Austin | 6G | 874 Feet | 65 Floors | Complete

[AustinGoesVertical]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Man, I would love to see them throw all those models together for a 3D printed model of downtown. It would be really something to have that on display somewhere.

I'd also love to see this. Chicago has this exact type of model for the entire city at the architectural foundation center. It has future buildings integrated as well.

[drummer]

Shanghai has an Urban Planning Museum (I think that's what it's called) showing the incredible density in Shanghai - and I think several planned towers were included in it. The last time I was there was 2012 or 2013. The model took up an entire room because it's Shanghai, but it was really cool. I would love to see a similar thing in Austin just to show the amazing growth. Given that Austin doesn't have 23-24 million people like Shanghai does, a museum dedicated to urban planning doesn't make as much sense because not as much would happen. But, it could be an exhibit on semi-permanent display somewhere - say City Hall or the new Central Library? 3-D printing would make this, with a few historical photos and other displays, a pretty easy concept to realize and wouldn't cost as much as painstakingly building a full-on model like that.

(so this should probably be in Off-Topic at this point, haha)....

[AustinGoesVertical]

Originally Posted by drummer

Shanghai has an Urban Planning Museum (I think that's what it's called) showing the incredible density in Shanghai - and I think several planned towers were included in it. The last time I was there was 2012 or 2013. The model took up an entire room because it's Shanghai, but it was really cool. I would love to see a similar thing in Austin just to show the amazing growth. Given that Austin doesn't have 23-24 million people like Shanghai does, a museum dedicated to urban planning doesn't make as much sense because not as much would happen. But, it could be an exhibit on semi-permanent display somewhere - say City Hall or the new Central Library? 3-D printing would make this, with a few historical photos and other displays, a pretty easy concept to realize and wouldn't cost as much as painstakingly building a full-on model like that.

(so this should probably be in Off-Topic at this point, haha)....

Could totally be realized. We should draw up the concept and kickstarter it. The library would be a perfect location to house it. FWIW, Urban Space has one for the market district into 2nd street.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by The ATX

The architect's Instagram site is where the model photos came from. He also has the renderings posted, and he makes this comment on the renderings:



https://www.instagram.com/blume_george/

Anyone else notice the "tallest pool in Austin" rendering (10th row down - middle image). That is the site of Manchester's possible 4th Street tower.

However, the designer did say: "At ease, it's imaginary." Soooo...


EDIT: Oops...this point was already made in another thread. Sorry.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Man, I would love to see them throw all those models together for a 3D printed model of downtown. It would be really something to have that on display somewhere.

This would be AWESOME. Have it on public display in City Hall or something. I remember going to Berlin and seeing a giant model of the city they had there. They use it for planning purposes and had ones in certain colors that were planned.

[KevinFromTexas]

There's bound to be a way to set that up since it could be used practically and as a public attraction of sorts.

[The ATX]

For the record, the issue with the site plan was apparently resolved. The status changed from CC rejected to CC Pending.

[The ATX]

This site was the location of the Alamo Hotel. I have some vague memories of the demo being somewhat controversial in the '80s. It's been mentioned on here before, but it was torn down for a roundish Lamar Financial Plaza tower that was close to 30-stories. But Lamar Financial went out of business during the saving and loan crisis.


https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth33102/

An old postcard:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston...ary/6921777991

[gardensoul]

Originally Posted by The ATX

This site was the location of the Alamo Hotel. I have some vague memories of the demo being somewhat controversial in the '80s. It's been mentioned on here before, but it was torn down for a roundish Lamar Financial Plaza tower that was close to 30-stories. But Lamar Financial went out of business during the saving and loan crisis.


https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth33102/

An old postcard:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston...ary/6921777991

I remember the old Alamo Hotel for two reasons - its amazing wooden bar (which felt like a throw-back to the 19th century) and the rumors about Lyndon Johnson's black-sheep brother who lived there. Apparently, it was also a music venue and hosted Texas legend Townes Van Zandt among others.

[texastarkus]

The old Alamo Hotel had a small part in the Clash music video Rock The Casbah

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by texastarkus

The old Alamo Hotel had a small part in the Clash music video Rock The Casbah

Holy Crap. I had no Idea. Thanks for pointing it out.
I Didn't live in Austin then. There are so many cool places in that vid
The "Crest Inn" Soon to be the line.... the posse..... South Austin Motel is the pool...etc. Thats crazy.

We lost so much to the 80s bust. So many of the still empty lots downtown are owed to the 80s SandL bust.

[IluvATX]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Holy Crap. I had no Idea. Thanks for pointing it out.
I Didn't live in Austin then. There are so many cool places in that vid
The "Crest Inn" Soon to be the line.... the posse..... South Austin Motel is the pool...etc. Thats crazy.

We lost so much to the 80s bust. So many of the still empty lots downtown are owed to the 80s SandL bust.

The Wells Fargo in SoCo is also in there, before it was a bank.

[MichaelB]

Sorry for the tangent..... what I love about this is the the knowledge of what the evolution of the are has been.
We are now on our third incarnation of many locations downtown.
The no doubt we a smaller business or home on that location before the hotel.

What I love is that it will share a block with a home that may be the original occupant on the location.

Few have noted this building with go up around one of the oldest building in town. the single story house on the NE corner of the block.
I LOVE this juxtaposition....

[The ATX]

To continue the tangent...

No matter which direction you look from this spot, very little is recognizable from the '80s.

From the video:


https://www.vevo.com/watch/the-clash...)/GB0200300048

From streetview:

[brdrcksn]

The Alamo Hotel also showed up in Outlaw Blues (1977):

(that scene was used in a Uranium Savages video)

It was also in Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard's video for Pancho & Lefty

And then there's this, from The Austin Chronicle, 1992:

The Alamo was a low-cost high rise hotel in downtown Austin. It housed many homeless and low-income people. When Lamar Savings & Loan president Stanley Adams ordered the Alamo torn down in 1984 to make way for a new Lamar headquarters, Brother Tony Hearn, a homeless advocate, poured animal blood around the building and pronounced a curse of unprofitability. He rescinded it in 1986; nonetheless, since then, Lamar has failed and been taken over by the federal government, and Adams has been convicted of S&L crimes and is facing prison.

Originally Posted by The ATX

To continue the tangent...

[The ATX]

Wow. The hotel was prominently featured in the Pancho and Lefty video. There's what appears to be a Cleveland city limit sign in the video before they get to the hotel.

I'm pretty sure there won't be similar posts/duscussion in 30 years about the Extended Stay.

[jowens]

Originally Posted by The ATX

This site was the location of the Alamo Hotel. I have some vague memories of the demo being somewhat controversial in the '80s. It's been mentioned on here before, but it was torn down for a roundish Lamar Financial Plaza tower that was close to 30-stories. But Lamar Financial went out of business during the saving and loan crisis.


https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth33102/

I'm not seeing the "protected historical" house on the southwest corner of Guadalupe & W. 7th in the above picture thats in the same block as the proposed tower.

[KevinFromTexas]

It's there. The Alamo Hotel only occupied the southern half of that block. There was also another building just north of the Alamo Hotel that blocked the view of the house in that photo. You can see that building there with the awnings over the windows. That building was torn down sometime later, probably around the time the Extended Stay Hotel was built.

You can use this historical satellite image viewer. It shows photos showing the Alamo Hotel and the dirt lot in 1985 after it was torn down. You can faintly see the building that blocks the view of the house, as well as the house, though, it's covered by trees somewhat.

https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer

[The ATX]

The site plan was formally submitted yesterday, and there are a few more details. There are no drawings yet, but this is from documents in the attachment:

63-stories
4 underground parking levels
332 apartments
556,700 sq. ft. of office space
25,076 sq. ft. restaurant

[drummer]

Originally Posted by The ATX

The site plan was formally submitted yesterday, and there are a few more details. There are no drawings yet, but this is from documents in the attachment:

63-stories
4 underground parking levels
332 apartments
556,700 sq. ft. of office space
25,076 sq. ft. restaurant

Woohoo!