AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[ivanwolf]

Originally Posted by airwx

They are splitting the 800 Congress project in to 2 phases. In phase 1, they are demolishing a small part of the structure and hoping to have it available as an event space in time for SXSW. Full demo will be part of phase 2. You can read more in the attached site correction here.

My reference is to Ph 2, the new complete building. I'll maybe take a walk down at lunch Friday and see how far along they are with demo.

[priller]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...-york-a/njnpB/

Nonprofit Waller Creek Conservancy taps New York architect for CEO job.

One of the chief architects of a $185 million project that turned an abandoned Manhattan freight rail line into an elevated greenway has been tapped to lead the reimagination of a downtown Austin creek.

The elevated greenway they're referring to is the High Line. Which is very cool. This is a big deal!

[AusTxDevelopment]

Probably speculation, but Threadgill's owner is quoted in the Austin Business Journal today saying that he will have to move his Barton Springs location in the next 5 years because the site is 'destined' for a highrise:

As a result of rising property values and his first new lease in 15 years, Wilson said Threadgill's south is paying five times the rent it had been in recent years.

"We'll need another Threadgill's within the next five years because I'm in a building that's destined to be a highrise before too much longer," Wilson said. "My landlord (Moton Crockett) is a hero who's never sold a piece of downtown property and just does ground leases, but I think people are having a hard time doing a 99-year ground lease with a 92-year-old man."

Austin Business Journal
Armadillo Headquarters auction the next business step for Threadgill's owner
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...-business.html

[priller]

More Waller Creek news.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...months-/njmpG/

Downtown Waller Creek tunnel to open a few months later than scheduled

After Austin officials discovered a major design flaw in part of the $149 million Waller Creek Tunnel project last year, they said a separate key component of the project — a mile-long tunnel — would still be complete by the end of 2014 as planned.

That didn’t happen, and city officials now say they expect the tunnel to open between March and June.

The design flaw was the intake facility that "blocked" the non-existent capitol view. Ridiculous that they made them change it for that reason, but they did. I'm personally very excited for this, I live at the Sabine building, can't wait to stop paying flood insurance!!

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by priller

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...-york-a/njnpB/

Nonprofit Waller Creek Conservancy taps New York architect for CEO job.



The elevated greenway they're referring to is the High Line. Which is very cool. This is a big deal!

Definitely an exciting development. The Waller Creek project is, for me, the most promising extensive improvement in Austin, so it's great to have an experienced visionary at the helm. At first I was wishing it would be more like San Antonio's Riverwalk with development right up to the creek, but now I'm so glad that they're more focused on it being a user-friendly green oasis with far less emphasis on business.

Speaking of elevated greenways, I've often thought it would be cool, if impractical, to have elevated bike-and-walkways along major arterials like Burnet, Lamar, and South Congress. There'd be access ramps every couple blocks, and maybe every quarter mile there'd be 100 feet that's covered/protected in the event of downpours and lightning. It doesn't seem like it would be super expensive, and people like me would actually start riding a bike if we didn't have to share crowded chaotic streets with cars that have the capacity to render our lives miserable or terminated in the blink of an eye.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Tech House

Definitely an exciting development. The Waller Creek project is, for me, the most promising extensive improvement in Austin, so it's great to have an experienced visionary at the helm. At first I was wishing it would be more like San Antonio's Riverwalk with development right up to the creek, but now I'm so glad that they're more focused on it being a user-friendly green oasis with far less emphasis on business.

Speaking of elevated greenways, I've often thought it would be cool, if impractical, to have elevated bike-and-walkways along major arterials like Burnet, Lamar, and South Congress. There'd be access ramps every couple blocks, and maybe every quarter mile there'd be 100 feet that's covered/protected in the event of downpours and lightning. It doesn't seem like it would be super expensive, and people like me would actually start riding a bike if we didn't have to share crowded chaotic streets with cars that have the capacity to render our lives miserable or terminated in the blink of an eye.

Separated bikeways and urban trails are intended to give that mobility at _substantially_ less cost.

http://www.austintexas.gov/yourpath

Even today, there's often less crowded routes that avoid "chaotic" streets (for instance, instead of Burnet from Anderson to 49th, take Woodrow instead).

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by AusTxDevelopment

Probably speculation, but Threadgill's owner is quoted in the Austin Business Journal today saying that he will have to move his Barton Springs location in the next 5 years because the site is 'destined' for a highrise:



Austin Business Journal
Armadillo Headquarters auction the next business step for Threadgill's owner
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...-business.html

Eddie Wilson has some amazing artifacts. If you;ve never been to Threadgill's south .... go just to see the collection of Neon signs from around town.
If you;ve ever been to Threadgills North and seed the building out back, one floor is all things he has collected. From old drug store counters to a letter that "Bonnie" of "Bonnie and Clyde" wrote when she was in an asylum.
He's a major collector. !
He's also a very generous and gracious man.

[tie_guy]

Y'all

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/2015/01/gourdoughs-prepping-downtown-restaurant-for.html?s=image_gallery

[LoneStarMike]

^^Link doesn't work.

this one should, though.

[lzppjb]

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/busi...ers-to-/njqTG/

Digital Turbine relocating headquarters from LA to downtown Austin. Bringing 50-100 jobs plus more in the future.

[Syndic]

They finally painted that ugly pink parking garage on Cesar Chavez:



Also, they converted Brazos into a 2-way street:



Image courtesy of @DanKeshet on Twitter

[KevinFromTexas]

That's the garage for One Congress Plaza across the street. The pink color was a cheap attempt at making it match the building.

[Syndic]

Right, but it looked terrible, IMO.

[priller]

A couple of photos from today:

[Urbannizer]

I took some updates today as well.

Dunno the name:



501 Congress:





1705 Guadalupe:







Pointe on Rio

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

I took some updates today as well.

Dunno the name:

That's the Texas Public Policy Foundation

They're currently across the street at 900 Congress and this new building at 901 Congress is where they'll be moving.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

That's the Texas Public Policy Foundation

They're currently across the street at 900 Congress and this new building at 901 Congress is where they'll be moving.

Wow! That is quite a public and impressive little building to house a right-wing think tank that allegedly receives lots an lots money from those pesky Koch brothers and a host of other fat cats. The linked article gives a comprehensive list of the individual, corporate, and financial donors for this outfit. http://www.texasobserver.org/reveale...cy-foundation/

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by austlar1

Wow! That is quite a public and impressive little building to house a right-wing think tank that allegedly receives lots an lots money from those pesky Koch brothers and a host of other fat cats. The linked article gives a comprehensive list of the individual, corporate, and financial donors for this outfit. http://www.texasobserver.org/reveale...cy-foundation/

Now us annoying liberals know where to protest on a regular basis. lol

[KevinFromTexas]

I like that building. I'd like to see a few more like it. I've always admired Fort Worth for their downtown renewal and their habit of using nods to old styles for new buildings. I think we could see more tall buildings along Congress if developers/architects went that way.

[LoneStarMike]

^^I remember when this building was first announced about two and a half years ago. It was a historical building in that it had been here a long time, but so many renovations and changes to the facade had been made over the years, that it wasn't historical "enough" to save.

Here's an interesting article from the Austin Post from about two years ago about the building's history.

The Historic Building That Isn't: Wrecking Ball for 19th Century Structure