AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[KevinFromTexas]

http://impactnews.com/central-austin/new...officials-halt-downtown-austin-plan-vote

Near approval, officials halt Downtown Austin Plan vote
City Council clashes over density bonus program

By Andrea Leptinsky
Friday, 23 September 2011



CENTRAL AUSTIN — After years of community development and review, City of Austin planning staff came before City Council in August to brief officials on the Downtown Austin Plan, a long-awaited culmination of guidelines, recommendations and ordinances that will guide the city’s downtown district through its expected upcoming growth.

Although the plan was expected to be adopted Aug. 25, the issue of density management has divided City Council, causing the group to delay its adopting vote until November.

The DAP calls for several changes to the downtown district, which encompasses 1,000 acres of land between Lady Bird Lake, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, I-35 and Lamar Boulevard. Amid its recommendations for improved historic preservation, transportation, utilities and parking, it also includes recommendations for density management, the topic causing the most contention for council members as they inch closer to the plan’s approval.

[crewer]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Demolition work has begun on the former Whitley Printing Co. building at East Third and Brazos streets in downtown Austin to make way for a 16-story tower with 277 luxury apartments planned by Austin-based Riverside Resources.

In addition, Endeavor Real Estate Group said Thursday that it plans to build 350 apartments in a previously announced tower planned for West Fifth and Bowie streets. Jamil Alam, a principal with Austin-based Endeavor, said the building will have about 34 stories and will include 45,000 square feet of office space.

Another downtown apartment project, this one by Gables Residential, is expected to start in early 2012. Gables Park Plaza II would be adjacent to the Gables Park Plaza project at North Lamar Boulevard and West Cesar Chavez Street.

So the Third and Brazos project has trimmed two stories off of what was already a short, 18 story project in the CVC? Are there new drawings beyond the one that we've been seeing for months?

Endeavor is on target to build a 34 story building, but nothing is posted on their website. I recall a crude schematic from several years ago. Any updates on this one?

And the Gables project...would this be the tower to the east of the existing building?

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by crewer

So the Third and Brazos project has trimmed two stories off of what was already a short, 18 story project in the CVC? Are there new drawings beyond the one that we've been seeing for months?

Endeavor is on target to build a 34 story building, but nothing is posted on their website. I recall a crude schematic from several years ago. Any updates on this one?

And the Gables project...would this be the tower to the east of the existing building?

Yes, yes, and yes. Although, we have seen 18 stories still being used recently for the Whitley site tower.

[KevinFromTexas]

That article says the Whitley site tower would be 16 floors. From the elevation drawing we saw, the height at 18 floors was 220 feet. The 18th floor was at 185 feet. The 16th floor was at 165 feet. So that's 20 feet shorter. Assuming the design hasn't changed (except for chopping the 2 floors), the building would be 200 feet tall instead of 220.

And no, there haven't been any new renderings released for the Endeavor (Fifth & Bowie) tower.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/new-central-library-will-emphasize-new-media-1876407.html

New central library will emphasize new media

By Audrey White
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:43 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, 2011

The city revealed the design for the $120 million facility at Thursday's City Council meeting. The city approved $90 million for the project in a 2006 bond election, and the council approved $30 million in 2010 to pay for technology.

The library will be about 200,000 square feet - 90,000 square feet larger than the Faulk library - and that means more room for electrical outlets, meeting space and a greater collection of books that will be available there and for delivery service to other library branches, Lambert said.

The library will be the greenest building in Austin, said John Gillum , the facilities process manager for the library system.

Solar panels, toilets that use nonpotable water and efficient building materials are among the plans to reduce costs and protect the environment, Gillum said.

Shepley Bulfinch/ LAKE/FLATO

[wwmiv]

Not a fan of the design. Looks too... rustic. If it turns out like city hall, I'll be happy, but I'm not holding my breath. I wanted something spectacular.

[NYC_Longhorn]

LIBRARY!!!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

I've yet to see something from this architect that doesn't turn out to be awesome..... the above rendering may look underwhelming now, but it will probably end up being mind-blowingly schhhhweeeeeeet......

Check it out.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqloUQ6pwBg

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Not a fan of the design. Looks too... rustic. If it turns out like city hall, I'll be happy, but I'm not holding my breath. I wanted something spectacular.

I think it might look rustic because of the brown in the rendering, but I imagine it wouldn't turn out looking very rustic. The material probably wouldn't be wood. I kinda like it. It definitely takes into account the brutal Austin summer heat, having the shade bearing structure on top. Nice fenestration, etc.

[JACKinBeantown]

Back to the Downtown Density Proposal that was put on hold... I realize the red buildings are massing only for those blocks (obviously). They all seem to max out at around the same height. Is that to be taken literally? Is there a max height limit in Austin other than the standard national FAA 2,000 foot height limit.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by JACKinNYC

I think it might look rustic because of the brown in the rendering, but I imagine it wouldn't turn out looking very rustic. The material probably wouldn't be wood. I kinda like it. It definitely takes into account the brutal Austin summer heat, having the shade bearing structure on top. Nice fenestration, etc.

Rustic doesn't necessarily imply wood. Rustic can be other (I.E. limestone or other rock, or perhaps even rusted metal) materials as well.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by JACKinNYC

Back to the Downtown Density Proposal that was put on hold... I realize the red buildings are massing only for those blocks (obviously). They all seem to max out at around the same height. Is that to be taken literally? Is there a max height limit in Austin other than the standard national FAA 2,000 foot height limit.

I think those models are generic. Although they do have the height about right for the Manchester Convention Hotel, I doubt they know the height (even roughly) of every development that will be proposed for those blocks. Some could be shorter and some could be taller.

There are no height restrictions downtown except for the capitol view corridors and a few along the river. There's also height restrictions in West Campus that allow buildings to go up to 175 feet.

Looking at the models, I do see a quite a few 400 and 500 footers.

[OU812]

that library has taken waaaaaaaaaay too long to get off the ground already. was voted on in 2006- what have 'they' been doing all this time??? and for the ridiculous wait i would have hoped for something a lot more spectacular. perhaps something rivaling or close to Seattle's downtown library.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by OU812

was voted on in 2006- what have 'they' been doing all this time???

You have to remember this is Austin. They need studies, and then studies of those studies and then merge those studies with other studies and conduct studies to see if the merging of studies compromised each of those studies, and then toss out all of the studies because Tivo was elected and new studies have been requested to insure none of these studies took us over budget.

[gardensoul]

Thanks for posting the article and news video re: the new library. The video really is much more illustrative of what the building will look like - and to my taste, it looks terrific. I am a very big fan of Lake-Flato - check out their website for more on this great Texas design team:

http://www.lakeflato.com/

In particular, you may want to check out their award winning design for Arizona State University's new campus, it seems to share some features with the library design:

http://www.lakeflato.com/projects/asu-polytechnic/#

Looking forward to this building - and I am very relieved it isn't a show-boat piece of sculpture like the library in Seattle.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by gardensoul

Thanks for posting the article and news video re: the new library. The video really is much more illustrative of what the building will look like - and to my taste, it looks terrific. I am a very big fan of Lake-Flato - check out their website for more on this great Texas design team:

http://www.lakeflato.com/

In particular, you may want to check out their award winning design for Arizona State University's new campus, it seems to share some features with the library design:

http://www.lakeflato.com/projects/asu-polytechnic/#

Looking forward to this building - and I am very relieved it isn't a show-boat piece of sculpture like the library in Seattle.

My guy and I just checked out the old Pearl Brewery in DT San Antonio, and I gotta say...AMAZING! I always knew LAKE + FLATO designed it, but damn was it spectacular. Can't wait for more renderings

[wwmiv]

They are an amazing architectural firm. Everything they put out is impeccably crafted. Especially their interiors. However, I find that the exteriors are lacking a certain design quality. They're wonderfully done, ofcourse, but there is just that little something missing.

The Agudas Achim synagogue is wonderful (perhaps the best thing in Austin) on the inside, but the outside is just bland. I'm worried that this might end up having the same problem. I like the direction they took, but wish it was taller by about 3 stories or had more of a presence in some other way.

[SecretAgentMan]

There are display boards with additional renderings at City Hall and many of the branch libraries around town. They will be up for about a month until Council votes on the schematic design.

[KevinFromTexas]

Ah, I'm at the library right now. Maybe I'll ask if they have them.

[The ATX]

The city finally updated the emerging projects list:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/downloads/ep_data_2011-09.pdf

They still have most of the projects' start dates as "undetermined." But they have start dates for the two big hotels - Marriot Marquis 03/12 and Manchester Financial's Convention Hotel 07/12.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

The city finally updated the emerging projects list:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/downloads/ep_data_2011-09.pdf

They still have most of the projects' start dates as "undetermined." But they have start dates for the two big hotels - Marriot Marquis 03/12 and Manchester Financial's Convention Hotel 07/12.

Project C66: Post Lamar @ Riverside

"California-based Post Investment Group is looking at the possibility
of building a six-story boutique hotel with about 150 rooms.
Preliminary plans also call for 12 condominiums on the top floors.
The site is currently occupied by Taco Cabana."


Project C68: The Austin Hotel

"The project is proposed to have 210 hotel rooms, office space,
restaurants, meeting space and live music venues."


Project R81: Bremond

"A 12-story, 70-unit condominium project is being planned at 805
Nueces St., between 8th and 9th streets downtown."


Project R83: 701-711 W. 7th

"The proposal seeks to redevelop a half-acre block to build a
200-unit residential tower with 8,000 square feet of retail and 6,000
square feet of restaurant space"


Project R85: 311-315 Bowie

"CERCO Development, Inc. is developing plans for a 350,000+ s.f.
high rise mixed use project with 340 residential units, office and
retail/restaurant."


Project R86: FMF Robertson Hill

"This is a planned 257-unit mutifamily project on E. 11th Street
overlooking I-35 and downtown Austin."




Other than the Bremond, all of these projects were unknown to me. I included the Bremond on this list simply because I wasn't sure if there was a rendering available.