AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 100

AusTxDevelopment · #**1981** Posted **May 1, 2015, 6:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

According to Austin Towers (subsidiary of Downtown Austin Blog), one of the remaining two parcels of the lot bounded by Nueces, San Antonio, 5th and 6th has had a site plan filed for a mixed-use project. This project is heavily encumbered by a CVC that I'm not sure is possible to work around, so don't expect anything amazing:

http://austintowers.net/downtown-austin-question-marks/
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zGWUrSIhUCms.kFyc1SOGTRGA

Currently, we have the IBC tower on the south half of the block and IBC controls the northwest corner and wants to build a 28-story hotel. Provided that both the hotel and this mixed-use come to fruition, that leaves just a small sliver of undeveloped land on this block in the middle of the north half.

This is the old Miller Blue Print building. Miller Blue Print told us several months ago - before they moved - that the building was going to be redeveloped and have 2 floors added to the existing structure, so it would end up being 4 stories. They didn't say what it was going to be used for. This was around the holidays last year, so I don't know if that's still the plan. Once the permits get filed and are searchable we will know, I guess. Hill Country keeps on top of that.

ATXboom · #**1982** Posted **May 1, 2015, 9:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AusTxDevelopment

This is the old Miller Blue Print building. Miller Blue Print told us several months ago - before they moved - that the building was going to be redeveloped and have 2 floors added to the existing structure, so it would end up being 4 stories. They didn't say what it was going to be used for. This was around the holidays last year, so I don't know if that's still the plan. Once the permits get filed and are searchable we will know, I guess. Hill Country keeps on top of that.

Miller told me a while back that hotel plans were scrapped and that a bar/restaurant/bowling alley was going in where they were... Likely demolishing the existing structure.

The ATX · #**1983** Posted **May 1, 2015, 9:12 PM**

Just filed: drilling/soil sampling permits for a high rise at Austin Music Hall site 208 Nueces.

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11341724

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11341695

LoneStarMike · #**1984** Posted **May 1, 2015, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Miller told me a while back that hotel plans were scrapped and that a bar/restaurant/bowling alley was going in where they were... Likely demolishing the existing structure.

I don't believe the hotel was ever planned to occupy the Miller Blueprint site.

http://austintowers.net/wp-content/uploads/501-W-6th-Location1.png?w=542

The hotel was/is planned to be on the adjacent parcel of that block to the west of where Miller Blueprint is.

You can go to wwmiv's development map and see what I'm talking about.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zGWUrSIhUCms.kFyc1SOGTRGA

Type in "501 W 6th" and then look at it using satellite view. There's two separate parcels, and that entire parcel that sits on the southeast corner of Sixth & Nueces is not in a Capitol View Corridor, whereas the parcel where Miller Blueprint's building is in a Capitol View corridor.

ILUVSAT · #**1985** Posted **May 1, 2015, 9:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

Just filed: drilling/soil sampling permits for a high rise at Austin Music Hall site 208 Nueces.

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11341724

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11341695

Are there any engineers in here (or someone in the know) who can answer the question: can one extrapolate the possible height of a proposed tower based on the depth of a boring hole?

AustinGoesVertical · #**1986** Posted **May 1, 2015, 9:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Are there any engineers in here (or someone in the know) who can answer the question: can one extrapolate the possible height of a proposed tower based on the depth of a boring hole?

Would it be feasible, from an engineering standpoint to build the tower over the Music Hall. I mean like giant arches that would bend over it, and suspension type support from the sides. I don't know, but that one side of the Austin Music Hall actually has a really cool design and I saw Lorde in concert there and it was a really cool place. I feel like that area needs a destination spot like that rather than an office tower, assuming that they start having more concerts there than they do now in an attempt to attract people from Austin Proper, the Independent, and Northshore.

wwmiv · #**1987** Posted **May 1, 2015, 10:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinGoesVertical

Nice find. How exactly do the CVCs run through this site? 5th and West got creative in working around them and it produced a nice slant incorporated into the design. The footprint of that lot is 20,000SF, so could we be looking at a building potentially in the 25-floor range if it's mixed use? Obviously, an office component would escalate the height of this project

The map linked (which I created and maintain) has layers that you can turn on and off that have all of the CVCs in them, so you can actually see for yourself the CVC that runs through the site. It's basically impossible to build around.

AustinGoesVertical · #**1988** Posted **May 1, 2015, 10:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

The map linked (which I created and maintain) has layers that you can turn on and off that have all of the CVCs in them, so you can actually see for yourself the CVC that runs through the site. It's basically impossible to build around.

Thanks, I'll check it out!

wwmiv · #**1989** Posted **May 1, 2015, 10:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

I don't believe the hotel was ever planned to occupy the Miller Blueprint site.

http://austintowers.net/wp-content/uploads/501-W-6th-Location1.png?w=542

The hotel was/is planned to be on the adjacent parcel of that block to the west of where Miller Blueprint is.

You can go to wwmiv's development map and see what I'm talking about.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zGWUrSIhUCms.kFyc1SOGTRGA

Type in "501 W 6th" and then look at it using satellite view. There's two separate parcels, and that entire parcel that sits on the southeast corner of Sixth & Nueces is not in a Capitol View Corridor, whereas the parcel where Miller Blueprint's building is in a Capitol View corridor.

Yes.

wwmiv · #**1990** Posted **May 1, 2015, 10:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinGoesVertical

Would it be feasible, from an engineering standpoint to build the tower over the Music Hall. I mean like giant arches that would bend over it, and suspension type support from the sides. I don't know, but that one side of the Austin Music Hall actually has a really cool design and I saw Lorde in concert there and it was a really cool place. I feel like that area needs a destination spot like that rather than an office tower, assuming that they start having more concerts there than they do now in an attempt to attract people from Austin Proper, the Independent, and Northshore.

Austin Music Hall is going to be demolished. I'm sorry.

ATXboom · #**1991** Posted **May 1, 2015, 11:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Austin Music Hall is going to be demolished. I'm sorry.

That extended stay needs to be demolished... and good lord when will the post office site get going

SkyPie · #**1992** Posted **May 1, 2015, 11:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATXboom

That extended stay needs to be demolished... and good lord when will the post office site get going

I couldn't agree more. I'm sure when it was built it was considered a good use of empty space, but now it's a big waste of prime real estate.

wwmiv · #**1993** Posted **May 1, 2015, 11:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyPie

I couldn't agree more. I'm sure when it was built it was considered a good use of empty space, but now it's a big waste of prime real estate.

Although in the long run I agree w/r/t that hotel, I'd rather developers focus on actually unused parcels for the time being which are much worse for a vibrant downtown than is this hotel.

Digatisdi · #**1994** Posted **May 1, 2015, 11:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Although in the long run I agree w/r/t that hotel, I'd rather developers focus on actually unused parcels for the time being which are much worse for a vibrant downtown than is this hotel.

I agree. I'm generally from the "developing unused parcels will probably spur development of poorly-utilised parcels" school of thought.

SkyPie · #**1995** Posted **May 1, 2015, 11:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Although in the long run I agree w/r/t that hotel, I'd rather developers focus on actually unused parcels for the time being which are much worse for a vibrant downtown than is this hotel.

I would agree in general except that this particular lot is almost all surface parking. I'm guessing that the hotel building occupies only 1/3 of the total surface space.

wwmiv · #**1996** Posted **May 1, 2015, 11:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyPie

I would agree in general except that this particular lot is almost all surface parking. I'm guessing that the hotel building occupies only 1/3 of the total surface space.

#truth

LoneStarMike · #**1997** Posted **May 1, 2015, 11:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATXboom

That extended stay needs to be demolished...

That was the site of the old Alamo Hotel. In 1984, Stanley Adams - president of Lamar Savings (where I worked) - planned for the residents of the hotel to be evicted and the hotel to be torn down. Lamar Savings owned the land and were planning to build Lamar Financial Plaza, a parking garage and a Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Hotel where the Alamo Hotel once stood..

It wasn't much to look at, but then again, it certainly would have blended in well with all the other beige/brown buildings being built in Browntown Downtown Austin at the time.

A homeless advocate was mad about it and put a curse on the site declaring it would never yield a profit to anyone who holds it.

After the Alamo Hotel was torn down, the Lamar Financial project was abandoned, Lamar Savings went out of business and Stanley Adams went to federal prison for bank fraud.

The homeless advocate eventually removed the curse from the site. I'm not sure exactly what year that Extended Stay America hotel was built, but whoever built it purchased the land in 1998, so it's not even 20 years old yet. I agree, though, that it should be torn down and something better be built in its place.

Syndic · #**1998** Posted **May 2, 2015, 1:53 AM**

So, guys, unfortunately there will be no more news from me about the potential building. I've probably already said too much but technically I was still an outsider. Now I'm going in, so I can't say nuffin' from here on out, even if I learn anything. I'm sure y'all understand.

wwmiv · #**1999** Posted **May 2, 2015, 1:56 AM**

That's okay! You'll still gossip with us about other stuff, tho, right?

Syndic · #**2000** Posted **May 2, 2015, 2:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

That's okay! You'll still gossip with us about other stuff, tho, right?

Of course! I'm never gonna stop doing that.