AUSTIN | Moon Tower (2204 San Antonio) | 188 FT | 18 FL | Complete

[Urbannizer]

Ministry’s West Campus building replaced with high-rise

UT students bought a piece of land in West Campus for $1 million in 1950 to build a space for a ministry, but now Johnson Trube & Associates will buy the property for $3.8 million to build an apartment complex, according to the Texas Baptists website.

A high rise will tower over 22nd Street and San Antonio Street, but the Baptist Student Ministry, BSM, which has owned the land for 60 years, plans to buy back the first two floors.

The new building will not open until August 2020. In the meantime, the BSM will operate out of rented space. BSM member Garrett Tittle said the silver lining of not needing to maintain a building is that they have more time to serve to UT students.

[The ATX]

The site is zoned for 175', so we'll get another 17/18-story student apartment building. It's across the street from the Callaway House.
There definitely needs to be more upzoning in West Campus based on the demand for high-rise apartments. But the city lacks the urban vision and leadership it had in the mid-2000s when West Campus and the Rainey St. district were upzoned. Austin's boom has increased significantly since then, but it seems any further upzoning is not even possible with the current city leadership.

[KevinFromTexas]

They need to get a handle on that or West Campus will start to run out of land. We'll start seeing more demolitions of older buildings and also sprawl in the form of taller buildings happening in other places such as north of 30th Street and along Riverside in Southeast Austin. While I think Riverside and environs will eventually see that anyway and it's where I think it should happen, West Campus is the no-brainer for targeted dense student housing. Riverside will likely become a mix of student housing along with other uses, including private residences. I think heights should be pushed to at least 300 feet in West Campus and maybe even 400 feet in a few spots. I would actually prefer to see the tallest buildings there oriented away from campus closer to Lamar so that the views and prominence of the UT Tower is kept intact somewhat.

[MichaelB]

Two "wishes".
Build high up to Guad..... UT tower will still be dominate due to the buffer it has on campus. Going west gets into some neighborhood space that is still better near Lamar... IMHO.
SOMEHOW>..... stop building only Student housing in west Campus.
It perpetuates the lack of restaurant and shopping.... or the limited view.
We see the Hotel industry bucking that trend with the 2 new Marriott properties.

I know there are plenty of market reasons this is just a wish list... but what the hell.

[mumu]

$122 per square foot for the land, across 30,900 square feet. I thought land was more expensive than that, but their 2 floor lease deal affected the price, as they may have a $1/yr lease for 99 years.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I would actually prefer to see the tallest buildings there oriented away from campus closer to Lamar so that the views and prominence of the UT Tower is kept intact somewhat.

I agree. I also support demolishing the Dobie Center for the same reason.

Deep thought: if we start allowing for greater height in West Campus, do developers respond by using that extra by-right height to build parking pedestals?

Maybe instead do a density bonus that prohibits above-ground parking garages that aren't wrapped on all floors by active uses?

[IluvATX]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I agree. I also support demolishing the Dobie Center for the same reason.

Deep thought: if we start allowing for greater height in West Campus, do developers respond by using that extra by-right height to build parking pedestals?

Maybe instead do a density bonus that prohibits above-ground parking garages that aren't wrapped on all floors by active uses?

Good point. Maybe the height restrictions help to prevent these 15 floor parking garages we are seeing.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I agree. I also support demolishing the Dobie Center for the same reason.

No! It was my favorite blue building in Austin before blue buildings in Austin were a thing. I might have agreed with you before the facade redo from the early 90s.

[Urbannizer]

2204 SAN ANTONIO

An 18 story tower located one block from the University of Texas at Austin in the West Campus neighborhood, this development will boast 165 units (563 beds), study rooms, an amenity level hot tub, a rooftop pool and sky gym. The yet to be named development has a delivery date of July 2020.

[KevinFromTexas]

It looks decent, to be honest. And with that much glass around the base, I'm assuming it'll have retail.

-

Here's the site plan. No files yet.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...ertyrsn=475364

[urbancore]

The density in West Campus makes me so proud. The anti “super-duplex” crowd wanted the kids out of Hyde Park, so they COMPROMISED and gave the owners of freaking parking lots in West Campus new entitlements (UNO). Now we have probably the most liveable urban space in the State. Why this is not used as a perfect example to increase density (appropriately), I have no idea. Everyone walks and rides, or takes a shuttle. And it was all done to corral the students, not some master plan of the way things should be done. Of course I’m speaking my opinions here, but I followed that whole thing pretty closely, and that was my take away. And to think a few residential home owners almost squashed it, we could still have parking lots all over WC and still bus kids in from Riverside and Far West.

Still needs grocery stores and other amenities, but they will come.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by Dcbrickley

The density in West Campus makes me so proud. The anti “super-duplex” crowd wanted the kids out of Hyde Park, so they COMPROMISED and gave the owners of freaking parking lots in West Campus new entitlements (UNO). Now we have probably the most liveable urban space in the State. Why this is not used as a perfect example to increase density (appropriately), I have no idea. Everyone walks and rides, or takes a shuttle. And it was all done to corral the students, not some master plan of the way things should be done. Of course I’m speaking my opinions here, but I followed that whole thing pretty closely, and that was my take away. And to think a few residential home owners almost squashed it, we could still have parking lots all over WC and still bus kids in from Riverside and Far West.

Still needs grocery stores and other amenities, but they will come.

They've got Target and FreshPlus! Both of which are probably a little more pricey than a typical college kid can afford, but it's something. Having some kind of neighborhood HEB store in that area would really make a killing. Even if it's a smaller HEB like the urban concept on Flores Street in SA. It's the one reason I ever needed a car when I lived in WC. If there was an affordable grocery store I could walk to, I wouldn't ever need a car during my 5 years at UT.

[427MM]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

It looks decent, to be honest. And with that much glass around the base, I'm assuming it'll have retail.

-

Here's the site plan. No files yet.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...ertyrsn=475364

I'm with you--it's handsome! Sadly though, no retail. It's a church--kind of a typical sale leaseback happening all over west campus right now.


Really seems as though now is the time to revisit the height limits (too low?) as well as parking requirements (too high?) and ground floor activation requirements (too low?). Hopefully this can happy soon after the adoption of CodeNEXT.

[AustinGoesVertical]

September/October groundbreaking

[KevinFromTexas]

Site plan - no elevations.
ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...an_PLAN_01.pdf

Tower crane plan
ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...ne_PLAN_01.pdf

Soil retention plans
ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...on_PLAN_01.pdf

[The ATX]

The site plan was formally filed Monday. This one will have a big hole in the ground. It has five underground parking levels.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/perm...ertyrsn=475364

[Jdawgboy]

Not a bad building but yes for sure West Campus needs to go higher. This 120 foot cap or whatever needs to go.

[the Genral]

Not to be morbid, but do you think the lack of open air balconies is to prevent jumping or at the very least misbehaving partiers? And not just with this building.

[JACKinBeantown]

Nobody's going to say, "Two two zero four." They'll say "22-oh-4."

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Not to be morbid, but do you think the lack of open air balconies is to prevent jumping or at the very least misbehaving partiers? And not just with this building.

I think it is mostly a money saving design feature.