Austin | Austin Marriott Downtown | 386 FEET | 31 FLOORS | Complete

[brando]

Originally Posted by The ATX

My, how time flies. It's been three months since the last post. There was an update to the site plan filing two weeks ago. This is real close to getting approved.

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11557319

It would be nice if we knew the future of the possible convention center expansion.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by brando

It would be nice if we knew the future of the possible convention center expansion.

It should probably be on the ballot in 2017.

[The ATX]

A demo permit was filed today to clear the retail building on the site that is currently used by COTA.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/attachme...ZuY0fwiQ%3D%3D

[drummer]

Remind me - this is for the hotel, obviously, but this is not contingent on the convention center expansion happening, right?

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by drummer

Remind me - this is for the hotel, obviously, but this is not contingent on the convention center expansion happening, right?

I don't think this is contingent on the expansion. But it's interesting to see this moving forward on some of the same real estate that the city could potentially take by eminent domain for the CC expansion.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I don't think this is contingent on the expansion. But it's interesting to see this moving forward on some of the same real estate that the city could potentially take by eminent domain for the CC expansion.

I heard that the hotel will happen with or without CC expansion, but there will be a big push in the next few months to get a combined project approved by city council and possibly with voters, depending on the details. I know somebody who is working with a PR firm that is involved in promoting this outcome.

[We vs us]

Thirded. Hotel is not contingent on CC expansion, though arguably White Lodging's strategy (saturating the downtown and CC submarkets) definitely is.

[The ATX]

There was some new permit activity this past week for this one, and the AC & Autograph. Marriott already has a website for this one with a July 2021 opening.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...iott-downtown/

Marriott also has some details about the hotel:

PROPERTY DETAILS
30 floors , 588 rooms , 25 suites
18 meeting rooms, 60,865 sq ft of total meeting space
1 concierge level

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by The ATX

There was some new permit activity this past week for this one, and the AC & Autograph. Marriott already has a website for this one with a July 2021 opening.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...iott-downtown/

Marriott also has some details about the hotel:

PROPERTY DETAILS
30 floors , 588 rooms , 25 suites
18 meeting rooms, 60,865 sq ft of total meeting space
1 concierge level

Thanks for finding this. A '21 opening date is a couple of years farther out than we'd heard. Originally it was slated to open in '19 and -- though that's admittedly aggressive for anything at this point -- pushing out two more years is pretty significant.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Thanks for finding this. A '21 opening date is a couple of years farther out than we'd heard. Originally it was slated to open in '19 and -- though that's admittedly aggressive for anything at this point -- pushing out two more years is pretty significant.

There could be some behind-the-scenes talk going on between the city & White Lodging regarding a possible expansion to the convention center. It would make sense for the two to open up at the same time (meaning they both are concurrently under construction over the same time period).

[AustinGoesVertical]

July 2021... wow, so this won't break ground until July 2019 at the earliest. Groundbreaking is about 30 months off as it stands. Wasn't the master plan for the convention center going to include a high-rise on one end, would this count as that or would there be a second tower on the other end built by a different developer in conjunction with the city?

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

There could be some behind-the-scenes talk going on between the city & White Lodging regarding a possible expansion to the convention center. It would make sense for the two to open up at the same time (meaning they both are concurrently under construction over the same time period).

That's definitely a possibility -- especially if the Marriott is more connected (physically) than we might have first known.

It's interesting, too, because the new Marriott has been part of the citywide room count for conventions happening in 2019 and 2020, as far as I know. It's not a large enough participant for the city to lose out on business, but if it's contracted . . . that's more than a minor guestroom shortfall. Also, I know they already have salespeople deployed, selling it as part of a JW/Marriott package.

Anyway . . . that date change is an interesting piece. Seems like a long time to forego revenue if you don't have to . . . .

[The ATX]

The site plan is available now. The elevations are near the end of the PDF. It's about 380'.

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...otel_PLANS.pdf

[GoldenBoot]

From the lowest ground point to the architectural top it is right at 386'.

Other items of note from the plans:

-31 stories (there are two "mezzanine" or half levels - and they count "level 13" in the plan)
-613 rooms
-534,393 SF (14.82:1 FAR)
-298 below grade parking spaces (levels B1-B4)

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

From the lowest ground point to the architectural top it is right at 385'.

The thread title has been fixed. A ~400' tower will look good at that location.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by The ATX

A ~400' tower will look good at that location.

100% Agree!

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

From the lowest ground point to the architectural top it is right at 386'.

Other items of note from the plans:

-31 stories (there are two "mezzanine" or half levels - and they count "level 13" in the plan)
-613 rooms
-534,393 SF (14.82:1 FAR)
-298 below grade parking spaces (levels B1-B4)

I guess that Marriott landing page is totally wrong now, then. They had the room count at 588, in addition to the inaccurate opening date.

This thing is so slender... it's kind of amazing. 4 levels of meeting space to get everything they need in. By comparison, the Hilton's 80k sq ft of space is on two floors. JW has 100k on 3 levels.

Also, the tower isn't oriented towards Cesar Chavez. Instead it looks like it faces ACC.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by We vs us

I guess that Marriott landing page is totally wrong now, then. They had the room count at 588, in addition to the inaccurate opening date.

This thing is so slender... it's kind of amazing. 4 levels of meeting space to get everything they need in. By comparison, the Hilton's 80k sq ft of space is on two floors. JW has 100k on 3 levels.

Also, the tower isn't oriented towards Cesar Chavez. Instead it looks like it faces ACC.

There are 25 suites, so 25 + 588 is where the 613 number comes from. I also think they arbitrarily added two years for the opening because of some uncertainty about how the CC expansion would affect the construction time table. I also count 32 floors on the side of the building with the two mezzanine levels.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by The ATX

There are 25 suites, so 25 + 588 is where the 613 number comes from. I also think they arbitrarily added two years for the opening because of some uncertainty about how the CC expansion would affect the construction time table. I also count 32 floors on the side of the building with the two mezzanine levels.

Good point about the suites, that makes much more sense.

Just saw they submitted a bid to participate in a convention occurring in 2020, so that published date is officially wrong.

I promise I'll stop saying that now.

[KevinFromTexas]

Where are you guys seeing that it's 386 feet? The tallest I can measure is 383 feet using the south elevation.