AUSTIN | Projects & Construction III

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by ahealy

http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs...-the-americas/

Live Nation.

I really dislike them. But with McCombs being behind COTA it does make since.

The tower and amphitheater look great though.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Live Nation.

I really dislike them. But with McCombs being behind COTA it does make since.

The tower and amphitheater look great though.

What are your reasons for disliking? I don't know much about them...

and I definitely DISLIKE mccombs......

[Syndic]

You guys need to read Suburban Nation. If something had to be built on that plot (and something else would have been if The Domain wasn't), wouldn't you prefer it's mixed-use? It's all about "sprawling the right way", AKA building urbanism. I feel like mixed-used development isn't getting enough love here. People take it for granted. We didn't see any mixed-use development for decades. Maybe half a century. Now we "hate" it when it finally shows up and it's not perfect? Ridiculous.

No, the Domain isn't another downtown. It's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be just another neighborhood in a vast urban landscape (that doesn't exist yet). And that's not far out. That's home for me. That's my area of Austin. That's around where I grew up. So this part of Austin existed 25+ years ago. It's not like it's out in Round Rock or Buda or something. It's INFILL.

[nixcity]

It seems to me like this and Mueller in particular were really the only chance for a true 2nd downtown or uptown. And at least with Mueller true urban rail has a chance to get there. But, as is neither of them will accomplish this. So what other part of town could become that? With a city this large and considering how large it is going to be we should have one. Maybe south river or whatever the area is called or Riverside, I can't imagine anywhere else with the remote possibility to bring that kind of density.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by ahealy

What are your reasons for disliking? I don't know much about them...

and I definitely DISLIKE mccombs......

They are a competitor of ours so I am biased. And they are the biggest of them all. If they stayed out of Austin I guess I wouldn't have a big problem with them. No... that is not true. I just don't like how they do things. Their merger with Ticketmaster. I don't like their business practices. They treat their employees like poop filled robots.

Oh, and last week they pulled the plug on the Springsteen and McCartney midway through a show in Hyde Park (London)! lol. Not that they had much of a choice but still!

But given they are a spin off of Clear Channel (founded by McCombs - oh and I don't like Clear Channel either - lol), and bought the House of Blues chain (DeJoria) who are both big investors in COTA, it was inevitable.

[KevinFromTexas]

I have always eyed the industrial area around Ben White as being a place that could have the potential for being a dense urban node. It has major street arteries bordering it on all sides, rail access intersecting it (two lines actually) including one to the airport and the other that runs through downtown and beyond. There's also that Capitol Metro Park and Ride now near Congress & Ben White.

By the way, I was looking up projects and saw the planning review files for The Flats on South Congress. This is located at 4361 South Congress where St. Elmo dead ends. It's the site of the old St. Elmo-Tel that closed down years ago. It had been planned as a 75 foot residential building, but the current plans now show the highest roof at 89 feet with 7 floors That would be the tallest building on Congress south of the Riverside and Barton Springs area.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by earousseau

done.

http://bit.ly/LJwY2H

After living on the drag for 3.5 years and taking bus 3 for so long I will have to say that this is a terrible presentation for urban transit. Also considering that it drops you off a good ways left to walk till you get to Dillard's without any proper sidewalk. Anyways... I remember talking about this very same thing awhile back that I don't think it merits another discussion. Bus 3 runs every half hour or so... and it's just a ridiculous way to travel from downtown to the Domain. It's not quite "connected" as you'd wanna think.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by ahealy

True true. Which further proves that the domain is just a far outdoor mall in North Austin...not uptown or downtown II.

Exactly.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by Syndic

You guys need to read Suburban Nation. If something had to be built on that plot (and something else would have been if The Domain wasn't), wouldn't you prefer it's mixed-use? It's all about "sprawling the right way", AKA building urbanism. I feel like mixed-used development isn't getting enough love here. People take it for granted. We didn't see any mixed-use development for decades. Maybe half a century. Now we "hate" it when it finally shows up and it's not perfect? Ridiculous.

No, the Domain isn't another downtown. It's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be just another neighborhood in a vast urban landscape (that doesn't exist yet). And that's not far out. That's home for me. That's my area of Austin. That's around where I grew up. So this part of Austin existed 25+ years ago. It's not like it's out in Round Rock or Buda or something. It's INFILL.

I am not passionately against the Domain. I think it's fun to visit actually. I just don't see it as a neighborhood even if people wanna ride it off as such. If it wants to be a neighborhood, the only possible way I could see it happening is if more of it gets built but that all sections are connected and not surrounded and separated by parking lots the way Domain I and II are.

Also again a rapid transit would help connecting downtown to the Domain giving it a more neighborhood feel.

Here in the Bay Area there is a similar development in Emeryville literally right on the other side of the Bay Area. For $4 you can take a bus from downtown San Francisco that takes you directly to this area in about 20 minutes. I'd been meaning to take photos of it so that I can compare them to the Domain. It's connected to safe sidewalks and to actual streets as opposed to the way the Domain was built. Its basically the same concept but it is smaller and with less stores and more connected for public access. This is the way the Domain should have been done it they wanted to promote a dense urban neighborhood.

Here it is on google map.
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en

Sure, the Domain may be better than what their was before, but if this is what we wanna go for than why not call it as it is? And why get offended if someone calls it for what it is? Ahealy is right, the development functions just like a mall.

And on your take of mixed-use I agree with you. It's a clever way to build. But if we wanna go urban then, why not stress the importance of better public transportation?

[BevoLJ]

Personally I would like to see Round Rock become more urban. There isn't much land between the creeks, but if they turned that whole downtown area into a CBD it would be pretty cool. Get some office and street retail.

Rather than make a second DT Austin, make a second city up there. Round Rock already has a lot of people. It is just sprawled out suburban fashion. Do like a Ft Worth kinda thing. Ft Worth is the most suburban major Texas city as far as being mostly just SFHs, but still has a nice bit of a DT. And is a fun place to visit. RR could do something like that.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Personally I would like to see Round Rock become more urban. There isn't much land between the creeks, but if they turned that whole downtown area into a CBD it would be pretty cool. Get some office and street retail.

Rather than make a second DT Austin, make a second city up there. Round Rock already has a lot of people. It is just sprawled out suburban fashion. Do like a Ft Worth kinda thing. Ft Worth is the most suburban major Texas city as far as being mostly just SFHs, but still has a nice bit of a DT. And is a fun place to visit. RR could do something like that.

Yeah, that would be nice too. It be really nice if Round Rock turned out to be really cool and have an awesome downtown and a rapid transit would take you from RR to Austin downtown in minutes. But every time you envision something like it, there are always detractors trying so hard to "burst your bubble". Yes, it's just pipe dreams... but if they're all good ideas then then why not?

I really see Austin having a real shot at becoming a true urban city in my lifetime.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by migol24

Yeah, that would be nice too. It be really nice if Round Rock turned out to be really cool and have an awesome downtown and a rapid transit would take you from RR to Austin downtown in minutes. But every time you envision something like it, there are always detractors trying so hard to "burst your bubble". Yes, it's just pipe dreams... but if they're all good ideas then then why not?

I really see Austin having a real shot at becoming a true urban city in my lifetime.

I hope to see that someday as well...but we can't even get a damn train to go to SA (besides amtrak once a day)!

I think Austin is set up for greatness in those areas, I just want to see some serious movement. There has been so much work done for F1...when will we see the same amount of progression for rapid mass transit??? IT. IS. TIME.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by ahealy

I hope to see that someday as well...but we can't even get a damn train to go to SA (besides amtrak once a day)!

I think Austin is set up for greatness in those areas, I just want to see some serious movement. There has been so much work done for F1...when will we see the same amount of progression for rapid mass transit??? IT. IS. TIME.

We need someone like Lady Bird Johnson but with iron steel balls that really contributes a lot of time and effort to promote urban progress for a city. Austin has been doing a good job... but we need more people to really press harder. I guess, here I am talking about making a difference, but I'm just sitting on my butt on the other side of the country. lol!

[nixcity]

I have always eyed the industrial area around Ben White as being a place that could have the potential for being a dense urban node. It has major street arteries bordering it on all sides, rail access intersecting it (two lines actually) including one to the airport and the other that runs through downtown and beyond. There's also that Capitol Metro Park and Ride now near Congress & Ben White.

Yea, that does make a lot of sense but aren't most of the businesses there still operating?

By the way, I was looking up projects and saw the planning review files for The Flats on South Congress. This is located at 4361 South Congress where St. Elmo dead ends. It's the site of the old St. Elmo-Tel that closed down years ago. It had been planned as a 75 foot residential building, but the current plans now show the highest roof at 89 feet with 7 floors That would be the tallest building on Congress south of the Riverside and Barton Springs area.

Now that would be impressive, so is it actually moving forward then? They have had that sign up with a really cool rendering for a long time, I hope it looks similar to that. And finally something more than 5 floors, I can think of a few other places that a building like that would work real well. For example, the long stretch of land on S. Congress right in front of Pleasant Hill Elementary.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by migol24

We need someone like Lady Bird Johnson but with iron steel balls that really contributes a lot of time and effort to promote urban progress for a city. Austin has been doing a good job... but we need more people to really press harder. I guess, here I am talking about making a difference, but I'm just sitting on my butt on the other side of the country. lol!

So true. We so need another Lady Bird. Someone with that vision, drive and the money and political support to do it.

I write a few checks here or there to things like the trails or the creek or whatever, but like you mostly just sit on my butt too. lol. Only unlike you not from just the other side of the country but often the other side of the Atlantic.

The one thing I know for sure though is the Laura Morrisons of Austin sure aren't the Lady Bird we need.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

So true. We so need another Lady Bird. Someone with that vision, drive and the money and political support to do it.

I write a few checks here or there to things like the trails or the creek or whatever, but like you mostly just sit on my butt too. lol. Only unlike you not from just the other side of the country but often the other side of the Atlantic.

The one thing I know for sure though is the Laura Morrisons of Austin sure aren't the Lady Bird we need.

If I ever strike oil, you can be damn sure I'd fill those shoes...just with tattoos and a beard...I'll do my hair the same as her too.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

So true. We so need another Lady Bird. Someone with that vision, drive and the money and political support to do it.

I write a few checks here or there to things like the trails or the creek or whatever, but like you mostly just sit on my butt too. lol. Only unlike you not from just the other side of the country but often the other side of the Atlantic.

The one thing I know for sure though is the Laura Morrisons of Austin sure aren't the Lady Bird we need.

If I ever do get good at doing what I'm doing, I guess my next goal would be to be a contributor to a city like that. I wouldn't wanna be a mayor but I would like contributing. Anyways, I personally feel that all of us here are steps ahead of most who don't even inform themselves and I also feel that most all of you are much more informed then even I myself.

But speaking of making progress, this was posted on facebook from my friend Stacy Zoern. It's worth looking into it if you guys have the time.
http://www.rockethub.com/projects/95...joystick-model

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by migol24

If I ever do get good at doing what I'm doing, I guess my next goal would be to be a contributor to a city like that. I wouldn't wanna be a mayor but I would like contributing. Anyways, I personally feel that all of us here are steps ahead of most who don't even inform themselves and I also feel that most all of you are much more informed then even I myself.

But speaking of making progress, this was posted on facebook from my friend Stacy Zoern. It's worth looking into it if you guys have the time.
http://www.rockethub.com/projects/95...joystick-model

Hopefully someone REALLLLLLY $teps up to the plate. you're right, Miguel...we all are so informed and care so much about this city. It's a special place. Having lived in LA and traveled many places, I will always love Austin, and have so much hope for it. It is very different than any other Texas/US city. I just hope it continues to grow up like that.

Also, I really hope Kenguru meets their goal. I was so excited to hear about their plans a while back.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by nixcity

Now that would be impressive, so is it actually moving forward then? They have had that sign up with a really cool rendering for a long time, I hope it looks similar to that.

You can view the files here. "South Urban Lofts" was the old name. I think that was the 75 foot plan. There was activity with the files as recently as July 19, so it seems like they're still moving forward. If you click on the "Site Plan Administrative" and download the files, you can view the site elevation which roughly shows what it'll look like. To find the project just type in the address - 4361 South Congress.
https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...er_permits.jsp

I'm hoping that by me collecting and posting building heights here that it somehow informs people. That information is already public you just have to know where to look. So I don't feel bad about getting a height from a developer or architect and then posting it here or contributing the heights to a building database. I honestly don't think people realize how many or how few tall buildings Austin has or how our "historic ones" stack up against what is built now and what is planned. I've rolled my eyes at the Statesman comments section whenever I hear someone go off about how the Capitol was once the tallest (it was), but how it was protected that no other building could be taller (that never happened). Or how it was the tallest in Austin just a few years ago. It hasn't been the tallest since 1974 and is today the 18th tallest building in Austin with at least a dozen more buildings planned to be taller.

Originally Posted by migol24

But speaking of making progress, this was posted on facebook from my friend Stacy Zoern. It's worth looking into it if you guys have the time.
http://www.rockethub.com/projects/95...joystick-model

I remember reading about that car way over a year ago. I posted about it in the Transportation section of the forum.

Here's the link.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=188986

[SecretAgentMan]

Originally Posted by migol24

After living on the drag for 3.5 years and taking bus 3 for so long I will have to say that this is a terrible presentation for urban transit. Also considering that it drops you off a good ways left to walk till you get to Dillard's without any proper sidewalk. Anyways... I remember talking about this very same thing awhile back that I don't think it merits another discussion. Bus 3 runs every half hour or so... and it's just a ridiculous way to travel from downtown to the Domain. It's not quite "connected" as you'd wanna think.

Most of the streets in Domain are private. Cap Metro can't run buses on them without the owner's consent. To date, they have not wanted buses inside the property. The Alliance for Public Transit is running a campaign to try and convince the Domain to allow Cap Metro access.