AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[GoldenBoot]

How many SF is the Austonian? What's the subject lot size (3rd & Congress)?

Yes, this could be a really big tower.

[KevinFromTexas]

The Hyatt Regency on Town Lake appears to be getting another paint job. White again.

[ATX2030]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

How many SF is the Austonian? What's the subject lot size (3rd & Congress)?

Yes, this could be a really big tower.

Wiki says 590,870. No idea what the lot size is.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by ATX2030

Developer of Hudson Yards in NYC eyeing site in downtown Austin, sources say

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...ges-hands.html

Parimal M. Rohit – Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal

"The developer of the massive Hudson Yards project in New York City has agreed to acquire a ground lease at the intersection of Third Street and Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, potentially leading to a skyscraper development, according to sources close to the matter."

"New York-based The Related Companies LP on Dec. 2 entered into an agreement with Cypress Invest, an affiliate of Austin-based Cypress Real Estate Advisors Inc., to acquire the ground lease at 101 W. Third St., a parking lot just north of The Austonian condo skyscraper."

....."The deal could still take months to finalize, and there is still a chance it does not happen. If it comes to fruition, the parking lot could be turned into a massive tower. The site is zoned up to 1.3 million square feet of development, a source said."

I used Sketchup to very roughly guesstimate the area of the lot at approximately 23,000 sq ft, divided into 1.3m sq ft equals about 56 floors, but that's without any setbacks whatsoever

[SawWasSJElk]

Originally Posted by ATX2030

Developer of Hudson Yards in NYC eyeing site in downtown Austin, sources say

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...ges-hands.html

Parimal M. Rohit – Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal

"The developer of the massive Hudson Yards project in New York City has agreed to acquire a ground lease at the intersection of Third Street and Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, potentially leading to a skyscraper development, according to sources close to the matter."

"New York-based The Related Companies LP on Dec. 2 entered into an agreement with Cypress Invest, an affiliate of Austin-based Cypress Real Estate Advisors Inc., to acquire the ground lease at 101 W. Third St., a parking lot just north of The Austonian condo skyscraper."

....."The deal could still take months to finalize, and there is still a chance it does not happen. If it comes to fruition, the parking lot could be turned into a massive tower. The site is zoned up to 1.3 million square feet of development, a source said."

Where would they be getting this 1.3 million figure from? As has been stated, that would be a FAR of like 56. The Austonian is 18. I thought the limit was 25, but apparently The Modern at 90 Rainey will have a FAR of 32. So how does this work? And how would the site have a FAR of 56?

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by SawWasSJElk

Where would they be getting this 1.3 million figure from? As has been stated, that would be a FAR of like 56. The Austonian is 18. I thought the limit was 25, but apparently The Modern at 90 Rainey will have a FAR of 32. So how does this work? And how would the site have a FAR of 56?

The site would not have a FAR of 56:1. The sites with a FAR greater than 25:1 got it through a Zoning Change.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The Hyatt Regency on Town Lake appears to be getting another paint job. White again.

That tower is due for a full remodel soon. Its a prime location and its upstairs ballroom is probably the best view of DT in the city but its SUPER dated.

I could see something like the LINE happening in that spot in the next 10 years once more of the South Shore vision kicks in and that area becomes a tad more desirable to stay in

[kingkirbythe....]

Reclaiming East Austin’s Defunct Holly Street Power Plant Starts Now

https://austin.towers.net/reclaiming...nt-starts-now/

The long saga of decommissioning East Austin’s controversial Holly Street Power Plant shifts into a new gear this month, only a short 14 years after the facility’s 2007 closure. The plant generated electricity for 47 years at the eastern shore of Lady Bird Lake in the Holly neighborhood, but ceased operations after years of protest by nearby residents over its environmental impact — now, after more than a decade of planning efforts, the site hosted a groundbreaking event last weekend commemorating the start of phase one improvements to the shoreline in this area. For a project that’s often made us feel like the whole city’s moving in slow motion, it’s a good start

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

That tower is due for a full remodel soon. Its a prime location and its upstairs ballroom is probably the best view of DT in the city but its SUPER dated.

I could see something like the LINE happening in that spot in the next 10 years once more of the South Shore vision kicks in and that area becomes a tad more desirable to stay in

I think it was last updated in 2009. That's when it was painted orange. For years it was white. I never knew it to be a different color until then.

https://newsroom.hyatt.com/2009-01-1...LAR-RENOVATION

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Reclaiming East Austin’s Defunct Holly Street Power Plant Starts Now

https://austin.towers.net/reclaiming...nt-starts-now/

The long saga of decommissioning East Austin’s controversial Holly Street Power Plant shifts into a new gear this month, only a short 14 years after the facility’s 2007 closure. The plant generated electricity for 47 years at the eastern shore of Lady Bird Lake in the Holly neighborhood, but ceased operations after years of protest by nearby residents over its environmental impact — now, after more than a decade of planning efforts, the site hosted a groundbreaking event last weekend commemorating the start of phase one improvements to the shoreline in this area. For a project that’s often made us feel like the whole city’s moving in slow motion, it’s a good start

Thank god - that part of the lake is always a little scary - though I will miss the little graffiti wall on the current trail.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The Hyatt Regency on Town Lake appears to be getting another paint job. White again.

That seems to be a trend throughout the city. Not just with high-rises but shopping centers as well. All are getting a white coat of paint. With some buildings it's an improvement and others not so much.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I think it was last updated in 2009. That's when it was painted orange. For years it was white. I never knew it to be a different color until then.

https://newsroom.hyatt.com/2009-01-1...LAR-RENOVATION

Weird to paint it that color in 2009...orange/fall colors were a their peak 2005-2006ish. I would have expected dark gray and robin egg blue by 2009-2010. Glad it's going white again...the orange has been dated-looking since 2010.

[kingkirbythe....]

Can Austin Take Back the Drag?

https://austin.towers.net/can-austin...back-the-drag/

West Campus isn’t downtown Austin, but downtown Austin could learn a thing or two from West Campus. This student-populated neighborhood directly west of the University of Texas is sort of like the city’s own little laboratory for urban design, and though it’s generally outside this blog’s area of coverage, the vertical expansion of this district over the course of the last decade or so is truly remarkable even by Austin standards. After the 2004 approval of the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO), a plan providing new construction in the district with additional density and height beyond typical zoning in exchange for affordable housing and other benefits, the neighborhood is essentially unrecognizable from its previous life.

[Atom_Mirny]

"Initial plans for the transformation of the "Statesman PUD" site that could bring a new landmark development to the south shore of Lady Bird Lake are progressing and could be finalized in early 2022.

...the new campus would feature towers ranging in height from 150 feet on the property's eastern edge to more than 500 feet off South Congress. That new skyline would be made up of two office buildings surrounded by residential towers with a lakefront view, one including a hotel.

By use, the proposal is broken up into 1.65 million square feet of residential space, 1.5 million square feet of office space, a 220,000-square-foot hotel and 150,000 square feet of mixed commercial space."

https://communityimpact.com/austin/c...-on-into-2022/

[Echostatic]

Arguably the biggest news:

The high-rise towers are envisioned with ground-floor stores or restaurants and walkable spaces between the buildings, adjacent streets and the waterfront trail. And almost all, 95%, of the property's new parking would be placed underground. Jerry Rusthoven, assistant director of the city housing department, cited the lack of above-ground parking as "a very huge get" from the city's PUD negotiations.

[drummer]

I like it! I like that there is a grid coming to the area and I like that they saved a chunk of park space by for the "unofficial bat viewing area" at the Congress Ave. bridge. I do think the intersection at Barton Springs is a little wonky, but I can get over that pretty easily.

[SproutingTowers]

Another link about the Waterfront project.

https://www.virtualbx.com/constructi...front-project/

[Echostatic]

The new massings are more detailed, and the hotel component has switched buildings. But the building heights are unchanged from the original 2019 plans. The square footage is slightly refined which reflects the new designs.

Old:


New:

[austlar1]

Will the new street grid and green spaces adjacent to Town Lake remain private property or will the city have jurisdiction over the outdoor areas?

[Dariusb]

At the rate the city is building more vertically, it'll become the densest city in the state.