AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 514

Syndic · #**10261** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 12:36 PM**

Yeah I'm having trouble keeping track of all these projects. #austinproblems

We should put together a list. Or maybe a new thread, and retire this one.

NYC2ATX · #**10262** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 1:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I LOVE the design. It complements Frost very well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Good point. We always have to factor in parking.

I suppose it does. I think y'all are right, it's the height that underwhelms. It's too bad that, because of parking necessities, they can't seem to get office towers on the skyline that compliment the height of the residential towers. I guess in time that will change. This city needs to get on expanding it's transit system so it can handle more tower with less parking.

BevoLJ · #**10263** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 5:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

Yeah I'm having trouble keeping track of all these projects. #austinproblems

We should put together a list. Or maybe a new thread, and retire this one.

I made one in the Austin Forum. http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=198519

It should be up-to-date. Please let me know if I am missing anything over 100'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUSTIN

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Under construction:

     Name                                         Use            Height    Floors  Website   Neighborhood    District

Callaway House                               Dorm           ~230       17     Website   UT              West Campus

Whitley Printing Tower                       Apartment       220'      18     -------   Downtown        Railyard District

Hyatt Place                                  Hotel           202'      17     Website   Downtown        Railyard District

2400 Nueces                                  Apartment      ~200'      16     Website   UT              West Campus

Gables Park Plaza II                         Apartment      ~200'      15     Website   Downtown        Market District

Hampton Inn & Suites                         Hotel           ???        8     -------   Downtown        Capitol District

Federal Courthouse                           Courthouse      135'       7     -------   Downtown        Warehouse District

Riverview Apartments                         Apartments     ~130'      11     Website   South Austin    Riverside District

Cirrus Logic Corp HQ                         Corp HQ         100'       7     Website   Downtown        Sixth St. District

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Approved:

     Name                                         Use            Height    Floors  Website   Neighborhood    District

Grand Hotel                                  Hotel           700'/581'  47    -------   Downtown        Rainey District

JW Marriott                                  Hotel           404'       33    -------   Downtown        2nd/Congress Districts

Seaholm Plant Redevelopment                  Mixed           ???        25    Website   Downtown        Market District

*Note: Part of the Seaholm District Plan*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Proposed:

     Name                                         Use            Height    Floors  Website   Neighborhood    District

Rainey Street                                Res/Mix        ???         50    -------   Downtown        Rainey Street District

Travis Co. Courthouse                        Courthouse     ???         50    -------   Downtown        Warehouse District

Green Water Treatment Plant                  Mix            ~430'?     ~35?   -------   Downtown        2nd St. District

*Note: Part of the Seaholm District Plan*

Seaholm Energy Control Center                Condo          ???        ~35?   -------   Downtown        Market District

*Note: Part of the Seaholm District Plan*

Fifth & Bowie Tower                          Apartment      ???         34    -------   Downtown        Market District

Colorodo & 3rd                               Office         ???         30    -------   Downtown        Warehouse District

804 Congress                                 Hotel          ???         28    -------   Downtown        Congress District

Shoal Creek Walk                             Office         350'        25    -------   Downtown        Market District

jowens · #**10264** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 5:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

I know! It's like 2006 all over again.

I'm a little late checking the forum; but I was just about to say the same thing when I saw your post.

ahealy · #**10265** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 9:15 PM**

Nice chart Bevo. The crane is going up at Gables II right now. Shits blowin up!

The ATX · #**10266** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 9:58 PM**

I get the feeling that this post recession boom that's just now starting will be better than the 2006-2009 boom. The growth rate during the recession never eased up, so there is a huge pent up demand for rental properties. That, along with the increase in tourism has created a huge demand for downtown high rises. The fact that office demand is heating up is icing on the cake.

BevoLJ · #**10267** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 10:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

Nice chart Bevo. The crane is going up at Gables II right now. Shits blowin up!

Thanks!

The Gables is the only project under construction that I don't have an updated construction progress photo of. I went and took pictures of all the other projects and added them but forgot to get the Gables. Any chance you could take a look out your window and snap a shot so I can add it and my list could be complete? If not, I will be in Austin and have free time this weekend so I can get one then.

Syndic · #**10268** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 10:30 PM**

Anyone notice there's a different rendering on the Seaholm webpage? The tower looks different.

Check it out: http://www.seaholm.info/

ahealy · #**10269** Posted **Apr 19, 2012, 10:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

Anyone notice there's a different rendering on the Seaholm webpage? The tower looks different.

Check it out: http://www.seaholm.info/

I really like the new design. It complements 360 nicely. I'll snap some construction photos on my ride in a few!

NYC2ATX · #**10270** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 2:15 AM**

Bevo, I hadn't heard that the county courthouse would be 50 stories! A civil building in that position and of that height would dramatically change the skyline (as if it isn't already going to change dramatically

). Thanks for bringing that to my attention! and an excellent chart by all means.

BevoLJ · #**10271** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 2:58 AM**

Thank you for the kind words and you are welcome.

The Travis Co Civil Courthouse being 50 stories is by no means a sure thing though. It is just what the county judges have been saying. They want 500,000 more sq feet to house the civil courthouse. They are trying to do a public/private partnership. For the past year or so they have been taking bids from companies from all over to build it for them. So it will have both the 500,000 sq feet for the courthouse plus whatever else for the private part of the project.

A lot of people don't like it because it is perhaps the second best undeveloped block in downtown Austin, and they think it will be wasted being used by a courthouse. It is on the south side of Republic Sq Park only a block up from the booming Second Street, and next to the Seaholm development which will be huge. So it makes it a very important lot. Also on the east side of the park is the new Federal Courthouse. That is two very valuable blocks that will not be paying property taxes (a problem Austin already has downtown with the State Government and University of Texas taking up so much taxable land.)

Truck's Son · #**10272** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 5:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Thank you for the kind words and you are welcome.

The Travis Co Civil Courthouse being 50 stories is by no means a sure thing though. It is just what the county judges have been saying. They want 500,000 more sq feet to house the civil courthouse. They are trying to do a public/private partnership. For the past year or so they have been taking bids from companies from all over to build it for them. So it will have both the 500,000 sq feet for the courthouse plus whatever else for the private part of the project.

A lot of people don't like it because it is perhaps the second best undeveloped block in downtown Austin, and they think it will be wasted being used by a courthouse. It is on the south side of Republic Sq Park only a block up from the booming Second Street, and next to the Seaholm development which will be huge. So it makes it a very important lot. Also on the east side of the park is the new Federal Courthouse. That is two very valuable blocks that will not be paying property taxes (a problem Austin already has downtown with the State Government and University of Texas taking up so much taxable land.)

Don't hold your breath on a 50 story civil courthouse. It's just not necessary. Not even close. There are 10 or so civil district judges in Travis County. As an example, Houston has something like three times that many and has a 16 or 17 story civil courthouse. You could literally stack the Houston Civil Courthouse, Criminal Courthouse, and the 14th/1st Court of Appeals Courthouse all on top of each other and not get 50 stories. It's just not needed in Austin.

Truck's Son · #**10273** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 5:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I like it, love the glass facade but again, I am bummed about the height. I would rather them combine two 30 floor office tower projects together to make a 60 floor tower. We just cant seem to break 30 floors for office except for Frost and its only 33. I hope this tower does increase in floors and height when they break ground.

It's purely market driven. Austin still has a fairly small office market. There's just not the demand there for a huge spec office tower in downtown Austin. 30 or so stories is all you're likely to get, absent some corporate relocation.

I'm not sure exactly what the downtown Class A vacancy rate is, but I'll be it's still higher than 10 percent. With a CBD market of maybe 7 or 8 million Class A feet, no developer is going to risk putting up a 1 million-plus square foot 60 story office tower. There's not anywhere near the corporate base necessary to fill such a project.

wwmiv · #**10274** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 5:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truck's Son

Don't hold your breath on a 50 story civil courthouse. It's just not necessary. Not even close. There are 10 or so civil district judges in Travis County. As an example, Houston has something like three times that many and has a 16 or 17 story civil courthouse. You could literally stack the Houston Civil Courthouse, Criminal Courthouse, and the 14th/1st Court of Appeals Courthouse all on top of each other and not get 50 stories. It's just not needed in Austin.

You obviously haven't been following the development. The project is meant to be a public/private partnership where the court facilities would only take up a certain percentage of the space. Other ideas have been to build two towers on the lot, a smaller 20ish story courthouse and a larger 30-40 story office tower.

wwmiv · #**10275** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 5:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truck's Son

It's purely market driven. Austin still has a fairly small office market. There's just not the demand there for a huge spec office tower in downtown Austin. 30 or so stories is all you're likely to get, absent some corporate relocation.

I'm not sure exactly what the downtown Class A vacancy rate is, but I'll be it's still higher than 10 percent. With a CBD market of maybe 7 or 8 million Class A feet, no developer is going to risk putting up a 1 million-plus square foot 60 story office tower. There's not anywhere near the corporate base necessary to fill such a project.

This is simply wrong in that square footage changes based on the footprint of the building. Why not build a slender 60 story office tower instead of a bulky 30 story one?

OU812 · #**10276** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 5:57 AM**

Orlando's courthouse is 23 stories:
http://www.ninthcircuit.org/about/courthouses/orange/
Looks pretty cool (I think), not sure if it's a "civil" courthouse..?

BevoLJ · #**10277** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 6:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truck's Son

Don't hold your breath on a 50 story civil courthouse. It's just not necessary. Not even close. There are 10 or so civil district judges in Travis County. As an example, Houston has something like three times that many and has a 16 or 17 story civil courthouse. You could literally stack the Houston Civil Courthouse, Criminal Courthouse, and the 14th/1st Court of Appeals Courthouse all on top of each other and not get 50 stories. It's just not needed in Austin.

I know you are new, and probably not from Austin, but this is a discussion that has been beaten to death. The courthouses' thread would probably be a better place for it, and provide you a good place to read up on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truck's Son

It's purely market driven. Austin still has a fairly small office market. There's just not the demand there for a huge spec office tower in downtown Austin. 30 or so stories is all you're likely to get, absent some corporate relocation.

I'm not sure exactly what the downtown Class A vacancy rate is, but I'll be it's still higher than 10 percent. With a CBD market of maybe 7 or 8 million Class A feet, no developer is going to risk putting up a 1 million-plus square foot 60 story office tower. There's not anywhere near the corporate base necessary to fill such a project.

The Colorado and 3rd building is 390,000 sq feet, not 500,000. That would be 780,000 sq feet if doubled as he suggested. Austin has 8.7 million feet in the CBD and is at 12.8% vacancy with sq foot office prices significantly higher than Dallas and Houston's downtowns, and the city was told this week it needs more than 1 million more sq feet downtown to keep up with demand and growth. Austin has had one office building built since the 1980's, while the population has tripled. All those tall buildings are residential.

wwmiv · #**10278** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 6:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I know you are new, and probably not from Austin, but this is a discussion that has been beaten to death. The courthouses' thread would probably be a better place for it, and provide you a good place to read up on it.

The Colorado and 3rd building is 390,000 sq feet, not 500,000. That would be 780,000 sq feet if doubled as he suggested. Austin has 8.7 million feet in the CBD and is at 12.8% vacancy with sq foot office prices significantly higher than Dallas and Houston's downtowns, and the city was told this week it needs more than 1 million more sq feet downtown to keep up with demand and growth. Austin has had one office building built since the 1980's. All those tall buildings are residential.

Exactly.

The ATX · #**10279** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 8:39 AM**

I sense an envious troll. His first two posts are attempts to rain on the Austin parade.

nixcity · #**10280** Posted **Apr 20, 2012, 1:04 PM**

Bevo isn't the 9 story tower at riverview apartments also above 100 feet?