AUSTIN | Fairmont Hotel | 595 FEET SPIRE/456 FT ROOF | 37 FLRS | Complete - Page 10

GoldenBoot · #**181** Posted **Oct 4, 2012, 3:10 PM**

It would be neat to see Manchester add a condo component to their structure. Even a small addition would add levels and get the building to approach the 800' to 900' range.

Well, even though I am dreaming...it would be nice.

Downtown_Austin · #**182** Posted **Oct 4, 2012, 5:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

It would be neat to see Manchester add a condo component to their structure. Even a small addition would add levels and get the building to approach the 800' to 900' range.

Well, even though I am dreaming...it would be nice.

I would never buy a condo in a building that's on a ground lease.

MichaelB · #**183** Posted **Oct 4, 2012, 10:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

I would never buy a condo in a building that's on a ground lease.

Great point! Yeah... that would be a big no.

the Genral · #**184** Posted **Oct 5, 2012, 2:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Id bet we will see the Austonian fill up faster than that with all the rich Formula 1 fans showing up.

Also I wonder what the city plans to do about future convention expansion. If our neighbor to the south is expanding theirs, you would think the city is looking at that closely. I am not sure how they can expand the current one.

Maybe they could borrow the Waller Creek tunnel digger and expand down.

BevoLJ · #**185** Posted **Oct 5, 2012, 2:17 AM**

I always thought they may expand over to the other side of César Chávez along Trinity and make a nice pretty spot on Lady Bird. There is a kinda tall apartment building there that looks like it is nearing the end of its expiration date. But I think that whatever that is along César Chávez that looks like a junk yard was recently sold and someone plans to build something new there. I can't remember what it is, but I think I read something like that?

JoninATX · #**186** Posted **Oct 5, 2012, 2:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I always thought they may expand over to the other side of César Chávez along Trinity and make a nice pretty spot on Lady Bird. There is a kinda tall apartment building there that looks like it is nearing the end of its expiration date. But I think that whatever that is along César Chávez that looks like a junk yard was recently sold and someone plans to build something new there. I can't remember what it is, but I think I read something like that?

97 Trinity

Quote:

Based on conceptual plans filed with the City of Austin, national real estate developer Wood Partners could be entering the downtown Austin apartment market with a tower at the southeast corner of Trinity @ Cesar Chavez. Recently, it was announced that the one-acre site was sold from Hixon Properties to World Class Capital Group.

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2012/0...at-97-trinity/

austlar1 · #**187** Posted **Oct 5, 2012, 11:11 PM**

Seems like CC expansion would work in the blocks between 3rd and 5th, Red River and the IH35 service road. It would require the relocation of some charming older structures and possible demolition of the new parking garage, but it would be a site about the same size as the present CC. It would also be a big "dead zone" along Red River, but they have to do something one of these days to stay competitive and keep the hotel rooms filled. Unless the lowrise condos are torn down back along Waller Creek across Cesar Chavez, there is not enough room to expand along the creek towards the lake.

KevinFromTexas · #**188** Posted **Oct 6, 2012, 1:47 AM**

Really there's no reason a convention center couldn't have street facing retail. And also to think outside of the box, a new addition to it wouldn't necessarily have to adjoin the existing convention center just so long as it's nearby. They could also do away with those garages east of One Congress Plaza and put the parking underground with convention space above.

BevoLJ · #**189** Posted **Oct 6, 2012, 3:24 AM**

@ JoninATX - Thank you.

That is what I was thinking of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Really there's no reason a convention center couldn't have street facing retail. And also to think outside of the box, a new addition to it wouldn't necessarily have to adjoin the existing convention center just so long as it's nearby. They could also do away with those garages east of One Congress Plaza and put the parking underground with convention space above.

I like this idea. Part of the charm of Austin events is that things are all over the place, and the events have a fun chaos to them. lol. Where anything can happen, or you can suddenly stumble upon crazy stuff. Like SXSW is all over downtown. It is @ the main convention center, the AT&T on campus, and many dozens of other convention spaces all around downtown, plus the hundreds of corporate parties in their own places and then for film you have them in theaters all over even on S Lamar, and for music you have way over 100 officials, and countless more unofficial venues. I kind of like that.

I don't know that Austin will ever really get a big "Car Convention" or any of those sites that require huge spaces together. What it does well attracting, I'm not sure it needs all that spaces in one spot for.

Jdawgboy · #**190** Posted **Oct 6, 2012, 4:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I don't know that Austin will ever really get a big "Car Convention" or any of those sites that require huge spaces together. What it does well attracting, I'm not sure it needs all that spaces in one spot for.

With a world class race track here, I think its quite possible and likely we will see large Car Conversation here and we need to have the facilities to support it.

BevoLJ · #**191** Posted **Oct 6, 2012, 10:27 PM**

Have it out at the track? Or maybe use the expo center?

Personally I think that the convention center has already taken up enough space. Convention Centers in some cities are just getting absurdly large. At a certain size I think they do the downtown more harm than good. At least for us locals, and for cities that actually have a thriving downtown already. For somewhere like San Diego it kinda works since it is up against the bay. But even with that one there are many upset with how much waterfront it has taken. In Austin it is right in the middle of everything.

austlar1 · #**192** Posted **Oct 6, 2012, 11:11 PM**

I kind of agree that the CC is big enough, but there are compelling arguments for having a giant CC in the event you want to go after the really big trade shows and conventions, activities that are bread and butter for large convention cities like Chicago or Los Angeles. I don't think Austin needs to enlarge its CC just to compete with San Antonio or even Houston or Dallas, but if we end up with 10,000 plus hotel rooms downtown somewhere in the not so distant future, it is going to be necessary to generate convention business to fill those rooms.

KevinFromTexas · #**193** Posted **Oct 7, 2012, 2:45 AM**

One more thing about amount of convention space we have. This hotel and the JW Marriott will each add about 100,000 square feet of meeting space. It won't be quite the same as true convention space like the huge halls in the convention center, more like a meeting/banquet hall. With these two hotels plus the convention center, that's over a million square feet of convention related space. And that doesn't even include the other nearby hotels or any possible future ones.

GoldenBoot · #**194** Posted **Oct 8, 2012, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

I would never buy a condo in a building that's on a ground lease.

Yes, I agree. Didn't know it was a ground lease. Thought Manchester Texas was purchasing the property.

texastarkus · #**195** Posted **Nov 30, 2012, 6:57 PM**

Just wondering if there was an update on this project. It's been quiet for a couple weeks/months....

Jdawgboy · #**196** Posted **Nov 30, 2012, 7:02 PM**

I am assuming we will hear something in January. It wasn't planned to start until sometime next year anyways.

DougRockstead · #**197** Posted **Nov 30, 2012, 8:28 PM**

I'm with Texastarkus. The lack of new information is making me nervous. I want to see this project take off.

SecretAgentMan · #**198** Posted **Nov 30, 2012, 11:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DougRockstead

I'm with Texastarkus. The lack of new information is making me nervous. I want to see this project take off.

Site plan is in review.

hookem · #**199** Posted **Feb 25, 2013, 8:54 PM**

I was just looking around for any updates on this project, and I noticed a permit request filed last week -- https://www.ci.austin.tx.us/devrevie...erRSN=10901876

It's just a permit for benches, lights, trash receptacles, bike racks, etc. So I don't know if it's a temporary use of the lot for something like SXSW, or if it's related to the overall project. It is the hotel developers applying for it, and the overall hotel project permitting appears to still be in progress (started in Oct 2012 and the most recent update is Feb 20 of this year - look up 101 Red River in the permit search to see).

I would love to see this under construction soon, obviously all of us would. My hope is that there will be two 800+ room hotels with cranes up in downtown by F1 weekend in November. That would be awesome.

The ATX · #**200** Posted **Feb 25, 2013, 11:21 PM**

There's also a recent permit for drilling holes to check for underground utilities.