AUSTIN | 701 Trinity (Block 87) | 428 FEET | 31 FLOORS | Never Built

[The ATX]

Austin Culture Map speculates on the supermarket component:

http://austin.culturemap.com/news/ci...arket-grocery/

[the Genral]

Well...mmmmm... interesting...not much of an impact viewing from the north or south, great from east to west. I like the design, would love it if it was at least twice as wide. Maybe this signals the beginning of more creative architecture for our next building boom. There is a rendering of the potential Virgin Hotel for Austin floating around I'm trying to get that's also trending towards the unusual with long sweeping arches front and back I'm told. Its time we starting seeing something new and away from the box.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Well...mmmmm... interesting...not much of an impact viewing from the north or south, great from east to west. I like the design, would love it if it was at least twice as wide. Maybe this signals the beginning of more creative architecture for our next building boom. There is a rendering of the potential Virgin Hotel for Austin floating around I'm trying to get that's also trending towards the unusual with long sweeping arches front and back I'm told. Its time we starting seeing something new and away from the box.

Share, share!

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Share, share!

I have spoken to 2 people in the last week, a civil engineer and a structural engineer, both working on downtown projects who have seen a rendering of a potential Virgin Hotel Austin. They told me their companies are bidding on it. The firms they work for have access to the drawings. I requested a copy of the render from my friend a week ago and haven't gotten it yet, if he can even get me one. Sorry for the off topic reply. But one last note, my newest connection said there were at least 5 to 6 significant new hotels in Austin's near future, probably some we already know about. Now back to our regularly scheduled topic...

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I have spoken to 2 people in the last week, a civil engineer and a structural engineer, both working on downtown projects who have seen a rendering of a potential Virgin Hotel Austin. They told me their companies are bidding on it. The firms they work for have access to the drawings. I requested a copy of the render from my friend a week ago and haven't gotten it yet, if he can even get me one. Sorry for the off topic reply. But one last note, my newest connection said there were at least 5 to 6 significant new hotels in Austin's near future, probably some we already know about. Now back to our regularly scheduled topic...

+1 for rumormongering. Excellent tease.

[The ATX]

Baby steps. This was approved a while back, but it was just attached to the site plan this week. They got approval to move the two lame to mediocre oak trees on the site. I didn't realize the site had trees. From Streetview:





The approval:

https://abc.austintexas.gov/attachme...Cyvv5S1A%3D%3D

[Geckos_Rule]

As long as it still has that awesome green color that the original renderings showed, I'll be happy

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Geckos_Rule

As long as it still has that awesome green color that the original renderings showed, I'll be happy

The current rendering doesn't seem to have green, sadly, but I do love the new design more. It'd be better if it kept some green, but womp womp.

[The ATX]

Here's the ground floor layout from the bare bones site plan. I can't say that I blame them for putting the hotel entrance on the opposite of the block from the homeless disaster. It's reaffirming to actually see the 37K sq. ft. grocery store in the plans.

[The ATX]

Oh, oh for the hope of a traditional grocery store. This is at the bottom of Towers' blog post about the site plan:

Either way, the geography of the site and its surroundings is part of what makes this project so genuinely fascinating, along with the ongoing mystery of its grocery component, which may not look anything like we expected — a representative for the Drenner Group recently contacted me to correct my language, calling the space a “market” instead, with a variety of vendors.

Towers:
http://austin.towers.net/block-87-pl...h-and-trinity/

[The ATX]

This moved a baby step forward last week. There is an alley that splits the block in half, and the city needs to vacate it so the entire block can be developed. The Downtown Commission voted on 08/16 to recommend the vacation. I'm guessing the recommendation is for the Planning Commission because the next meeting about this project is at the 08/22 Planning Commission meeting. It then goes to the Design Commission on 08/28. So we should be getting some new info about this project during the next week.

Here's the letter supporting the vacation:
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=282417

There was also project presentation, but it didn't include any new info or renderings we haven't already seen:
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=282407

[The ATX]

I thought I would bump this thread with this re-post from the Block 185 thread since the consensus is that this is Block 87.

Originally Posted by myBrain

Check this out, the Gensler architect in the interview posted this image on instagram a few hours ago:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcV75FRj...y=blume_george

[The ATX]

This must be a rendering of the area that the developers are referring to as "The Market."


https://www.gensleraustinten.com/

[The ATX]

No major news here. But this project was getting stale, and finally this week there was an update added to the site plan. I'm not yet sold on the ability of this project as proposed of breaking ground due to its location. But it's good to see progress in getting the site plan approved.


EDIT: Nobody but me has posted about this project since last June! Doesn't anyone else care?

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by The ATX

EDIT: Nobody but me has posted about this project since last June! Doesn't anyone else care?

Meh, lol. I will care when new rendering appear.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by The ATX

No major news here. But this project was getting stale, and finally this week there was an update added to the site plan. I'm not yet sold on the ability of this project as proposed of breaking ground due to its location. But it's good to see progress in getting the site plan approved.


EDIT: Nobody but me has posted about this project since last June! Doesn't anyone else care?

I care ! I care!!! LOL!
It will be a catalyst for the city to address the homeless issue in the area.
This and the speculation on the property across the street......
I think once one thing happens there will be a domino effect.
It will improve the area dramatically.

I am always reluctant to comment on this thread for fear of carless comments about the homeless situation. I live downtown. Experience it everyday and have had to run homeless out of our area due to safety. So I'm at a crossroads... cause I also want to see the issues addressed not just swept away.

It has to be handled well.

At this point it will be a major contention because of the amount of people who now camp on the sidewalk at ARCH. This won't be pretty. It will be a very big challenge for the city.... and there are few resources.

I will relate from inside sources: ARCH serves very few of the people on the street there. They just camp there. MOST don't look for services. Arch even cut food for a bit to see if it mattered. It didn't. It's become it's own community. When the city does take action It will be with much condemnation for the insensitivity . It's a loose loose for the city. At the same time. They should have never let it happen. Where will those folks go? Well, those that want help may be forced to seek it. Thats good. There are plenty of programs around town to help with housing. There are waiting lists. But lots of folks who help. Those that don't want housing or help ( and that is a simple fact, not a judgement.) will probably return to the area under I35 and the creeks.
Which is worse/better? I've often thought the area under 35 was unused. But that will be short term and 35 is redone.

Something has to be done. This is where everyone is a "NIMBY".
And don't deny it.
No one wants the homeless population moved to their hood. It use to be East... now it's gentrified. Use to be the drag... been pushed out. We don't have vast areas of warehouses downtown like most cities.

Perhaps the good folks who are building this will include housing?
Good start.
It is a church!

[We vs us]

Looks like they just resurfaced and restriped the parking lot. Not the most auspicious sign.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Looks like they just resurfaced and restriped the parking lot. Not the most auspicious sign.

I put this one near the bottom of the list of big proposals to be starting any time soon. Virtually nobody is going buy an expensive condo (or pay high rent) in the middle of what has turned into a homeless encampment - not to mention the drunkeness and noise coming from 6th St/Red River on weekends. An office building is better suited for the location, but the CVC makes that unlikely.

[the Genral]

I'm not sure its even a safe place for a parking lot.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I'm not sure its even a safe place for a parking lot.

It's not. I won't ever park in that area due to safety reasons.