AUSTIN | 70 Rainey | 419 FEET | 34 FLOORS | Complete

[lzppjb]

I love that Holiday Inn round tower. I wish it was 3x as tall. I do wish the tower was the southernmost piece and more prominent from the south, though.

But if we're talking about things that can actually be changed, I'd go for an all white paint job like the Line Hotel is getting.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

From what I understand, Austin officials have frequently looked at Portland as a templet for Austin's growth so it's not suprising that there are similarities. I really like how they have created a ring, I'm assuming that green line is rail?.

Sure, this post was from September, but as someone in Portland, let me break it down for you. First, the green line in the picture is actually a parkway ring that the city has envisioned, mostly it is a planned bikeway loop with some parks along it.

Originally Posted by We vs us

Pulled this pic from a 2014 article about Portland's development patterns. The orange buildings are projected growth patterns, not actual structures.

They definitely anticipate a second downtown cluster happening across the river, as well as a skyline that starts to follow the river bends more closely. Kind of interesting to see they have similar concerns/dynamics.

Where you see the number 5 is the Lloyd District, which is already an urban district within the boundary of downtown. The city is just expecting that area to continue to grow and have downtown span both sides of the river.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by drummer

Also, what's the height of the Marriott that is going in next to the Convention Center (next to the proposed/future expansion)? I wonder how that will compare to 70 Rainey and the Four Seasons Residences tower. It should fit right in between the two.

The Marriott at Cesar Chavez, which I'm guessing is a "working title", is going to be 386 feet to the mechanical penthouse and 360 feet to the main roof. 70 Rainey will be 419 feet to the mechanical penthouse and 396 feet to the main roof.

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I love that Holiday Inn round tower. I wish it was 3x as tall. I do wish the tower was the southernmost piece and more prominent from the south, though.

But if we're talking about things that can actually be changed, I'd go for an all white paint job like the Line Hotel is getting.

I agree. White would be the best to go with for its simplicity. It's not a building design that benefits much from a lot of painted accents. Just let it be what it is. And I agree on the height. I would have loved to see that thing have been around 350 feet or so. That would have made it our tallest back then, but the rooftop restaurant would still have great views of the river.

[corvairkeith]

[Jdawgboy]

I'm not trying to knock the MACC in a bad way but I feel that it is a bit underwhelming, especially for an organization that is so nit-picky about what is built around it. Really could have been so much more sophisticated and grand. A truely impressive achor and southern gateway for the Rainey Street District.

[The ATX]

Are those boarded up windows on the left in the second to last photo? Based on my limited experience with the MACC, I'd say it's a poorly managed organization.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Are those boarded up windows on the left in the second to last photo? Based on my limited experience with the MACC, I'd say it's a poorly managed organization.

It's funny that you mentioned that cause I thought a panel piece fell off from the angled section in the last pic but realized that its an intentional gap. The overall building is not aging well that's for sure.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

It's funny that you mentioned that cause I thought a panel piece fell off from the angled section in the last pic but realized that its an intentional gap. The overall building is not aging well that's for sure.

I'm also surprised that giant white canvas isn't tagged all to hell. Maybe they just clean it up more quickly than other buildings do?

[The ATX]

Here's another form their Facebook page:


https://www.facebook.com/SeventyRainey/

[KevinFromTexas]

So from Keith's photos, they're up to the 20th floor. That puts it at 231 feet 5 inches tall.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Here's another form their Facebook page:


https://www.facebook.com/SeventyRainey/

I really like this view. Now imagine a soccer stadium where the American Statesman building currently stands. Imagine a vibrant district surrounding it keeping it filled with people day and night.... I know this is off topic but this picture is a perfect example for such a vision and its placement with regards to DT.

[ivanwolf]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I really like this view. Now imagine a soccer stadium where the American Statesman building currently stands. Imagine a vibrant district surrounding it keeping it filled with people day and night.... I know this is off topic but this picture is a perfect example for such a vision and its placement with regards to DT.

I disagree, I would find the bright lights of a stadium in that location overwhelming to all the residential units downtown (bright flood lights on until midnight I'm thinking), A stadium like UT is better placed, still downtown but not as in your face placement.

I'd rather the Statesman location be more mixed use like a mini Domain.

[ILUVSAT]

Just heard that this project is being forced to be lowered to 357' by the FAA.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Just heard that this project is being forced to be lowered to 357' by the FAA.

WTF is happening? It's already construction and approved...

[ILUVSAT]

Sorry...it was a joke.

[The ATX]

The FAA has the height for this building as 440', and that height determination was recently filed again for some reason. That's one reason I don't always trust the FAA filings. I noticed the change to the Block 71 height that Urbannizer posted in the Block 71 thread. But I wasn't worried about it do to the inconsistencies that I've noticed in the past between the FAA filings and the actual heights shown in the elevations.

[KevinFromTexas]

Even relying on building elevations isn't 100 percent fail proof. For example, once a site plan is submitted with that set of plans and is approved and released to the public, minor changes can still affect the final height that wasn't reflected in the plans. I've noticed changes to mechanical penthouses or to the minor roof details that changed its height. Windsor on the Lake was one example. The existing roof is a good bit different than the one that was represented in the elevations. I had to measure it with Google Earth to get the total height. Some elevations also omit mechanical penthouses entirely - showing them but not listing their height. I would imagine someone who was saving time might not enter that in when filling out a form - thinking 10 feet wouldn't make a difference.

[The ATX]

The crane was jumped this weekend, and it still has another jump coming before it's at its final 511' height. This project is really starting to standout now that it is taller than its neighbors Skyhouse and Shore.

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by The ATX

The crane was jumped this weekend, and it still has another jump coming before it's at its final 511' height. This project is really starting to standout now that it is taller than its neighbors Skyhouse and Shore.

Is this building going to have a place to eat or a bar on the main floor for the passer by to enjoy?

I quite like this building and it fills in waterfront nicely. It's in a great location too, when I last visited, Rainey Street was a nice area to hang out, the adults 6th street.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by masonh2479

Is this building going to have a place to eat or a bar on the main floor for the passer by to enjoy?

It has ground floor retail - two levels of it in some renderings. So I suspect the usual suspects of a restaurant, a bar and a coffee shop are likely.