Austin Projects & Construction - Page 39

crewer · #**761** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 12:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenbelt

That's good news because i really like Austin City Lofts, seems very Euro. Looking forward to the Monarch and 360 breaking in June.

I know a lot of people like that architecture, but it's growing a bit tired for me. Initially I liked it, too, back when they used similar concepts with the Central Market complex. But it's getting to be overdone throughout the city. It's everywhere now ... CSC, Amli, Austin City Lofts, Whole Foods, City Hall, etc. It's all starting to look like chic cheap industrial. And I question how well the style will stand the test of time.

But that's my opinion. It does beat the drab "pink granite" that they slapped on everything in the late 80's.

crewer · #**762** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 12:18 AM**

Hey I know this is entirely off topic from Austin, but have any of you seen the Skyscrapers Forum's section on Chicago? If you like skyscrapers, you got to take a look at what's just been completed, being built, or being proposed in Chicago. The place is booming with amazing buildings! Awesome stuff!

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=100911

greenbelt · #**763** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 12:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by crewer

It's all starting to look like chic cheap industrial. And I question how well the style the stand the test of time.

But that's my opinion. It does beat the drab "pink granite" that they slapped on everything in the late 80's.

Well, until Austin gets one of these (white skyscraper on the far right)...http://www.constellationproperty.com/website/

greenbelt · #**764** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 2:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by crewer

Hey I know this is entirely off topic from Austin, but have any of you seen the Skyscrapers Forum's section on Chicago? If you like skyscrapers, you got to take a look at what's just been completed, being built, or being proposed in Chicago. The place is booming with amazing buildings! Awesome stuff!

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=100911

That Chicago thread was amazing, thanks for posting! i went there every summer as a kid, but haven't been back (except for O' Hare passing through) in over 20 years. What a great collection of skyscrapers Chicago has, Austin would do good just to get 3 or 4 of those 30 to 50 footers. Hopefully soon.

GoldenBoot · #**765** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 6:33 AM**

Stratus announces their plans for block 21 today... See the thread in the Texas/Southcentral section of the forum!!

Here comes the W!!!

LookingUp · #**766** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 12:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Stratus announces their plans for block 21 today... See the thread in the Texas/Southcentral section of the forum!!

Here comes the W!!!

This will make a big difference for the whole Second Street effort and any other potential projects in the area. Great job Stratus and Mayor Wynn.

Mopacs · #**767** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 1:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Stratus announces their plans for block 21 today... See the thread in the Texas/Southcentral section of the forum!!

Here comes the W!!!

Here is a rendering which appears on the front page of the Austin American statesman this morning. This is awesome news... the 15 story design replaced with a sleek 32-story tower:

Mopacs · #**768** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 1:39 PM**

Aerial site of the tower, also from this morning's statesman (vacant block, bottom-center):

GoldenBoot · #**769** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 6:34 PM**

I'm pretty sure that the building shown in the rendering is not the "final" design. I believe it's merely the architect's (Andersson-Wise) conceptual "block" structure to show the scale of the project... It seems a bit too early to have a "final" design - Stratus Properties and the City of Austin have yet to sign the Block 21 purchase agreement and KLRU, the Dell Children's Museum of Austin, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts (the W) have yet to sign anything as well. However, the article reports that Stratus has received a letter of intent from Starwood stating that their W brand will be managing the project's hotel & condominiums.

At least I hope it's not the final design! It's a bit too boxy for my predilection. Especially since it will be such a prevalent edifice in the Austin skyline.

Kropotkin · #**770** Posted **Mar 23, 2006, 9:54 PM**

I can give a few updates on what's happening in and around West Campus--

UT Conference center- the existing buildings on the site are actively being demolished right now. If you want to see a World War III scene of rubble, go to MLK/Lavaca.

La Vista on Lavaca (17th/Lavaca) is STILL not being developed. There's a large shipping container on the site and a few scattered materials like PVC around, but that's it.

Rio Nueces Apartments is not renting past the summer and thus it seems it's going to be demolished in September. It's 4.5 acres. Nobody knows what's going there. The property hasn't changed title, but something absolutely is going to be done with the lot soon. It's the largest continguous area of land in West Campus by far. I heard it was $120sq ft for land. Height limit there is 75ft.

Texana Dorm (2819 Rio Grande) is expected to be demolished this summer- no official confirmation, but the place was bought by a Miami developer and they are NOT renting for the next school year. (www.texanadorm.com). Height limit there is 50ft.

CWS has bought the entire western side of the street from 25th to 26th on Leon for $91/sq ft for the land. This includes a few houses and a big frat house. This will open up 1.5 Acres. Height limit there is 50ft. These are the same people doing the 7-story Texan Tower (www.texantower) at 25th/ San Gabriel right now.

Another apartment at 25th/Longview, Villa Varta (1 acre), is being gutted for demolition right now. 100+ Apartments are planned for there.

I guess with all these projects probably the biggest surprise is that other than 21 Rio, nothing is being built particularly high, as most development is outside the 175-foot zone area.

I know pretty much everything that's happening in West Campus, so if anyone wants to know anything, ask or pm me.

KevinFromTexas · #**771** Posted **Mar 24, 2006, 2:31 AM**

By the way, has anyone else noticed the two crowler cranes along Rainey Street? Just north of the Milago Condos? Are those for the Milago Condos, or something else?!

LookingUp · #**772** Posted **Mar 24, 2006, 3:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

By the way, has anyone else noticed the two crowler cranes along Rainey Street? Just north of the Milago Condos? Are those for the Milago Condos, or something else?!

Maybe "Legacy?" Supposed to be across from Milago Apartments.

StoOgE · #**773** Posted **Mar 24, 2006, 4:00 AM**

the shore is also in the area.. but it shouldnt be breaking ground yet...

KevinFromTexas · #**774** Posted **Mar 24, 2006, 4:38 AM**

I don't know, there were these two black crowler cranes north of the Milagos. They were a good distance away from the Milagos, and yet they had their booms up. I wasn't close enough to see what was up, I just saw them early this morning from I-35.

I like Austin City Lofts also. Did anyone catch that news story about a man inviting himself to the mayor's party at the pool at the building? Mayor Will Wynn had to actually "physically remove" him from the property! I had no idea that Will Wynn lived in that building. That is very cool. I have to say, I think Will Wynn is one of our best mayors. He talks the talk about downtown living and all but he actually lives up to it, literally.

StoOgE · #**775** Posted **Mar 24, 2006, 3:05 PM**

Ok, I just drove by downtown and saw the cranes. They seem pretty small, but there are certainly two of them together about a block or so north of Milago. I have no idea what that could be.

If someone could get an address for the site we could allways pull public records to figure out whats going on there.

GoldenBoot · #**776** Posted **Mar 24, 2006, 4:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Ok, I just drove by downtown and saw the cranes. They seem pretty small, but there are certainly two of them together about a block or so north of Milago. I have no idea what that could be.

If someone could get an address for the site we could allways pull public records to figure out whats going on there.

Those crawler cranes are for the Mexican-American Cultural Center's construction site...

Mopacs · #**777** Posted **Mar 24, 2006, 11:45 PM**

Just a heads up... the official design of the new 7-story federal courthouse downtown has been released. Renderings coming shortly....

From the ABJ:

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2006/03/20/daily45.html?from_rss=1

Local federal courthouse architects, design revealed

Austin Business Journal - 1:58 PM CST Friday

Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects of Atlanta has been pegged to design the new federal courthouse in collaboration with Austin's Page Southerland Page and Architectural Engineers Collaborative.
The structure is expected to cost $63 million, and be 211,690 square feet. It will be 7 stories with courtrooms and jury assembly facilities.

The design will officially be unveiled on Monday, March 27 at 5 p.m. at the University of Texas's Goldsmith Hall.
The courthouse will be located west of Republic Square Park in downtown Austin.

crewer · #**778** Posted **Mar 27, 2006, 1:19 AM**

Okay, here's some insider information on 360. It is NOT going to be a 50 story building. It's 44 stories as originally planned. Everything is a go on it, all of the design work has been completed (for quite sometime) and construction begins in late April.

They are in the process of moving one of the moonlight towers from the building site back to its original location.

Mopacs · #**779** Posted **Mar 27, 2006, 2:20 PM**

I have located some new renderings for the Hill Country Galleria regional lifestyle center in Bee Cave, TX (15 mi W of downtown Austin). This will be a high-end retail center anchored by Dillards, Barnes and Noble, Cinemark theaters and more (Phase I). This is an outdoor retail center. The project's website: http://hillcountrygalleria.com/index.htm

This is from Opus West's website:

http://www.opuscorp.com/-ProjectDetail/index.html|id:2401&imageIndex=2

The project contains approximately 900,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, and office space in an open air main street, lifestyle design on 86.34 acres in the west Austin, Texas suburb of Bee Cave.

The project will contain a major department store anchor, a grocery anchor, a cinema, and a major bookstore.

Hill Country Galleria is located at the confluence of three major roadways in a high-income area across the street from a 523,618-square-foot power center.
The second phase of the project will include 400 to 500 for rent multifamily units.

Sample Rendering:

Siteplan (see larger image below):

Mopacs · #**780** Posted **Mar 27, 2006, 2:22 PM**

Full resolution:

siteplan