AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 113

AustinGoesVertical · #**2241** Posted **Jul 9, 2015, 5:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin1971

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/busi...3314236.735787

Looks like the hotel will be incorporated with the convention center expansion.

So this is one of the aforementioned three new White Lodging developments in the pipeline. Love it! I hope they go sleek and tall on this one.

lzppjb · #**2242** Posted **Jul 9, 2015, 5:13 AM**

Another article: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...on-center.html

Didn't we discuss the idea of having a hotel above the convention center expansion a few months ago?

The ATX · #**2243** Posted **Jul 9, 2015, 3:59 PM**

Here's a rendering of that dead mall parking lot project:

http://communityimpact.com/mixed-use...r-first-phase/

Syndic · #**2244** Posted **Jul 10, 2015, 3:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

that dead mall parking lot project

You mean Highland Mall??

As a native north Austinite, I can't believe this is really happening. It's going to be amazing once it's all urbanized.

jngreenlee · #**2245** Posted **Jul 10, 2015, 7:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinGoesVertical

So this is one of the aforementioned three new White Lodging developments in the pipeline. Love it! I hope they go sleek and tall on this one.

Looks like all the Christian Scientist sites are going up...

"It currently is occupied by a scooter store, a Christian Science Reading Room"

The ATX · #**2246** Posted **Jul 10, 2015, 7:59 PM**

Yuck. The drilling on the Scientology Cult site wasn't for a new building. They want to add two stories to their current building:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11383639

_Matt · #**2247** Posted **Jul 10, 2015, 9:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

Yuck. The drilling on the Scientology Cult site wasn't for a new building. They want to add two stories to their current building:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11383639

Austinite101 · #**2248** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 12:50 AM**

I'm getting info that UT System is moving to sell their entire block on 6th Street to developers.

AusTxDevelopment · #**2249** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 2:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austinite101

I'm getting info that UT System is moving to sell their entire block on 6th Street to developers.

They're not selling it. They've put out an RFQ to select development companies to redevelop the block. Its the same type of thing they did with the MCC site, where Hines is going to redevelop the site but UT still owns the land.

Edited to add: For anyone that doesn't know, RFQ means Request for Qualifications

urbancore · #**2250** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 2:37 AM**

for the uninformed, and too lazy to look it up.....which block is that?

AusTxDevelopment · #**2251** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 2:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dcbrickley

for the uninformed, and too lazy to look it up.....which block is that?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/UT...cdc00f15?hl=en

KevinFromTexas · #**2252** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 4:34 AM**

I hope they keep the Claudia Johnson Building, though.

austlar1 · #**2253** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 5:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AusTxDevelopment

https://www.google.com/maps/place/UT...cdc00f15?hl=en

Surely nobody will be allowed to pull down this beautiful building. That would be horrible. Does UT own the rest of the block facing 7th? I guess the neo-classical building facing 6th could be re-purposed as a kind of grand entrance to an office tower facing 7th. It was originally a US post office and Federal courthouse. It is one of my top ten favorite buildings in Austin.

The ATX · #**2254** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 5:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Surely nobody will be allowed to pull down this beautiful building. That would be horrible.

It is a unique building, and Austin doesn't have a lot of architecture like that. But it's a state owned building, and the state/UT can pretty much do whatever they want with it. Hopefully any development proposal they go with keeps the building and builds any potential high rise where the parking garage is on the back side of it.

drummer · #**2255** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 7:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

Another article: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...on-center.html

Didn't we discuss the idea of having a hotel above the convention center expansion a few months ago?

I put an idea out there a while back - admittedly without any knowledge or expertise in structural designs. Some folks who have more knowledge in that area mentioned the difficulty that might be present in a large expansive room with multiple stories on top of it - it would require a lot of support columns, perhaps preventing the convention space from being as open as might be desired. That said, I'm still a fan of the idea of incorporating convention space into a building with a hotel on top and maybe even some ground-level retail - specifically as this hotel wouldn't be as large as Fairmont or JW Marriott. I think engineers could be creative enough to make it work in this day and age.

The ATX · #**2256** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 8:23 AM**

I updated the Wikipedia page for Austin's tallest buildings because most of the tallest buildings completed since 2013 were not listed. I added nine buildings that were taller than the lowest height listed of 180'. Going below 180' would be a huge project. The ones I added are the ones without coordinates and photos because I didn't want to spend that much time on it. If anyone notices a missing building let me know.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ings_in_Austin

MichaelB · #**2257** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 8:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Surely nobody will be allowed to pull down this beautiful building. That would be horrible. Does UT own the rest of the block facing 7th? I guess the neo-classical building facing 6th could be re-purposed as a kind of grand entrance to an office tower facing 7th. It was originally a US post office and Federal courthouse. It is one of my top ten favorite buildings in Austin.

I will hope for sure that people of Austin would not allow that to happen.
But I have zero faith that UT would even blink at tearing it down.
I also would hate to loose the park next to it.

paul78701 · #**2258** Posted **Jul 12, 2015, 9:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Surely nobody will be allowed to pull down this beautiful building. That would be horrible. Does UT own the rest of the block facing 7th? I guess the neo-classical building facing 6th could be re-purposed as a kind of grand entrance to an office tower facing 7th. It was originally a US post office and Federal courthouse. It is one of my top ten favorite buildings in Austin.

I've read before (don't remember where) that the only part of the building worth saving is the facade. From what I understood, the rest of the building is outdated and nothing special. It sounded like it's mostly not worth saving. I've never been inside of it, so I can't say whether or not that is actually the case.

MichaelB · #**2259** Posted **Jul 13, 2015, 2:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul78701

I've read before (don't remember where) that the only part of the building worth saving is the facade. From what I understood, the rest of the building is outdated and nothing special. It sounded like it's mostly not worth saving. I've never been inside of it, so I can't say whether or not that is actually the case.

edit

Jdawgboy · #**2260** Posted **Jul 13, 2015, 6:18 PM**

I think it's a lovely building and I really like the steps that lead up to it with the two large white orb lights. It reminds me of buildings in older cities. We really do not have anything else like it so I wouldn't be happy at all if it was torn down. Leaving the facade and tearing down the rest of it would just be an insult. Any building nomatter how old it is, save for structural integrity problems, can be updated to meet the needs of today.

I would also like to see the plaza stay although it could do with a little updating. If they aren't going to use the fountain feature then they might as well replace it with something else. Fountains are used in Europe as a gathering place and they also provide some cooling of the surrounding air. They run all the time drought or not in areas of Europe that receive less annual rainfall than Austin and can get just as hot. I don't see the point of these large water features in DT if they are just going to be shut off every time we have a drought. It looks ugly just sitting there empty and does nothing to provide the ambiance or the cooling effects to make that plaza a popular place for people to spend time at during the day. Replace it with a public art piece or add new landscaping and trees.