AUSTIN | Aloft Austin & Element Hotel Downtown | 328 FEET | 31 FLOORS | Complete

[SecretAgentMan]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

If the builders of the Aloft project could purchase the air rights to the building just south, then windows could be allowed. Makes for a very expensive low rise building in the future.

I'll bet this is what the complaining property owners actually want. That would explain why they hired Jill Rowe (a Commercial Real Estate Broker) rather than an attorney.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

I'll bet this is what the complaining property owners actually want. That would explain why they hired Jill Rowe (a Commercial Real Estate Broker) rather than an attorney.

SAM ( Secret agent man) I love it when you pop up!!!!!

[SecretAgentMan]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

SAM ( Secret agent man) I love it when you pop up!!!!!

I'm always lurking, but like any good spy, you don't always know I am around.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

I'm always lurking, but like any good spy, you don't always know I am around.

[KevinFromTexas]

I don't see why they don't just do that. Even if another tower were to be built next to it in the future one building over, it would still likely be only 20 feet away. That's exactly how far apart 100 Congress and Ashton are. It's funny how two neighboring buildings can't face each other with windows, but 20 feet is ok. 20 feet is nothing when you're talking about skyscrapers. It's barely the length of a large pickup.

[kingkirbythe....]

Fire hazard without an alley.

[Digatisdi]

Looks like Kevin made the Statesman on page A13 regarding this project, I hope the people stirring up the controversy will read it but frankly I think they're in it for the publicity--at any rate, I'm glad they've put a thought-out comment in the Water Cooler section for once.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Digatisdi

Looks like Kevin made the Statesman on page A13 regarding this project, I hope the people stirring up the controversy will read it but frankly I think they're in it for the publicity--at any rate, I'm glad they've put a thought-out comment in the Water Cooler section for once.

I'm looking at it now. Definately don't see many thought out comments like Kevin's in the Water Cooler section. This btw was the longest comment I have ever seen in the WC section. Longer than the 5 other comments combined.

[KevinFromTexas]

Ha! That's cool.

[KevinFromTexas]

The Downtown Austin Blog is saying it'll be 353 feet with 33 floors. That would make it one foot below the main roof of the Hilton. That would put it above the roof of the middle tier of the One American Center. The 31st floor of the One American Center is at 358.58 feet. The 31st floor is the last full floor of the building before you get to the first setback on the tallest tier of the building. So in other words, if you were standing on the 32nd floor of the One American Center you'd be just 13 feet above the roof of this hotel.

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2014/0...-congress-ave/

Downtown Austin Aloft & Element Hotel Proposal for Congress Ave

At last night’s Downtown Commission meeting, we heard from White Lodging on their proposed 33 story, 353 foot, 410 key, dual-branded Aloft/Element hotel at 7th & Congress Ave.

One interesting feature of this proposal is there will be zero parking spaces (excluding ADA requirements) and only three valet spots. This isn’t the first Congress Ave hotel concept to propose no onsite parking.

[Austin1971]

Are several guestrooms going to be windowless. I could understand the east facade being windowless but the south, ugly. They can do much better for a highrise on the "mainstreet" of Texas.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Are several guestrooms going to be windowless. I could understand the east facade being windowless but the south, ugly. They can do much better for a highrise on the "mainstreet" of Texas.

Looks like the interior space of the windowless facade will be comprised of the south wall of a west facing guest room, an interior corridor (with window facing south?) and the south wall of an east facing guest room. This is the slender part of the tower that is set back from the street. There are several buildings on Congress that will mask most of the lower floors of the windowless facade. It won't be much more noticeable than the windowless portion of the JW Marriott that faces Congress. Actually, I think the windowless portion of the Aloft will look a whole lot like the windowless portion of the JW, but it will be even less noticeable.

[The ATX]

White Lodging has just added this project to their website:

http://www.whitelodging.com/about/de...ustin-downtown

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by austlar1

Looks like the interior space of the windowless facade will be comprised of the south wall of a west facing guest room, an interior corridor (with window facing south?) and the south wall of an east facing guest room. This is the slender part of the tower that is set back from the street. There are several buildings on Congress that will mask most of the lower floors of the windowless facade. It won't be much more noticeable than the windowless portion of the JW Marriott that faces Congress. Actually, I think the windowless portion of the Aloft will look a whole lot like the windowless portion of the JW, but it will be even less noticeable.

I couldn't find a rendering, but I did find the elevation for that south wall as part of a presentation to the Design Commission.

http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=210766

It's on Page 25.


On Page 35 it notes:

One concern has been the fire wall that faces south to adjacent lots. This wall cannot have windows, and it is a large wall, due to the height of the
building. The Working Group noted improvements the applicant has made since previous public hearings. The south fire wall is to consist of at least 2 materials with reveal lines to break up the scale. A light well allows units to have light, and the light well includes one window per floor facing south

Just looking at those elevations, it really doesn't look that bad. For a mostly blank wall, it could have been a lot worse.

Something else I noticed:

The applicant notes that loading needs are being minimized with on-
site laundry and no event space within the building.

[ahealy]

gosh, I wanna see this break grounddddd

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by ahealy

gosh, I wanna see this break grounddddd

agreed. They've really done their homework. Nice design. Blended brands can be a great way to get a lesser brand into a downtown market and not have an under-invested building . ( i.e., Hampton Inn and Hyatt place on San Jacinto)

[KevinFromTexas]

Thanks for posting that, Mike. It shows it having 34 hotel floors plus one more mechanical floor above those.

[KevinFromTexas]

I would think those nimbys would be thrilled to have such a neighbor. Many more opportunities for penny ($1.00) postcard sales.

The only thing I can half agree with is the lack of any parking. That's pretty ballsy for any project. Still, being that it's a rather upscale hotel it's not entirely necessary for the guests to have a car. By the way, where do the hotel guests who stay at the Stephen F. Austin and Driskill hotels park?

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I would think those nimbys would be thrilled to have such a neighbor. Many more opportunities for penny ($1.00) postcard sales.

The only thing I can half agree with is the lack of any parking. That's pretty ballsy for any project. Still, being that it's a rather upscale hotel it's not entirely necessary for the guests to have a car. By the way, where do the hotel guests who stay at the Stephen F. Austin and Driskill hotels park?

Good question. Maybe unaffiliated private sector lots fill in that need.

I rarely rent cars on my trips. All my recent trips to Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego were without a vehicle and I did fine. Austin doesn't have as good a transit system as most of those, but it does have car2go and b-cycle.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

Good question. Maybe unaffiliated private sector lots fill in that need.

I rarely rent cars on my trips. All my recent trips to Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego were without a vehicle and I did fine. Austin doesn't have as good a transit system as most of those, but it does have car2go and b-cycle.

You make a very good point. I have often thought it was not smart for a hotel to skip its own parking.
However, most of my work travel is to central cores, so I rarely rent cars!
Hum.... perhaps I am rethinking!
And... well.yet another agrument for rail to go to/from the Airport NOW!
( sorry , couldn't resist!)