AUSTIN | Projects & Construction III

[ATXboom]

Odd... this article mentions a new mixed use plus hotel near Stubbs...


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...ot-across.html

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Odd... this article mentions a new mixed use plus hotel near Stubbs...


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...ot-across.html

I'm not surprised seeing as how they are getting closer to finishing the Waller Creek Tunnel. I would imagine a lot of land is being looked at around there.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by austin242

I honestly would rather wait 10 years and get retail up in that bitch. I don't think offices should be built in seaholm it pisses me off. It should be something cool. I would honestly rather the city have put money into that and made a farmers market themselves than have had a new central library.

I agree. I've been advocating for years that a permanent market (similar to Seattle's Pike Place Market) be developed at Seaholm. Nonetheless, I do realize that office space will ultimately increase the developer’s profit margin far more than our version of Pike Place.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

I agree. I've been advocating for years that a permanent market (similar to Seattle's Pike Place Market) be developed at Seaholm. Nonetheless, I do realize that office space will ultimately increase the developer’s profit margin far more than our version of Pike Place.

yeah... I was just discussing this o the Seaholm thread. A perhaps more parallel example would be Clevelands West side market ( really Ohio City). But Seaholm seems to big to be compared to either. The space has so much below and above what would be needed it doesn't seem feasible $ wise without the city subsiding it. Does it? I know it's moot now, but would that really work there? I don't feel generic retail would work there and that's the discussion I was prompting on the other thread.. Would that now just end up being a downtown mall that rarely works, especially not in Snow regions. It just seems that in order to make the $ work without the city having to subsidise it, that the space has to be better utilized vertiaclly inside the building. Do you know , or anyone if those plans have emerged? That being , how the space will be used.?

My other question, also moot now, Is if the space could have been better used at the Libray ....then maybe combined with other public uses?

I think it is sage to assume that there were serious $ discussions about all of this in deciding a plan that would keep the building and not have it be a $ burden on the city.

[NYC_Longhorn]

Don't get me wrong... I love the buildings.... but the real estate agents and crap hustlers that wanted to turn that space into an office really really suck....

I mean... comon'

It's almost as if someone from Houston or Dallas moved to Austin and said, "offices are great here!"

Arggggghhhhh

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by NYC_Longhorn

Don't get me wrong... I love the buildings.... but the real estate agents and crap hustlers that wanted to turn that space into an office really really suck....

I mean... comon'

It's almost as if someone from Houston or Dallas moved to Austin and said, "offices are great here!"

Arggggghhhhh

Whoa......

[Syndic]

I really just don't get why they decided to do a 99-year office lease. Were they really that desperate to get the deal done? Maybe it's hard to find retailers who want to be shut up in this big, old concrete hulk of a building with no flashy sign and which is not easy to access?

In my mind, the power plant should be full of souvenir shops and museum exhibits. Allegedly, there will be some exhibits inside showcasing the history of the power plant and the area and Austin, so I think people are overracting a little bit in that regard, but it's still not what it could be. But it's still a good development, overall.

[NYC_Longhorn]

Oh yeah Ahealy....Seaholm is the titties! And they are ruining it with offices!!

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Syndic

I really just don't get why they decided to do a 99-year office lease. Were they really that desperate to get the deal done? Maybe it's hard to find retailers who want to be shut up in this big, old concrete hulk of a building with no flashy sign and which is not easy to access?

I'm pretty sure it's not a 99-year office lease. Certainly not a 99 year lease to any particular tenant. Typically, these "lifetime" leases are basically to allow private use of something publicly owned without transferring ownership. Over time, that could be anything -- offices, retail, a museum, residential, etc. It might be remodeled or re-envisioned a few times during the term of that private-use lease, by different developers.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by NYC_Longhorn

Oh yeah Ahealy....Seaholm is the titties! And they are ruining it with offices!!

I am not crazy about it being offices, but I certainly wouldn't say "seaholm sucks" just because 70% of the original structure will be office space. If they do it right I think it could be great. Bottom line, I am not worried about seaholm. I think it's gonna be fucking fantastic when it's finished.

I am worried about the green WTP project though....

[lzppjb]

Yeah, I'm not worried about Seaholm being offices. As long as they keep the awesome architecture, I'm fine with it. I also want the sign to stay. A market would have been cool and all, but it's not some deal-breaker for me.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by Syndic

I really just don't get why they decided to do a 99-year office lease. Were they really that desperate to get the deal done?

I noticed that the Austin Business Journal mentioned a 99 year lease, too and now I'm confused. Last year in this article in the Austin American Statesman, it said

The Austin City Council OK'd changes Thursday to a 2008 redevelopment deal for the old Seaholm Power Plant, allowing developers to lease most of the iconic downtown building to a local company to use as office space for as long as 20 years.

What happened to the 20 year limit?

[Syndic]

You know what I would have been cool with? If the tenant of the Seaholm office space had been someone cool like SXSW or Google or something, because I assume they would make it look cool in there and create a pretty cool environment. I hope it's not anyone awful.

[Homecreek]

Does anyone know what the red crane near 183 and 360 is about?

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by Homecreek

Does anyone know what the red crane near 183 and 360 is about?

The project is called Broadstone Arboretum.

[Homecreek]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

The project is called Broadstone Arboretum.

Thanks!

[Mopacs]

Here are some photos of Skyhouse I took this weekend.

[Mopacs]

Here are few shots of the completed Hyatt Place hotel, and its surroundings

Behind the JW Marriott







Atop the convention center garage



Interesting view. I actually like the way the buildings line up

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

Here are few shots of the completed Hyatt Place hotel, and its surroundings

Behind the JW Marriott







Atop the convention center garage



Interesting view. I actually like the way the buildings line up

That Hyatt Place is so freaking ugly. I'm ready for some good looking buildings (311, seaholm, 7rio, JW). I still wish some of the pre-recession projects survived. Imagine.....

[pscajunguy]

You are so right. Those new hotels remind me of downtown Wichita Falls. And this is with apologies to Wichita Falls!