AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 463

photoLith · #**9241** Posted **Aug 24, 2011, 10:20 PM**

Quote:

Thats the stop sign I got a 250 dollar ticket at for not stopping all the way on my bike 2 months ago. YAY

Anyways, great to see some new development starting up finally in A town. And wow, the courthouse is a mess, yuck. Its a massive amalgamation of random lines and windows; theres no continuity at all really in the design.

The ATX · #**9242** Posted **Aug 25, 2011, 12:02 AM**

I like the Fed's new house. It looks exactly like a place where you don't want to be. It scares me.

BevoLJ · #**9243** Posted **Aug 25, 2011, 12:59 AM**

Haha Hill Country. =D

KevinFromTexas · #**9244** Posted **Aug 25, 2011, 4:43 AM**

An Austin photo thread by jfre81.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=5390094#post5390094

Austin1971 · #**9245** Posted **Aug 25, 2011, 6:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

My friend was just looking at it a was complaining that it has no windows. I had to mention to her that trying to cool a place in Austin in the summer that has tons of windows is very expensive and not considered sustainable or environmentally friendly building. I hope that lack of windows is not one of the reasons people are disliking some of the newer buildings. That is something that I hope those in cities that get baked by the sun like Austin does, starts to get used to reducing the numbers of windows.

While I assume they took cooling into consideration with the design, the lack of windows is to prevent shards of flying glass in the event an IED is detonated nearby.

BevoLJ · #**9246** Posted **Aug 25, 2011, 6:25 AM**

Ah good point. I always forget about the crazies like McVeigh. =(

LoneStarMike · #**9247** Posted **Aug 26, 2011, 2:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Travis County is accepting proposal bids for the project. I think they said there's 25 of them from architects from all over the world. What it'll come down to is money, and they'll choose the one that best fits what the county needs and can afford.

Here are the concepts that were presented a couple of days ago:

link (pdf file)

These aren't actual renderings, they just show the different options they're considering showing placement and height.

priller · #**9248** Posted **Aug 26, 2011, 8:20 PM**

^^^ Interesting, thanks!

KevinFromTexas · #**9249** Posted **Aug 26, 2011, 9:16 PM**

http://impactnews.com/central-austin/news/14299-investors-eye-downtown-land

Quote:

Investors eye downtown land
Projects in progress promise revenue, attraction for city

By Andrea Leptinsky
Friday, 26 August 2011

CENTRAL AUSTIN — The pace at which local and out-of-town developers are developing properties throughout Austin’s urban core is quickening, dangling the carrot of multimillion-dollar investments in front of a city infrastructure that is in the middle of another slimming budget process.

Developers are taking advantage of the current market, available square footage and the type of atmosphere downtown provides, according to local stakeholders.

“While the development community and environment does seem to have more going on, it’s very much focused on two particular uses: multifamily and hotel,” said Jude Galligan, owner of downtown Austin’s RE/MAX franchise and the Downtown Austin Blog. “Those are the two types of high-rise developments you can get financing for. Within the next 12 months we’re definitely going to see more cranes downtown.”

KevinFromTexas · #**9250** Posted **Aug 26, 2011, 9:16 PM**

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/08/26/downtowns-vibe-lures-startup.html

Quote:

Downtown’s vibe lures startup

Premium content from Austin Business Journal - by Cody Lyon , ABJ Staff
Date: Friday, August 26, 2011, 5:00am CDT

Austin-based 3Seventy will take about 4,000 square feet at 707 Rio Grande St. in downtown Austin next month — adding to a growing number of companies eyeing downtown as the place to cultivate youthful and creative workplaces.

Having received a $2 million investment and with plans to hire about 40 people, 3Seventy, a business software company, considered being in Austin’s core “absolutely critical,” CEO Carrie Chitsey said.

The company wants to create “a fun, young marketing space,” and a downtown location enables 3Seventy to foster the creative atmosphere that she wants her company to represent and that will help attract the right talent.

nixcity · #**9251** Posted **Aug 30, 2011, 2:08 AM**

No word on the Hyatt Place breaking ground yet?

Somnio · #**9252** Posted **Aug 30, 2011, 10:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nixcity

No word on the Hyatt Place breaking ground yet?

Here's the last news I've heard about the groundbreaking, from a Statesman article in May.

Quote:

The hotel — the sixth Hyatt property in Central Texas — will break ground in the third quarter and is expected to open in 2013.

http://www.statesman.com/business/business-digest-hyatt-teaming-up-with-white-lodging-1449875.html

If the above article is correct, groundbreaking should occur in the next month.

EAM · #**9253** Posted **Aug 31, 2011, 1:40 AM**

Any word on where the food trailers will re-locate? Patika Coffee is great, and Kebabalicious is a solid go-to option for lunch. They will be missed. I'm kind of surprised Snap Kitchen just put in a trailer there too. They had to have had an idea that they would have to relocate soon.

ahealy · #**9254** Posted **Aug 31, 2011, 2:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EAM

Any word on where the food trailers will re-locate? Patika Coffee is great, and Kebabalicious is a solid go-to option for lunch. They will be missed. I'm kind of surprised Snap Kitchen just put in a trailer there too. They had to have had an idea that they would have to relocate soon.

You're thinking of the Marriott Marquis, which will break ground in about a year. The Hyatt Place project is east of Congress. Food trailers will probably move to Colorado where that one hotel is planned...or somewhere else downtown.

zx14 · #**9255** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 4:55 AM**

28 record highs. Warmest july then warmest aug. Also the following the hottest 2 months in history. All time high temp tied at 112. 77 100 degree days and counting. A new record every day. We may hit over 80 century temp days. Also the longest 100 degree streak in history! 4 of the top ten of those streaks in one year. Lake level bottoming out. No rain in Aug. Hottest summer avg. You guys having fun yet? Ah I love Austin but I am so glad right now I live in KY.

LoneStarMike · #**9256** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 9:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zx14

77 100 degree days and counting. A new record every day. We may hit over 80 century temp days.

When we made it to our 73rd day of triple-digit heat, that works out to one out of every five days for the entire year where it was 100 or more - or 20% of all days in 2011. And it's still going - like the $%&@ Energizer bunny. I hate it.

The ATX · #**9257** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 1:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zx14

28 record highs. Warmest july then warmest aug. Also the following the hottest 2 months in history. All time high temp tied at 112. 77 100 degree days and counting. A new record every day. We may hit over 80 century temp days. Also the longest 100 degree streak in history! 4 of the top ten of those streaks in one year. Lake level bottoming out. No rain in Aug. Hottest summer avg. You guys having fun yet? Ah I love Austin but I am so glad right now I live in KY.

I still like the heat better than living up North in the winter - plus it's still Austin! But going so long without significant rain is another story. It's like watching desertification in action around here.

DZH22 · #**9258** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 5:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

I still like the heat better than living up North in the winter - plus it's still Austin! But going so long without significant rain is another story. It's like watching desertification in action around here.

As a counter point to that, I find colder air to be much more breathable. Also, I am pretty active, and basically unable to do much in extreme heat w/out just wanting to pass out within 5 minutes. There is nothing I hate more than sweating my ass off w/out actually doing anything to warrant it. If you know how to bundle up correctly, you can always stay warm in the winter. However, there are only so many layers of clothing you can remove in the summer. (before it becomes indecent exposure, and even then it's still too hot!)

I actually almost moved to Austin a couple years ago, but ultimately I would rather just "suck it up" for the winter (I was still managing to take hour+ walks most of the days, and the snow adds a whole new dimension of magical) than deal with over 2 months worth of 100 degree days. As this guy would attest, heat like that is miserable

The ATX · #**9259** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 6:18 PM**

One of the best things about the U.S. (IMHO) is its location in the world. We have a huge variety of climates and geographies to choose from.

KevinFromTexas · #**9260** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 8:09 PM**

My brother rode his bicycle 11 miles to work today and will probably ride 11 miles home, too. Just a few years ago he couldn't ride more than a few miles without getting out of breath (he smokes cigarettes, too). Heat is something you learn to deal with here, and thankfully the human body adapts and conditions itself.

I used to hate cold weather, and I still have no love for it, but I do enjoy the cooler temps at the end of a hot summer. I've learned to appreciate both. If there's one thing this summer has taught me, it's that weather and a single type of climate can be really boring. So it'll be nice to have a change once it does cool down.