AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[zx14]

Yes dec 22nd 1989 the low was 11 and windy and temps stayed in the teens all day exept for around 4 when the sun came out and it hit 21. That night it hit 4 at the airport but many areas of north austin hit 0 or colder. Amazing with no snowcover. Here in lexington it was 19 below. We had this same conversation last year about the crazy weather. Kind of unrelated to what this post is about. So back on course is the spring really topped out and also look at the Austonian at 30 stories and compare in the pics to 1 congress at 30 floors. IF that does not tell the difference between condo 10 foot floors and buisiness 14 footers i dont know what will.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by priller

Las Manitas and the Escuelita are all gone now:

This is an interesting view... What's the story with that advertisement painted on the side of the building, adjacent to the former Las Manitas and the Escuelita structures? Looks like the remnant of an old Spearmint gum ad. Was that obscured by the now-demolished building(s)? I'm guessing it was there long before...

[priller]

Originally Posted by zx14

So back on course is the spring really topped out and also look at the Austonian at 30 stories and compare in the pics to 1 congress at 30 floors. IF that does not tell the difference between condo 10 foot floors and buisiness 14 footers i dont know what will.

Spring isn't topped out. They still have the crown portion to do. I think they're at the red line:

[Jdawgboy]

Question: Is the very top portion of Spring a club area or a gym? Since they will have trees up there Im assuming its will be a balcony area. Also will the higher glass sections at the top be lit up?

[JoMo]

Question did someone say that 30th floor of the austonian was a mech. floor. I was just wondering because I can see that it is alot taller than the floor below and it is taking them alot longer to move the forms than normal.

[JGFrisco]

December 23, 1989 was the coldest day in Texas in the entire 20th Century...and in fact, is the second coldest on record (Feb 8, 1899 was colder).

Low temps that day...

Austin (Mueller) 6
Austin (Mabry) 4
San Antonio 6
Kerrville 0
Houston (Int'l) 7
Houston (Hobby) 9
Brownsville 16
Waco -3
Dallas -4
Fort Worth -5
Amarillo -10

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Question: Is the very top portion of Spring a club area or a gym? Since they will have trees up there Im assuming its will be a balcony area. Also will the higher glass sections at the top be lit up?

Here's what I have from companies involved.

From the construction company:

We have 41 floors of condos / parking. Level 42 is the penthouse. Level 43 is mostly for services. L44 is the mechanical area.

From the architects:

The building has 44 main floors. 42 and 43 are the Penthouse floors. Level 44 is the Mechanical Yard/Main roof.

[priller]

Thanks, Kevin, I couldn't tell what was going on up there.

[priller]

Does anyone know what the new crane is for at 12th? I saw a sign that said it was for ACC, but beyond that I know nothing.

[Northcrossed]

Originally Posted by priller

Does anyone know what the new crane is for at 12th? I saw a sign that said it was for ACC, but beyond that I know nothing.

^^^ the new parking structure for ACC Rio Grande.

[brianpm14]

The columns they are pouring now are much taller, looks like they are at or above street level, so the last of the underground parking garage is about done. If weather stays good, they could be well above ground by March. The beginning of the end of my view beyond the wall of another building.

I am guessing that the grey tower crane will be taken apart and erected on the other base, which is empty now, once the lower floors of the project, that consume most of the block, are done. Never seen that done before, but that is my guess at this point. The hotel tower in the model covers about 2/3 of the north side of the block, so the crane would be on the outside of the east end.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

This is an interesting view... What's the story with that advertisement painted on the side of the building, adjacent to the former Las Manitas and the Escuelita structures? Looks like the remnant of an old Spearmint gum ad. Was that obscured by the now-demolished building(s)? I'm guessing it was there long before...

I noticed that too. I couldn't remember if there was a little space between the bulidings beforehand or not. But it sure looks like the ad was partially obscured by the former building.. you can see it might have spanned the entire side of that building, but much of it is faded. Then I thought, Street View!

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF...9.46449916268128,,0,-0.34782040348602583

Thank you street view. So that part of the ad was obscured for all these years. Now, how old is the ad? It had to have been painted prior to the construction of the adjacent property... I can't see the building number in street view, but I think it's 213 N. Congress. There are 3 adjacent properties listed under "Finley Company" which I believe are the Marriott site. Although one of them looks like it had an update, the construction date according to traviscad.org is 1900. I think some of those older building dates are sometimes just approximate, though. Still, if that's right, the spearmint gum ad is from 1900 or so? The other ad on top is I'm guessing is recent or at least preserved/repainted along the way.

[Northcrossed]

Developer gets new financing for future Congress Avenue project

http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/01/08/0108cbriefs.html

Stacy team secures $44M to redevelop Congress block

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/01/05/daily39.html

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

This is an interesting view... What's the story with that advertisement painted on the side of the building, adjacent to the former Las Manitas and the Escuelita structures? Looks like the remnant of an old Spearmint gum ad.

It's an old Wrigley's Spearmint Gum ad. Not sure how old it is, but "Look for the Spear" was a Wrigley's slogan, as seen in this 1913 ad from Magazineart.org.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

It's an old Wrigley's Spearmint Gum ad. Not sure how old it is, but "Look for the Spear" was a Wrigley's slogan, as seen in this 1913 ad from

That kid looks pretty angry.

Here is another similar wall ad, I think you can see remnants in the Austin one of all three slogans "The Flavor Lasts," "Buy it by the Box," and "Look for the Spear."

pic from Beau B on flickr:

[Mopacs]

Wow, thanks for the investigative work Hookem! That is really interesting.. I'd love to see them preserve that ad in some form or another.

On another note, here are a few drive-bys I took this past weekend. It looks like we've got a little canyon going on now, looking down 4th St from I-35 (unfortunately the street doesnt go all the way through to Spring and Monarch, in the distance):



And here are a few freeway shots from I-35 (looking south from the foot of the upper deck):

[HOUSTONIAN57]

Originally Posted by hookem

That kid looks pretty angry.

Here is another similar wall ad, I think you can see remnants in the Austin one of all three slogans "The Flavor Lasts," "Buy it by the Box," and "Look for the Spear."

pic from Beau B on flickr:

^^^^
That is on a wall of a building near the strand in Galveston.

There also a Coca Cola ad similar to this here in Galveston as well...

[KevinFromTexas]

Interesting photos, Mopacs. That first one is really neat. And those other two really show how downtown sits lower than the surrounding area. Some of the highrises on the west side of downtown aren't even visible from my neighborhood. I have yet to see The Monarch, and I think I've only caught a glimpse of Spring. There may be a place or three here in South Austin where they'll be visible, but so far I haven't "noticed" them like some of the other towers.

[Dan Denson]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Interesting photos, Mopacs. That first one is really neat. And those other two really show how downtown sits lower than the surrounding area. Some of the highrises on the west side of downtown aren't even visible from my neighborhood. I have yet to see The Monarch, and I think I've only caught a glimpse of Spring. There may be a place or three here in South Austin where they'll be visible, but so far I haven't "noticed" them like some of the other towers.

It's interesting that both 360 and Spring are visible from southbound Mopac starting somewhere around 38th or Westover (not sure exactly where). Also, 360 is visible along Burnet Rd. southbound, somewhere around 2222 or North Loop. It's a really good view along that corridor.

[Myomi]

Hey, does anyone here know what is happening at the southwest corner of 8th and Brazos. There is an old reddish orange brick building on that lot, and over the last few weeks they seem to be have been doing a major renovation on that building. They are even covering up the new brick and creating a new silver exterior. I was wondering, are they just renovating a old office building, turning into condos, or something else. Any one have any idea?