AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[JACKinBeantown]

Looks pretty cool... sorta like a shorter version of something you'd see in Vancouver.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by JACKinNYC

Looks pretty cool... sorta like a shorter version of something you'd see in Vancouver.

Eh? Most of Vancouver is around that height.

I LOVE the design. I hope that they don't make any further changes. Its beautiful.

[migol24]

I wonder what it look like with the Greenwater Treatment designs rendered.

[JoninATX]

I pounder that to...

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Eh? Most of Vancouver is around that height.

I LOVE the design. I hope that they don't make any further changes. Its beautiful.

Let me rephrase.

Looks pretty cool... sorta like one of the mid-sized buildings you'd see in Vancouver.

[Downtown_Austin]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Seaholm Hotel & Condos. It looks like it's around 300 feet tall or so.


http://www.seaholm.info/

Hmmm.... I can't quite tell from this perspective if they intend to push West Ave through to Cesar Chavez

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

Hmmm.... I can't quite tell from this perspective if they intend to push West Ave through to Cesar Chavez

That is the plan. I suppose that they could have just glossed over that fact in the rendering, but it seems more likely to me that the blue patch in between the open space and the library placeholder is West Avenue: http://www.austinlibrary.org/site/DocServer/newCentral-Update4.pdf?docID=1001

Speaking of the library, the design should be out by the end of the year: http://www.austinlibrary.org/site/PageServer?pagename=central_library. I'm holding out hope for a mid-rise based on the anticipated square footage. I'm assuming anything between 150-250 feet. Also, I hope the design is more akin to the Seattle Central Library (despite my hatred of the design) than to a suburban library.

Edit: Yes, if you look closely there is a car parked on what I hypothesized is West Avenue:

[Syndic]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Seaholm Hotel & Condos. It looks like it's around 300 feet tall or so.


http://www.seaholm.info/

Ooooh! That is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time. I'm hoping those itsy-bitsy buildings they put in the Green Water Treatment Plant site are just filler buildings.

I love the detail in this rendering, though. It's amazing. The condo tower is much taller than I expected and this gives that area a lot more character than I expected it to have. That events green out in front is such an awesome idea and I like the up-dos they seem to have planned for the power plant. Looks like lots of little restaurants and shops and stuff. I can see this place being one of the most well-known places in Austin if it turns out like this. Throw in the proposed GWTP developments and that will just take this area over the top. It will completely change how we all see the city of Austin.

[Syndic]

You can be sure the city council is placing a lot of importance on this area because it's right where the LStar train is going to be entering the city. It will be many peoples' first impression of Austin.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Ooooh! That is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time. I'm hoping those itsy-bitsy buildings they put in the Green Water Treatment Plant site are just filler buildings.

I love the detail in this rendering, though. It's amazing. The condo tower is much taller than I expected and this gives that area a lot more character than I expected it to have. That events green out in front is such an awesome idea and I like the up-dos they seem to have planned for the power plant. Looks like lots of little restaurants and shops and stuff. I can see this place being one of the most well-known places in Austin if it turns out like this. Throw in the proposed GWTP developments and that will just take this area over the top. It will completely change how we all see the city of Austin.

Are you referring to the buildings on the left side of the rendering? If so, notice they smartly put the view of the capitol in the rendering! Those lower buildings are in the capitol view corridor so they can not be taller.

It seems as thought this is close to the view ( obviously not as elevated) you would have from the Pfluger pedestrian bridge. Anyone else think that is true?

[Downtown_Austin]

The Capitol View corridors on this got my interest, so here's how CVC cuts through Seaholm.

[Complex01]

That is really awesome looking. I like it. I can only imagine the colors at night. Very kewl...

[Syndic]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Are you referring to the buildings on the left side of the rendering?

No, I'm actually talking about to the right of the building. I'm under the impression that something like this is still planned there. (The buildings to the right of that image.) It's not in the capitol view corridor, so the buildings (if they are ever built) should be pretty tall.

Someone just asked me exactly what the actual power plant is going to be used for after this and I realized I didn't know the answer. Does anybody else? I thought it was going to be made into a special events venue but now I'm wondering if not the area in front it is going to be used for that and the inside for something else. I also heard somewhere that it's going to be kind of like a museum of sorts? To showcase Austin's history? Maybe it will be both?

Also, did anyone else realize that, in that rendering, it looks like you're going to be able to go underneath it? I wonder if that will go all the way to the other side.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Syndic

No, I'm actually talking about to the right of the building. I'm under the impression that something like this is still planned there. (The buildings to the right of that image.) It's not in the capitol view corridor, so the buildings (if they are ever built) should be pretty tall.

Someone just asked me exactly what the actual power plant is going to be used for after this and I realized I didn't know the answer. Does anybody else? I thought it was going to be made into a special events venue but now I'm wondering if not the area in front it is going to be used for that and the inside for something else. I also heard somewhere that it's going to be kind of like a museum of sorts? To showcase Austin's history? Maybe it will be both?

The power plant will be retail/events. Yes, the three buildings which would be to the right of the tower in this rendering are still planned. The other two buildings in that plan would be directly behind the tower in the rendering.

[NYC_Longhorn]

We should be so lucky to have something akin to the seattle library.... can't be explained in its awesomeness unless you go inside of it.... very creative is what austin should be going for

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by NYC_Longhorn

We should be so lucky to have something akin to the seattle library.... can't be explained in its awesomeness unless you go inside of it.... very creative is what austin should be going for

I've seen photos and video of the inside. The inside is awesome... Despite that fact, the outside is awful.

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by Syndic

You can be sure the city council is placing a lot of importance on this area because it's right where the LStar train is going to be entering the city. It will be many peoples' first impression of Austin.

It will be many years before we even know IF the LStar train will ever happen. Don't believe the hype; UP has to move, and even TXDOT can't make them do it, so somebody has to come up with a couple billion dollars before it'll happen.

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by jowens

I'm waiting on M1EK take on the light rail article in today's Statesman.

See the Transportation forum in the Austin section. No more time for today.

[The ATX]

There is some interesting information regarding Austin's land area and population on the City of Austin's Demographics and Annexation Websites.

Austin annexed a fair amount of populated areas after the 2010 census count - mostly in December 2010. The city estimates the 04/01/2011 population at just over 812,000. That's 22,000 more than the official census count. In addtion to that, there are more than 208,000 people living in Austin's ETJ (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction). If Austin went on an annexation binge and didn't allow the ETJ subdivisions to incorporate, the city's population would be 1,020,000 right now without any more growth.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/demographics/

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/annexation/compannex.htm

[migol24]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

There is some interesting information regarding Austin's land area and population on the City of Austin's Demographics and Annexation Websites.

Austin annexed a fair amount of populated areas after the 2010 census count - mostly in December 2010. The city estimates the 04/01/2011 population at just over 812,000. That's 22,000 more than the official census count. In addtion to that, there are more than 208,000 people living in Austin's ETJ (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction). If Austin went on an annexation binge and didn't allow the ETJ subdivisions to incorporate, the city's population would be 1,020,000 right now without any more growth.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/demographics/

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/annexation/compannex.htm

eh.... that makes no difference to me. I'm all about seeing Austin grow within its core district. If it grows around its metro all the better.... but city proper never really tells the real picture in terms of how big the city truly is. If Austin went ahead and annexed all that area it surely wouldn't feel like a city of a million.