AUSTIN | JW Marriott Convention Center Hotel | 408 FT | 34 FLOORS | T.O.

[Jdawgboy]

I like it alot now, when before I did not other than the lower section. If this is the final design then Im ready for it to go up...

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by MNMike

What is currently on this site?

There were five or six small two story buildings from the 1950s. The oldest one may have been from the 19th century. Only three of the buildings are left, and are the oldest ones. The buildings had been occupied by a daycare, a restaurant, a retail store selling gifts, and another building was some kind of small business.

I think they're planning to keep the three remaining buildings.

You can see the block here:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=200+Congre...28295,67.763672&vpsrc=6&t=h&deg=270&z=19

[MNMike]

I liked a lot of the older 1 and 2 story buildings that were still around dt Austin...it seems like many are getting cleared now, aside from historic ones of course. Oh well, progress I guess.

[KevinFromTexas]

I sent out some emails for a few building heights. I got an email back for it.

Marriott:

33 floors
403 feet 8 inches to top of mechanical penthouse
375 feet 6 inches to the top of "tower" (the main roof I guess)
117 feet to top of podium (the base of the building)

That's cool that the Marriott will be another 400 footer. At 403 feet to the top of the mechanical penthouse, it'll make it 2 feet taller than the Four Seasons Residences, to be the 7th tallest in the city.

[Dale]

Taller than I expected!

[wwmiv]

Much taller than I expected.

[KevinFromTexas]

Planned downtown hotel's upgrade to luxury brand may be coup for convention market, experts say

ByShonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 9:22 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011

In a major change for its project and a coup for Austin's convention market, the developer of a 1,003-room convention hotel set to rise on Congress Avenue says the hotel will be a JW Marriott a luxury brand that is a significant upgrade from the Marriott Marquis previously planned.

The change will give the 30-story hotel a higher profile and added cachet, industry experts say, and potentially catapult the city into an elevated tier for attracting convention business.

The developer, Indiana-based White Lodging Services Corp., was scheduled to announce the change today. It plans to break ground in June on the $300 million hotel, which will be on Congress between Second and Third streets. Richard Suttle Jr., White Lodging's Austin attorney, said a site plan will be submitted to the city today.

The hotel is slated to open in January 2015. The Austin City Council approved waiving $4.3 million in development fees for White Lodging to build the hotel.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-e...upgrade-to-luxury-brand-may-2017065.html

[RobertWalpole]

Austin seems like a very good city and deserves a better tower than this.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by RobertWalpole

Austin seems like a very good city and deserves a better tower than this.

The tower design was updated and is not the one at the top of the page in the thumbnail. We actually like the new design.

[giantSwan]

Meh. It doesn't really go it for me. It really looks and feels like another chain hotel.

One of the the things I didn't like about Austin during my last trip was the over abundance of generic hotels downtown (and generic buildings in general). I felt like I was in "anytown" USA. It really detracted from the uniqueness of Austinian-culture.

This seems like more of the same to me.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

Here are a couple renderings of the Marriot Marquis from HotelNews.com. There is an extensive fluff piece article about Austin with them.

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/6351/Austin-Texas-Unique-in-spirit-hotel-development

AUSTIN, Texas—Because of its unique demand generators, the Austin, Texas, hotel market went into the recession late and seems to be coming out early. And with additional demand generators coming online, including a Circuit of Americas facility that will host a Formula 1 Grand Prix race annually from 2012 to 2020 and another 1,000-room hotel to host conventions, the state capital is booming with hotel development.

This is the most current design we know of.

[BevoLJ]

Financing secured, 'all systems are go' for downtown Austin convention hotel
By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, 2012

White Lodging Services Corp. has financing in place for its $275 million, 33-story upscale convention hotel planned along Congress Avenue and is preparing for a June launch for the project.

A top company executive provided new details about the project — one of largest developments in downtown Austin's history — in an exclusive interview with the American-Statesman.

On June 15, crews are expected to start work to relocate underground utilities at the site on Congress Avenue between Second and Third streets, said Deno Yiankes, president and CEO of investments and development for White Lodging, a hotel development, ownership and management company based in Merrillville, Ind.

White Lodging is aiming for an Aug. 1 start for construction on a three-story underground parking garage with 458 spaces that will take nine to 10 months to build, followed by construction of the hotel, a JW Marriott with 1,012 rooms, up from 1,003 previously planned. The project's cost could go as high as $300 million, Yiankes said.

"We're going to go as fast as the city can give us permits," Yiankes said. "All systems are go."

The hotel will be the largest hotel White Lodging has built and its most "dramatic architecturally," he said.

The JW Marriott will generate 2,500 construction jobs during its two-year construction and create 750 permanent jobs with an average wage of $38,000 a year once it opens in early 2015, Yiankes said

...

Read More: http://www.statesman.com/business/real-e...owntown-2325601.html?cxtype=rss_business

[shakman]

Austin's skyline keeps getting better!!! ...and more dense!!!

[KevinFromTexas]

The building model that was brought to city hall for their rezoning presentation.


Photo by Greg


Photo by Greg

[Cashville]

Same developers and similar scale project to the JW Marriott in Indianapolis that opened a little over a year ago. Have heard really nice things about the one in Indy so no doubt it will be a great addition to Austin. Here is a pic of the one in Indy for those who havent seen it, 1,005 rooms, 34 floors, 376 feet tall.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by Cashville

Same developers and similar scale project to the JW Marriott in Indianapolis that opened a little over a year ago. Have heard really nice things about the one in Indy so no doubt it will be a great addition to Austin. Here is a pic of the one in Indy for those who havent seen it, 1,005 rooms, 34 floors, 376 feet tall.

Yuck! The base looks like a department store in a 1970's mall.

[NYC2ATX]

Thanks so much for posting those pictures Kevin. For this whole while, I was trying to figure out how it would manage to top 400 feet when it looked more wide than tall in the renderings. I'm fully aware that they were at a perspective that would distort the shape and scale of the building, but I was eager to see a more solid representation of its massing. This tower will be a perfect fit for Austin.

[Mopacs]

Pics taken Saturday, 8/4

Initial site work underway...



















The Austonian, with the JW Marriott 'mound of dirt' in the foreground

[KevinFromTexas]

It looks like there will be 3 tower cranes at the JW Marriott site on Congress:

Here is the permit case number: 2012-075367 RW

Type it into the permit number field.
https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/a_queryfolder_permits.jsp?myWhere=

This was posted July 25.

A request has been received for issuance of a license agreement to allow the installation of 3 tower cranes adjacent to 110 E. 2nd Street (*) Street Project Name: JW Marriott

And they also applied on August 1 for an application to do excavation work.

Excavation for hotel.This lot is composed of 11 Lots/Tracts. All work to be in accordance to approved plan SP-2011-0334C.

Here is the permit number: 2012-077392 EX

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/a_queryfolder_permits.jsp?myWhere=

[Wheelingman04]

Wow Austin and its skyline have grown so much since i was last there 11yrs ago. Im really happy for you guys and its cool to see your great city growing by leaps and bounds.