AUSTIN | 70 Rainey | 419 FEET | 34 FLOORS | Complete

[Geckos_Rule]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

I'm hoping it'll fill in with a some rooftop plants and trees.

Well judging by the renderings they're marketing for these condos, it looks like it's going to be heavily populated with plants and trees. I think I remember a garden for residents up there too.

And since everything else has been pretty much just like what the renderings show, no reason to think the amenity deck wont be the same way.

[Geckos_Rule]

As of 09/28/18. Looks like the plants are slowly going in -- Still needs some work done on the amenity floor, but you can see the areas they're planning on putting in a garden.

[KevinFromTexas]

I'm liking 70 Rainey. I loved it at first with the taller slightly different design, then was bummed that they lowered the height and changed it, but I like how the design turned out.

It's one of those buildings you have to spend some time looking at to notice the little things that aren't obvious right away like the tall columns above the podium and the way the tower is offset so that it seems to even be slanted at times. The facade, too, is something different. The glass changes color with different light and weather conditions. It also reminds me a lot of an updated version of the Dobie Center somewhat because of the color of the glass and how it changes color in different conditions. Sometimes it looks blue, sometimes green, and sometimes grey or black.

[Austinite101]

I visited Rainey with some friends recently who offered some opinions on its high-rise boom. They are by no means NIMBYs or anti-development, but the only thing they could say was that its sad what has happened to that area. The more I visit the area, the more I begin to agree with them in a sense. I wish more could have been done to preserve the bungalow vibe while existing in harmony with new development.

Alas, the Rainey Street vibe died and went to heaven sometime in the last 10 years.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

Alas, the Rainey Street vibe died and went to heaven sometime in the last 10 years.

You do realize the Rainey Street District of which you speak did not exist 10 years ago.

[austlar1]

This thing is looking quite sexy from IH35 and Red River approaches. I guess it helps that the parking podium does not come in to full view from those spots. I had zero expectations for this building and now find it quite pleasing.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

I visited Rainey with some friends recently who offered some opinions on its high-rise boom. They are by no means NIMBYs or anti-development, but the only thing they could say was that its sad what has happened to that area. The more I visit the area, the more I begin to agree with them in a sense. I wish more could have been done to preserve the bungalow vibe while existing in harmony with new development.

Alas, the Rainey Street vibe died and went to heaven sometime in the last 10 years.

Well, it was a vibe that did not exist until (somebody give me the correct date) the area was rezoned circa 2000 or so. It was an all residential neighborhood of crumbling bungalows until then. I can remember when one developer tried to buy the entire street (offering I think $400K per property and, if desired, relocation of bungalow off site) in order to do a mass mid rise development. There were local members of SSP at the time (and a few are still here today) who were thrilled at the prospect that all those old houses would be razed and replaced with something more "urban". Well, that deal feel through, and the city decided to rezone the area as downtown commercial space. That is when the old bungalows began to re materialize as bars and restaurants. The whole transformation took place over about 10 years, and the Rainey Street "vibe" emerged only at that time. Not to toot my own horn (but why not?), I was one of the few SSP forum members who thought it would be desireable to convert those little houses into something commercial. I imagined a few eateries, a corner store, a bar maybe or coffee house. Whoa! It went way beyond any of that in short order, but I take pride in my prediction. I also predicted that a few of those places might survive as larger buildings were eventually built in the area. I hope I was right about that as well. The mix should make for a nice neighborhood.

[Austinite101]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

You do realize the Rainey Street District of which you speak did not exist 10 years ago.

The short answer is that you're absolutely wrong. In my opinion, Rainey Street will always be one of the biggest missed opportunities in Downtown Austin in terms of a certain type of nightlife that is hard to replicate. It's sad that no one had the foresight to realize this. This area's true potential is likely forever lost to half-decent high-rise development that does not contribute to the neighborhood enough. It really is sort of tragic.

Overall, Rainey street has been mismanaged in terms of a wider neighborhood development plan that actually preserves the area vibe. And really, the only word for that is: Sad.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

The short answer is that you're absolutely wrong. In my opinion, Rainey Street will always be one of the biggest missed opportunities in Downtown Austin in terms of a certain type of nightlife that is hard to replicate. It's sad that no one had the foresight to realize this. This area's true potential is likely forever lost to half-decent high-rise development that does not contribute to the neighborhood enough. It really is sort of tragic.

Overall, Rainey street has been mismanaged in terms of a wider neighborhood development plan that actually preserves the area vibe. And really, the only word for that is: Sad.

No, I am not. The scene to which you are referring began its transformation from dilapidated homes into an entertainment district when the Godmother of Rainey began her empire in 2009/2010 (Bridget Dunlap). Before then, there was nothing. A forgotten area of downtown Austin. An area that the city coded CBD in the hopes of a transformation into a lively urban area.

I will preface these comments with the fact that I too would like to see the homes on Rainey itself preserved - for bars, restaurants and/or entertainment centers. For the rest of the properties in the area - let the owners build "up."

[myBrain]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

The short answer is that you're absolutely wrong. In my opinion, Rainey Street will always be one of the biggest missed opportunities in Downtown Austin in terms of a certain type of nightlife that is hard to replicate. It's sad that no one had the foresight to realize this. This area's true potential is likely forever lost to half-decent high-rise development that does not contribute to the neighborhood enough. It really is sort of tragic.

Overall, Rainey street has been mismanaged in terms of a wider neighborhood development plan that actually preserves the area vibe. And really, the only word for that is: Sad.

They're not wrong. You're wrong. Lustre Pearl was the first bar to open on Rainey, in 2009. That's obviously under 10 years ago. I mean, most of us here will remember when it was the only bar there and Rainey was considered a backwater. That's actually how I preferred it, before it became W 6th pt 2.

You can disagree about the direction the "neighborhood" has gone, but it's incontrovertible that the current vibe is a new development. And the fact is, the high rises that are going in now are more what the city had planned with the rezoning than an additional entertainment district. In fact, the area would be far more high rise now if it weren't for the 2008 crash canceling a bunch of projects. Look back over the history of this forum and you can see how things would be.

Rainey was a happy accident. Pretending that it would have the same vibe it's had for the past 6 or so years is naiive. I also don't see how the nearby highrises really ruin it... the only reason it could even be considered a "neighborhood" and not a strip of bars is that these high-rises added the necessary housing.

[Austinite101]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

No, I am not. The scene to which you are referring began its transformation from dilapidated homes into an entertainment district when the Godmother of Rainey began her empire in 2009/2010 (Bridget Dunlap). Before then, there was nothing. A forgotten area of downtown Austin. An area that the city coded CBD in the hopes of a transformation into a lively urban area.

I will preface these comments with the fact that I too would like to see the homes on Rainey itself preserved - for bars, restaurants and/or entertainment centers. For the rest of the properties in the area - let the owners build "up."

No, you were wrong, as the vibe predates this fact. You're not wrong as far as where the City of Austin has failed, again, to exercise foresight. I will choose to agree to disagree on the vibe however, but I absolutely disagree with you on that, as a native Austinite.

[myBrain]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

No, you were wrong, as the vibe predates this fact. You're not wrong as far as where the City of Austin has failed, again, to exercise foresight. I will choose to agree to disagree on the vibe however, but I absolutely disagree with you on that, as a native Austinite.

That doesn't make any sense. Pre-2009, the vibe was "quiet residential street that no one went to", similar to the streets in Holly across 35. The vibe you're talking about is an invention of Dunlap's who took advantage of a CBD rezoning that was meant to instigate urban development but didn't when the market crashed in 08, and instead went in and converted a bungalow to a bar.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

No, you were wrong, as the vibe predates this fact. You're not wrong as far as where the City of Austin has failed, again, to exercise foresight. I will choose to agree to disagree on the vibe however, but I absolutely disagree with you on that, as a native Austinite.

I may not be a native, but, I have been in the Austin/San Antonio area for 40+ years. In fact, I have family who have been in Austin since the late 1800's. So, I have a deep respect and love for the city. And I follow it's development VERY closely. It's actually part of my job.


In your mind, when did Rainey's "vibe" start?

[Jdawgboy]

I have to side with everyone else Austinite101, Rainey was nothing 10 years ago. I agree that the houses on Rainey should be preserved, I was pretty upset about Millennium because it took out several of the houses. I don't want to see anything like that again. That is the one building that could have been built up rather than a huge bulky midrise and it does nothing in terms of ground floor street interaction.

But I would argue that aside from the Millennium, Rainey Street has gotten better.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

And I follow it's development VERY closely. It's actually part of my job.

May we ask what job that requires you to monitor Austin's development? Just out of curiosity.

[Austinite101]

I'm getting a lot more pushback as to the vibe (when it started in particular). For me, the actual "vibe" predates the bar scene. So when I say " Rainey has lost vibe" I mean a certain bungalow vibe that Austin managed to both create and destroy in about a 15 year span.

The VIBE is what I am projecting here. I am by no means a NIMBY, anti-development, or any other anti-*insert anti development acronym here*, but I only mean to say that Austin has failed in this regard. So where I disagree is mainly where people try to argue that the development that has taken place in Rainey to-date has conformed to the area vibe, regardless of whether it's a new vibe, a 5 year vibe, or a 10 year vibe. Because the result has been substandard for, I'd argue, a critically important demographic of Austinites.

And many of you know very well what I'm talking about regarding the complaints about the preservation of this area are concerned. I'm hardly the first to point this out.

[Austinite101]

What could we have demanded for this area? What density could have been achieved? What national model for neighborhood comprehensiveness we could have developed? I just marvel at what more could have been utilized. We as a city low-balled this area into something that was eventually marginalized and, as a logical consequence, relatively easily developed into other relatively low density development. And this IS comparatively low density for what could have been done.

[myBrain]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

What could we have demanded for this area? What density could have been achieved? What national model for neighborhood comprehensiveness we could have developed? I just marvel at what more could have been utilized. We as a city low-balled this area into something that was eventually marginalized and, as a logical consequence, relatively easily developed into other relatively low density development. And this IS comparatively low density for what could have been done.

You complain about the new high rise development being low-density at the same time you complain about the bungalow vibe not being preserved. That doesn't make any sense.

[Geckos_Rule]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

I'm getting a lot more pushback as to the vibe (when it started in particular). For me, the actual "vibe" predates the bar scene. So when I say " Rainey has lost vibe" I mean a certain bungalow vibe that Austin managed to both create and destroy in about a 15 year span.

The VIBE is what I am projecting here. I am by no means a NIMBY, anti-development, or any other anti-*insert anti development acronym here*, but I only mean to say that Austin has failed in this regard. So where I disagree is mainly where people try to argue that the development that has taken place in Rainey to-date has conformed to the area vibe, regardless of whether it's a new vibe, a 5 year vibe, or a 10 year vibe. Because the result has been substandard for, I'd argue, a critically important demographic of Austinites.

And many of you know very well what I'm talking about regarding the complaints about the preservation of this area are concerned. I'm hardly the first to point this out.

As a native austinite and now-rainey st. resident, I have no clue what you're talking about. Before about 2007, most people had no clue rainey street ever existed. What's happening on Rainey street is happening to a greater extent on east sixth, in the warehouse district, in west campus, and along lamar & 38th.

[The ATX]

I'm not sure exactly what we're discussing here, but if it's a lack of density, remember that Rainey is still a construction zone. It will be a lot more dense when it's "done". We have 48 East, Austin One, 91 Red River and the two Travis and three WPP towers on the opposite side of Red River. Future development includes the IHOP, adjacent parking lot 56 East, as well as development fronting East Ave. south of the Homewood Suites.