AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 406

ThyPiGuy · #**8101** Posted **Apr 23, 2022, 1:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

I might be wrong. I thought they were going to move the old building away from the old site to the new site at Butler Shores.

I think you must be misremembering something. My understanding is the main reason behind the move is that the current building is in some poor shape that they basically have to build a new one. It's an old post WW2 building with a metal sheet roof I think.

We vs us · #**8102** Posted **Apr 26, 2022, 4:03 PM**

Just stumbled across an announcement from The Guild, one of a number of local STR/apartment hotel management companies, that they're going live with about 15+ STR units at Avenue Lofts in June.

Quote:

The Guild Austin l Lofts on 5th – Austin, TX

Set in the heart of thriving Downtown Austin at 410 East 5th Street are The Guild Austin l Lofts on 5th, slated to come online in June. This property will contain 10 short-term rental units and five to seven extended stay units, all furnished. Each of the loft units offer an industrial feel including polished concrete floors. raw concrete walls and exposed venting and pipes, in addition to beautiful downtown views overlooking historic Sixth Street, Austin’s vibrant entertainment district known for its famed bars, restaurants and live music spots. The property has a gated parking lot, community pool and courtyard.

https://rew-online.com/the-guild-exp...-pennsylvania/

Urbannizer · #**8103** Posted **Apr 27, 2022, 1:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

A Single Staircase Does the Trick at Downtown Austin’s Ashram Condos

https://austin.towers.net/a-single-s...ashram-condos/

A small six-unit condo project planned in a quiet corner of downtown’s west end could represent a subtle, but significant design milestone for Austin. Known as Ashram, the building now approved for construction at 707 West 14th Street by local developer Jay Reddy features a striking modern design from architecture studio McKinney York, with an open-air central stairwell as the focal point of the building from the street — and it’s worth paying close attention to those stairs, since this project is the first permitted under a 2021 adjustment to the city’s building code allowing the construction of three-story residential structures with only one stairway.

If that all sounds wrong to you, you’re not alone — conventional wisdom in architecture dictates that every multi-unit residential building rising several stories needs at least two exits, or means of egress, to comply with fire codes. But this isn’t really the case outside North America, with multifamily buildings rising eight floors or more with only a single interior staircase exceedingly common in European countries — and the fact that fire-related fatality rates in Europe are significantly lower than anywhere in the United States suggests that a combination of sprinkler systems, modern firefighting techniques, and structural materials chosen for passive fire protection make single-stair buildings a safe and desirable infill development option.

Urbannizer · #**8104** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 4:32 AM**

The Colorfield

Atom_Mirny · #**8105** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 2:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

I might be wrong. I thought they were going to move the old building away from the old site to the new site at Butler Shores.

Designs proposed for $28M project to relocate 75 year-old Dougherty Arts Center

https://communityimpact.com/austin/c...y-arts-center/

Quote:

The city has been working to relocate the aging DAC, currently situated at 1110 Barton Springs Road, for well over a decade after the 75-year-old building was designated as “beyond repair.” The replacement project, backed by $28 million in 2012 and 2018 city bond funding, would see a new DAC constructed on Lady Bird Lake a few blocks from the existing center.

We vs us · #**8106** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 3:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atom_Mirny

Designs proposed for $28M project to relocate 75 year-old Dougherty Arts Center

https://communityimpact.com/austin/c...y-arts-center/

Thanks for finding that.

My main argument with this one wasn't necessarily whether the old building would be saved or not but rather that our new public buildings should be more ambitious, more grandiose, especially if they're taking up some of the most precious parkland in the city.

And really. . . I guess I want a badass signature arts building in a place where everyone can see it and reflect on how awesome we are. We're slowly working on getting Big City amenities and infrastructure. The Museum/Opera/Aquarium/whatever piece needs to be next.

Sigaven · #**8107** Posted **Apr 28, 2022, 4:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

Thanks for finding that.

My main argument with this one wasn't necessarily whether the old building would be saved or not but rather that our new public buildings should be more ambitious, more grandiose, especially if they're taking up some of the most precious parkland in the city.

And really. . . I guess I want a badass signature arts building in a place where everyone can see it and reflect on how awesome we are. We're slowly working on getting Big City amenities and infrastructure. The Museum/Opera/Aquarium/whatever piece needs to be next.

Agreed. I think the only big architects we have represented in this town are Pelli/Clarke/Pelli (Google Sail), Paul Cret (UT campus), and Predock (city hall). We could've got a Herzog & DeMeuron if they hadn't shot down the original plans for the Blanton.

kingkirbythe.... · #**8108** Posted **May 4, 2022, 2:53 AM**

The New Adventures of Old Red River, Austin’s Next Great Pedestrian Space

https://austin.towers.net/the-new-ad...estrian-space/

There’s a real laundry list of development currently taking place in downtown Austin’s so-called “Innovation District” east of the Capitol. You’ve got Central Health’s massive reimagining of the former Brackenridge Hospital site, with the “Innovation Tower” itself now up for lease at the center of the action overlooking the new Waterloo Park, and right across the intersection of East 12th and Red River Streets the Symphony Square office and residential tower project is also sailing along. A bit further north along Red River we’ve just seen the impressive grand opening of the Moody Center, which through its sheer existence implies the coming demolition and redevelopment of the Frank Erwin Center — and that’s just the stuff that’s already broken ground, with a number of other properties in the district poised for growth in the years to come.

chinchaaa · #**8109** Posted **May 4, 2022, 1:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

The New Adventures of Old Red River, Austin’s Next Great Pedestrian Space

https://austin.towers.net/the-new-ad...estrian-space/

so much potential in this area. I'm really excited to see what this area can become over the next 10 years. I just hope we respect the bars, music venues, restaurants, etc. of the area that made it cool to begin with.

We vs us · #**8110** Posted **May 4, 2022, 2:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

so much potential in this area. I'm really excited to see what this area can become over the next 10 years. I just hope we respect the bars, music venues, restaurants, etc. of the area that made it cool to begin with.

Man -- I hope they EXPAND the area of cool restaurants/music venues/etc. The Red River corridor really peters out at about 10th. If they do it right, the Inno district could add a whole second node near MLK and the new park.

But yeah, the 3-7 year window of potential for this area is really staggering.

obemearg · #**8111** Posted **May 4, 2022, 5:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Agreed. I think the only big architects we have represented in this town are Pelli/Clarke/Pelli (Google Sail), Paul Cret (UT campus), and Predock (city hall). We could've got a Herzog & DeMeuron if they hadn't shot down the original plans for the Blanton.

I'd also include Tom Kundig (of Olson Kundig) who did the Comedor restaurant on 5th and Colorado. Much smaller scale project than those though. Snøhetta who's doing the Blanton musuem courtyard I'd also say is a notable firm, but that's a small project too.

We vs us · #**8112** Posted **May 6, 2022, 2:57 PM**

On May 10, the Planning Commission will consider a rezoning case for 708 E. 12th, right on the corner of 12th and I-35, at the periphery of the Brackenridge/Innovation zone.

The PC case indicates that "the Applicant is requesting a zoning change . . . in order to construct a mixed use development comprised of approximately 35,000 sq ft of retail uses and 350 multifamily units."

I think someone (ATX?) might have mentioned this property at least once before, but it's the first time I've seen any indication of what's being planned for that corner. 350 multifamily units seems pretty significant.

EDIT: in a completely unscientific comparison, the Alexan across the street has 210 apartment units. So I'm guessing this has the potential to be significantly taller.

https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/do....cfm?id=382537

kingkirbythe.... · #**8113** Posted **May 6, 2022, 4:31 PM**

What’s the Deal With Republic Square?

https://austin.towers.net/whats-the-...public-square/

If you’re spending any quality time downtown these days, you might have noticed Republic Square is looking a little out of the ordinary — fences now surround the perimeter of the park’s central “great lawn,” which now looks more like a great big field of dirt, with folks in hard hats mucking around in skid steers and whatnot.

So what’s the deal with Republic Square? You could figure this out very easily by checking the park’s social media, but just in case you missed it we thought we’d let you know the great lawn is closed through August 5 for a major replanting and restoration project, great timing since the grass has recently looked a little patchy — people downtown really like using this park, who could have guessed?

But if you piece through the latest social media posts of landscape architecture firm Nudge Design, working on the project alongside Clean Scapes Landscaping, you’ll see there’s a bit more to this work than just new grass — it appears the refresh of the lawn also includes a few landscaping additions to the grove of oaks at the northeast corner of the square, providing a new shaded space opposite the site’s more prominent grove of “Auction Oaks.”

Urbannizer · #**8114** Posted **May 11, 2022, 3:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Cady Lofts

https://www.hancockna.org/www/taxonomy/term/15

https://www.crexi.com/properties/438...esidential-lot

Of course the Hancock Neighborhood Association is opposing this.

https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/do....cfm?id=382530

kingkirbythe.... · #**8115** Posted **May 11, 2022, 4:32 AM**

Of course they are.

Traffic?

Neighborhood 'character'?

Parking in some form?

Dirty renters?

All of the above?

Fuck them!

Echostatic · #**8116** Posted **May 11, 2022, 5:14 AM**

Quite interesting news on 6th street redevelopment.
https://communityimpact.com/austin/c...ment-district/

Quote:

Stream Realty Partners, which owns several of the historic structures lining East Sixth between Brazos Street and I-35, is planning for the redevelopment and rehabilitation of some of those properties... Stream's plans involve the addition of new office and restaurant space—including new vertical development above existing buildings—and local infrastructure improvements... "If we can’t lift that height, I think we’re condemning Sixth Street to another long time of more of the same," Suttle said... Suttle said Stream is also eyeing the addition of new office space above the existing buildings to make the targeted blocks more lively during the day.

StoOgE · #**8117** Posted **May 11, 2022, 12:59 PM**

Yeah - thats not historic preservation. I hate it and I hope CC rejects the hell out of it.

Dirty 6th is awful but its some of the only preserved architecture from the time period in Austin and much of that street is worth preserving. I wish they weren't crappy shot bars but it is what it is.

Echostatic · #**8118** Posted **May 11, 2022, 1:55 PM**

I think these are positive and necessary changes to try and claw dirty 6th back from the brink. It's a shame the vertical developments are so harshly limited by CVCs, but it's probably for the better as 70-130' buildings will face much less opposition than skyscrapers (whether they should or not.) I also think reopening 6th to traffic on weekend nights is a good idea and Stream supports this.

chinchaaa · #**8119** Posted **May 11, 2022, 2:15 PM**

Does anyone know what's going on with the Hummingbird (1608 S Congress)? It looks to be done, and has been boarded up for like a year with no movement. When are we going to start seeing stuff open?

StoOgE · #**8120** Posted **May 11, 2022, 2:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echostatic

I think these are positive and necessary changes to try and claw dirty 6th back from the brink. It's a shame the vertical developments are so harshly limited by CVCs, but it's probably for the better as 70-130' buildings will face much less opposition than skyscrapers (whether they should or not.) I also think reopening 6th to traffic on weekend nights is a good idea and Stream supports this.

East 6th is one of the few true historic districts in the city of Austin - stacking new construction onto the top of all of them is going to absolutely destroy one of the few areas of downtown that looks unique.

This is some prime 1960s new urbanism where nothing old is worth preserving.