that have survived to this point only to get gutted now due to lack of incentives for historic buildings.

Yes, I love the tower, but i also can envision the interior of the 19 c building blending into the 21st. hope that happens.

[photoLith]

Wow, I had no idea the courthouse will be so tall and that one in San Diego looks pretty damn good so hopefully this one looks just as good if not better.

[KevinFromTexas]

San Diego's courthouse will be 333 feet with 16 floors, so dividing that height by the floors gets you 20.8125. Take that and times it by 17 floors (our county courthouse) and it could end up being 353.8125 feet tall. So basically 354 feet tall. To put that into perspective, the main roof of the Hilton Convention Center Hotel is also 354 feet tall.

[KevinFromTexas]

Has anyone heard anything about this project? I have no idea how old it is. I found this rendering of a tower in the Waterfront District.

http://www.magnificentproperties.com/austin___river_lot

[Myomi]

I think they are just showing the lot is for sale and that there is potential to build a large building on it. It is nothing new to see the potential of more towers on Rainey Street. Other than that though, I don't think it means anything.

[Downtown_Austin]

Originally Posted by Myomi

I think they are just showing the lot is for sale and that there is potential to build a large building on it. It is nothing new to see the potential of more towers on Rainey Street. Other than that though, I don't think it means anything.

correct. Nothing's ever been publicized specifically for that site, to my knowledge. I think that rendering was "borrowed" to show context. The site was foreclosed on a while back. It's an assemblage of three SF lots. The Waterfront overlay cold make this a tricky one to develop.

[The ATX]

This one is going to face an uphill battle...

Massive South Austin development moving forward
1M s.f. of homes, shops, offices in Oak Hill

Developers are eager to build a hotel on the lot that holds the building with blue awnings. The historic building would stay put, and a 26-story high-rise would spring up behind it.
.This isn’t their first rodeo
Association for Corporate Growth
.Developers of the West Park planned unit development — a 1 million-square-foot PUD proposed in the Oak Hill area — are reducing the project’s footprint while raising its height.

The development, steadfastly opposed by area environmental and neighborhood groups, is proposing to reduce its impervious cover — meaning asphalt, concrete or buildings — from 40 percent to 25 percent of the site, its lawyer said.

Buffalo Equities Ltd., owned by Rudy Belton, is seeking “the same densities, but a more compressed project,” said Dowe Gullatt, a lawyer at Coats Rose Yale Ryman & Lee PC working the project. The change ...

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/01/21/massive-development-moving-forward.html
..

[ahealy]

So this was originally planned for somewhere else? What kind of serious obstacles would they face on Congress?

[nixcity]

Kevin, could you find the rendering of the original hotel planned for congress? If I remember right I also liked that design.

[nixcity]

Has anyone heard anything about this project? I have no idea how old it is. I found this rendering of a tower in the Waterfront District.

http://www.magnificentproperties.com/austin___river_lot

Could you imagine the Rainey St. district with this, the Nahua tower (old concept???), Hotel Van Zandt and 21 C? That area would look totally different.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by nixcity

Kevin, could you find the rendering of the original hotel planned for congress? If I remember right I also liked that design.

Yes. It was posted on the Downtown Austin Blog originally. It didn't really show much. Here's the link:
http://downtownaustinblog.org/2010/05/22/boutique-hotel-coming-to-400-block-of-congress/

The City of Austin Downtown Commission endorsed it.

http://www.statesman.com/business/centra...48-ba70-accada938693#pluck_comments_list

Central Texas Digest: Downtown commission endorses 26-story boutique hotel on Congress

COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS
Updated: 12:06 a.m. Friday, Jan. 21, 2011
Published: 9:24 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011

DEVELOPMENT

Downtown Commission OKs planned 26-story hotel

The City of Austin Downtown Commission has recommended approval of a proposed 26-story boutique hotel at 416 Congress Ave. that incorporates the facade of a 19th-century building.

Last year, the owners proposed a 15-story hotel on the site, adding new construction above the 118-year-old building. The plan now has grown to 130 rooms in 26 stories, according to a presentation Wednesday night to the commission by Mike McHone, the representative for the Houston-area owners.

The new construction will be set farther back from the street than the historical building is, according to a design by Dick Clark Architects.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

This one is going to face an uphill battle...

Massive South Austin development moving forward
1M s.f. of homes, shops, offices in Oak Hill

Developers are eager to build a hotel on the lot that holds the building with blue awnings. The historic building would stay put, and a 26-story high-rise would spring up behind it.
.This isn’t their first rodeo
Association for Corporate Growth
.Developers of the West Park planned unit development — a 1 million-square-foot PUD proposed in the Oak Hill area — are reducing the project’s footprint while raising its height.

The development, steadfastly opposed by area environmental and neighborhood groups, is proposing to reduce its impervious cover — meaning asphalt, concrete or buildings — from 40 percent to 25 percent of the site, its lawyer said.

Buffalo Equities Ltd., owned by Rudy Belton, is seeking “the same densities, but a more compressed project,” said Dowe Gullatt, a lawyer at Coats Rose Yale Ryman & Lee PC working the project. The change ...

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/01/21/massive-development-moving-forward.html
..

Anyone have the full article? You can only read it if you have a subscription. Man, I am not crazy about that idea. It would be sort of neat, though. From what I can tell it's planned for the vacant land directly across US 290 from Pinnacle Campus. I can already see Pinnacle Campus from one spot in my neighborhood. I'm absolutely sure I could see a 26-story building standing there. That is crazy. By the way, this project has been in the works for at least 2 years apparently. I found a Fox7 article about it that was written in November of 2009.

[nixcity]

Thanks Kevin, yea I thought about it more and it's the Starwood Hotel that I was excited about the rendering.