Austin- West Campus Development

JDSII · #1 Posted **Jun 27, 2007, 7:59 PM**

Has anyone seen that monstrosity of a parking garage on the southern half of the block bounded by Pearl, 23rd, Rio Grande, and 22 and 1/2? How could the city allow such an ugly building to be constructed? It's at least 80 ft high, extends all the way to the property line, and (as far as I can see) will have no living units! Does anyone have pictures of this that they could post?

KevinFromTexas · #2 Posted **Jun 27, 2007, 8:10 PM**

Yes, here's a photo that ivanwolf took of it. It's actually supposed to have some residential units and retail in it. I hope the thing's not got a card entry gate or something, because I'm interested in going up there to check out the views of downtown. Should be cool.

It has 10 levels.

See the rest of Ivanwolf's pictures here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...58#post2903058

And Greg took this one showing West Campus with the parking garage in the upper left corner. From this picture I'd estimate that it's probably about 100 feet tall.

See the rest of Greg's pictures here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...11#post2886011

JDSII · #3 Posted **Jul 30, 2007, 1:28 PM**

I have seen this projects progress and still cannot see where these living units are going to fit in this garage. Does anyone have some updated pics?

paulsjv · #4 Posted **Jul 30, 2007, 3:22 PM**

Despite it's big footprint UT really needs more parking.

Rhoby · #5 Posted **Jul 31, 2007, 3:19 AM**

I heard that this is strictly a garage due to the fact a bunch of new apartments & condos are going up in West Campus.

JDSII · #6 Posted **Aug 9, 2007, 8:27 PM**

I came across this recently:

It's for sale.

bigdogc · #7 Posted **Aug 9, 2007, 10:22 PM**

that parking garage on 22nd, just behind Towers, got approved for 2 more stories!

KevinFromTexas · #8 Posted **Aug 10, 2007, 1:47 AM**

^ Good to hear. Does anyone know by any chance if this garage will be accessible? Will there be a gate keeping out non-residents? A 12-story parking garage in West Campus should have some sweet views of the city. I'm looking forward to that. Also 12 floors would make it the tallest garage in Austin, at least floor count-wise. It may not actually be taller than the One Congress Plaza and Convention Center garages, though. Both of those are around 110 to 120 feet each. This one will definitely be up there in height, though.

MichaelB · #9 Posted **Aug 10, 2007, 1:52 AM**

But it looks like crap. I will get some pics from my place and post.

Jdawgboy · #10 Posted **Aug 10, 2007, 6:25 PM**

I was driving through that area a week or so ago and its amazing at how much construction is going on it seems like every other block if not every block has some sort of demolition or construction work going on. That area is going to be pretty dense. Some of the newer buildings that are finished look pretty nice and some streets you have a sense of a canyon affect being created wich is going to be really neat. They are not tall buildings but put them side by side and on both sides and it definatly gives you a northeastern city feel.

bigdogc · #11 Posted **Aug 11, 2007, 12:41 AM**

while the parking garage does look ugly now, remember that the outside will be some sort of apartments or condos. if you are on rio grande and 22nd you can see the small piece of apartment they have put up. basically imagine all that parking lot wrapped around with some sort of apartment. also, pluckers will be moving into this new parking garage area to open up a bar that will compete with ables!

JDSII · #12 Posted **Aug 14, 2007, 2:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdogc

while the parking garage does look ugly now, remember that the outside will be some sort of apartments or condos. if you are on rio grande and 22nd you can see the small piece of apartment they have put up. basically imagine all that parking lot wrapped around with some sort of apartment. also, pluckers will be moving into this new parking garage area to open up a bar that will compete with ables!

Do you have references to support that claim? There does not appear to be much space between the existing garage walls and the property line. On the Pearl St. side, they built all the way to the property line, no setback, no stepping. GROSS! How the hell did this building get approved?

MichaelB · #13 Posted **Aug 14, 2007, 4:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDSII

Do you have references to support that claim? There does not appear to be much space between the existing garage walls and the property line. On the Pearl St. side, they built all the way to the property line, no setback, no stepping. GROSS! How the hell did this building get approved?

I went into the offices for the project and asked. There are apts going up to the south, but they will not cover the entire garge. Only one unit deep.... not sure how tall. What you see to the east is what you will see. It is a hugh ugly bunker.

Oh, and I told the nice lady who manages the office it was ugly. Poor thing didn't know what to do.

bigdogc · #14 Posted **Aug 14, 2007, 6:13 PM**

If there are apts going up to the south and the east the building will still look alright. Just adjacent to the north side of the parking garage is the University Towers parking garage so we wont be seeing that part of the building. I think the only concern would be the west part of the parking garage. Is that part going to extend all the way to the street or what?

On another note, I talked with my real estate friend who works in west campus. He told me that the new UT Dean is trying to get students to live in west campus and away from riverside. Perhaps this is why 4 greek houses have "land zoning changes" out on their lawn, to make more room for projects like Jefferson26, quarters, etc. The construction companies in westcampus are getting away with a lot too. Downtown, you have to give 150k to charities to change zoning, but in westcampus developers are free to build giant "luxury dorms" and extent construction into existing widewalk/street. If anyone has been on 25th between rio grande and nueces notice how little room you have to drive and also, the sidewalks are gone! Lastly, Ive heard that buses from riverside to UT will be stopping. Has anyone heard anything about this?
It seems like Austin is trying to move east austin people to riverside and UT students from riverside to west campus area.

M1EK · #15 Posted **Aug 14, 2007, 8:32 PM**

Riverside buses aren't stopping. West Campus would have to see development at this pace for 10-20 years to reduce the demand for those shuttles.

This area was rezoned last year as part of the central Austin combined neighborhood plan. The developers aren't "getting away with" anything; they're actually being forced to provide Great Streets-level sidewalks (once they're done with construction), which they didn't have to do before (of course, before, they couldn't build high enough to make any redevelopments remotely profitable, which is why they weren't happening).

JDSII · #16 Posted **Aug 15, 2007, 3:20 PM**

Remember all that talk of ground floor retail? Where the hell is it? I've only seen about 4 spaces. The renderings for the Jefferson projects have NONE!

KevinFromTexas · #17 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 7:36 AM**

Click on the link for the full article and more including an aerial photo of West Campus.

From the Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...estcampus.html

Quote:

Building boom transforming West Campus neighborhood
Change in city's development rules encourages new building

By Kate Miller Morton
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Saturday, August 25, 2007

The West Campus neighborhood is under construction.

Three years after city officials approved a plan to encourage high-rise and high-density development just west of the University of Texas campus, a dozen large apartment and condo complexes totaling more than 1,700 units are under construction or just completed. At least three more large projects are planned, including a 21-story tower at the northeast corner of Rio Grande and 21st streets.

"It's pretty amazing, but I think it is indicative of what happens when the city comes into an area and says, 'We really are going to allow density to occur in this area in a planned and thoughtful manner,' " said market researcher and real estate consultant Charles Heimsath of Capitol Market Research.

Many of the new buildings have ground-floor retail shops and wide, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks.

It's the first major construction boom in the West Campus area since 1984, when tighter zoning rules discouraged denser development by preventing many property owners from rebuilding as many units as they demolished.

As a result, students spread out all over the city, including into nearby campus neighborhoods where single-family houses were converted into apartments or replaced by so-called superduplexes.

Seeking to preserve predominately single-family neighborhoods nearby while increasing student housing close to campus, neighborhood groups, property owners and UT students and officials cooperated in a yearlong planning process that resulted in the University Neighborhood Overlay.

The new development rules significantly increased the density and height allowed in the area, including base heights of up to 15 stories just west of the section of Guadalupe Street known as the Drag.

Goothrey · #18 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 7:39 AM**

Yeah, there is a lot of construction. I was down there today helping my brother move in. It seems like there was construction on every corner along with the construction on campus.

bigdogc · #19 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 6:55 PM**

The NE corner of rio grande and 21st has two 2story houses and one apartment (all adjacent to eachother) under fence. can anyone tell me if this will be the spot for a propose 21 story tower?!?

KevinFromTexas · #20 Posted **Aug 25, 2007, 8:36 PM**

Well, that's where the article said it would be. I think this is the 21 Rio project. The original height mentioned was 220 feet with 18 floors. We had all sort of written off as being dead, though. Kind of surprising to see it mentioned here.

Apparently it's not dead, though. Take a look at this. Items from the planning commission's agenda back in April. Check out number 9 on the list:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/agenda/2007/pc_042407.htm