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

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

I couldn't be happier..There is a very good chance I will stay there before any of you working stiffs do.

Originally Posted by Spaceman

I have always wanted this hotel to be built..When has cautiousness become a negative trait? Far better chance of me using this hotel than you..That is reality

You must be very proud. You should give yourself a big ol' pat on the back. A gold star and orange slices for you.

[KevinFromTexas]

I like orange slices, especially in the summertime.

Anyway, I'm hopeful it all works out the way it's planned. One thing I'm looking forward to are the views from this thing. They're going to be incredible since the building will sit at the southeast corner of downtown. It'll pretty much have an unobstructed view of the entire skyline - and largely above everything else.

[nixcity]

They should put a restaurant open to the public at the top, Austin is missing out with restaurants high up.

[bigdogc]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I'm feeling much better about this project moving forward. I think at this point September is the month that we should see things get going.

I've noticed bigdogc and spaceman awfully quiet.

Hoping for good news! Just passed along what I had heard previously. All in all, I hope my source is wrong on this, but have not heard either way since this update.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by nixcity

They should put a restaurant open to the public at the top, Austin is missing out with restaurants high up.

As much as I'd like to see this building be taller and skinnier, let's just hope that it gets built in it's original form/height and not chopped up.

Basically, I too would like to see some additional amenities (possibly a penthouse restaurant and bar; as suggested). But, I'd be happy with a new "tallest" in Austin (even though it achieves that stature with a spire).

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

Far better chance of me using this hotel than you..That is reality

I guess that means you don't live in Austin. I'm sure you do have a better chance of using any hotel here than I do. I live here so why would I want to stay in a hotel???

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I guess that means you don't live in Austin. I'm sure you do have a better chance of using any hotel here than I do. I live here so why would I want to stay in a hotel???

You might if you're too drunk to walk home

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by the Genral

You might if you're too drunk to walk home

I always have a way to get home and the few times I've stayed overnight DT, I've stayed with friends that live in condos

Only other reason why I would be at a hotel is if I was going to an event that was being held in a ballroom.


I'm looking forward to how the glass will end up looking on the tower.

[jngreenlee]

Originally Posted by the Genral

You might if you're too drunk to walk home

I must confess my guilt. Once, following a night of drinking on a Thursday Night Social [bike] Ride, which had culminated at the Crow Bar on S. Congress, I somehow decided it was time for me to stay in the Hilton downtown.

Unfortunately, the only outcome of this was waking up at 7am on a Friday wondering w[here].t.f I was, and having to slowly bike home (near Zilker at the time), then suit up and go to work. It was not a nice day.

The kicker was that I was on Hilton Diamond status that year, but in my stupor, I neglected this advantage and paid with credit, and never got points.

[IluvATX]

I've never seen this rendering, but it looks very detailed. Apparently it's newish.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by IluvATX

I've never seen this rendering, but it looks very detailed. Apparently it's newish.

Naw. It's not newish. It's very oldish. (The skyway may be a new add to the oldish rendering though.) The only thing newish about this project would be a groundbreaking.

[_Matt]

I was curious where it was from because I also had not seen it. It appears in one of Jude's posts from 2013.

http://austintowers.net/fairmont-hot...-this-october/

[KevinFromTexas]

The rendering like this one that I have also has the skyway with it. The only thing that is different is they outlined the convention center.

[The ATX]

The ABJ reports that there was meeting of Austin's major hotel players yesterday:

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...n-yes-say.html

From the article:

"Perhaps conspicuous by his absence on the panel was Doug Manchester, president of Manchester Texas Financial Group LLC, the developer behind the proposed Fairmont hotel.
That project, which also is supposed to bring 1,000 luxury rooms to market, is not moving along according to the original timetable, but apparently is still in the works.
“We remain committed to the Fairmont Austin and continue to make progress,” Manchester said in an email to the Austin Business Journal. “We are presently working on designing the retaining wall, our hotel’s connection to the Austin Convention Center and how our project relates to Waller Creek. We look forward to releasing more details in the coming months.”
In February 2013, Manchester said the 50-story hotel would deliver in July 2016, but construction has been delayed in part because of issues with the Waller Creek Tunnel. No specific timetable has been released since then.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

The ABJ reports that there was meeting of Austin's major hotel players yesterday:

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...n-yes-say.html

From the article:

"Perhaps conspicuous by his absence on the panel was Doug Manchester, president of Manchester Texas Financial Group LLC, the developer behind the proposed Fairmont hotel.
That project, which also is supposed to bring 1,000 luxury rooms to market, is not moving along according to the original timetable, but apparently is still in the works.
“We remain committed to the Fairmont Austin and continue to make progress,” Manchester said in an email to the Austin Business Journal. “We are presently working on designing the retaining wall, our hotel’s connection to the Austin Convention Center and how our project relates to Waller Creek. We look forward to releasing more details in the coming months.”
In February 2013, Manchester said the 50-story hotel would deliver in July 2016, but construction has been delayed in part because of issues with the Waller Creek Tunnel. No specific timetable has been released since then.

Sounds to me like Manchester has seized upon every excuse for delayed construction that has been speculated upon by some optimistic forum participants here on SSP to explain delays in this project. Maybe Manchester also follows commentary here on SSP? This project is delayed or on hold because Manchester does not have his ducks in a row money-wise. I am pretty convinced that this is the case.

[ivanwolf]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

The ABJ reports that there was meeting of Austin's major hotel players yesterday:

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...n-yes-say.html

From the article:

"Perhaps conspicuous by his absence on the panel was Doug Manchester, president of Manchester Texas Financial Group LLC, the developer behind the proposed Fairmont hotel.
That project, which also is supposed to bring 1,000 luxury rooms to market, is not moving along according to the original timetable, but apparently is still in the works.
“We remain committed to the Fairmont Austin and continue to make progress,” Manchester said in an email to the Austin Business Journal. “We are presently working on designing the retaining wall, our hotel’s connection to the Austin Convention Center and how our project relates to Waller Creek. We look forward to releasing more details in the coming months.”
In February 2013, Manchester said the 50-story hotel would deliver in July 2016, but construction has been delayed in part because of issues with the Waller Creek Tunnel. No specific timetable has been released since then.

I was right, the tunnel is one of the issues in relation to the flood plain, currently on the property. They seem to want to build after the tunnel and the flood plain is changed taking the property out for the flood plain. (insurance and build cost could be much higher in rather than out of the flood plain)

So now that the tunnel will not be done due to the intake problem the hotel now has to revise their plans to take in account being in the flood plain and controlling without causing an impact up/down stream. That means a study likely that will take time and money.

[Austin1971]

Originally Posted by ivanwolf

I was right, the tunnel is one of the issues in relation to the flood plain, currently on the property. They seem to want to build after the tunnel and the flood plain is changed taking the property out for the flood plain. (insurance and build cost could be much higher in rather than out of the flood plain)

So now that the tunnel will not be done due to the intake problem the hotel now has to revise their plans to take in account being in the flood plain and controlling without causing an impact up/down stream. That means a study likely that will take time and money.

Manchester said they look forward to releasing more details in the coming months? I think it's safe to assume this project is not going to happen. Speaks volumes that they did not attend. Don't you think if they were close to breaking ground they would have used this gathering to showcase their project. Sucks cause I was really hoping this thing would get built.

I thought I read somewhere that the intake redesign was not going to delay the project so I don't think Manchester will be able to use that excuse much longer.

[austlar1]

It all boils down to money. He does not have the funding, and he is seizing upon any excuse he can find. He did not say anything about concerns regarding flood plain issues or concerns about the intake problem further upstream. He spoke of design issues with a retaining wall, the overpass to the convention center, and how the project "relates" to Waller Creek. Presumably these things would have been determined and resolved a while back in the planning process. He is just spinning, not unlike the way Tom Stacey used to spin his 6th and Congress project. Something will get built at the Fairmont sight eventually, but I doubt that it will be this project.

[Jdawgboy]

Well so much for a September groundbreaking.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by ivanwolf

They seem to want to build after the tunnel and the flood plain is changed taking the property out for the flood plain. (insurance and build cost could be much higher in rather than out of the flood plain)

But if you remember, last August they applied for a variance to construct the retaining wall so that they could begin construction before the tunnel was completed.

http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=195142

The variance was granted last October.