AUSTIN | High Live Trinity (99 Trinity) | ~750 FEET | FLOORS | Proposed
 

I thought we could use a thread on this to watch for any development news. The tract is at 97 Trinity Street.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-e...ar-four-seasons-development-2427051.html

The link includes an aerial Google map of the tract and a site plan showing the building's footprint. It shows the building's lobby and a restaurant fronting Cesar Chavez Street and a garage entrance.

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2012/08/09/new-apartment-tower-at-97-trinity/

I added this to our compilations thread with a link to here.

By the way, the Lakeside Apartments building to the south of this property (85 Trinity Street) is 142 feet to the mechanical penthouse and 130 feet to the main roof. We were speculating that they'd try to boost the building's height before the first residential levels so they'd have lake views.

Now is a really good time to get started on some buildings over there so they would more or less coincide with Waller being completed thus helping make that more of a success.

Kevin, weren't you working on a lego model of DT? Did you ever finish it?

It's never finished. I really need to update it, too. I've found new heights for buildings and a few of them need some tweaks to make them more accurate. And I need to expand it since I haven't built every area of downtown yet. Last year I kind of put it on hold since my dog was sick, and because the weather was so crazy hot I couldn't set it up outside for photos. I'd like to do that this fall when it cools off. You can see photos of it in my signature links below my posts.

39 floors, 369 apartment units, ground floor retail

Oh, wow! Where did you get that? That would be huge. Tons of apartments and would likely be a good bit taller than the Spring and W.

Awesome, another skyscraper in the works...

Holy cow. Wonderful news. I sent Shonda Novak at the American-Statesman an email about this. She did that article above and mentioned she didn't have any further details, so I've passed along the name, address and size of the project to her. Maybe she'll dig up some more info about it. I'd bet there's a rendering and building elevation out there somewhere.

The Downtown Austin Blog has said the two billboards at the Trinity Place site have been removed. It could be a sign the development is moving forward.

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2012/12/18...o-downtown-austins-next-apartment-tower/

This says it's being called 99 Trinity Tower now and is still planned as a 39-story tower. Assuming the height ratio is the same as the Four Seasons Residences next to it, this tower should be around 465 feet to the mainroof and about 488 feet to the mechanical penthouse. That would make it our 4th tallest. That's just a guessimate, not an official number.

The link includes a mock up rendering by the Downtown Austin Blog showing an "envelope" showing its approximate size and the location.

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2013/11/12/trinity-tower-planning-a-39-story-350-unit-highrise/

The Austin Business Journal picked up the story also with a link to the Downtown Austin Blog.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2013/11/another-downtown-austin-high-rise.html

This tower looks nice. Reminds me of 360. I can't believe all of the great projects in Austin. We are all so fortunate to be a part of it.

Where is the rendering you are seeing that reminds you of 360?

http://www.statesman.com/s/business/

sorry, i didn't post the link because the article didn't have a picture once you click into the article. I assume it will be on the business section homepage of the statesman for a limited time.

Can anyone with Statesman access show us a bigger image?

I don't really see 360 in this, maybe slightly, but I kind of like it.

A little bigger...
http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt...photos/2013/11/14/a1/60/cp-newtowerr.jpg

Thanks. It looks all right, but I'm not sure about those materials. It looks like concrete and maybe stucco. I'd like to see brick and wood there instead.

I like the shape.

The general form looks good. Nighttime lighting is always the million dollar question-- this one seems to have a form that has neat possibilities.

More color contrast would be a nice touch (i.e. a deeper blue). I agree some wood or other natural element could look nice near the base and possibly on other floor levels.

S.A.M. got it right over a year ago!

MOSTLY Right
 

They lowered their unit count, probably to increase average unit sizes more in keeping with the luxury market.

Austin Towers finds "evidence" that this project may include condos:

http://austintowers.net/signals-that-trinity-tower-could-deliver-as-condo/

Here's a recent permit for Trinity Towers. It does say "Condos" in the attachment.


https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11053959

I don't get the unprofessional nature of these permit requests for these ~100 million dollar projects downtown. The demo request for the Waller Park project was sloppy and this Trinity Tower permit request was hand written in an almost unreadable way with the address partially scratched out and Cesar Chavez St spelled "Cesar Chavis St". Doesn't really add confidence to the probability that these are going to be built.

I have always wondered the same thing. Even the requests by big name development companies are just plan sloppy.

Even tho it's called a "Request" these documents are not completed by the developer or builder or even the City of Austin Development Office. They are standard CoA check-off forms that city inspectors, engineers, fire marshalls and other contractors who work for the City take with them on-site and fill out by hand, usually on a wobbly clipboard. Think about the last time you got a hand-written estimate by a mechanic or plumber, except these are for verifying the request rather than estimating it. The formal request is usually done in a letter format, and is submitted by the engineering and/or architecture firm that has been hired for the project. That generates one of these forms that has to be field-verified. Rarely do the developers themselves work directly with the City at the permitting and exemption stage.

A detailed site plan was filed yesterday. There are 38 floors, 31 residential over 7 parking, and it looks to about 470'.

https://www.austintexas.gov/devreview/b_showpublicpermitfolderdetails.jsp?FolderRSN=11066037

Nice. Let's just hope the quality is good and that the rendering is an accurate depiction.

Ugh. Permit search site must be down at the moment. I wanted to see! :( haha

It's been up and down this afternoon.

Permit mentions "great streets development". The project next to this, Waller Park, also has similar great streets development in their permit. Sounds like a win -win

Apartments
 

According to the plans there is a leasing concierge desk just inside the front doors on the first floor.

Are there any plans in the works to sell off the true lakefront property that currently has the Section 8 housing? I'm very much in favor of trying to make downtown affordable to as many as possible but that's one of the nicest parcels in the city and one of the worst concentrations of poverty and social problems to be found in that area. It just seems like a really awkward juxtaposition to have it next to these high end developments, and rather than highlighting the problem of socioeconomic inequality it is more like to just exacerbate resentment on both sides.

I was under the impression that most of the residents of the old highrise at that location are considered to be "disabled". I actually thought that was a requirement for obtaining an apartment in that building. I was not aware that there are a lot of "social problems" in the building. Could somebody knowledgeable provide more information?

I've never known that to be a problem. It's not like there is a homeless population around there. You don't ever see people hanging around there either.

I remember a few months back there was a man in a wheel chair that was hit by a dump truck at Cesar Chavez and Trinity. I knew right away where he lived before even reading the article. It said that he lived at the Lakeside Apartments. I've always been under the impression that the facility operates more like an assisted living facility than simply being a low-income "slum".

I Think it is perfect poetry that the folks who live in that building have such a great location. Good Karma reminders for the rest of us living downtown !
It's a great mix for the area. Keeps it humble. I ride past there all the time, there is rarely street level activity around the building, much less a homeless population.
Now there is homeless activity from under the bridges nearby over the creek, but that has nothing to do with that tower.

467 feet eh? That would make it the 4th tallest building in Austin behind the Austonian, Frost, and 360 if it were to be build in a day (since other projects would overtake it in the future).

Maybe 5th tallest. I think the W would still be slightly taller.

Regardless, I LOVE to see this be built! Well with the Fairmont and Waller Creek sites being so close, this part of dt could see some good density.

Correct, The W will be 11ft. taller than 99 Trinity tower.

A little more info on the Lakeside Towers

http://www.hacanet.org/communities/lakeside.php

Thanks Mopacs. Hope you are well! Been a while!

..... and they just painted that building ....no more blue.

I'm guessing Lakeside is safe if the city owns it. I don't see a majority of the city council ever voting to kick disabled old people out of their homes. Although I can envision a land swap with a developer that would include moving the residents to a new place.

HACA (despite the name) is independent of the City of Austin. It has a separate Board of Directors from Council, and the City does not have any ownership.

So is the height of 467 feet not from street level to the tip? I'm assuming that's the case. So it'll barely be taller than the Ashton I'm assuming.

467ft. will be the official height of 99 Trinity Tower. This is measured by street to tip.