Texas Capitol Complex & North Austin Complex Projects Update Thread

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by AustinGoesVertical

I think these look really nice for state office buildings. How many are planned? I can’t tell if it’s just the two on the left or if the 4th building down the row is also a proposed rendering, making a total of three.

What are the heights on these? 200-something?

Edit: Dug through the thread and realized what I thought were two buildings is Building One and that the second building is further down the block.

I love the concept of a promenade here, with the amphitheater, spill out cafe, and the green space. A lot of good activation. So what’s the story with this possibly connecting to UT’s pedestrian Speedway? Is that still in the plans?

1801 Congress will be 222 feet with 14 floors and 1601 Congress will be 211 feet with 12 floors.

[Sigaven]

I still can't tell if these are finalized renderings or if they are still mostly conceptual? Like will these be the actual building designs? Also the landscaping of the lawn looks a bit basic and not fully thought out - a few oddly angled sidewalks cutting through the grass, no sculptures or fountains or anything of interest down the promenade ...

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

I still can't tell if these are finalized renderings or if they are still mostly conceptual? Like will these be the actual building designs? Also the landscaping of the lawn looks a bit basic and not fully thought out - a few oddly angled sidewalks cutting through the grass, no sculptures or fountains or anything of interest down the promenade ...

All the details seem to be tucked off on the sides.... art, landscape, etc.
This "Mall" will need to function for lots of events that will
hopefully return to this part of Congress Ave.
AND will probably attract a lot more now!!!!!
It seems wise to keep the center clear for that reason.

[Urbannizer]

1836 San Jacinto

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

I still can't tell if these are finalized renderings or if they are still mostly conceptual? Like will these be the actual building designs? Also the landscaping of the lawn looks a bit basic and not fully thought out - a few oddly angled sidewalks cutting through the grass, no sculptures or fountains or anything of interest down the promenade ...

All I can say is I hope whatever they build there, its brown, we need more brown to go with all the brown in that area. Brown, brown, brown, brown, brown.

[Benhudd01]

What about beige? I’ve always been a big fan of huge clusters of beige buildings

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by the Genral

All I can say is I hope whatever they build there, its brown, we need more brown to go with all the brown in that area. Brown, brown, brown, brown, brown.

Well pretty much all of those government buildings are constructed using the same pink granite as they use in the capitol building. I think that makes sense and is a nice design element to unify the government buildings. The renderings of the new buildings suggest more glass though, but still touches of the pink granite.

[Echostatic]

I like the consistent design of the Capitol Complex, even if it's all shades of brown. I think most of the buildings in the area would look awful by themselves, but together they work well.

[KevinFromTexas]

FAA permit for 1801 Congress building - 251 feet

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...03614933&row=0

[KevinFromTexas]

FAA permit for 1601 Congress building - 205 feet.

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...4261275&row=11

[KevinFromTexas]

FAA crane permit for 1801 Congress.

This lists three tower cranes.

466 feet - https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...05134439&row=0

382 feet - https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...05134846&row=1

225 feet - https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...05135274&row=2

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

FAA crane permit for 1801 Congress.

This lists three tower cranes.

466 feet - https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...05134439&row=0

382 feet - https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...05134846&row=1

225 feet - https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external...05135274&row=2

I suspect one of them is for 1601 Congress since filings for both buildings were made around around the same time as the cranes.

The 1801 pit has been completed and empty for weeks, yet there is no vertical construction.

[The ATX]

It looks like 1801 Congress is finally ready to go vertical. The pit has been completed and mostly empty (except for occasional water) for a couple months. But there is now a lot of rebar in the pit along with construction equipment. Still no tower crane though.

[Tyrone Shoes]

$900M project to reshape area north of Capitol, bring thousands more workers into downtown Austin

found here:
https://www.statesman.com/news/20190705/900m-project-to-reshape-area-north-of-capitol-bring-thousands-more-workers-into-downtown-austin

Nice piece that I don't think has been placed for your enjoyment. In the back of my mind I kinda wished for both sides of Congress north of the state house to be lined with museums like the Bullock. Blanton at the head and maybe move the Texas Memorial Museum and Harry Ransom Center over. Also this would be a nice look for Congress from the river to the capitol. Blocking cross street traffic at Colorado and Brazos with street cars the only traffic all the way to MLK>

[The ATX]

That articles states that the Leg funded Phase II of the Capitol Complex project this past session. Phase II includes two more office buildings - 1500 Congress and 1501 Lavaca. The one on Lavaca looks to be a decent size while the 1500 Congress building looks rather small.


https://www.statesman.com/news/20190...owntown-austin


From Streetview. 1500 Congress:



1501 Lavaca:

[Myomi]

Many of the estimated 1,400 employees who work in the state’s William P. Hobby office building downtown — which the state plans to sell — are likely to wind up in the new complex, but most of the remainder are expected to come from outside the city’s core.

Interesting quote from above article. I know there is a lot of hate for that building from this group, so hopefully there is hope for that block in the distant future.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by Myomi

Interesting quote from above article. I know there is a lot of hate for that building from this group, so hopefully there is hope for that block in the distant future.

The sale of the building was authorized in the last legislative session. The City and other public entities have first right of refusal, but I predict it will go private. I can see the City buying the Gayrage however. Austin Energy just finished expanding their chiller plant on the roof.

[StoOgE]

Please please please let that garage be torn down

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoes

$900M project to reshape area north of Capitol, bring thousands more workers into downtown Austin

found here:
https://www.statesman.com/news/20190705/900m-project-to-reshape-area-north-of-capitol-bring-thousands-more-workers-into-downtown-austin

Nice piece that I don't think has been placed for your enjoyment. In the back of my mind I kinda wished for both sides of Congress north of the state house to be lined with museums like the Bullock. Blanton at the head and maybe move the Texas Memorial Museum and Harry Ransom Center over. Also this would be a nice look for Congress from the river to the capitol. Blocking cross street traffic at Colorado and Brazos with street cars the only traffic all the way to MLK>

The Texas Memorial Museum would be a great seed for a much larger natural history/science museum. Even just moving it like you suggest would be pretty helpful. As it is now, it feels basically just like walking past a few hallway dioramas on your way to a meeting. The pteranodon in the entrance and the fossils downstairs are pretty awesome though. It's probably just my bias, but I feel like this would be a better and more popular use of space than the proposed Texas music museum.

I kind of like HRC the way it is now but maybe I'm the only one.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by H2O

The sale of the building was authorized in the last legislative session. The City and other public entities have first right of refusal, but I predict it will go private. I can see the City buying the Gayrage however. Austin Energy just finished expanding their chiller plant on the roof.

I wonder what relocating that chiller would entail. Or if you could roll it into the design of whatever takes the garage's place next. To me that would seem to be the only thing complicating a sale of the garage.