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

[We vs us]

I read the original post as the Rainey version of what we've been hearing recently about the Warehouse District. That is: Austin's bulldozing everything cool about itself in a rush to build skyscrapers.

[the Genral]

Time to chime. We debated the redevelopment of the Rainey (district) years ago before any major construction began. When I lived closer to downtown in the 80s, I used to drive through the neighborhoods. It was old and mostly run down looking. To me, other than the age of the houses and the generations of families that lived there, it was just another neighborhood on the edge of downtown. Enter the developers offering buyouts to the current residents. Some gobbled up the opportunity while others were more reluctant, They lived there all their lives as did their parents, and grandparents. Where would they go? There was a fair amount of sympathy from posters here, speaking of nostalgia and the destruction of a settlement that long preceded Austin's first real building boom. As the residents left, their former homes were turned into bars and restaurants and then that multiplied to create a pretty cool partying destination, although I never really warmed up to bungalows with a picket fence turned into bars. Somewhere in between there was Geraldine running loose in the streets until for her safety she was captured and sent away due to the inevitable onslaught of construction. Up to that point there were kids, dogs, birds and children running in the streets and we debated the demise of Rainey as it was. The date of the demise of the old Rainey doesn't matter. It was bound to happen once Austin found her legs and started to realize it would soon burst at the seams if it didn't spread to Rainey and all points north east south and west. Some of us welcomed the change, and some didn't. My nuts still hurt from straddling the fence. I liked driving around old Rainey, but I hate driving around it now. I know its mostly a construction zone but there is no real street grid and the streets are narrow. The bar scene there at its peak just did not appeal to me because I still saw those old houses as structures people raised generations of families in. And they had to know their days of operation were numbered which made financial sense for them to renovate inexpensive, somewhat run down buildings. I hope more than a few survive the vertical onslaught, and I hope the street situation improves, but no matter what, what was is gone and what will be is just another interesting addition to the Austin Skyline. I just hope 70 Rainey is at least the new standard for Rainey. I also hope that at least some of the old Rainey will always remain to justify the distinction of being called the Rainey District. I hate explaining history when there's no trace.

[austlar1]

^^^^^Well said!

[myBrain]

[The ATX]

Here's a nice photo from Page to mark this one as completed.


https://twitter.com/pagethink

[Geckos_Rule]

I was thinking, with how slow this (and the Zaza) originally got started, this forum even made jokes about how there were only 2-3 workers for each. Crazy to think about how this (and likely Zaza) will open before both the Independent and 5th and West

[KevinFromTexas]

Is it really open? I couldn't find anything saying that on their Facebook page.

[resansom]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Here's a nice photo from Page to mark this one as completed.


https://twitter.com/pagethink

Looks like we have a winner in the "Ugliest Parking Podium" category...

[KevinFromTexas]

I wish this one was lit. That horizontal white mechanical penthouse is just begging for some changing color floodlights.

[mtb_jeremy]

Originally Posted by the Genral

....picket fence turned into bars. Somewhere in between there was Geraldine running loose in the streets until for her safety she was captured and sent away due to the inevitable onslaught of construction. ......

Actually Geraldine was hit and killed by a car, from all the new traffic/people on the street.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by resansom

Looks like we have a winner in the "Ugliest Parking Podium" category...

I believe it is going to eventually be covered with vines. It may take a while for them to grow though.

[corvairkeith]

Originally Posted by paul78701

I believe it is going to eventually be covered with vines. It may take a while for them to grow though.

I35 may be finished before the vines cover that garage. Almost five years on and the vines at the JW Marriott are still struggling to cover the trellis.

[ILUVSAT]

Those vines (a species of jasmine) are pretty susceptible to cold and poor drainage. Zoom-in on the image and you will see a lot of dead vines. They will grow. But, it takes time & proper care. It would have helped speed up the process if they had installed cross wires as well.

The cladding on 70 should help speed up growth by providing the plants more surface area on which to atrach/climb.

[clubtokyo]

Wouldn’t the cross vine trumpet had been a better choice or English ivy?

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by clubtokyo

Wouldn’t the cross vine trumpet had been a better choice or English ivy?

English Ivy is the real Devil weed....

[zrx299]

That thing on the JW is in direct sun pretty much the entire day. I imagine whatever is trying to grow there is getting boiled into submission.

[zrx299]

Originally Posted by We vs us

I read the original post as the Rainey version of what we've been hearing recently about the Warehouse District. That is: Austin's bulldozing everything cool about itself in a rush to build skyscrapers.

Old post I know, but for what its worth... according to Google StreetView 70 Rainey was built on land that was vacant as far back as 2009. So Rainey wasn't *Rainey* yet at that point.
2009 pre-dates all the bars & restaurants in the area except for the original Lustre Pearl (on the corner in the Millennium's current footprint)

I've already voiced my opinion on the other coming towers in the area (90-92 Rainey , the misguided-but-slightly-better 78-84 Rainey) with similar thoughts about wrecking what became cool & unique, with modern & sterile (in my opinion).

But what's done is done (and forthcoming)... I'll go back to shouting at clouds now

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by urbancore

English Ivy is the real Devil weed....

It really is. We had two vines growing. One that started along the fence and climbed up the oak tree in the neighbor's yard. I finally got rid of it. We also had some growing on the house along the driveway. We got rid of it after it became a habitat for roaches. The oak trees are bad for attracting them, and the vines made it even worse since it gave them cover.

Originally Posted by zrx299

That thing on the JW is in direct sun pretty much the entire day. I imagine whatever is trying to grow there is getting boiled into submission.

Yeah, Jasmine likes a mix of sun and shade. I planted some a few years ago in two places in our yard. A couple of plants along the fence in the front where it gets sun all day facing east where there's no shade, and a couple of plants on the fence on the side of the house facing south where there's a bit more shade despite the fact that the sun is on that side of the house for much of the day during the summer. The stuff out front died last year. Now I have the fun task of cutting it away and picking it off the fence. The stuff I planted in the side yard is thriving. It's been blooming now for over a month, and the smell is incredible. I think the difference there is it was a 6 privacy fence versus a 4 foot chainlink fence, plus the house creates some shade, but there are no trees on that side of the house since that's where our sewer line runs.

[clubtokyo]

Ok but these vines are in containers, vs being in the ground and becoming invasive.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by clubtokyo

Wouldn’t the cross vine trumpet had been a better choice or English ivy?

Cross/Trumpet vines would be a better choice as they are native. There are other native vines as well that would work as well.