AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 116

KevinFromTexas · #**2301** Posted **Jul 24, 2015, 7:52 PM**

On the venue thing, yeah, we need them to stay close together. Most of the people who visit those don't live downtown. That means a lot of car trips. So it's best to keep the venues close together so they can at least park their car and walk for the night/day. Spreading them around and having the scene be fragmented would likely kill it, because it would mean they might have to walk farther or pay to park several times. And they'd be spending their money on parking instead of buying drinks and tipping their bar tenders and waiters. And then there's the driving drunk factor where you don't want people going to the bars spending all their money on parking and not having enough to take a cab home if they have to.

austlar1 · #**2302** Posted **Jul 24, 2015, 9:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

On the venue thing, yeah, we need them to stay close together. Most of the people who visit those don't live downtown. That means a lot of car trips. So it's best to keep the venues close together so they can at least park their car and walk for the night/day. Spreading them around and having the scene be fragmented would likely kill it, because it would mean they might have to walk farther or pay to park several times. And they'd be spending their money on parking instead of buying drinks and tipping their bar tenders and waiters. And then there's the driving drunk factor where you don't want people going to the bars spending all their money on parking and not having enough to take a cab home if they have to.

Sounds logical, but unless developers are forced to provide rent subsidized performance spaces in their pricey new projects, that is not likely to happen. Please don't shoot the messenger, but I am not sure that a downtown filled with gleaming new office towers and high priced condominium towers is likely to remain viable for performance spaces that require affordable overhead and adequate space in order to operate. Developers will fight legal efforts to make them provide the spaces, and I rather doubt that it is politically feasible to get city council on board to create and pass laws requiring developers to comply. I see the near East Side as a place that will see a lot of new clubs and venues in the years ahead. Rainey Street will probably gentrify into something calmer and more residential. West 6th will also cool off over time. Hopefully some pockets of club life and interesting music venues (other than the original strip on E. 6th which is likely to survive as a party and puke haven) will continue to operate downtown. If the current pace of development persists, there won't be much left to preserve downtown.

Tech House · #**2303** Posted **Jul 24, 2015, 10:04 PM**

This article is so apropos of our discussion about the fate of Austin: http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/...ncisco/399506/

For all our differences on politics and other views on this forum, one thing we seem to be united on is that Austin's greatness cannot survive NiMBYism and other well-intentioned "keep it the way I remember it" attitudes when they're codified into a stifling, overly-controlling set of rules and regulations for how the city evolves. It's ironic in a way that the article illustrates for San Francisco's situation.

"We are watching the old San Francisco [Austin] slip away before our eyes. Every time a housing unit becomes vacant, it goes on the market at a price so high that no organizer, writer, teacher, activist or artist could dream of affording it. Trying things that don’t have monetary potential just isn’t possible anymore."

Urbannizer · #**2304** Posted **Jul 26, 2015, 6:54 PM**

Some construction pics of The Domain

pscajunguy · #**2305** Posted **Jul 26, 2015, 7:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Some construction pics of The Domain

EWWWWWWWWW!! Is this an ugly contest, or what? Or did you accidentally slip in something from Mogadishu's Mid-Modern Somali movement?
And that last one reminds me of a baby from the Intel Shell.

jngreenlee · #**2306** Posted **Jul 27, 2015, 10:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Some construction pics of The Domain

Is that guy walking a baby cow to market?

drummer · #**2307** Posted **Jul 27, 2015, 11:34 PM**

Part dog + part cow = great dane, if I'm not mistaken...hard to tell without seeing the head.

KevinFromTexas · #**2308** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 3:53 AM**

UT is inviting developers to come up with plans to redevelop their downtown property.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...elopmen/nm8DT/

The ATX · #**2309** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 3:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

UT is inviting developers to come up with plans to redevelop their downtown property.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...elopmen/nm8DT/

I don't have access to the other side of the pay wall right now, but I guess this is the block on W. 6th?

KevinFromTexas · #**2310** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 4:19 AM**

I don't either, but that's what I'm guessing. I'm really hoping they leave the Claudia-Taylor Building alone and redevelop the Ashbel-Smith Hall and its garage. And I'm indifferent about the plaza except for the trees.

The ATX · #**2311** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 12:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I don't either, but that's what I'm guessing. I'm really hoping they leave the Claudia-Taylor Building alone and redevelop the Ashbel-Smith Hall and its garage. And I'm indifferent about the plaza except for the trees.

That's the block, and the options for the block are up to any developer's imagination at this point. The link should get past the pay wall. From the article:

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news...3948020.735808

austlar1 · #**2312** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 8:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

That's the block, and the options for the block are up to any developer's imagination at this point. The link should get past the pay wall. From the article:

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news...3948020.735808

Sounds like UT is trying to be sensitive with regards to the Claudia Johnson neo-classical building facing 6th St. I imagine that the facade will be preserved somehow in any development proposal, but I have a hard time seeing how it might somehow incorporate street level retail using that facade. Maybe it could be an entry to a street level retail arcade that also anchors a new (and hopefully very tall) office building facing 7th St. Sadly, the little park might be toast before all is said and done.

KevinFromTexas · #**2313** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 1:41 AM**

I just really like that building. I keep thinking of images of the Ghostbusters running out of it as in the beginning of Ghostbusters. There has been a sort of renaissance in neo-classical architecture lately. New York and Chicago both have several new towers that don't look new at all. A tower of that style would fit in the neighborhood with the older buildings closer to Congress, plus the Norwood Tower.

lzppjb · #**2314** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 5:18 AM**

Can AISD please do the same for their property in that area?

MichaelB · #**2315** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 3:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I just really like that building. I keep thinking of images of the Ghostbusters running out of it as in the beginning of Ghostbusters. There has been a sort of renaissance in neo-classical architecture lately. New York and Chicago both have several new towers that don't look new at all. A tower of that style would fit in the neighborhood with the older buildings closer to Congress, plus the Norwood Tower.

It is a wonderful building. A style/period we have few examples of downtown.
You know it was orginally the post office! (built 1912-14)

Hope the city is able to stop any consideration of it being torn down. UT has no madate on the property to preserve that builidng.

nixcity · #**2316** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 6:47 PM**

Seems much more reasonable to fight for historic status than a lot of the crap they fight for, and if they build around it then they would have to build taller in the remaining part of that parcel.

Tech House · #**2317** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 7:06 PM**

That block is a dead zone on Sixth, along with one or two blocks to the west of there, which is very strange to walk past when you're going from one vibrant zone to the other. It would be nice to see some kind of activity happening there that ties things together. That building is beautiful architecturally, but as a functional piece it feels (to me) like it sucks energy from the whole area. Glad to know they're going to do something with the block, and that the majority of participants in the ABJ poll would like to see a mixed-use project there.

Syndic · #**2318** Posted **Jul 31, 2015, 4:38 AM**

It looks like some of us -- if you remember what company I work for -- may be moving to an office building on Congress. They haven't told us which building, but I've got a pretty good inkling that it's 501 Congress. There are three floors that are empty right now. I think Google has some employees there, too. Or they will. Just what I'm hearing. I'm excited. I like our office now but I want to see what 501 Congress looks like on the inside and I think I'll enjoy working there.

The ATX · #**2319** Posted **Jul 31, 2015, 6:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

It looks like some of us -- if you remember what company I work for -- may be moving to an office building on Congress. They haven't told us which building, but I've got a pretty good inkling that it's 501 Congress. There are three floors that are empty right now. I think Google has some employees there, too. Or they will. Just what I'm hearing. I'm excited. I like our office now but I want to see what 501 Congress looks like on the inside and I think I'll enjoy working there.

What happened to Dropbox? That building (501 Congress) was well publicized as the home of their Austin operations. Maybe they only needed one floor?

The ATX · #**2320** Posted **Jul 31, 2015, 3:19 PM**

A site plan was filed for a new hotel (Magdalena) by SoCo that will not have onsite parking. (Cheers from ahealy forthcoming

) Without bothering to doing to do any research about it, this might be the site that was originally envisioned as "The Terrace" boutique hotel and condos.

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11394493

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11394501