AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[OU812]

Hey jgouger

I actually lived there for a year. Everything "feels" so small and cramped compared to Texas. If I was to ever move there permanantly I would have to be able to afford a 2nd house with a yard in Long Island or something. That crowded feeling becomes tough after awhile. I started to get annoyed by always bumping into people in the subway and on the streets- but I'm sure the natives are immune.

Seriously you should move there at least temporarily if nothing else. It's quite an amazing experience...

Funny how all these new skyscrapers in Austin are just an itsy bitsy tiny little fraction of what's in Manhattan. I still have love for AUSTIN though . .

[shanny]

AHEM...SO WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SEE THE VIEW FROM MY DORM ROOM?



view of downtown Omaha from my room...

[priller]

Originally Posted by OU812

Funny how all these new skyscrapers in Austin are just an itsy bitsy tiny little fraction of what's in Manhattan. I still have love for AUSTIN though . .

Yeah, on the NY forums they yawn if a building is only 500 ft. We have exactly 2 that tall, with another on the way. It's a whole different world.

I've never been to NYC myself. I've flown into Newark airport several times and seen Manhattan out the window, but that's the closest I've got to it. Really want to get to Chicago soon, too.

[KevinFromTexas]

I've never been either. My brother and his wife went with their theatre class in high school though. They were there a week and got to see The Producers on Broadway, which is amazing since every single show had been selling out at the time. They also met Gary Sinese after seeing another play that he had done there. They also did all the touristy things. Took the ferry past the Statue of Liberty, went to Ellis Island and to the top of the Empire State Building. They also ate at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. They even walked up to the World Trade Center 3 months to the day the twins were destroyed. They took pictures, even from the ESB, but I don't have any scanned anymore.

[JGFrisco]

I was in Chicago yesterday in fact, and drive through downtown. It was a beautiful day, and the downtown there is amazing. The Trump building is now well above 1000', with the cranes close to about 1200'.

Does anyone know how tall the antenae on top of the Sears Tower are? They are MUCH bigger than the spire atop 360, for example, but they aren't included in the building height for Sears.

And imagine how incredible the Chicago skyline will be when (if?) the Chicago Spire is added at 2,000 feet. Methinks the 2016 Olympics would have an awesome backdrop.

[KevinFromTexas]

^ The Sears Tower is 1,451 feet to the top of the mechanical penthouse. The western antenna tops out at 1,730 feet. The eastern one tops out at 1,710 feet.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=searstower-chicago-il-usa

[Melito]

Kevin from Texas and Priller

If the opportunity serves you again, I suggest checking out Manhattan from the Brooklyn Heights or Williamsburg area. Amazing Skyline and panoramic views of the island. I'm looking at it right now and it's fantastic from here although I get that nauseous feeling when I'm actually attempting to look up while in Manhattan. It's almost like your eyes are just not big enough to take in the entire view. I love my native Austin but I will enjoy several years here before returning home.

The real reason I finally decided to sign in is GINGERMAN.
Any update? Is there some type of master list/petition going around or writing to the City Council? If so is there any contact information to be provided? This place along with Elephant Room are two of the main reasons I even purchased in DT Austin. If this is the wrong thread for the topic, I do apologize.

[JGFrisco]

Not to reopen what is likely an old argument, why are those towers not considered "part of" the Sears Tower, while the spire at 360 is? Those antenae are larger and more prominent than the spire at 360, to say the least.

What, exactly, is the criteria here?

[jowens]

Kevin and Priller,

You've got to get to NYC! You can get decent airfares on a Jet Blue non-stop to NYC out of Austin. As much as you contribute to this forum, love to get your take on the "ultimate highrise city" (IMO)!

[hismasterplan]

Having spent a school year in downtown Chicago I loved it from the beginning. I was there last week as well and the Trump looks amazing. It shot up quicker the further it went along. Chicago is a very proud city, it seems to upstage all the other cities in anything. That might be a part of my excitement for the new buildings going up in Austin. I'm all for it as long as we don't lose what Austin is by tearing down these bars and historic buildings. There are ways around it. It's a given that downtown growth has to be responsible.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Melito

The real reason I finally decided to sign in is GINGERMAN.
Any update? Is there some type of master list/petition going around or writing to the City Council? If so is there any contact information to be provided? This place along with Elephant Room are two of the main reasons I even purchased in DT Austin. If this is the wrong thread for the topic, I do apologize.

Yep, thanks to MichaelB for getting these links.

Write city council. Choose the "Send an email to all the Council Members with one email" method. I don't think this includes the mayor though, you'll need to write him separately. Just copy and paste of course.
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/default.htm

Gables Residential contact. This is the developer of the highrise that will replace the Ginger Man.
http://www.gables.com/contactus/contactcorporate.aspx

Originally Posted by JGFrisco

Not to reopen what is likely an old argument, why are those towers not considered "part of" the Sears Tower, while the spire at 360 is? Those antenae are larger and more prominent than the spire at 360, to say the least.

What, exactly, is the criteria here?

The difference between spires on buildings like 360 and antennae on buildings like Sears Tower, is that the ones on Sears Tower are used for communication. The one on 360 is just for decoration. The reason spires are counted and antennae are not, is that spires are part of the building's design. They were designed by the architect and actually appear in the building's blueprints, where as antennae often do not. While an architect might plan structurally to allow antennae on the roof, they might not ever be built. Antennae are added out of necessity sometimes years, even decades after the building has been built. Sometimes they can be removed too if they're no longer needed. The Empire State Building originally didn't have an antenna. The spire, which was originally designed as a docking platform for dirigibles (blimps) in the 1930s, later had a 150 foot antenna added sometime in the early 60s. Both the Sears Tower and John Hancock Center in Chicago have each had one of their antennae increased in height to allow for more space for HD transmitters and other equipment. Shortly after 9/11 also, at least one building in New York had an antenna increased in height to replace equipment that had been lost atop the World Trade Center. Two other new buildings have also since then added antennae to their roof to help with the load.

Some people don't like that spires are counted in a building's height while antennae are not, but one was actually designed by the architect, while the other one wasn't. Antennae might be added years later by the building's owner, or even a separate communication management company that leases space atop the building.

Originally Posted by jowens

You've got to get to NYC! You can get decent airfares on a Jet Blue non-stop to NYC out of Austin. As much as you contribute to this forum, love to get your take on the "ultimate highrise city" (IMO)!

One of these days, jowens, one of these days.

[OU812]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

They also met Gary Sinese after seeing another play that he had done there..

Wow what a coincidence. I ran into Gary Sinese backstage after one of his Broadway shows the year I lived there. The only other celebrity I saw was Joan Rivers during intermission of another show.

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

They even walked up to the World Trade Center 3 months to the day the twins were destroyed.

I visited the WTC twice. The 2nd time was in August 2001. I went to go check out a DJ near the "Windows On the World" restaurant (109 or 110th floor I think?). The bar next to it where she was performing was called "The Greatest Bar on Earth". I'll never forget my times up there, especially standing in between the columns and looking down at the traffic. Still can't believe it's all gone now:-(

I wish they decided to rebuild the twin towers exactly as it was (with reinforced material and extra safety measures of course), but that's just my opinion. Other than the Freedom Tower, the other cluster of proposed buildings just looks generic.

[OU812]

FYI all:
NYC airplane landing over Manhattan and Queens (not mine)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPSm78_Zuj4
*1st visit was in 1999 and my flight was the opposite route shown in the above video: beginning from Staten Island to lower Mahattan up along the Hudson River past the GW bridge to the Bronx, banking right to LaGaurdia. Still remember seeing the gorgeous twins shimmering in the sunlight. Ok enough of my NYC rants..

[zx14]

The way you view austin projects and construction is how your point of view is. For many of us who grew up in Austin and remember the small skyline of the 70s what is happening now makes us swell with pride and wonder. For others who have been to or lived in these bigger places it does not impress them so much. Austin is a part of us who live here or are from here and to watch it grow is so exiting. Austinites only can see how much we want this new identity and also (its about time) attitude can be shared by all inwhich this city holds a place as home. An analogy can be stated. Say you live in san Antonio and the rattler was build at Fiesta Texas. If you live in there you thought wow look at what we got a real roller coaster. But for me who goes to Cedar Point and Kings Island I thought wow what a pathetic park with only one rollercoaster. Let Chicago and NYC be what they are but compairing them to even Houston much less Austin is not fair. They are what they are and we are what we are.

[jgouger]

Originally Posted by zx14

The way you view austin projects and construction is how your point of view is. For many of us who grew up in Austin and remember the small skyline of the 70s what is happening now makes us swell with pride and wonder. For others who have been to or lived in these bigger places it does not impress them so much. Austin is a part of us who live here or are from here and to watch it grow is so exiting. Austinites only can see how much we want this new identity and also (its about time) attitude can be shared by all inwhich this city holds a place as home. An analogy can be stated. Say you live in san Antonio and the rattler was build at Fiesta Texas. If you live in there you thought wow look at what we got a real roller coaster. But for me who goes to Cedar Point and Kings Island I thought wow what a pathetic park with only one rollercoaster. Let Chicago and NYC be what they are but compairing them to even Houston much less Austin is not fair. They are what they are and we are what we are.

Oh I agree completely. I'm originally from Houston and while us Houstonians like to claim that Houston is the NYC of the South, the reality is that it very far from that fact.

Houston and most other cities in Texas are considerably newer than NYC or Chicago. NYC ran out of land many generations ago, and was forced to build up. Houston, on the other hand, never seems to run out of land. (Grand Parkway Loop anyone?) Just the population in Houston is exploding right now, and is only predicted to continue its breakneck pace if not more so. Conservative estimates have the Houston MSA at almost 8 million people and 3 million+ in the City of Houston by 2025.

In 30-50 years the core area Houston will likely have a population density comparable to many east coast cities along with a skyline to go with it.

Now if only they could figure out how to build a subway system.....

[AusTex]

[/quote]Now if only they could figure out how to build a subway system..... [/quote]


I believe Austin with its extreme limitations of surface roads that connect will need a subway for mobility. How will we move people to north Burnet or Lamar on the surface roads? Downtown is the isolated center of the Metro as far as connections go. The future will happen.

I am very happy about the quality of downtown highrises so far (except the Legacy stucco mess).

Long live the Gingerman! Don't mess with our old buildings

[priller]

Originally Posted by austex

(except the Legacy stucco mess).

I have to agree with you, it really looks ugly going on. And it takes so long. Factoring in all the months of labor involved, it's hard to believe that it's cheaper. But I'm sure it is, or they wouldn't be using it.

[Northcrossed]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The Empire State Building originally didn't have an antenna. The spire, which was originally designed as a docking platform for dirigibles (blimps) in the 1930s, later had a 150 foot antenna added sometime in the early 60s.

A bit of clarification, which makes the plan even crazier: The mooring mast was intended for trans-Atlantic passenger Zeppelins, which had most of their human-occupied areas inside the main structure, whereas a blimp’s “bag” is not human-accessible during flight so mooring one at the Empire State Building would serve no purpose. Once moored, the Zeppelin crew would open a door under the ship’s mooring point, extend a catwalk to the building (or vice versa) that the passengers would walk across a thousand feet above 5th Avenue. Yeah, sure. If you ever have a chance to see the fantastic 1930 film “Madam Satan” (Cecil B. DeMille’s only musical) there’s a scene depicting the process of boarding through a moored airship’s nose. At an airfield, such as Lakehurst, New Jersey (where the Hindenburg burned) the mooring mast could winch the airship down to ground-level for less-harrowing boardings. But who knows, maybe after a few passengers fell off they might have developed the “Zeppway”, a Zeppelin equivalent of the Jetway.

BTW: Does anyone remember when Pam Am flew passengers from their Manhattan building (now the MetLife building) to JFK? http://www.panamair.org/History/Building/oldbuild.jpg Another airline has recently resumed that service even though lots more people have died from that than falling off a catwalk at ESB.

[priller]

From this morning, 8/31.

Lots of Austonian photos:












Ashton:






Four Seasons, up to 9th floor now, with new signage:

[shanny]

with the 14th floor we hit the 25% mark....minus the crown