Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenBoot
If one want's to make a statement and be "Independent" in the Austin skyline, why are you building a structure roughly the same height as the next best thing? Make a stand! Be "Independent!" Hell, I'd rather live in the Austonian and be on Congress than tucked away on a dark corner of 3rd Street at the Independent (with no direct road access to downtown).
Man this is disappointing if true. I was really hoping for a 750+ footer. That would have made a real statement and could truly be proclaimed "Independent" in the Austin skyline. At the same height as the Austonian...there is nothing new (no matter what the design).
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I find most of this to be irrational, except to the extent that one is obsessed with tall buildings out of a particular fetish such as many of us have on this forum. But we're oddballs. Everyone freaking out that the Independent won't be much taller than the Austonian is just goofy and points to a fixation on a single dimension. Most people don't care. It isn't going to affect sales, and it won't detract from the striking appearance of the Independent's probable design. We've all been gleeful over the Proper because of its design, while giving its height a pass.
Austin doesn't need to be Manhattan or even Los Angeles in order to be a vibrant, world-class city with a beautiful skyline.
Also, regarding this: "I'd rather live in the Austonian and be on Congress than tucked away on a dark corner of 3rd Street at the Independent (with no direct road access to downtown)." -- OK, maybe some people feel that way, but I've been thinking all along that I'd much rather be tucked away on a bend in the creek with trails and a walk/bike bridge connecting me to downtown, than to be on Congress or any other location in downtown. That location is primo, and NOT having a 3rd Street auto bridge is a bonus! I would bet money on this if I had the ability to do so. What, you need to drive 3 blocks to downtown, then find a parking space that's 3 blocks from your destination? I don't get the logic here. There is absolutely no reason to connect 3rd. If you're driving, the extra 2 blocks you have to drive to get to the 2nd, Cesar Chavez, or 5th Street bridges is hardly what I'd call a deal-breaker. People in the suburbs pay extra to be on a cul de sac that makes them have to drive further to get anywhere at all.
The appeal of the Independent's location is that it's a quick walk to Google's future offices, the 2nd Street retail district, the library, many restaurants and bars, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, and it's got great connectivity via the Shoal Creek trail to Town Lake and elsewhere. It's the premiere parcel downtown and they're putting a premiere building on it. We should be celebrating, not wringing our hands like little boys who are angry that their mountain of birthday presents isn't big enough.
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