AUSTIN | Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue | 346 FEET | 31 FLOORS | Complete

[KevinFromTexas]

Construction cam link:
https://www.katerra.com/webcams/hyatt-austin/

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/busi...emium-referral

30-story ‘car-free’ apartment tower planned on Congress Avenue

By Shonda Novak - American-Statesman Staff 33

Posted: 7:01 p.m. Thursday, April 14, 2016

A vacant retail space on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin could be transformed into a 30-story tower with 135 luxury apartments, office space, a restaurant and a bar. But the proposed project is also notable for what it won’t have: any space for cars.

The project — called The Avenue — won’t include a parking garage or any space for auto parking. It is being billed by its developers as the first “truly car-free luxury development in downtown Austin,” designed to encourage biking, walking, ride-sharing and public transportation.

Nelsen said developers hope to break ground by May 1, 2017. The project is expected to take two years to build. Nelson said his team is still working to secure financing for the project, which he estimates will cost $55 million to $60 million.

[lzppjb]

From the Update thread:

721 Congress

The vacant building that shares a wall with State Theater. A poster on shaggytexas (TheCruiser) has been talking about this one for months. Just yesterday he said what he has seen and heard is that it could be ~30 floors of residential and will be like nothing Austin has seen to date. I'm hoping he will be able to share with me the info he may gain access to in the coming weeks.

[lzppjb]

From TheCruiser tonight:

I will say the transportation partnership being worked on will be very interesting and is the kind of test project you'd expect to see in San Francisco or Boston, not Austin. Hint: Germans.

[drummer]

I will say that I love the car-free aspect. I think it'll honestly be difficult at first, but if we're serious about changing the core of Austin, more of these projects are needed...and they can't wait until *after* a good/better transit system in put into place.

[ivanwolf]

Hmm, I get the idea for those who like it. Not for me.

Kinda looks like no balconies either.

Kinda looks like jail bars on the outside

Your locked in and no way to get away

[The ATX]

The architecture firm is the same one that did that ~650' Block 71 rendering. Here are two more of the Avenue.



http://www.nelsenpartners.com/portfolio-the-avenue

[The ATX]

Notice the rendered tower in the background of that last rendering...is that supposed to be the Four Season condos or something new?

[AustinGoesVertical]

This. THIS. This building finally gets Austin. It wants to inform a better future. First of all, I love the design... It's trendy, extremely thin and something you could totally see getting built in SoHo in NYC. The Trump Tower in SoHo is about just as thin and stands out like this one will.

With The Avenue, the windows are cut into different sizes, which gives it variation. The white gives it a clean look. The small footprint means that apartments will be small by default (470-960 square feet). My studio in the Bowie is 448 SF and I love it. This building is selling a concept, and that is to live a more simplistic life in a smaller domain with less distraction. If you live in this building, your focus is right there in that general area.

Then throw in the fact that they're putting in a music venue. A big thing for me recently has been a desire to see new development incorporate a mixed-use "draw", which is an area Third + Shoal miserably fails. If you're going to subtract from the music fiber of Austin, it's necessary to replenish it. Thankfully the avenue covered Cielo.

And finally a building that is going to force people to conform to life without a car. I don't have a car and I live by the Metro Rapid 801 and 803. Add in some sort of light rail (I even think an elevated "L" system like Chicago has could work) and the city will be in even better shape. Ideally we'll have rail that will connect UT, the The Capitol, SoCo, and go out as far as the domain.

This building gets an A+

[lzppjb]

It's kind of funny this was announced on the heels of 405 Colorado with all its parking garage splendor.

[lzppjb]

And thanks for finding those other renders, ATX. I spent about 3 whole minutes googling for more pics, but didn't find any.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

And thanks for finding those other renders, ATX. I spent about 3 whole minutes googling for more pics, but didn't find any.

I just happened to make the "Nelsen" connection to Block 71 and went to their website.

[smith_atx]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

From TheCruiser tonight:

Quote:
I will say the transportation partnership being worked on will be very interesting and is the kind of test project you'd expect to see in San Francisco or Boston, not Austin. Hint: Germans.

Maybe Daimler

Daimler, parent of Mercedes-Benz, just created a new company to help you take more public transit

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/14/11...ar2go-mobility

[Geckos_Rule]

The only possible worry I may have is that from the looks of it, it could be yet another off white building with blue windows. Nevertheless, it still looks awesome, has a great thin footprint, and I'm very very excited about it. These types of buildings should be the real future of downtown residential here.

[Mikey711MN]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

From TheCruiser tonight: I will say the transportation partnership being worked on will be very interesting and is the kind of test project you'd expect to see in San Francisco or Boston, not Austin. Hint: Germans

I can definitely see a German company with local interests getting involved in this!

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/busi...emium-referral

I know this is a residential tower...but, wouldn't be cool if the building was actually lit up like this at night? That would look awesome, IMO.

[ahealy]

Quote me: one of the smartest projects to have ever been proposed in Downtown Austin. :rops mic::

[The ATX]

I was reading through some stuff on the Historic Landmark Commission's website, and there used to be a hotel next to (if not also on The Avenue site) where the State theater is called The Avenue. The empty building where the new Avenue is planned was a Walgreens at one point.


http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=251229

[futures]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I was reading through some stuff on the Historic Landmark Commission's website, and there used to be a hotel next to (if not also on The Avenue site) where the State theater is called The Avenue. The empty building where the new Avenue is planned was a Walgreens at one point.


http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=251229

That pic really shows how small the footprint is for this project. This will be one of the most impressive buildings downtown if it comes to fruition as planned.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by futures

That pic really shows how small the footprint is for this project. This will be one of the most impressive buildings downtown if it comes to fruition as planned.

It is amazing that this is being built on the footprint of a drug store.

[KevinFromTexas]

This thing really is going to be skinny. The Aloft Hotel will be about 70 feet wide, which is still very skinny. The Avenue? It'll sit on a lot that is 40 feet wide. Basically it's going to be as wide as a city bus is long.