Austin | Block 185/Google Tower #2 | 594 Feet | 35 Floors | Complete - Page 60

We vs us · #**1181** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 2:44 AM**

I'm ready to get rid of all of that electrical infrastructure completely. The substation, the towers and the lines up and down the lake -- blech. Eyesore city.

myBrain · #**1182** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 4:55 AM**

Great pics!

Hoo boy this one's about to start looking crazy!

Syndic · #**1183** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 1:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by myBrain

Great pics!

Hoo boy this one's about to start looking crazy!

It really is.

This thing gets smaller the higher it goes so construction seems to be speeding up.

mumu · #**1184** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 1:41 PM**

It's amazing that the land was only ~$188/ft in 2012. The city sold that lot for $10.27 million to Trammel Crow. The public got screwed and could have gotten easily 5x that much around the time it started construction.
source: https://www.statesman.com/news/20190...owntown-austin

lonewolf · #**1185** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Genral

3rd and Shoal looks great in that last picture. Another example of looking at something from the right angle....

optimally you do not want the "right angle" to be from 100' above your building

drummer · #**1186** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 2:27 PM**

^^ Although that may be the only ideal angle of 3rd and Shoal.

Tyrone Shoes · #**1187** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 3:10 PM**

the Genral · #**1188** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:26 PM**

Thanks for doing that Tyrone Shoes. I'm too lazy to go back into the thread for a reminder. Those pics show just how important this is going to be for anchoring and improving that plateaued cluster. A true, tall iconic building down by the lake at almost 600 ft tall. Who would have thunk it, even just 5 years ago. But really, they/I only needed 6 more feet!

Riverranchdrone · #**1189** Posted **Sep 19, 2020, 3:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf

optimally you do not want the "right angle" to be from 100' above your building

LMAO. Now thats a priceless comment. Cracked me up.

Urbannizer · #**1190** Posted **Sep 22, 2020, 8:30 PM**

Austin Boardwalk by Dagonite, on Flickr

ILUVSAT · #**1191** Posted **Sep 22, 2020, 9:11 PM**

^^^Outstanding pic! Thanks for sharing.

freerover · #**1192** Posted **Sep 22, 2020, 9:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We vs us

I'm ready to get rid of all of that electrical infrastructure completely. The substation, the towers and the lines up and down the lake -- blech. Eyesore city.

I'm not sure the area will look better when all the buildings lack power. Downtown needs substations. New one coming in soon on in Rainey district on East Ave.

Armybrat · #**1193** Posted **Sep 22, 2020, 9:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

^^^Outstanding pic! Thanks for sharing.

Seconded!

WestAustinite · #**1194** Posted **Sep 22, 2020, 10:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freerover

I'm not sure the area will look better when all the buildings lack power. Downtown needs substations. New one coming in soon on in Rainey district on East Ave.

I wish they would sell that current downtown substation block and use the money to move it 1/3 mile west to 3rd and Baylor St. There is a 6 acre plot (Tips Iron & Steel site) there along the train tracks across from the Amtrak station that sits directly under the main transmission lines feeding downtown.

the Genral · #**1195** Posted **Sep 22, 2020, 11:15 PM**

It is quite a nice picture. Austin is a pretty city for sure. 301 Congress always seems to pop its head up in so many different angles, and it goes without saying how the Quincy is an excellent gap filler that from that angle continues the uninterrupted flow of downtown.
And I love the water and both shorelines especially the gathering places. Amazing that there are only 4 or 5 buildings in that pic that were there during the first building boom and those 2 people sitting on the rocks were probably not born when only those few buildings dominated the skyline so they can't even compare how far we've come like some of us earler settlers can.

ThyPiGuy · #**1196** Posted **Sep 24, 2020, 5:26 PM**

Taken in last couple of days. This thing is going to dominate the skyline from Auditorium Shores.

Echostatic · #**1197** Posted **Sep 24, 2020, 6:08 PM**

Looks like the first office level is underway!

H2O · #**1198** Posted **Sep 24, 2020, 8:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestAustinite

I wish they would sell that current downtown substation block and use the money to move it 1/3 mile west to 3rd and Baylor St. There is a 6 acre plot (Tips Iron & Steel site) there along the train tracks across from the Amtrak station that sits directly under the main transmission lines feeding downtown.

About half of the cost of moving the substation would be in extending the underground ductbanks that leave the substation to power downtown. A location nearby the current one is paramount in keeping the price down, so Tips is one of the few options still available. The high voltage lines along 3rd are only one of three circuits that feed into the substation. The feeds from the south and west would have to be extended there as well. The cost of the Tips site might not be that much less expensive than the value of the current substation land unless they only purchased a portion of it (or sold the rest) and downsized the footprint with GIS (Gas Insulated Substation) equipment. Twenty years ago the substation land was not worth as much as the cost of relocation (even to the site of the Independent, which AE already owned), but it may be nearing it now, especially if they were able to shrink the footprint to reduce land cost of a new site.

corvairkeith · #**1199** Posted **Sep 25, 2020, 3:32 AM**

KevinFromTexas · #**1200** Posted **Sep 25, 2020, 5:27 AM**

That stretch of Cesar Chavez needs attention, especially now.