AUSTIN | Fairmont Hotel | 595 FEET SPIRE/456 FT ROOF | 37 FLRS | Complete - Page 43

The ATX · #**841** Posted **Oct 23, 2014, 5:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digatisdi

There's a bunch of trailers on site. I'm not sure what that means but I figured I'd report in

We went through that excitement last January, but it turned out to be parking for a boat/trailer convention.

Digatisdi · #**842** Posted **Oct 23, 2014, 5:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

We went through that excitement last January, but it turned out to be parking for a boat/trailer convention.

Yeah I remember that. These don't look like they'd have anything to do with construction, but I've been surprised before

The ATX · #**843** Posted **Oct 23, 2014, 1:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digatisdi

Yeah I remember that. These don't look like they'd have anything to do with construction, but I've been surprised before

I just drove by the site, and there is nothing screaming "construction" about the (three?) trailers. They're just generic all white semi trailers with no signage. I don't think they are construction related. But they haven't been using the site for parking - including convention center related parking/staging - since the current fencing went up. I think we are still going to have to wait until 12/01.

deerhoof · #**844** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 3:14 AM**

Damn. It's shorter. Has financing. Starts nov 3. 37 floors. 595 feet. Tall spire. See statesman article.

Austinite101 · #**845** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 3:23 AM**

It's sort of ugly now due to it's stumpy looking base and lackluster height and I'm not very excited for it anymore. Antenna seems to be a third or so of the height of the building as a whole.

KevinFromTexas · #**846** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 3:34 AM**

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/busi....257263.735529

Quote:

Financing in hand, $370 million Austin Fairmont project now a go

Posted: 10:01 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014

By Shonda Novak - American-Statesman Staff

The developer of a Fairmont convention hotel planned for downtown Austin has obtained financing for the project, clearing the way for the $370 million luxury hotel to break ground next month and add more than 1,000 rooms to the market.

Los Angeles-based Colony Capital LLC will finance the hotel, which will be built on a 1.74-acre site at East Cesar Chavez and Red River streets.

At 37 stories and rising 595 feet, the hotel would be one of the tallest buildings in Austin’s skyline when it opens. With 1,066 rooms, it would be the city’s largest hotel, surpassing the 34-story, 1,012-room JW Marriott convention center hotel that is currently under construction downtown and scheduled to open in February.

Groundbreaking for the Fairmont is scheduled for Nov. 3, with plans for it to open in June 2017.

ivanwolf · #**847** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 3:39 AM**

Looks like they took the JW Marriott plan added a few floors and made the base more bland and changed up the top with glass, but kept the spire. How pitiful and a duller design! They could have had an iconic building but wimped out for what to me looks like the just finished JW Marriott which was similar to the older Hilton. So sad!

KevinFromTexas · #**848** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 3:48 AM**

The tower still looks good, but yeah, that base is a whole lotta meh. I'm curious to see a spire like that in Austin, but man, the old design was so much better and way more exciting.

midtownstarbucky · #**849** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 3:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/busi....257263.735529

Thank you Kevin...
I am happy it will still be built.

corvairkeith · #**850** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 3:55 AM**

Hey, at least it's not beige stucco.

Austin1971 · #**851** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 4:15 AM**

Is it 595 to the roof or to the spire?

Austinite101 · #**852** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 4:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Is it 595 to the roof or to the spire?

Likely to the spire. The "spire"

austlar1 · #**853** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 4:27 AM**

Yeah, I hope that blue glass turns out to be the real color of the building. It is not as exciting as the original design, but the tower looks pretty sharp in a geometric sort of way. The base needs some help. Hopefully they will find a way to make it more attractive. A little realistic SSP feedback might have an impact on some of the design decisions, but I think we should be grateful that something decent is going to be built at this site.

Spaceman · #**854** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 5:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Yeah, I hope that blue glass turns out to be the real color of the building. It is not as exciting as the original design, but the tower looks pretty sharp in a geometric sort of way. The base needs some help. Hopefully they will find a way to make it more attractive. A little realistic SSP feedback might have an impact on some of the design decisions, but I think we should be grateful that something decent is going to be built at this site.

Hey guys this thing is getting built...It looks OK to me. Be thankful for what we will have.

Jdawgboy · #**855** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 6:15 AM**

Fuck that! I'm pissed! Sorry for the cussing but Im out Downtown drinking and when I saw that rendering, I nearly threw my drink to the wall. I'm assuming the 595 includes the 100+ spire so we are basically talking about a building under 500 feet to the roof. I'm to the point to where if it's not taller than the Austonian, than screw it!!!

wwmiv · #**856** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 6:18 AM**

I still love the design. This will be a very prominent building, but I am sad about the height.

wwmiv · #**857** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 6:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Fuck that! I'm pissed! Sorry for the cussing but Im out Downtown drinking and when I saw that rendering, I nearly threw my drink to the wall. I'm assuming the 595 includes the 100+ spire so we are basically talking about a building under 500 feet to the roof. I'm to the point to where if it's not taller than the Austonian, than screw it!!!

I wouldn't be so sure, actually. If you look at the design, the first five floors with large lobbies have higher floor to ceiling heights and notice that the top bit with lighter glass actually seems to be architectural flourish rather than floors with rooms (if you count the floors, the 37th seems to be the last floor before that lighter section).

Even if you forget about those height adding elements I just mentioned, 595/37 is 16', whereas 495/37 is 13'.

If you assume a 17' number for the first five floors and a 14' number for the other 32 (I have no idea if these numbers are close to what exists in buildings... they seem to me to be reasonable) plus the extra architectural detail at the top excluding the spire that actually adds up to be around 595.

So you never know! Especially b/c the article doesn't seem to specify anything concrete.

hookem · #**858** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 8:15 AM**

I can't help but think, this isn't so bad.

Don't know why exactly. Maybe a bit of skepticism regarding the renderings we have seen before, maybe something else. At any rate, it will provide some balance to the Austonian and continue to make our skyline look more dense, even if it isn't that tall. Sort of an east side compliment to 360.

lzppjb · #**859** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 8:35 AM**

I like the way it looks. I like the spire. I'm disappointed in the height, and how it looks like JW Marriott part deux.

lzppjb · #**860** Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 8:43 AM**

So it was previously a 47-story 691' tower (572 to rooftop)? They took off 10 floors and it's reported at 595'. But the number of rooms didn't really change. The tower portion doesn't look any wider other than it's now just a single tower instead of that tiered look. But it's the same amount of rooms in 10 fewer floors. Interesting.