World Class Capital Group - Page 8

We vs us · #1 Posted **Jul 8, 2021, 7:06 PM**

It occurred to me this morning that Nate Paul is probably one of the most consequential figures in Austin real estate in the last 20 years, if not longer . . . and will be as important for at least the next 20, as all of his holdings are unwound and finally developed.

For instance, his unwillingness to sell his land to the city essentially changed the entire course of the convention district. At the same time, having his parcels come available now -- at the time of the 500' plateau, rather than earlier, at say the 300' plateau era -- will surely reshape our skyline again, when people finally start to build on them.

Not that he's a force for good or anything, but in some ways it might be a blessing that his stuff is only now making its way back to the market, since so much of it will be put to even more productive use than it would've even 3 or 4 years ago.

drummer · #2 Posted **Jul 8, 2021, 8:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

It occurred to me this morning that Nate Paul is probably one of the most consequential figures in Austin real estate in the last 20 years, if not longer . . . and will be as important for at least the next 20, as all of his holdings are unwound and finally developed.

For instance, his unwillingness to sell his land to the city essentially changed the entire course of the convention district. At the same time, having his parcels come available now -- at the time of the 500' plateau, rather than earlier, at say the 300' plateau era -- will surely reshape our skyline again, when people finally start to build on them.

Not that he's a force for good or anything, but in some ways it might be a blessing that his stuff is only now making its way back to the market, since so much of it will be put to even more productive use than it would've even 3 or 4 years ago.

Interesting perspective. I like it.

wwmiv · #3 Posted **Jul 8, 2021, 8:28 PM**

It’s a great perspective that I’d take even further: I’m pretty sure we’re about to reach a 700’ plateau, and many of these parcels may be developed as signature towers above even that height.

lonewolf · #4 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 1:53 PM**

In a very similar vein I feel that Austins unofficial policy of "if you don't build it, they won't come" was a major contributor in our current status as boomtown usa.

We did not waste money on a big ballpark, or an ambitious dig project, or a loop around the city, or rail etc etc. And now we have over 1m people! And we need many of these things! And we have a better idea now than we ever have of how and where they should be implemented.

What is our biggest waste of space currently? highland mall? how many cities would kill to be able to say that?

Novacek · #5 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf

What is our biggest waste of space currently? highland mall?

Muny
<ducks>

freerover · #6 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 4:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Novacek

Muny
<ducks>

All the golf courses inside the city.
The state jail on 969
The burnet facing part of Pickel

AustinYIMBY · #7 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 2:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf

What is our biggest waste of space currently? highland mall? how many cities would kill to be able to say that?

I would vote for
DPS campus at N Lamar and Koenig,
Austin Supported Living Center at Mopac and W 35th, or
JJ Pickle Research Campus at Braker and Burnet

All of the these are state or UT campuses that have mostly 1-2 story buildings, huge open lawns and lots of surface parking lots. But, all of these serve important purposes. I think best case scenario would be consolidating most or all of the 1-2 story buildings into taller buildings, building parking garages to replace to surface lots and then open up and along the main roads for development.

wwmiv · #8 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf

What is our biggest waste of space currently? highland mall? how many cities would kill to be able to say that?

I would like to nominate these:

Brackenridge Tract (has a master plan that should be dusted off)
Old State Mental Hospital (has a master plan that should be intensified before build)
Capitol Plaza (could be redeveloped with double the retail space, office, a hotel, a park, and 1k residential units)
Hancock Center (could be redeveloped)

Bonus:
Every parcel at 2222 and MoPac. Those parking lots need to go and the area needs an enterprising developer to step in an build a cohesive mixed use district.

atxsnail · #9 Posted **Jul 12, 2021, 2:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf

What is our biggest waste of space currently? highland mall? how many cities would kill to be able to say that?

Highland mall is shaping up to be a fantastic re-use of space.

If we are taking central austin suggestions, I'd like to nominate the nearby massive DPS campus (bordered by Denton, Koenig, Lamar, and Guad/Waller Creek). You could probably consolidate all of those people into a couple of buildings about the size of the current lab there. Surely there are some state-owned garages that could be repurposed to store/maintain the ridiculous number of DPS vehicles that are parked there now. Throw in the also very large triangular DPS lot directly adjacent to Highland Station and now we're talking about seriously transformative stuff.

AustinYIMBY · #10 Posted **Jul 13, 2021, 11:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atxsnail

If we are taking central austin suggestions, I'd like to nominate the nearby massive DPS campus (bordered by Denton, Koenig, Lamar, and Guad/Waller Creek). You could probably consolidate all of those people into a couple of buildings about the size of the current lab there. Surely there are some state-owned garages that could be repurposed to store/maintain the ridiculous number of DPS vehicles that are parked there now. Throw in the also very large triangular DPS lot directly adjacent to Highland Station and now we're talking about seriously transformative stuff.

Yes! Google Maps currently has a very striking view of the said ridiculous number of DPS vehicles.
Those, and the related maintenance facilities could easily be moved to another less dense Cental TX location. Which would probably suite their needs better anyway.

drummer · #11 Posted **Jul 14, 2021, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinYIMBY

Yes! Google Maps currently has a very striking view of the said ridiculous number of DPS vehicles.
Those, and the related maintenance facilities could easily be moved to another less dense Cental TX location. Which would probably suite their needs better anyway.

Case and point: a massive training facility on 195 just between Georgetown and Florence. Still just outside of the metro, close to major roads (183, 195, 29), north-south (I-35) and future east-west (I-14) interstates... Map link

DPS headquarters could remain in Austin proper given the fact that it's the state capital, but the massive storage of vehicles, which is a necessary evil, could be better done elsewhere.

ATX2030 · #12 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 3:51 PM**

Camp Mabry as well.

Echostatic · #13 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 4:14 PM**

Has to be Camp Mabry.

The ATX · #14 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 7:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echostatic

Has to be Camp Mabry.

That gets my vote with Muny a close second. The need for the Texas National Guard to be physically located near the Capitol has long passed. They could sell that site to private developers and get more than enough money to build a new National Guard site. A win for everyone. But the NIBMYs living next to Mabry would throw a fit. The NIMBY screams about The Grove would be minor league compared to developing Mabry.

Novacek · #15 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 8:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

That gets my vote with Muny a close second. The need for the Texas National Guard to be physically located near the Capitol has long passed. They could sell that site to private developers and get more than enough money to build a new National Guard site. A win for everyone. But the NIBMYs living next to Mabry would throw a fit. The NIMBY screams about The Grove would be minor league compared to developing Mabry.

Honestly, it would make the most sense to co-locate with Ft. Hood. Austin is literally an hour from one of the largest army bases in the country. Use that.

wwmiv · #16 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 8:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Novacek

Honestly, it would make the most sense to co-locate with Ft. Hood. Austin is literally an hour from one of the largest army bases in the country. Use that.

I think the core functions should remain where they are. They’re a great central public facility that actually holds tons of useful civic and public functions, many of which Austin residents would then have to travel to San Antonio or Killeen to experience, and those places are too far afield to be practical. For instance, I’ve been to multiple re-enactments there. Also: they operate much of the land as a wildlife preserve, so we’d potentially be sacrificing that if we opened up the land wholesale to development.

As to what places don’t serve Camp Mabry’s core and ancillary functions and could easily be developed into something more mixed use, I can’t think of anything suitable. The whole land is so isolated from urban activity by MoPac and the surrounding single family suburban neighborhoods that it would be hard to fit an urban neighborhood here while also navigating:

Preservationists’ desires to keep undeveloped land undeveloped.
Area wealthy homeowners and ANAs opposed to anything dense west of MoPac.
Cost of relocating core functions.
Negative repercussions of losing these facilities to elsewhere.

The Austin State Supported Living Center, just south of that, on the other hand, would be much better suited to mixed use development although still hard to get past neighborhood association opposition I am sure.

MUNY and Brackenridge are also really a waste, as y’all said. I personally think the golf courses are necessary amenities for a large city, and MUNY is nice. We need at least one. Get rid of Morris Williams instead.

txtriathlete · #17 Posted **Sep 9, 2021, 5:56 PM**

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

The ATX · #18 Posted **Oct 25, 2021, 8:28 PM**

Nate is now suing the FBI for damaging his Rep.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

chinchaaa · #19 Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 7:21 PM**

The entire Statesman site.

Southwood Shopping Center off Ben White.

Lakehills Plaza (shopping center with Target) off Ben White.

Geckos_Rule · #20 Posted **Jul 10, 2021, 5:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

The entire Statesman site.

Southwood Shopping Center off Ben White.

Lakehills Plaza (shopping center with Target) off Ben White.

Add in Texas School for the Deaf on there. More land than Austin High or Westlake, with 1/5th the enrollment, all in a piece of land right in the middle of South Congress. While I'm not acutely aware of what their land needs are per-student in comparison to a typical public high school, they have almost as much land as St. Ed's....

If they pulled a Concordia University, the sale price of that land could fund their operations for decades. I think I remember an article where an administrator there said that they could sell of 15 acres of land, and the school wouldn't even notice the difference.