AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 265

Mopacs · #**5281** Posted **May 31, 2009, 2:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinSkyscrapers

That prediction is really far from the actual. 5,281-2,000=3,281
Wow! you're 3,281 posts behind.

There's also many more posts to come...

Also, counting the post as 1998 is easy for our prediction...

~AustinSkyscrapers

Ha! Well I guess the Austonian is the gift that keeps on giving.

Myomi · #**5282** Posted **May 31, 2009, 2:20 AM**

Yea, I don't want to keep this debate going either but in regards to what Kevin said...that land wasn't free. A lot of people died when the state took it. So it is still took a very large investment of resources to build the capitol. Really the reason I chipped in about it was that I was kind of upset about the anti-immigration sentiment. Frankly, Austin is everything it is because of those immigrants...whether they immigrated 30 years ago or they immigrated 5 years ago (from hellhole or not). They are the ones who brought all those crazy ways of thinking that made Austin so incredible. Otherwise it would just be another Texas city (or more so since it is the government seat).
And I am all for wise spending of resources, but those two structures you mentioned were built when the city was less than a third of this size. I think it is at least fair to look at them as being a little outdated. Let's put this into perspective. Austin's central library is 110,000 square feet. Lubbock's is 70,000.

Mopacs · #**5283** Posted **May 31, 2009, 2:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottolini

There are some very impressive views of downtown on the 130 tollway as well. Yesterday while riding I noticed the views right around the time we were crossing the Colorado River.

There's an interesting view of downtown going north on 130, roughly halfway between 183 and 71. The tollway briefly curves to the northwest, and the skyline sits there front and center.

AustinSkyscrapers · #**5284** Posted **May 31, 2009, 3:49 AM**

Does anybody know what the height of the Austonian's crane is?
I'm thinking it's about 590-680 FT?

I don't go downtown a lot, so that's why I need help at times.

~AustinSkyscrapers

LoneStarMike · #**5285** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 2:06 AM**

I'm lovin' all these photos! I was just thinking today how well Austin is represented here at SSP.

Here's some of mine from the weekend.

A few from this weekend:

Friday May 29, 2009

Artsy-fartsy shot from Joe's Crab Shack

Saturday May 30, 2009

From Lamar pedestrian Bridge

From the railroad trestle

From Lou Neff Point

It was nice to see the Monarch Crown rotating colors instead of stuck on just one, but where's the green neon on Amli 2? It was on the night before.

KevinFromTexas · #**5286** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 2:30 AM**

Wow! Very nice photos. I love your skyline shots down on the water.

How can anyone seriously say skyscrapers make the view of the river worse? This is beautiful.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff158/LoneStarMike/Austin%20Night/NiteSkyline018.jpg

jowens · #**5287** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 2:43 AM**

Love the pics Lone Star Mike!!

Is it me, or is anyone else weary of the graffiti on the railroad bridge. I'm all into "grit" and "character" but I'm not sure if this is a good representation of it.

TXLove · #**5288** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 2:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowens

Love the pics Lone Star Mike!!

Is it me, or is anyone else weary of the graffiti on the railroad bridge. I'm all into "grit" and "character" but I'm not sure if this is a good representation of it.

I'm going to agree about the graffiti there! Im wondering how the hell were they able to get there and paint it there

LoneStarMike · #**5289** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 3:09 AM**

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowens

Is it me, or is anyone else weary of the graffiti on the railroad bridge. I'm all into "grit" and "character" but I'm not sure if this is a good representation of it.

The Austinist had a post on this subject last year.

No One Wants To Clean Up The Train Bridge

Quote:

Travis County Health and Human Services Spokeswoman Carole Barasch explained, "Union Pacific owns that bridge and so that is pretty much the reason why we can't get up there and do that, and there's safety issues involved."

On March 12, the City of Austin warned Union Pacific and gave them exactly one month to clean up the mess--if they didn't comply timely, the nationwide rail service would owe the city $500 per day. As the paint dries over Lady Bird Lake today, that's roughly $6,000 in dues.

However, as of last week, the city said Union Pacific is now working on the problem and due to their compliance, has offered an extension on the cleanup.

And that was over a year ago.

I don't know how these graffiti artists do it. I'm scared to death to walk even 10 steps out onto the bridge. I can't imagine walking all the way out to the middle.

Some other graffiti I noticed last summer was on the South First Street Pedestrian Bridge (on the west side of the bridge) There are all these really nice stars carved into the wall and someone had taken a magic marker and drew two eyes and a smile on all of them at least halfway across the bridge. I don't know if that ever got cleaned up or not.

JAR512 · #**5290** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 2:13 PM**

So the crane has been raised on the Austonian. Will it be raised again to put on the crown, or is the building topping out beneath the current level of the boom?

Thanks

priller · #**5291** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 4:31 PM**

I'm pretty sure it will be raised one more time. They put about 4 sections in, which adds 80' (is that right, Kevin?). But there's at least 150' more to build.

On edit:

Okay, I looked at this a little more closely. Crane sections are normally 20' tall, from what I could gather. In this photo, it looks like there are 2 sections joined together that are being added at once.

The red "expander" section is also about the same height as 2 crane segments.

Just eye-balling it yesterday from the Hilton pool deck, it looked like they added about 4 more of these double-stacked segments, so instead of 80' higher it's probably more like 160' higher.

Say maybe this was the last bump.

Mopacs · #**5292** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 6:15 PM**

I see it from my office. Boy does it ever tower over the skyline. I have to agree that it must be in the neighborhood of 700 feet (perhaps a tad less)

shanny · #**5293** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 6:38 PM**

see i still think they have one more jump left to do...

it doesnt look like they have enough room with the height the crane is at now to construct the eight remaining floors of the tower section plus 56 and the rest of the crown....the entire crown (which 55 is the very bottom and 56 is inside of) is roughly 5 1/2 stories tall (683-621= 62). therefore, they have about 13ish floors worth of height left to complete. i think its somewhere in the area of 650' right now...there gonna need one more small jump to construct the crown...my guess is they will do this after the tower reaches the 55th floor.

plus priller, every time they have added sections to the crane the sections have been this size, havent they? i still think they need more to bring the crane to over 700'

this would be a lot easier if we had a picture...i cant find any large photos with the new crane height on flickr...anyone have one?

Downtown_Austin · #**5294** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 8:17 PM**

any ideas what the final cost of construction is likely to be for Austonian and Four Seasons?

thx

hismasterplan · #**5295** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 8:30 PM**

LoneStarMike, you might have saw me doing some filming Saturday because I was on the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge at that exact same time.

shanny · #**5296** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 10:28 PM**

anyone want to know the height of the austonian's crane???

i was downtown a couple hours ago and i took a rangefinder with me....stood underneath it and lasered it...

THE AUSTONIANS CRANE IS OFFICIALLY 676 FEET TALL

the crane will have to be jumped one more time.

Texas Tuff · #**5297** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 10:37 PM**

Awesome pics Lone Star Mike!

priller · #**5298** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 10:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

any ideas what the final cost of construction is likely to be for Austonian and Four Seasons?

thx

Good question! I have no idea how much these towers cost.

LoneStarMike · #**5299** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 11:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hismasterplan

LoneStarMike, you might have saw me doing some filming Saturday because I was on the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge at that exact same time.

Well, I did see a tripod set up about 20 feet away. Maybe that was you?

StoOgE · #**5300** Posted **Jun 1, 2009, 11:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanny

anyone want to know the height of the austonian's crane???

i was downtown a couple hours ago and i took a rangefinder with me....stood underneath it and lasered it...

THE AUSTONIANS CRANE IS OFFICIALLY 676 FEET TALL

the crane will have to be jumped one more time.

So, roughly the size of the tower when finished. It's gonna be a beast for sure.