UT System Headquarters | 270 FEET | 19 FLOORS | COMPLETE - Page 5

brianpm14 · #81 Posted **Oct 21, 2014, 12:35 PM**

Anyone know how they will demo the Colorado Building there now? 6-7 stories is a lot to bring down with a backhoe. Perhaps another explosive demo?

ivanwolf · #82 Posted **Oct 22, 2014, 6:53 PM**

I work across the street and we want to see an implosion but being that the Brown Building is residential and they have some historically sensitive glass windows I think not, maybe a wrecking ball. One can hope for a controlled big bang though!

mebentley · #83 Posted **Oct 23, 2014, 6:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianpm14

Anyone know how they will demo the Colorado Building there now? 6-7 stories is a lot to bring down with a backhoe. Perhaps another explosive demo?

No explosives. They may have to build some sort of ramp on the West side, but it will be dismantled with a claw.

They have taken down the Lavaca buiding on the west end of the lot and the wrecking equipment will be placed where the old parking structure was, between the two buildings.

ivanwolf · #84 Posted **Oct 24, 2014, 3:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mebentley

No explosives. They may have to build some sort of ramp on the West side, but it will be dismantled with a claw.

They have taken down the Lavaca buiding on the west end of the lot and the wrecking equipment will be placed where the old parking structure was, between the two buildings.

They are not quite done with the Lavaca building. Two walls facing Lavaca And the alley are still up. They are slowed by the fact they are removing the pretty concrete facade that hangs off the structural beams. Those pretty pieces were breaking and falling on the sidewalk walkway and pieces even rolled into the street. At this pace maybe by mid to late next week maybe.

brianpm14 · #85 Posted **Oct 27, 2014, 7:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianpm14

Anyone know how they will demo the Colorado Building there now? 6-7 stories is a lot to bring down with a backhoe. Perhaps another explosive demo?

In San Francisco, in Chinatown, I saw a demolition crawler that had 4 arm segments and could reach up to 6 stories with a crusher claw. It really looked like a dinosaur head in profile. They had 2 telescoping cranes holding up a chain-mail type screen to prevent debris from falling in the narrow street when taking down an outside wall. A tall man-lift was nearby directing it and spraying water on the wall. Was an amazing machine to see, maybe it will be used here soon.

The ATX · #86 Posted **Dec 2, 2014, 1:42 PM**

Demolition of the taller building is definitely underway on the Colorado St. side and can be seen from the JW Webcam:

http://oxblue.com/open/tournee/jwmarriottaustin

Homecreek · #87 Posted **Dec 3, 2014, 5:47 AM**

Another old building bites the dust. This is a picture of the building back in the day.
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/675...pth62074/m1/1/ The UNT website has lots of great pictures.

The ATX · #88 Posted **Dec 3, 2014, 6:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homecreek

Another old building bites the dust. This is a picture of the building back in the day.
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/675...pth62074/m1/1/ The UNT website has lots of great pictures.

That was pretty cool to see.

corvairkeith · #89 Posted **Dec 26, 2014, 12:57 AM**

SkyPie · #90 Posted **Jan 4, 2015, 12:18 AM**

Taken today. Not much left of the Colorado Building.

The ATX · #91 Posted **Jan 4, 2015, 6:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyPie

Taken today. Not much left of the Colorado Building.

Cool destruction

KevinFromTexas · #92 Posted **Jan 5, 2015, 2:12 AM**

Kinda sad actually. Like watching a death.

Jdawgboy · #93 Posted **Jan 5, 2015, 6:06 PM**

Yea it is kinda sad. It's a shame too cause if anything I would have liked to have taken some of the limestone wall paneling for reuse.

Slappy · #94 Posted **Jan 9, 2015, 5:11 PM**

Another angle taken Friday Jan, 2nd

ivanwolf · #95 Posted **Jan 14, 2015, 7:59 PM**

1/8/15

Not much structure left, just the far south east corner and the stairs next to the Brown building. This project started about 8/27/14 based on my first pic i took.

KevinFromTexas · #96 Posted **Jan 23, 2015, 7:35 PM**

They suck. A lot. Also, with those two buildings already demolished that the university had occupied, if they are able to block the construction of the new headquarters, that's only going to make their space crunch worse. Unbelievable. It's dumb politics getting in the way of common sense.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/s...-of-tex/njtbj/

Quote:

House moves to limit spending by University of Texas System regents
7:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 | Filed in: Politics

The spending and investigative proclivities of the University of Texas System’s Board of Regents would be sharply restrained under the state budget proposed by Texas House leaders.

A provision tucked hundreds of pages into the House budget would bar the UT System from spending money on a 19-story, $133.1 million headquarters building — which is already under construction in downtown Austin — without approval from a group of lawmakers who oversee the budget.

austlar1 · #97 Posted **Jan 23, 2015, 9:31 PM**

I suspect Abbott will advocate for the completion of this building. BTW, Kirk Watson (Dem.) expressed approval with Abbott's appointment of two new regents to the UT board for what that is worth. It appears that Abbott is anxious to look after the needs of the UT system. Could it be that Abbott is actually going to move to the center politically to govern this state? Maybe he is craftier than I figured him to be.

KevinFromTexas · #98 Posted **Jan 31, 2015, 3:04 AM**

OverAustin - https://www.facebook.com/overaustin/...type=1&theater

Tech House · #99 Posted **Jan 31, 2015, 6:56 PM**

Fantastic angle on downtown, Kevin. Did you just happen to stumble upon that picture and notice that it had a convenient progress update? This photo really helps me see the proximity of things, and the fairly clear dividing line between the tourist/entertainment/shopping side of downtown vs. the administrative side.

Looks like the lot is almost entirely cleared. Any signs of digging yet?

KevinFromTexas · #**100** Posted **Jan 31, 2015, 8:22 PM**

^I liked their page on Facebook, and whenever they post a new photo it pops up in my newsfeed. As soon as I saw it I assumed they were photographing it to show that site. I really like this angle because it also shows a good view of the Aloft Hotel site. It gives a good idea of the density in place already and what more will be built there.

By the way, does anyone know what they're doing on that small portion of the block northwest of the One American Center? It's kind of hard to tell in the photo, but it looks like they've cleared that parking lot.

I like that area of downtown. The old architecture there is great. I really wish the architects of the new UT HQ had gone with a design that was more like art-deco. Since having outdoor spaces on the building on balcony levels seemed to be a priority for them, the art-deco style would have been perfect.

I'm also curious what will become of the Ashbel-Smith Hall (the small white tower) once UT moves out of it. It would be nice to see that northern half of the block redeveloped.