Austin | Historic Images & Postcards - Page 41

the Genral · #**801** Posted **Nov 29, 2017, 4:18 PM**

Thank you Mopacs, and me too Kevin, That era really brings back good memories for me...I just got to Austin and witnessed our first building boom, and I lived near downtown and spent a bunch of time there almost everyday. My spouse worked at 9th and Congress and I had to pick her up from work and drive her to her car parked at Parmer Auditorium.

KevinFromTexas · #**802** Posted **Nov 29, 2017, 5:00 PM**

These are the only other ones I've seen on the internet showing the construction of the One American Center.

Notice that in this next photo 816 Congress was also under construction and the One American Center hadn't come out of the ground yet. I guess they must have been digging for a while for the parking levels because the next photo shows 816 Congress appearing complete while they were still working on the first few floors of the One American Center. The next photo also shows 1005 Congress and the Capitol Center under construction.

KevinFromTexas · #**803** Posted **Nov 29, 2017, 5:03 PM**

Congress must have been a mess back then. The One American Center with its construction and barricades, 1005 Congress and the Capitol Center. They also had construction barrels blocking the street off on the east side from 7th Street up to 9th.

the Genral · #**804** Posted **Nov 29, 2017, 7:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Congress must have been a mess back then. The One American Center with its construction and barricades, 1005 Congress and the Capitol Center. They also had construction barrels blocking the street off on the east side from 7th Street up to 9th.

It was, but there was considerably less traffic so navigating through all the construction wasn't that bad. And back then, there was less demand for parking because there were less people dt, they stopped monitoring the parking meters after 5PM. You could park on any meter after 5 for free, but there were still parking lots that you always had to pay for, one of them being the site of the infamous Sandra Bullock's tirade on Jay Leno or Letterman about the most unfriendly person in Austin, who happened to be a friend of mine, who refused to let her take up 2 spaces with her SUV. Those parking lots, especially along Congress Avenue were always full most nights. He was just doing his job as an attendant and following the rules, one vehicle per spot, period. His name is Godwill O. from Nigeria, and a really sweet guy. Hollywooders and movie stars are so entitled minded, I wish he would have sued her for slander. She never told the whole story.

Mopacs · #**805** Posted **Nov 29, 2017, 11:45 PM**

Scanned personal collection of the day.

Pop quiz...

The obvious answer is #3

Mopacs · #**806** Posted **Nov 29, 2017, 11:55 PM**

And as referenced above, there were grand plans for a municipal complex in the early-mid 80s, punctuated by a rather impressive city hall building. It would have been situated behind the current city hall, where the W now stands. These plans obviously fell through, around the time of the Texas real estate crash of the late 80s.

The following renderings were from Texas Architecture magazine in our family collection (circa 1985).

the Genral · #**807** Posted **Nov 30, 2017, 12:17 AM**

Auuughh! First City Centre was the worse thing to be added to the skyline. It was soooo bad that the siding was replaced after just a relatively short time. Even when we were excited about all the new construction, this thing was a fail as soon as the exterior went up. I get that the shape was determined by the step back rule, but it looked like they were using concrete lane dividers as the main exterior feature. I do remember the ads, and I have to say, I like the city hall plans of yesteryear compared to what is there now. That complex of buildings look(ed) amazing. But I am a fan of the W building so at least something good came out of the 80s bust. Republic Square was actually really nice and stood out since it was pretty much by itself. When completed, it was nice and clean with a working fountain. They let this complex go to pfffftttt.
Please keep 'em coming Mopacs, Kevin. There are many current forumers who missed out on this changing of Austin time period.

Sigaven · #**808** Posted **Nov 30, 2017, 4:29 PM**

Talk about PoMo! I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad that that complex was not built.

MichaelB · #**809** Posted **Dec 17, 2017, 8:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Talk about PoMo! I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad that that complex was not built.

I've long wanted to say I totally understand and appreciate your design objectivity in your post. I had the same response. At the en of the day I am happy it was not built because for me there was too much of a SW regionalism over the "PoMo" ( post modern) qualities of the building. I was never a fan of the SW versions.
BUT you clearly see the "PM" qualities that would have been fun to see in town!

I am most thankful that it was not such an expansive complex that would have defined way too many blocks into one style and era.

Urbannizer · #**810** Posted **Jan 4, 2018, 9:36 AM**

Never built mixed-use at 1800 Lavaca, 1963

http://www.thc.texas.gov/public/uplo...BR%20DRAFT.pdf

KevinFromTexas · #**811** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 6:04 AM**

1978

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

1947 - This notes that the expansion of the Stephen F. Austin Hotel (they added 2 floors) had just been completed.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

Dated 1969/1970. I think it's more likely that this was taken in 1972. You can see the Dobie Center, and it was supposedly finished that year. 823 Congress is there in downtown and it was finished in 1971. There also isn't much on the UT Campus yet. I think the tall building on the left is the Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall. It was finished in 1973 along with the Jester Center. You can also see the Castillion on Guadalupe and it was finished in 1969. Missing from the UT Campus is the Robert Lee Moore Hall that was finished in 1974, and not to mention the Chase Bank Tower and Bank of America Center in downtown.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

January 2, 1985 - The Hobby Building was under construction here.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

Same day as the one above.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

KevinFromTexas · #**812** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 6:13 AM**

And check this out. This building is clearly standing on the foundation where the Hope Gallery is on Baylor Street. I had always heard that the foundation was finished, but that the building itself never started. This shows it in place. I wonder why they demolished it.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

The ATX · #**813** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 6:20 AM**

Wow. I had no idea that there was building on the site. I have always heard/read that construction stopped on a condo project after the foundation was built. Look at those fireplaces. That was definitely a standard '80s thing on new homes. Since then they have become an option at best. They are not even available as an option in most new homes.

KevinFromTexas · #**814** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 6:35 AM**

1985

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

Missing from here (at I-35 & Ben White) is the Southfield Building that was built in 1986.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

The One American Center would have been only a year old here.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

Some cranes working on, I believe the Capitol Tower.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

Mount Bonnell

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

LoneStarMike · #**815** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 6:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

And check this out. This building is clearly standing on the foundation where the Hope Gallery is on Baylor Street. I had always heard that the foundation was finished, but that the building itself never started. This shows it in place. I wonder why they demolished it.

From an old Austin Chronicle article

Quote:

It's ironic that the Baylor Street walls are the foundations of a would-be condo, stalled after a botched soil test decades ago and again recently when the housing bubble burst. Although, "it's very likely something will happen soon," Clark said.

H2O · #**816** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 2:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

1978

1947 - This notes that the expansion of the Stephen F. Austin Hotel (they added 2 floors) had just been completed.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

[/url]

Did they demolish the top three floors and add back five (based on the pattern of brickwork)?

KevinFromTexas · #**817** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 6:23 PM**

I've only ever read that they added 2 floors. That seemed pretty common back then. The Brown Building at 8th & Colorado did the same thing.

LoneStarMike · #**818** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 7:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by H2O

Did they demolish the top three floors and add back five (based on the pattern of brickwork)?

The hotel originally opened as an 11 story hotel. Here's an earlier postcard of the Stephen F. Austin Hotel from austinpostcard.com

The top floor was a rooftop ballroom.

Source

In 1938, they took out the rooftop ballroom and added five floors.

SFA Hotel History

Apparently, it was always intended to be a 15 story hotel.

Fifteen Story Hotel to be Built at Austin

Quote:

On November 16, 1922, The San Antonio Evening News announced that T.B. Baker had completed negotiations to build what would become the Stephen F. Austin Hotel in downtown Austin, although the (now famous) location on Congress Avenue had not yet been selected.

It seems that the hotel was designed to have fifteen stories all along, but purposefully, only eleven of them were completed for the grand opening in 1924. The original rooftop ballroom terrace (now gone) was intended to be temporary all along! When the new owner added the additional floors in the mid-thirties, did they know that they were completing Baker’s original vision for a 15 story hotel?

KevinFromTexas · #**819** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 9:16 PM**

That's right, for some reason I was thinking it was 2 more floors. The hotel today has 15 floors, so it makes sense that if they had to first demolish the 11th floor (old ballroom floor) then add the 5 floors that it would come out to 15.

T.B. Baker was also responsible for building the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, which I believe is one of the grandest old building in Texas.

https://thebakerhotel.wordpress.com/category/t-b-baker/

austlar1 · #**820** Posted **Jan 7, 2018, 11:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

That's right, for some reason I was thinking it was 2 more floors. The hotel today has 15 floors, so it makes sense that if they had to first demolish the 11th floor (old ballroom floor) then add the 5 floors that it would come out to 15.

T.B. Baker was also responsible for building the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, which I believe is one of the grandest old building in Texas.

https://thebakerhotel.wordpress.com/category/t-b-baker/

There was a huge Baker Hotel (catty-corner to the Adolphus) in downtown Dallas that was torn down a quarter century ago. I think it was built by the same hotelier. The intersection between the Baker and the Adolphus was the scene of much revelry every Texas/OU weekend. There were frequent brawls between fans of the two schools.