AUSTIN | Fairmont Hotel | 595 FEET SPIRE/456 FT ROOF | 37 FLRS | Complete - Page 65

Tech House · #**1281** Posted **Jan 16, 2016, 4:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummer

^^ Totally missed that. You might be right.

Only one way to find out. Tech House?

I was referring to this, and I'm confused now so maybe someone can spell it out clearly, is this the school? Looking at it with today's eyes, I have no idea what virtue I was seeing in it when I said that I could see how some people would want to save it. Tonight I think it should be leveled ASAP. What will I think tomorrow? Stay tuned.

airwx · #**1282** Posted **Jan 16, 2016, 6:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech House

I was referring to this, and I'm confused now so maybe someone can spell it out clearly, is this the school? Looking at it with today's eyes, I have no idea what virtue I was seeing in it when I said that I could see how some people would want to save it. Tonight I think it should be leveled ASAP. What will I think tomorrow? Stay tuned.

It isn't. The Palm School is the red-roofed building in the lower right of this image.

austlar1 · #**1283** Posted **Jan 16, 2016, 8:16 PM**

Yes.

wwmiv · #**1284** Posted **Jan 16, 2016, 9:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by airwx

It isn't. The Palm School is the red-roofed building in the lower right of this image.

That's the same building?

The ATX · #**1285** Posted **Jan 16, 2016, 10:05 PM**

The confusion due to cross discussion in this thread about two different buildings has gotten out of hand.

This is the Palm School which is owned by Travis Co. and used as offices. It is located at the corner of I-35 and Cesar Chavez:

http://www.austinmonitor.com/stories...ate-uncertain/

This is the abandoned mystery building on Red River across from the butt end of the convention center as seen in the recent photos posted here. This is one of corvairkeith's photos:

wwmiv · #**1286** Posted **Jan 16, 2016, 11:22 PM**

Ohhhhh duh.

Tech House · #**1287** Posted **Jan 16, 2016, 11:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

The confusion due to cross discussion in this thread about two different buildings has gotten out of hand.

Thank you for your clarity and specificity! I'm glad the "mystery building" doesn't have a contingent of defenders. Well, it probably does, but not likely on this forum.

drummer · #**1288** Posted **Jan 17, 2016, 12:33 AM**

Thanks for bringing us back, ATX!

lzppjb · #**1289** Posted **Jan 17, 2016, 1:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech House

Thank you for your clarity and specificity! I'm glad the "mystery building" doesn't have a contingent of defenders. Well, it probably does, but not likely on this forum.

Actually, I will defend it. But I don't think it should stay there. It can be moved again and brought back to glory.

KevinFromTexas · #**1290** Posted **Jan 17, 2016, 4:46 AM**

Also, Homecreek did post this link to the downtownaustinblog that had a photo of that smaller wood framed building you guys were talking about. It's called the Castleman-Bull house.

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2011/03/09/this-is-bull/

The ATX · #**1291** Posted **Jan 17, 2016, 5:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Also, Homecreek did post this link to the downtownaustinblog that had a photo of that smaller wood framed building you guys were talking about. It's called the Castleman-Bull house.

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2011/03/09/this-is-bull/

Thanks for posting that. I thought DAB was where I saw the story on it, but I couldn't find it.

AustinGoesVertical · #**1292** Posted **Jan 17, 2016, 6:52 AM**

Honestly, I think the Fairmont should do one of two things:

They could buy the land, restore the house and make a free tour part of the hotel package or they could even classify it as a guest suite and charge a really high nightly rate that includes the hotel's amenities but a stay in the house. Think of how perfect it would be for a group of executives coming in for a convention.

We vs us · #**1293** Posted **Jan 17, 2016, 3:57 PM**

That's a weird little area surrounding the Fairmont, and that includes the No-Longer Mystery House, the Palm School and attendant park, and a couple of other single story utility buildings/garages/what-have-you in the block just north. Everything from the Austin Visitor Center and garage south is kind of isolated from the city. All of that would seem to be prime property at this point in the city's life. I'm a little surprised there aren't more cranes over there.

wwmiv · #**1294** Posted **Jan 17, 2016, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinGoesVertical

Honestly, I think the Fairmont should do one of two things:

They could buy the land, restore the house and make a free tour part of the hotel package or they could even classify it as a guest suite and charge a really high nightly rate that includes the hotel's amenities but a stay in the house. Think of how perfect it would be for a group of executives coming in for a convention.

Can you find examples of anything like this happening elsewhere? Unique idea.

the Genral · #**1295** Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 12:55 AM**

Turn it into an authentic saloon, cater to tourists and contrast the modernistic bar at the Fairmont. Have an old timey piano playing and replicate all things wild, wild west. Landscape and tie into the Fairmont with trails, add a few old wagons and wagon wheels, hitching posts and spittoons.

drummer · #**1296** Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 1:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

That's a weird little area surrounding the Fairmont, and that includes the No-Longer Mystery House, the Palm School and attendant park, and a couple of other single story utility buildings/garages/what-have-you in the block just north. Everything from the Austin Visitor Center and garage south is kind of isolated from the city. All of that would seem to be prime property at this point in the city's life. I'm a little surprised there aren't more cranes over there.

That's a good point. With all that land over there (Palm School and the park aside), what's happening? Who owns it? Is it that the Convention Center is a massive wall preventing much spread of development in that direction thus far?

Tech House · #**1297** Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 3:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

That's a weird little area surrounding the Fairmont, and that includes the No-Longer Mystery House, the Palm School and attendant park, and a couple of other single story utility buildings/garages/what-have-you in the block just north. Everything from the Austin Visitor Center and garage south is kind of isolated from the city. All of that would seem to be prime property at this point in the city's life. I'm a little surprised there aren't more cranes over there.

Exactly, it really is an odd area, a dead zone that feels neglected to the point of being abandoned. But we must save The Gas Pipe. After all, I grew a few pot plants in the early 90s and bought supplies there, so it has great historic and sentimental value and I will be crushed if they have to move. Or not.

A couple of enormous factors that have kept that area blighted are the flood situation with Waller Creek (soon to be a thing of the past), and the freeway (soon to be a thing of the past, or so I dream.) Property owners and developers can count on what's going to happen with Waller, but until the freeway issue is decided it's probably going to prevent much from happening in that immediate area.

A few of the small businesses in that area are in neat little old buildings that are probably going to stay, and I'm happy about that. I've really been enjoying the contrast that I see all over town where there are new developments next to food trailers and funky bars, that sort of thing. It looks like a lot of small parcels are going to remain as they are and won't be gobbled up by massive developments sprawling over entire blocks. There's nice diversity of sizes and types of businesses in many areas. West Sixth is pretty awesome in that respect, and the food trailers next to the Bowie are a sweet contrast to the residential tower cluster, providing that much-needed human-scale vibe to the street.

drummer · #**1298** Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 4:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinGoesVertical

Honestly, I think the Fairmont should do one of two things:

They could buy the land, restore the house and make a free tour part of the hotel package or they could even classify it as a guest suite and charge a really high nightly rate that includes the hotel's amenities but a stay in the house. Think of how perfect it would be for a group of executives coming in for a convention.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Can you find examples of anything like this happening elsewhere? Unique idea.

I also like this idea. My only issue is that this particular house/building seems fairly small. I could see it as a single-rented building for the uber rich, I guess, as opposed to a place for several executives. I saw the photos of the inside (didn't look at all of them, though). It seems like one large suite with a couple of bedrooms upstairs and a common area downstairs.

Tech House · #**1299** Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 5:37 AM**

The thing about that location is that it will front on the future boulevard above a sunken I-35. It's going to be densely and beautifully developed, it's not the right location for an odd duck in the middle of a vacant block. No.

The ATX · #**1300** Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 6:14 AM**

I'm not much of a preservationist, but I like that building. It should be moved somewhere else and reused as whatever. That block is adjacent to the CC and should have more intense uses.