Under The Crane and proposed buildings in Austin! Update!

[KevinFromTexas]

It's been a while Troy, so here's the run down of what's going on in Austin. Quite a bit, downtown has come alive with projects. These will greatly enhance and update Austin's skyline.

Congress at Fourth--520--33--2004. Ground has been broken on this building which will be the new tallest building in Austin. It will be 442 feet to the roof, and 520 feet to the "glass blades". Marshall Gerometta is in contact with someone at Cousins Properties, and is working to get the exact height, this one though is the latest one. This building was first proposed back in 1998 as a 352 foot building with 27 floors and 495,000 square feet. Now it will have around 525,000 square feet. It will have 1,500 parking spaces. Demolition has been completed of the existing 1950's buildings the site is cleared, with some machines there, and a perimeter fence up around it. Congress at Fourth will be the tallest in Austin and will bring Austin back over Corpus Christi for the first time since 1988 when they built their twin Shoreline Plaza towers. in this picture the black Bank of America Center, 328 feet and 26 floors built in 1975, and the Temple-Inland Building, 273 feet and 22 floors built in 1986. Congress at Fourth in the middle, will sit at Congress Avenue and 4th Street in the middle of downtown.


Congress at Fourth at night. It will be the first building in Austin to break through the 400 and 500 foot mark. Currently our tallest is only 395 feet tall. So this will add a lot to the skyline. It's designed by Duda/Paine Architects.


Congress at Fourth has the real potential for being Austin's signature skyscraper.


Austin Hilton Convention Center Hotel. This building has broken ground also. It will be 377 feet with 31 floors. It will be finished by 2004. It's height may change as Skyhigh tells me over at the Skyscraper Forum, his firm is working on it. This will be Austin's largest and tallest hotel with 802 rooms. It will also have 93 condos on the top 9 floors, making these Austin's highest residential spaces. It will also have 60,000 square feet of retail space and 750 parking spaces. Originally the hotel was proposed with it being 300 feet tall and 26 floors. Austin's current tallest hotel is our Omni Hotel Downtown/Austin Centre, with just 231 feet tall and 16 floors. It was built in 1984.


And Troy, you were the first one that I heard from about 300 West Sixth. I remember about 2 years ago on the Skyscraper Forum you mentioned "New 23-story tower for Austin!" Today, 300 West Sixth is wrapping up construction, I believe it's actually open for business now, but the few touch ups are being done. 300 West Sixth is 325 feet with 23 floors and 445,000 square feet. It's Austin's first major building since 1987. It is now our 4th tallest, but will fall to 6th tallest after Congress at Fourth and the convention center hotel are finished. The building has yet to be "lit", the office lights are on, and there are some lights on at the top for safety reasons, but so far I haven't seen the decorative lighting schemes yet. Here is a recent picture I took back in August. In the picture, 300 West Sixth is to the left, Austin's tallest the One American Center in the middle, and the Bank One Tower to the right. The Bank One Tower and 300 West Sixth are both 325 feet tall and sit caddy-corner to each other on West Sixth Street.


300 West Sixth under construction back in March of 2001. It's on the left side. Tall Bank One Tower in the middle, and Austin's tallest the One American Center to the right side of the pic. The small building in the bottom left is under construction also, this is the Computer Science Corporation Building, (CSC), it's only 90 feet tall with 6 floors but is nice iwth it's green glass and Texas Limestone. At night the limestone is lit with floodlights shining up to the roof of the building, being that it's near the river makes for a beautiful scene on the skyline at night. It has an exact twin just to the East, (right), of here. Austin's new city hall will go up between the two buildings at the end of that bridge right there in the bottom right of the pic.


An aerial of 300 West Sixth under construction, still with it's cranes back in early August. The Plaza Lofts a 174 foot residential building can be seen rising in the bottom right of the pic just down the street from 300 West Sixth.


Plaza Lofts. This is located on West Sixth just down from 300 West Sixth. The Plaza Lofts is 174 feet tall with 12 floors. It's wrapping up construction, this is going to be a beautiful building. Skyscrapers.com nominated it for Best Skyscraper of 2001 recently. The crane has been removed no as construction is nearing it's end. Here's the rendering, as you can see it's a great little building.


Plaza Lofts under construction back in August. The concrete skeleton at the far far right of the pic is the "Onhold", Intel Corporation Building. It's going to be a 10-story office building. So far they only got up to 6 floors, and it's been like that since last March! The cranes were taken down, so far no one knows when it will be finished. It may be sold and turned into lofts, as the Plaza Lofts is down the street that may not be a bad idea. There's also another 10-story building in the Intel complex that hasn't started construction yet and a 12-story parking garage. Luckily, because of the unfinished building's height it doesn't make an ugly mark on the skyline.


A skyline view from the West of 300 West Sixth and the Plaza Lofts topping out. You can see the concrete skeleton poking up infront of Plaza Lofts, that's the unfinished 10-story Intel Corp. Building. The best views of these buildings will be from the West side of downtown. White stepped, One American Center, Austin's tallest at 395 feet next to 300 West Sixth, and the blue Bank One Tower 325 feet, and the black Bank of America Center, 328 feet.


Hampton Inn & Suites. A small but nice, 162 foot building with 16 floors. The guy at the developer's web site told me it will be 162 feet. But, I've also heard the building will be 18 floors tall, so could it end up being 182 feet? Anyway, it should be nice, I don't have a picture handy, except for the rendering below, I took some pictures of it last weekend, and I'll have them developed this weekend, along with a batch of Fort Worth pictures. This building should be interesting to see how it turns out, I love the idea it's portraying with the rendering. This is going up on East 2nd Street at San Jacinto. Just a few blocks from the convention center. it will have 212 rooms.


The Nokonah. This is a 126 foot 11-story residential building in the West End area of downtown Austin, it's topped out, the facade still needs to be put on. It's going up at West 9th and Lamar about a mile West of downtown. So even though it's short, there are no other buildings close to it's height, so it will be tall enough to stick out. It sits next to a park also. I took some pictures of it last weekend. Here's the rendering. By the way, among the residents will be the former governer of Texas, Ann Richards.


The view of downtown from The Nokonah. By the way, it's 70 percent preleased, so it's in good shape.


Proposed--

Two Bank of America Center. Normally I would love the idea of another big building in downtown, but this one will be a twin with the already built Bank of America Center. BofA Center was built in 1975 as Austin's tallest building at 328 feet with 26 floors. It was the 2nd building in Austin to exceed the Capitol's height. Now, they want to build a twin to it, that will "join" with it. Basically, making it one building by enlarging the floorplates of the older building. Like I said, normally I'd be very happy to hear news like this, but this isn't exactly the kind of building you make a twin of 30 years later. Know what I mean Vern? Here's the existing Bank of America Center. It sits at 515 Congress Avenue one block North of where Austin's new tallest Congress at Fourth is going up. This could end up being a dense tall stretch of skyscrapers in downtown. I just hope they shoot for a newer design. And I like the design of Bank of America Center, it's sort of Austin's only 70s style black box. I'd rather leave it the way it is, and build another newer looking building next to it, and have a skyway going to the to the other tower. Construction should start around 2004 or 2005, so it's a ways off for planning. It will double the property from 251,000 square feet to 502,000 square feet. There would also be some retail included which the older tower lacks.


West Avenue Lofts (Phase II). This is a 17-story loft tower that is proposed for the West End area of downtown. It will be pretty big, 402,660 square feet with 337 units including retail. That area of downtown is getting a lot of retail developments. Construction could start by this year, the Straight Music Company, a store in downtown that sells instruments, moved, and the existing building has been demolished. So things are set for it to start. It will go up at 805 W. 5th Street at the corner of West Avenue. It should top the 200 foot mark too.


Austin City Lofts. This is a 14-story residential building proposed for the West End. It will go up right nextdoor to the West Avenue Lofts, being located at 800 W. 5th. It will have 82 units. Construction should start this year if all goes well. And it should be up around 180 to 200 feet tall. I'm thinking since it's nextdoor to the West Avenue Lofts it may try and compete with them for height since these are two different developers. It would be nice to see a few 200 footers on the far West side of downtown. These are located 5 blocks West of 300 West Sixth and the Plaza Lofts.


Another one of Austin City Lofts. West 5th is the street on the front facade there, Shoal Creek borders the left side of it.


No pic, but Metropolitan Life Insurance wants to build a office building in downtown at 101 Colorado. Originally it was to be a 22-story tower and be a companion with the neighbor nextdoor, the 100 Congress. Now it's being downsized to 13 floors. Still it's going to have 329,000 sf, and will fill in a parking lot, providing it's built. This will go up at Colorado Street and Ceasar Chavez Street along the river in downtown.

Four Seasons Residences. This is going to be Austin's tallest residential building. It will be 320 feet with 28 floors and 415,000 sf. It was supposed to start construction already but because of the economy has been put on hold. Still, up to the day the decided to put it on hold they were getting around 5 calls a day by people interested in it. This will go up on the East side of downtown on San Jacinto Boulevard to the East of the Four Seasons Hotel. The same owner of the hotel is developing the tower, he says they're going to hold off starting construction for atleast a year to 18 months just to be safe. He's optimistic about it though, he says that supply in downtown is a drop in the bucket to demand. People in Austin want very much to live in downtown but there just aren't enough big level projects like this one to fill the void. This is the first building like this in a long time. Austin's current tallest residential building is the Westgate Building, a 261 foot 24 floor building, it was built in 1965. So you can see there is a need for something big like this to come around. Also, the design is beautiful, this one and Congress at Fourth are going to make the skyline shine.


And the biggest story in downtown in many years is the Vignette Corporation world headquarters. Vignette Corporation of Austin, a company who designs computer chips and high tech devices, wants to build no less, than 1.5 million square feet of office space in downtown. They're looking to building 2 towers of 25 to 30 floors with 500,000 square feet a piece. And later build a 20-story tower with around 500,000 square feet. There was even talk of building one tower with 700,000 square feet, which at 30 floors could merrit a new tallest for Austin. They also want to build a parking garage of up to 10 or 12 floors. Office, retail, residential and even hotel spaces could and will probably be included in the project. The City of Austin also is whole heartedly supporting this, because Vignette has office space in West Austin along MoPac Expressway. The City doesn't want them to go and build a huge sprawling campus in the hills, so they're offering 25 million bucks in incentives to build in downtown. Vignette was very close to starting to look for a architect. But Vignette stocks incase you haven't noticed have dropped from about 70 dollars a share, to about 6 dollars a share, huge huge drop and it's not doing anything good for the company. They've layed off a lot of people, including about 300 in Austin. The campus of buildings in downtown was said to be meant for around 2,000 employs which would have been huge for downtown. So it's been put on hold, other good things that the City is wanting Vignette move into downtown is because Waller Creek runs through part of their property. Waller Creek in downtown is horrible, it's trashy, the water is filthy, and the creek is causing erosion along the banks. Some people in the City want to maybe develope a sort of riverwalk style setting with retail, restaurants, residential and hotel space along it. It sounds like a chance of a lifetime to get that part of downtown some much needed help. Not to mention perhaps add a few 400 footers to the skyline. Before the airport had closed, and I knew this, I would have guessed these buildings might at their tallest be 350 or 375 feet tall. But with Congress at Fourth being 33 floors and hitting 520 feet, I might start to think there's a chance of some 400 to 450 foot buildings in Austin. It could totally change the skyline. Below, is a rendering, of the size, but NOT the design of the campus that Vignette Corporation wanted to build in downtown. It would go up on the East side of downtown just a few blocks from the convention center at 401 Cesar Chavez.


And here is a recent skyline shot to top it off. This is looking across the Colorado River towards downtown. On the upper left side of the pic you can see 300 West Sixth there in the background. The tower crane on the right side of the pic is for the Hampton Inn & Suites that I had talked about above. And this white building here with the pyramidal roof, the short building below it with the 3 points, is the Four Seasons Hotel, next to here to the right is where Four Seasons Residences will rise, and the Vignette Corp. Towers will be farther on over to the right from there. The guy with the gondola is trying to secure permits with the City to let him give ferry rides, and tours on the Colorado River in downtown. Should make for a neat scene if it works out.

[KevinFromTexas]

Here's a new little gem I found recently. This building is under construction now, groundbreaking took place within this month. 2 weeks ago I saw the tower crane for it, and kind of didn't pay much attention to it. I figured it was a parking garage or something. Not many projects can be built or proposed anymore without me knowing about it first. So I didn't pay much attention. Lastnight though we were in downtown about 2 blocks from it. It was so nice lastnight, in the 70s even as late as midnight. So we went over to see it. We drove by, I was looking for a sign, and there was one, but I sort of missed it. I did see a nice little building on it, so we came around the block and this time I got a look into the lot, there was a huge hole. I thought, well that's sufficiant enough for a sizeable building. And we pulled up to the sign, and I read it. And we drove off. We went back South through downtown, I wanted to check a few more buildings under construction, a banner on 300 West Sixth, and count the floors on the Hampton Inn & Suites. By time we got home, I had forgotten the name of the building. Bummer. I asked my mom if she remembered, and she said no. And said maybe it will come to you later. I thought, yeah right, and ate dinner and went to bed. Today I was typing some architecture firms' names at Skyscrapers.com and the name of the building popped in my head, "Texas Association of Counties". So I looked it up on Google, and sure enough, I found the site. I was going to send them an email hoping for they'd send me the height, and maybe find a rendering. When I got to the site, right there on listed, was it's height, 120 feet and 8 floors. Normally I wouldn't be so interested about such a short building, but this should be a really nice looking building. It will have 4 levels of parking, 2 below ground, with 292 spaces. Ground floor retail, office space, 82,047 square feet in all. Small building but it's going to look nice. The Penthouse Condominiums nearby are 122 feet tall.

Here's the rendering.

[CTroyMathis]

Under Construction

Commercial

Residence Inn / Courtyard by Marriott C32
Twin 16 story towers (170-room Residence Inn and 270-room
Courtyard by Marriott) are being constructed on a half block north of
4th between Trinity and San Jacinto, across from Brush Square and
the Convention Center. A two story building will be located between
the two towers.
Completion: late summer 2006

Sovereign Bank C37
The project is an approximately 10,000 s.f. building for Sovereign
Bank, with addtional office space.

Residential

The Milago on Town Lake R5.1
FF Development LP, based in Grand Prairie, is building a 250 unit,
13-story condominium building at the foot of Rainey Street, an area
long targeted for revitalization. The units will be above a multilevel
parking garage, with at least two levels underground.
Prices range from the $170’s to the $700’s.
Completion: Spring 2006

721 Congress R29
Architect Sinclair Black is renovating an existing one-story building at
Eighth Street and Congress, formerly the home of Wild About Music,
into a six-story building. The project will have 16 condos on the top
four floors, street-level retail and office space on the second floor.
Completion: March 2006

Five Fifty Five (East 5th) R30
Co-located within the Hilton Austin building is Five Fifty Five, which will
have 103 loft and penthouse residences. Marketing for the condos
began this summer. Prices range from the mid-$200,000s to over
$2,000,000.

Transportation/Infrastructure

Second Street District Streetscape Improvement Project T7
The vision for the project is to enhance the identity and image of
downtown Austin as a civic and cultural destination for residents,
visitors and businesses while preserving and enlivening Austin’s sense
of place. The area has been and continues to undergo very positive
redevelopment, helping to achieve the City’s vision of a dense,
mixed-use downtown. However, the critical missing elements of this
burgeoning downtown district have been the inclusion of a critical
mass of retail (and other pedestrian-oriented uses) linked by a
coherent and uniquely identified, pedestrian environment. When
constructed, the reconfigured roadways and streetscape
improvements will provide a public-friendly setting, linking two
important civic destinations – the new City Hall and the Convention
Center Complex – along what will become downtown’s key shopping
or “pedestrian-dominant” spine.
Completion: Fall 2004 (Phase I)

City of Austin

Convention Center Parking Garage & Central Chilling Plant A9
This project includes a 685 space parking garage, an Austin Energy
district chilling plant, and 18,000 s.f. street-level retail/office uses.
Completion: January 2005 (garage), September 2005
(chiller)

University of Texas

Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art UT3
The Blanton’s state-of-the-art new facility, located near the heart of the
city at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Congress Avenue, is
scheduled to open in February 2006. Composed of two buildings that
face one another across a landscaped pedestrian passageway and
plaza, the new facility will create an inviting public gathering space and
form a gateway between the historic university campus and the Austin
community. The 105,000-square-foot Mari and James A. Michener
Gallery building will house the museum’s collections and exhibitions.
The 50,000-square-foot Education, Visitor Services, and
Administration Building (education building) will be the center of the
museum’s programs that serve a range of audiences, including
university students, school children and the public. It will house
administrative offices, an 299-seat auditorium, a sixty-seat lecture hall,
and several classrooms, a cafe and a bookstore.
Completion: February 2006 (Gallery Bldg.)

Planned

Commercial

Austin Market District (East Block) C2c
Preliminary proposals are for a retail, restaurant and office mixed-use
development. The owner is currently seeking a Conditional Use
Permit for a temporary surface parking lot.
Start Construction: undetermined

Austin Market District (Sixth+Lamar / North Block) C2d
The proposed redevelopment and expansion of the current Whole
Foods building would include retail (including Book People, REI,
Anthropologie, Teo), restaurant and office mixed-use development,
and possibly a 4-screen movie theater.
Start Construction: 2005

ABC Bank C35
The proposal is for a five-story building with ABC Bank on the ground
floor, parking garage and office space on the upper floors.
Start Construction: undetermined

501 Congress (garage) C36
Ten-story, 1,000 space parking garage. Start Construction: early- mid-2006

Third & Trinity C38
Proposed construction of a building that will include two restaurants.

Residential

Red River Flats R4
A 94-unit multifamily project, on the former Reddy Ice site on Waller
Creek.

AMLI Residential: Block 22 R9
Currently in design, this is will be a mixed use project with at least 220
residential units (6± levels) above street level retail, with underground
parking.
Start Construction: 2006

ZOM Austin 1 R22.1
ZOM Austin I, L.P. is being formed to develop a 290 unit luxury high
rise rental project in Austin, Texas. Located at the western edge of
Austin’s Central Business District overlooking Shoal Creek, ZOM
Austin I will be the city’s first AA luxury rental high-rise, at a new
epicenter of pedestrian-oriented development in downtown Austin.
With unparalleled views of downtown, Town Lake and the lush rolling
hills of West Austin, the distinctive twenty-four story residential tower
will join an already vibrant neighborhood. The building complex will
feature 290 residential units and 8,140 square feet of street level retail.
The residential units will be housed in a 24-story high-rise tower, with a
four-story townhome structure over the retail shops. Targeted to the
affluent lifestyle renter, ZOM Austin I will offer a variety of large living
spaces with unit features and building amenities not presently
available in the downtown Austin market, and is sure to become
Austin’s prestige urban living address. Groundbreaking is scheduled
for September 2005.
Start Construction: September 2005

La Vista on Lavaca R24
This eight story building is planned to have first floor restaurant/retail,
3 floors of executive suites, and 19 condos (700 s.f. to 2,000 s.f.) on 4
top floors.
Start Construction: undetermined

The Milan R25
Preliminary plans are for 130 apartments or 60 condos in a mid-rise
building, on the site of the former Treehouse restaurant.
The project was previously named “Park Place on Town Lake.”
Start Construction: summer 2005 tentative

Goodwill Site (Phoenix Properties) R27
Dallas-based Phoenix Property Company, the developer of 404 Rio
Grande, is planning a 4- to 6-story warehouse-style apartment
building at the current site of Goodwill Industries at Third Street and
Lamar Boulevard. The project is expected to have around 160 units.
Start Construction: 2005

101 Colorado R28
MetLife Inc.'s Dallas office has developed plans for a 28-story tower
on the half block lot just west of the 100 Congress. The tower would
include 23 level of apartments (196 units) above a 4-level parking
garage and ground floor lobby, visitor parking and retail space.
Fronting Cesar Chavez will be 6 three-story townhomes.
Five levels of below-grade parking will connect to the the existing 100
Congress garage.
Start Construction: 2005

Robertson Hill Apartments R31
Houston developer Martin Fein Interests Ltd. plans to build a 283-unit
luxury apartment complex on San Marcos Street between Ninth and
11th streets.
Start Construction: 2005

303 Urban Village R32
Plans call for an 8-story building, with 4 stories of residential
(apartments and condos) above 3 stories of parking and first floor
commercial (small market, a dry cleaning store and spa). Topping the
project will be a cafe and rooftop terrace.
Start Construction: 2006

210 Barton Springs Road R34
Austin developer Richard DuPont is moving ahead with a building
between 18 and 20 stories, with at least eight levels of parking. 179
condominiums or apartments would occupy the upper floors. The site
is in the middle of the block that includes the 17-story Hyatt Regency
Austin and another office building that DuPont owns that houses the
Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. The land is now being used
for parking.
Start Construction: 2006 tentative

Swede Hill Lofts R35
A proposed 3-story multifamily residential building with parking
underneath.

501 Congress R36
Tom Stacy, a longtime Austin developer, is planning a 41-story tower,
with stores, a hotel, apartments and condominiums, on Congress
Avenue. The project will be the city's tallest building and the most
ambitious downtown mixed-use project. The 700,000-square-foot
building would cost at least $140 million. The building will include
three levels of stores, a 10-story luxury hotel, with as many as 250
rooms and a large terrace level overlooking downtown, and as many
as 350 residential units, including penthouse condominiums more than
600 feet above street level.
Prices for the 100 condominiums are expected to range from
$300,000 to $600,000 for a 1,000-square-foot unit. Rents for the 200
to 250 apartments would be at market rates, which average $1,600 a
month at new downtown complexes.
Start Construction: mid-2006

Neches Oak Tower R37
The proposed use is an eight-story residential mixed-use tower with
250,000 square feet of mixed-use space.

The Lofts on Shoal Creek R39
This project is a mid-rise residential mixed-use development on the
northwest corner of W. 6th and West Avenue, overlooking Shoal
Creek.

Transportation/Infrastructure

Pfluger Bridge Extension Project T4b
The planning process for this phase of the project began in the spring
of 2004. The City anticipates a nine month period for the Concept
Development Phase, ending with a Recommended Alternative. This
will be followed by a 12-month period for Final Design.
Start Construction: Undetermined

Waller Creek Flood Diversion Tunnel T5
The proposed 15-22 ft diameter flood diversion tunnel would allow
development of the existing flood plain in the lower Waller Creek area.
The City and the County are discussing the economics of the project
and are analyzing the construction alternatives - the original 22 foot
diameter tunnel and the 15.5 foot diameter alternative - working with
the City's consultants and with representatives of the Downtown Austin
Alliance. The City has also recently engaged economic development
consultants to review the economic projections contained in Brown
and Root / Espey Padden's additional studies. The consultants, Kent
Dussair, President of CDS Market Research in Houston and Steve
Spillette, of Spillette Consulting, also in Houston, delivered their report
to the City in July 2004.

Lance Armstrong Crosstown Bikeway T6
This project, named for six-time Tour de France winner and cancer
survivor Lance Armstrong, will provide a continuous bike route for over
6 miles, beginning at Levander Loop at US 183, following 5th Street,
passing through downtown along 4th and 3rd streets, and terminating
near Deep Eddy pool just west of Mopac. The project will include both
separated, paved bicycle path and bike lanes on city streets. The
route is needed to provide non-motorized access to and through
downtown, on bike facilities that are free of both cars, parked cars and
crowds of joggers (as is the case of the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail
which is a recreational facility).
Start Construction: 2005

Seaholm Power Plant Reuse / Seaholm District Master Plan A2
On April 28, 2005 the Austin City Council selected Seaholm Power,
LLC, led by Southwest Strategies Group, to redevelop the circa 1950
Art Deco Seaholm Power Plant and adjacent property, into a high
quality, mixed-use cultural attraction.

Green Water Treatment Plant A3
The Water and Wastewater Utility has contracted with CH2MHILL for
preliminary engineering, design, and construction support services for
a new water treatment plant to be sited at the existing Green Water
Treatment Plant (WTP) site or another appropriate site.

Mexican-American Cultural Center (MACC) A8
The 126,000 s.f. Cultural Center is to be dedicated to the preservation,
creation, presentation and promotion of Mexican-American cultural
arts and heritage. Phase I will include an outdoor plaza and a
two-story structure to house offices with classrooms/meeting rooms. A
multi-purpose building will be designed and constructed that will seat
300 people for a performance or 150 for a sit down dinner. Associated
surface parking and landscaping will also be part of Phase I. Ultimately
a large 800 seat theater, a small 300 seat theater, the outdoor Plaza,
and the two story education, exhibit, rehearsal and office building and
a two story parking garage will be built.
Start Construction: Bid early July 2005

Republic Square A10
The City of Austin is working in collaboration with the Downtown Austin
Alliance, the Austin Parks Foundation, the US General Services
Administration (GSA) and a variety of downtown stakeholders to
transform this historic square into a beautiful green place buzzing with
people and activity. This initiative brings together private and public
resources to create physical improvements and programs that attract,
engage, and reflect Austin's diverse community. This project is now
being done in coordination with the development of a new Federal
Courthouse on the block just to the west of the square. The Austin
City Council has agreed to close the one-block section of San Antonio
Street between the Square and the courthouse site, and efforts are
beginning to coordinate the designs of the two sites and the current
street right-of-way that will be vacated.
Start Construction: Project is in Schematic Design; no
dates have been set for construction.

Block 21 A11
On April 28, 2005 the Austin City Council selected Stratus Properties
to develop this key full block in the emerging Second Street Retail
District.
As part of the RFP, the City was sought a proposal that:
• provides a positive economic and financial impact to the City,
• enhances and contributes to downtown and the 2nd Street District,
with sufficient retail use, but also different uses and cultural or
entertainment attractions; and
• complements existing neighborhood uses and fits in well with the
new City Hall, adjacent retail, and adjacent housing.
Respondents were encouraged to include as part of their development
proposals a viable proposal with one or more of the following cultural
entities that meets the associated space and operational needs of the
entity in a new downtown facility: 1) Texas Music Hall of Fame, 2)
"Austin City Limits" studios and KLRU Offices, and 3) the Austin
Children's Museum

Town Lake Park, Phase II A12
The construction of the second of four phases of the 54+ acre urban
park is scheduled to start in August 2005. Phase II of the park will
redevelop the old city coliseum site with an interactive fountain
designed by artist Donald Lipski. Parking for approximately 60 park
visitors will be provided just north of the Dougherty Arts Center. There
will be an observation hill created for viewing, lots of landscape
planting, a lagoon with water collected from the new Palmer Events
Center, restrooms and a spiral garden area designed by a local artist
team lead by Beverly Penn and funded by the Junior League of Austin
as donation to the park.
Start Construction: August 2005

University of Texas

UT Conference Hotel UT4
Plans call for 250 hotel rooms, 30,000 square feet of conference
space and an above-ground parking garage for 1,100 vehicles.
Start Construction: 2006

U.S. Government

Federal Courthouse US1
The U.S. General Services Administration is developing a new
230,000 sq. ft. plus Federal Courthouse in downtown Austin, on the
former Intel site, just west of Republic Square.
The Austin City Council has agreed to close the one block section of
San Antonio Street between Republic Square and the site of the new
Federal Court House, and efforts are beginning to coordinate and link
the design of the two sites.
Start Construction: late-2006 or early-2007

Capital Metro

Saltillo District Redevelopment Master Plan CM1
The Saltillo District Redevelopment Master Plan will provide
the framework for development of approximately 11 acres of Capital
Metro property along the E. 4th / E. 5th Streets corridor extending from
I-35 to Comal St.
Start Construction: NA

Non-Profit / Other

Austin Museum of Art O3
The site is located just south of Republic Square. Start Construction: undetermined
Dana Friis-Hansen, Executive Director

Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long Center for the Performing Arts O4
This project is the transformation of the existing Palmer Auditorium
into a multi-theater performing arts center to provide performance and
rehearsal facilities for all of Austin's performing artists. The center will
be the permanent home to Austin Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Austin,
and Austin Lyric Opera. In addition, world-class performance facilities
will be available for the full range of Austin's other performing artists
and arts organizations. The main 2,300-seat Dell Hall will feature two
balconies; the smaller Rollins Studio Theater will be a flexible, 43’ x’
60’ space that will seat up to 250.
Start Construction: Fall 2005

Susanna Dickinson House Renovation & Brush Square Renovation O8
The mission of the Joseph and Susanna Dickinson-Hannig House
Museum is to preserve the home and legacy of Alamo survivor
Susanna Dickinson and to celebrate Texas’ historical heritage by
providing programs and educational resources to visitors to Brush
Square. Phase One includes the relocation of the Susanna Dickinson
House on Brush Square’s northeast corner (completed), restoration of
the house, and creation of a basic improvements plan for the
restoration of Brush Square.

[Tnekster]

This is great for Austin. I hope they can pull most of these off, especially that 41 story tower. Downtown Austin is so cool.

[texman]

Downtown Austin is so cool.

I remember someone on here described it as some "crazy mexican ghetto."

[Tnekster]

TRIO OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS INVADE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN



AUSTIN (Statesman.com) – Developers are planning three new residential projects in downtown Austin’s west end and the Red River club district on the east side.



Greystar has plans for a 120-unit upscale apartment complex on the former Reddy Ice site at Red River and East Ninth. Across from Red River, plans call for an eight-story mixed-use complex with 117 residences called Neches Oak Tower. The largest of the trio is Cypress Realty Inc.’s mid-rise condo and retail project at the northwest corner of West Sixth St. and West Ave.



Greystar’s Red River Flats will have lofty rents starting at $1,400 per month for a 670-square-foot one-bedroom unit to $2,230 per month for a two-bedroom unit. The building will have four levels of residences above four levels of parking, two of which will be below ground. Near Red River Flats is Neches Oak Tower, which is still in design phases. The tower could contain 233,000 square feet of residential and retail space with a below-ground parking facility for 300 cars.



Cypress’s Lofts on Shoal Creek, which is down the road from the new Whole Foods flagship store, will consist of high-end condos. The project is still forming, but officials speculate that the project will yield a seven- or eight-story building that includes ground-level parking. About 12,000 square feet of street-level retail is included as well.

[rjlevins]

MetLife tower to start rising this fall
27-story building planned for downtown Austin will have 196 apartments.
By Shonda Novak

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Downtown Austin's skyline is poised to change dramatically again, as MetLife Inc. begins work later this year on a 27-story apartment tower at Cesar Chavez and Colorado streets.

The project will join at least a dozen downtown residential projects that have been planned or built within the past five years.

The architect for MetLife's new residential high-rise showed the city's Downtown Commission on Wednesday night a slide show of what the tower will look like. "It's going to be a fairly prominent building on the skyline," said Owen McCrory, a principal with HKS Inc., the Dallas-based architects that also designed Austin's new flagship Whole Foods Market Inc. store and headquarters.

Featuring Texas limestone and brick accents, the building will have 196 apartments, including six three-story town homes facing Cesar Chavez and three two-story penthouse units facing west. Other features will include a landscaped pool and deck area.

McCrory said the tallest part of the tower will hug the site's northern edge, to preserve as much as possible the views from the office tower next door.

MetLife hopes to break ground early this fall and expects the first units to be ready for tenants by early 2007. The company has not yet released price and size ranges for the units.

[Tnekster]

^How many high rise developments are underway down there?

[rjlevins]

Well...a rough summary: ONLY 12+ STORIES

Under Construction:
1-2. Residence Inn/ Courtyard by Marriot - Hotel - Twin 16 story - Complete Late Summer 2006
3. The Milago - Residential - 13 stories - Complete Spring 2006

Planned:
1.101 Colorado - Residential - 27 stories - Construction Start Fall 2005
2. New Tallest - Hotel/Residential/Retail - 41 stories - Announcement soon
3. Block 21 - Residential - 15 stories - Construction Start within 18 months
4. ZOM Austin I - Residential - 24 stories - Construction Start September 2005
5. 210 Barton Springs - 18 to 20 stories - Construction Start 2006
6. Block 22 - Residential - 18 stories - Construction Start 2006?

There are also about a half dozen ~8 story buildings in the works. Another hotel announcement at 3rd and colorado. A couple developments planned by the developers of whole foods in the market district. The federal courthouse coming in 2008. The new Long Center. The redevelopment of Seaholm.

To answer the question, I think ~9 highrise developments (over 12 stories) will be under construction in the next two years in Austin.

[Tnekster]

^Some good things happening down there. I always look forward to my Austin visits and we always get to stay downtown.

[CTroyMathis]

Austin American-Statesman
New downtown condo tower will be 36 stories
At 36 stories, tower would be 2nd tallest downtown residential project in works
By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, July 29, 2005
http://www.statesman.com/business/co...7/29tower.html

A dramatic change is coming to Austin's skyline, with plans under way for a $60 million condominium high-rise that would tower 36 stories over downtown Austin's southwestern edge.

Developers expect to start construction in about a year on the tower, at West Third and Bowie streets.

The building would be the tallest of any type west of Congress Avenue and the second tallest among a wave of new downtown residential projects in the pipeline. The highest is a 41-story residential-retail-hotel skyscraper that developer Tom Stacy plans at Congress Avenue and Fifth Street.

Developers and city officials said the project represents the kind of density they want to encourage downtown.

But a neighborhood representative said that a 36-story building is not appropriate so close to residential areas and that the project will worsen traffic and parking problems in an already congested area.

Called Spring, the tower would be just west of the Gables West Avenue Lofts and two blocks south of Whole Foods' flagship store.

The building will have several levels of parking above and below ground, plus ground floor shops with 20-foot-wide sidewalks shaded by awnings.

Plans call for 220 condominiums priced from about $200,000 to $400,000, said Larry Warshaw, who is developing the project with Perry Lorenz, Robert Barnstone and Diana Zuniga.

Lorenz and Barnstone were partners in the Nokonah condominiums on North Lamar Boulevard and West Ninth Street. Warshaw and Lorenz co-developed the Pedernales Lofts condominiums on East Sixth Street. Zuniga, a well-known broker, also is a principal in the partnership that is selling the land.

Although some neighborhood groups have opposed other high-rise plans in the area, the developers say their tower would not block views of downtown or the state Capitol.

The project will require a zoning change because the tower will be 400 feet, nearly four times the site's existing 120-foot height limit.

"There will always be folks who think a building is too tall," Lorenz said. "You have to weigh those personal preferences against city policy and good urban planning principles" that encourage density downtown.

Mayor Will Wynn said the project will mean a significant increase in tax revenue without requiring additional public investment in infrastructure or services. Barnstone estimated that the building would pay $1.5 million a year in property taxes.

"That's tax revenue straight to the bottom line, to help pay for things like parks, libraries and public safety," Wynn said.

Environmental advocate Robin Rather said Spring dovetails with the region's long-term goal of reducing sprawl while encouraging more intense development in the central city.

"This is exactly the kind of concept that will help create a more compact city and hopefully take pressure off our more fragile Hill Country areas," she said.

Richard McCown, chairman of the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association west of Lamar, said residents will have "great concern" about the project's height and the additional traffic.

"That's too close to the neighborhood with that kind of density," McCown said. "It's a small tract, and the height is going to be significant."

Jeff Jack, past president of the Zilker Neighborhood Association south of downtown, said the project could set a precedent for "intrusive buildings along the edge of a residential neighborhood."

Jack said he's also concerned about traffic, although the Spring developers say their project will generate a lot less traffic than would a commercial project, which could be built under the current zoning. They say many residents probably will walk to work and nearby shops and restaurants.

Barnstone often cites Vancouver, British Columbia, as a city that has embraced high-rise development while maintaining its scenic beauty and liveability.

Spring will be designed by Foad Rafii, a Vancouver architect, using design principles that maximize the amount of usable space on each floor.

Developers said that will help keep prices well below those of other new downtown condominiums, which average $500,000.

Developers said there will be four to six units per floor but didn't have specific sizes.

"For the first time," Lorenz said, "living in downtown Austin will be a real option for teachers, firefighter, young professionals and middle-income families, not just the very wealthy."

[gc]

whoa, 36 stories...awesome

[rantanamo]

Do highrises really generate that much more traffic? OF course there are more cars, but do they stream out all at once?

[Tnekster]

^Well, if they are in an urban setting I would think they would generate as much or more foot traffic than street traffic. It never seems to me like a highrise generates this huge increase in overall street traffic.

[rjlevins]

Richard McCown, chairman of the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association west of Lamar, said residents will have "great concern" about the project's height and the additional traffic.

"That's too close to the neighborhood with that kind of density," McCown said. "It's a small tract, and the height is going to be significant."

I met this guy a while back while discussions were underway for a development at 6th and Lamar. He's pretty much anti-development for anything near the edge of his neighborhood. OWANA successfully reduced the height of the 6th and Lamar development, so they are somewhat of a threat to the area. McCown came to a Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association meeting to get us onboard his fight, citing increased traffic congestion, but for the most part...DANA was like, "your point?" We understand that increasing traffic in downtown is a necessity...we want more people downtown. Most successful downtowns have traffic. If traffic is increased at certain areas where residential structures have gone up, it just might influence people to make trips without their car.

[rantanamo]

I'm surprised that all this building is happening at all. When I lived in Austin, everything suggested, presented or voted upon was rejected. Freeway projects, buildings, light rail, parks. Everything.

[drycreek]

Awesome! Austin is really booming. It will be very interesting to see what it looks like in 2010. There are some very prime lots right on Congress in DT that I am sure are destined to shoot up with 50 and 60 story skyscrapers before we know it.

[joeintx]

I just moved from Austin after living there for about 22 years. I was frustrated at the lack of will, mostly on the city council's part, to build badly needed roads for so long. Austin is just now starting to build things that should have been started a long time ago. Good to see it's finally happening.

[rantanamo]

What is up with the east/west roads in Austin? You get used to it while you're there, but its very strange to see all those tiny roads and cars lined up for blocks at each light.

[rjlevins]

40-story condo tower planned for downtown
Atlanta, Austin companies teaming up for project on former Intel land.
By Shonda Novak

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Joining the race for the sky, a developer plans to build a 40-story residential skyscraper in downtown Austin.

Atlanta-based Novare Group Holdings LLC and Austin development firm Andrews Urban LLC plan to build a 420-unit condominium tower on 1.3 acres at 300 Nueces St., where Intel Corp. once planned a parking garage for a chip design center that it halted construction on midway through when the tech downturn hit.

Plans for the 520-foot tall tower include approximately 10,000 square feet of street-level shops and restaurants.

The developers hope to break ground early next year, with the first occupants moving in by fall 2007, said John Long, Novare's chief investment officer.

One-bedroom units in the Austin project will start at less than $200,000 and two-bedroom units will start at less than $250,000, making the units affordable to buyers earning annual salaries of $45,000 to $100,000. Currently, downtown condos are reselling for about $300,000 for one-bedroom units to about $500,000 for two bedrooms, said Taylor Andrews, principal of Andrews Urban, Novare's local development partner.

The newest downtown residential projects are high-rises, including a 27-story apartment tower that MetLife plans at West Cesar Chavez and Colorado streets and a 36-story condo tower that developers Perry Lorenz, Robert Barnstone and Larry Warshaw plan to build at West Third and Bowie streets.

The Novare/Andrews Urban project would be just one story short of a 41-story residential-retail-hotel skyscraper that developer Tom Stacy plans at Congress Avenue and Fifth Street.

It would be one of more than a dozen downtown apartment or condominium projects that have been built or planned in the past few years.

The condo tower will have floor-to-ceiling glass walls, large balconies, 10-foot ceilings, 24-hour concierge services, high-speed Internet access, a full-sized pool in a parklike setting and upscale fitness and social centers.

Novare Group focuses on condominium high-rises aimed at buyers 25 to 40 years old who want an urban lifestyle. It has more than 3,500 units under development in Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Nashville, Tenn., and Tampa, Fla. Austin will be its first project outside the Southeast. It also has a boutique hotel development arm.

"This development will enhance the urban living experience in downtown Austin," Andrews said. "Our goal is to develop a stunning tower with exceptional views, comfortable yet elegant living spaces, ample parking and the modern conveniences sought by urban dwellers, all at more attainable prices."

[Tnekster]

^Seems like a lot of condo activity for Austin but I like it. Any renderings of these projects?

[drycreek]

Just read this earlier. Great stuff, Austin is truly blowing up!! Very cool.

[rjlevins]

And another: 22 story - Rainey Street/Waterfront District

Two new high-rises expand downtown living options
One project signals revival of Rainey Street neighborhood


By Shonda Novak

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, August 11, 2005

More high-rise living is coming downtown, including a 22-story condominium project that signals a revival of the Rainey Street neighborhood at downtown's eastern edge.

The other project is a 40-story condominium tower on the west side of downtown.

Both are aimed at people who want the downtown lifestyle but can't afford to live in most of the existing projects, where units average $500,000.

Atlanta-based Novare Group Holdings LLC and its local partner, Andrews Urban LLC, plan to build a 40-story, $85 million condominium tower at 300 Nueces St.

Plans call for work to start early next year, with the first occupants moving in by fall 2007, said John Long, Novare's chief investment officer.

The other project will include 17 floors of residences over five parking levels at Davis and Red River streets, bordered on the south by the hike-and-bike trail. The developers also are in negotiations for a possible hotel project on the site.

High Street Residential Inc., a subsidiary of Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co., plans about 200 units with prices starting at $140,000, said Jamil Alam, a principal with Trammell Crow. Developers plan to start construction in the third quarter of 2006.

Thirteen apartment or condominium projects are in the pipeline for downtown, with most of them at 17 stories or higher. Developers say building more floors, and more units. allows them to bring prices down.

One bedroom units at the Novare-Andrews Urban project will start at less than $200,000.

Alam said the catalyst for the High Street project was the city's decision last year to rezone the Rainey Street neighborhood to allow the same density of development allowed elsewhere downtown.

The 30-acre neighborhood is filled with turn-of-the century bungalows, but many had fallen into disrepair, and residents said they were being squeezed by rising property taxes. Many had pushed the city to change the zoning so they could sell their property and move on.

The new zoning allows high-rise development but also includes provisions designed to assure that the area won't become a characterless forest of tall buildings.

Alam said property owners are now calling the area, on a bend in Town Lake, the Waterfront District to reflect its changing image.

"Had the area not been rezoned, we wouldn't be doing this," he said.

The first new project in the area, Milago, a 14-story condominium project at the foot of Rainey Street, is under construction and nearly sold out.

Perry Lorenz, a downtown developer who also owns land nearby, said the area is poised for a major transformation, with more residential development and shops not far behind.

"We are talking to multiple qualified buyers about several sites in the whole Waterfront area," he said. "Austin will soon realize, if it doesn't already, that the recent zoning change has had a tremendous impact on the redevelopment of the area."

With skeptics saying the central city is at risk of becoming overbuilt, Novare Group already is looking for more sites.

"The demand for Class A high-rise residential developments continues to be strong in Austin," Long said.

The company is developing similar projects in Atlanta, Nashville, Tenn., Charlotte, N.C., and Tampa, Fla., all aimed at people ages 25 to 40 who enjoy the downtown lifestyle.

Taylor Andrews, principal of Andrews Urban, found the land -- 1.3 acres where Intel Corp. once planned a parking garage for a later-abandoned design center -- and them teamed up with Novare Group.

Their project will have 420 units, with shops at street level and seven or eight levels of parking. One-bedrooms would start at less than $200,000, and two-bedrooms at less than $250,000.

With 10 percent down and a 30-year-fixed mortgage, those units would be affordable to people earning about $60,000 to $120,000 a year, said Joe Brown, a senior partner with Milestone Mortgage in Austin.

The project will have amenities such as 24-hour concierge services, a pool and fitness center. It's within easy walking distance of the Austin Music Hall and La Zona Rosa.

Long said Novare will spruce up adjacent Shoal Creek, which he's convinced "will become a jewel in the city."

snovak@statesman.com; 445-3856

[barrycb]

Wow. There is a new announcement every week! When will Dallas realize there is a market for high-rise condos for the non rich?

[rjlevins]

I was just reading today in Austin's Downtown Planet about the growing population of families in Downtown Austin. Parents are finding it more convenient to raise their kids downtown because they have less of a commute to work, less household chores (mowing the lawn, etc.), and have more things to do with their children. They think of Town Lake as their backyard where they can take their kids to have fun. There are plenty of things to do with their children downtown in places like the Children's Museum and Zilker Park. The parents also put a high value on letting their children experience culture and life downtown at an early age. I mention this because as the housing gets more affordable downtown, I think this trend will likely continue. Austin is on track to possibly have a truly livable downtown for a great variety of people. I only hope these recent announcements do get built, and can remain affordable.

[rantanamo]

AISD is much more trusted than DISD. Austin High, which is the school these kids would eventually end up at is definitely respected by Austinites.

[St-T]

^Didn't the Bush twins go to Austin High??

[rantanamo]

yup. Strangely for a big city single school district, children in wealthier hoods actually go to the public schools. I believe Anderson is the same way. Westlake though is part of the Eanes ISD. Basically their own HPISD.

[rjlevins]

Great day in Austin! Novare (40 st mixed-use residential) passed in city council 7-0. Spring (36 st. mixed-use residential) passed 6-1.

[Tnekster]

Cool

[rjlevins]

FYI. The city of Austin released an update of our Downtown emerging projects.

We have a 700' and a 675' tower on the way, both with residential components. And our W Hotel on "Block 21" will be the second W, after Dallas, with a residential component. That one is 402'.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/...t.htm#emerging.

[freewaytincan]

I'll be there tomorrow! I'm looking forward to it, I've never gotten to spend any real time there.

[Tnekster]

101 Colorado Street
Austin, Texas


In Austin, a joint venture between The Hanover Company and MetLife is developing a 36-story residential property. The project, which is currently being called by its street address, 101 Colorado Street, comprises 115 one-bedroom units, 139 two-bedroom units and five penthouses. The high-rise will also include five levels of parking underneath and six stories above ground. It is expected to break within the next few months.

“There’s an active condominium market in Austin right now, and the rental product allows people to experience the downtown atmosphere to see if it fits their lifestyle. Most people are pleasantly surprised and end up making our property home,” says Hamilton. “We can also be an incubator area for condominiums that are being built because people need a place to live until their condominiums are completed, which, many times, is in excess of 2 years. We work with condominium developers in providing that resource.”

The development is also unique because of its potential to be converted. While The Hanover Company specifically builds for-rent residential communities, 101 Colorado Street is built to condominium quality and lends itself to condo conversion at a later point, says Hamilton.

The downtown area is an asset to the development. Located at the intersection of Colorado and Second streets, 101 Colorado Street overlooks Town Lake downtown and offers a panoramic view of the hill country to the west. Congress, which is one half of a block from the development, is a primary artery into and out of downtown Austin. The city itself includes office, industrial and warehouse areas, as well as recently revitalized areas. With the revamping of Second Street that is currently underway, residents of 101 Colorado Street will be able enjoy new activities. The city government is implementing a plan to bring the nightlife into the downtown area to make it a place to live, work and play, according to Hamilton.

“The location of the project in the downtown market is sought-after. We’re doing the the luxury quality for-rent product, which is not in the downtown market at present,” says Hamilton. “It’s a great location.”

101 Colorado Street includes special amenities as well. Residents will be able to utilize a state-of-the art exercise facility with training, cardio and fitness equipment. The clubhouse will include a catering kitchen that can also be used for cooking classes and large screen televisions. In addition to this social area, a screening room with home-theater surround sound will seat between 20 and 24 people in large chairs. In addition to enjoying these indoor amenities, residents can also socialize around The Aquadeck, an elevated pool and deck area over the parking garage. It will have a lounge area and a deck area with barbeque grills, tables and chaise lounges.

101 Colorado Street is expected to be completed in January 2009.

[kenc]

Wow. There is a new announcement every week! When will Dallas realize there is a market for high-rise condos for the non rich?

We will see that soon, but not Downtown or Uptown / Oak Lawn.... the land is just too expensive.
Look for the near South (Cedars) area, and subarban areas on DART (like Downtown Garland) to develop affordable hi-rises. Land is more affordable, and the mass transit makes these areas easy to live in.

[dfwcre8tive]

Life is looking up in downtown Austin
Condo boom draws thousands, already more than in Dallas' core
12:01 AM CDT on Saturday, July 15, 2006
By KAREN BROOKS / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN – Many members of this city's elite, from Ann Richards to Lance Armstrong, are moving into downtown condos. But Austin's blossoming effort to create a vibrant, permanent population in the city's center is built around people like college professor Sharon Jarvis.

She traded in suburban traffic for a seven-minute drive to her job at the University of Texas. She shops, plays, and exercises within walking distance of her front door. From her balcony, she can look over the rolling Hill Country to the west and, if she stands on the roof of her high-rise, she has a clear view of the stunning state Capitol just a few blocks away.

Austin has long lagged behind other cities, including Dallas, in drawing people to live downtown. But now, it's welcoming a big infusion of housing that's expected to bring at least a dozen multifamily projects in the next few years – perhaps twice that. At least five are breaking ground or opening this year.

More than 5,300 people call downtown home – already more than live within Dallas' downtown freeways – and Austin Mayor Will Wynn and other civic leaders say they would like to attract 25,000 residents in the next 10 years. Doing so will be an important part of managing the area's rapid growth and mitigating suburban sprawl across Travis County and beyond. "It's already happening," Mr. Wynn said. "You will see Austin have as vibrant an urban core as anywhere in the country."

Peter Armato, president of the group Downtown Dallas, said the new downtown development is something to admire. "This is where Austin is clearly ahead of us," Mr. Armato said. "The brand-new construction, how to bring it in at a price the market wants, and bring it into the core. ... We need to figure out how to make that happen."

Downtown Austin has all the ingredients for an urban-living boom. Most new projects sit within blocks of new retail districts. Within walking distance (or a $2 pedi-cab ride) are entertainment districts, grocery stores, popular local businesses, public transit and jobs.

For Ms. Jarvis and many like her – often young, single and upwardly mobile, but also including retirees and upper-income families – life along Austin's skyline is simple, social and engaging. "I've found that people are happy to come over. I have more visitors – in town, and from out of town," said Ms. Jarvis, an associate professor of communications. "I have friends in the building who comment that they don't use their car all week. It's terrific."

There are some concerns, though, that the boom will be limited to the wealthy and elite. Units in the newest buildings sell for no less than $200,000, and one developer said that "the sky's the limit" on prices. Still, most of the new buildings are either fully occupied or have commitments to sell most units. "It's going to be very evident in the next six months," said Dave van Heuven, 29, whose boutique real estate company was among the first to focus on downtown development. "You're going to see cranes throughout the skyline. The 'Big Birds.' It's amazing what 10 years will do."

Moving back downtown
In cities across the nation throughout the 1990s, the rush to the suburbs defined metro areas and their growth rate. Austin saw a 41 percent increase in population over 10 years, and suburban sprawl has been so extensive that San Antonio is almost considered a sister city.

But as traffic, small business, infrastructure, environmental concerns and economic shifts draw residents back into downtown, many city leaders – including those in Austin – see an opportunity for revival. "For a couple years, [Austin] led the nation in office vacancies," Mr. Wynn said. "We had simply no downtown residential, no downtown retail. We had lost the historic Congress Avenue retail presence that had been there for 100 years. And downtown looked bad."

Downtown business owners and residents formed a tax district and began to bring up their neighborhood to what they believed was more appropriate for Texas' capital: Safer streets, more retail, historic restoration and better upkeep.

Starting about five years ago, slow progress turned into a boom. Now, the "360" building, with 445-units on 44 stories, broke ground downtown last month, as did the Shore building with 199 units on Town Lake. Another project that's already broken ground is The Monarch, a 27-story luxury high-rise right in the middle of one of downtown's hottest entertainment areas, the Warehouse District.

Nearby, the AMLI Apartments are going up next door to a Seattle-style retail development called the Second Street District – a mix of local design shops, restaurants, day spays and clothing stores around a new, eclectically designed City Hall.

Other lofts and condos have sprung up around the new convention center downtown, including penthouses atop the Hilton Austin Hotel.

Ms. Jarvis had bought a home in Spicewood, a far-northwest Austin neighborhood. It was the only one she had ever owned. But when the downtown boom began, including construction of her building, the Nokona, she felt the pull of life at the city's center. "Once they started building downtown, I started paying attention," she said.

Demographics
Single women are the fastest-growing group of new homebuyers in the nation, studies show, and downtown Austin holds special attraction for young people because the nightlife is good and the buildings are safe. Ms. Jarvis estimates that one-third of her building's residents are, like her, in their 30s.

So far, the residents won't see the diversity of income that many neighborhoods in Austin have.

Although some projects, such as The Shore, have reserved units to sell or rent to families with incomes lower than the neighborhood average, the city does not plan rent subsidies. Mr. Wynn said he hopes that supply and demand will push prices into more affordable ranges – part of the reason the city's allowed some projects to build higher than ordinances usually permit.

But real-estate brokers say the economic reality is simply that large, working-class families who need lots of space for little money will always find a better deal in the suburbs. "There's an active group of concerned individuals, both inside the city government and out in the private sector and nonprofit community, who would like to see affordable housing downtown," said Charles Heimsath, president of Capitol Market Research, an Austin-based real-estate consulting company. "But without a significant subsidy by somebody – the city, the state, somebody – it's just too expensive. You can't build affordable units on land that [valuable]. ... It just doesn't work."

Growing vertically in Austin's core is an easier sell for environmental concerns, though, because it slows the demand on green space and, researchers say, prevents damaging sprawl.

As for the social and cultural draws of downtown Austin living, the sky's the limit there, too, residents say. With thriving bars, a children's museum, the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail to the south and the breathtaking Capitol to the north, Austin is an easy sell. "It's where the fun is," Ms. Jarvis said. "We're going where the fun is."

E-mail kmbrooks@dallasnews.com

A TALE OF TWO DOWNTOWNS
Cities across the nation, including Dallas and Austin, are trying to bring their downtown cores to life. Leaders of both cities say they are learning from each other's approach to luring downtown residents. But the two areas are so different in history and geography that the means to achieving the same end – a vibrant, teeming urban core – vary. A look:

Austin
How many residents: An estimated 5,300 residents live downtown. An estimated 75,000 people work there.

City planners' prediction: To have 25,000 downtown residents in the next 10 years.

Approach: Austin officials say their city was a late-bloomer on the downtown housing trend because it lacked the type of downtown structures that could be turned into living quarters. Downtown Dallas, meanwhile, has plenty of old office buildings, like the Mercantile, to renovate. Austin is counting on out-of-state developers to build residential projects and private business to install retail shops for the backbone of downtown revitalization.

Dallas
How many residents: An estimated 3,500 people live inside the downtown freeway loop, which is commonly known as the downtown core – that's about the same size as downtown Austin. About 135,000 people work there.

City planners' prediction: To have 10,000 people living downtown by 2010.

Approach: While officials in both cities say Dallas was ahead of the curve on conversion of old office buildings to condos and apartments, Dallas is "clearly behind Austin" in breaking new ground on new construction of housing, said Peter Armato, president of Downtown Dallas. Austin had a head start on that because the city owned much of the abandoned downtown land. It also had a stronger base of residents already living downtown, largely along historic Sixth Street, that helped maintain a steady population.

SOURCE: Dallas Morning News research

[rantanamo]

Love that Austin media. I'd love to see one of those radius comparisons that you often see on SSP. Even an overlay that compares development between the two cores overall.

[Quiz03]

So Dallas is being slammed for having multiple districts where new high rise construction can go, besides the traditional downtown area.

[rantanamo]

I don't know about slammed. Just seems left out to make inner city Austin's new development look further ahead and in number than Dallas as if what's immediately across Woodall Rogers doesn't exist.

[Tnekster]

^Exactly

[aceplace]

This is one more reason to abandon the concept that Dallas' downtown ends at Woodall Rogers.

People in Dallas who want to live in a "downtown style residential area" will find it anywhere in a 4 to 5 square mile area centered more or less on Ross Avenue. Victory looks like what most people would consider a downtown residential area, as does much of McKinney, all the way to West Village.

Dallas has the strength to create center city residential districts on a much wider area than Austin, and it has done exactly that, in a wide swath from the Farmers Market, and going north within an area delimited by I35, Oak Lawn, Blackburn and US75. Even extending east of 75 to Baylor and western Deep Ellum. That's a lot of center city urban living.

Unfortunately, many people in Dallas ignore this... if it isn't on and around Main Street, then it isn't downtown. Well, maybe they're still living in the 1950s. And based upon such a biased comparison, Dallas looks pretty lame. But when Dallas identifies its real downtown boundaries, it looks like what it is... the 4th largest metro in America.

[rjlevins]

I'm really not a fan of comparing the two cities: Dallas and Austin. They are different types of cities.

Austin's urban core will eventually be very residential-heavy and may end up actually having a severe shortage of office, such as Vancouver. Vancouver has had problems keeping businesses downtown lately because their market is (not in a bad way) flooded with residential buildings.

On the other hand, with the early success in becoming an economic powerhouse, Dallas will likely resemble Chicago, where it has several high-density residential districts mixed-in with its strong corporate CBD. (Not to say Chicago doesn't have plenty of residential buildings downtown.)

But as the article mentioned, Austin and Dallas are coming from different sides of the urbanization process. Dallas has tons of abandoned high-rise buildings (mostly office) prime for redevelopment and reuse. Most of Austin's abandoned space is/was warehouses which needs/needed to be raised.

Think of it this way:

For the most part, Austin gets to start with a clean pallet. The warehouse district/market district was virtually nothing before. It had an urban infrastructure with proximity to one of the most beautiful urban lakes in the country. Naturally it became/is becoming a residential neighborhood of apts, condos, and townhomes. Dallas is seeing this with Victory. You can do a lot more at a faster rate with empty land.

Where does Downtown Austin suffer (for now)? Along Congress Ave., north downtown with all of the state buildings/garages, and on the east end of downtown where it is separated from downtown with lines of unfriendly designed office buildings, parking lots, and garages. The Dallas Downtown can relate to that.

[Tnekster]

I was down in Austin this week. Noticed several projects currently coming out of the ground. The most notable was the 360 Condominiums http://www.lifesurroundsyou.com/ and they have a cam. Just a block away is the AMLI Austin where they were working on the 20th floor. Beyond that there were several other towers under construction and they finally started work on that abandoned structure left sitting idle during the tech meltdown but there was no sign as to what it would become. All of these projects were close to the lake. When completed these projects will really fill in the area between downtown and Whole Foods.

[dfwcre8tive]

Intel building imploded in Austin
10:30 PM CST on Sunday, February 25, 2007
Associated Press
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...n.11b0e01.html

AUSTIN – The abandoned downtown building that symbolized the dot-com collapse of 2001 was demolished Sunday to make way for a new courthouse.

A crowd of hundreds looked on as the unfinished building came down in about 10 seconds with a series of dynamite explosions.

Intel Corp. abandoned its construction of the building in 2001 when the tech boom fizzled.

Some onlookers questioned whether the implosion was a success because edges of the concrete and metal skeleton remained standing after the implosion.

But Shala Geer-Smith, a spokeswoman for building owner General Services Administration, said the building fell according to plan.

"It wasn't all supposed to be completely blown up and down on the ground," Geer-Smith said in a story posted Sunday on the Austin American-Statesman Web site.

Crews will spend the next two months removing about 20,000 pounds of debris, she said.

A a new federal courthouse will be built at Fourth and San Antonio streets by 2012.

[Tnekster]

Guess that explains what they were doing to that place when I saw it.

[Tnekster]

Saw an ad for this in the DBJ, had not seen it before.

http://www.fourseasons.com/private_r...tin/index.html

[Tnekster]

COMMENTARY: JOHN KELSO

For half a mil, your dog can poop in luxury
Click-2-Listen
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...01/1kelso.html

The Austonian, the swank 55-story luxury condo tower that will be going up at Second Street and Congress Avenue, is going to have a toilet for dogs.

Hey, when you charge $550,000 to $3.8 million per unit, you've got to have something for the guy who has everything, right?

So the 10th floor of the joint will feature an "urban garden" with a lap pool, a billiard room, an outdoor movie screen and a dog park with a scented self-cleaning doggy john.

What this means is that if you live in the Austonian, you'll no longer have to take your dog outside for a walk. And your dog will get fat and start looking like a sausage with lips.

Scott Ziegler of the architectural firm Ziegler Cooper Architects of Houston thinks that when installed, the Austonian's dog toilet might be the first one in America.

"I try to keep up with these design blogs, and I haven't seen it anywhere," he said. "It ought to get a lot of attention. The leading edge is usually in Seattle and New York, but nobody has offered that in any of their Web sites, so I think this might be a first."

That's good, because it means that Austin will finally be known for a third thing besides live music and allergies.

The dog toilet is built flush with the floor and comes with a mechanical scraping blade.

"It's got a cleansing flush system that has a chemical aroma that attracts the dog," Ziegler said. "It's a stainless-steel plate, 18 inches square, and that's the surface that the dogs are attracted to when the dog does his business. Then you hit the fob, an electronic key, and a little scraper scrapes the dog's residue into the sanitary system. And it cleanses it."

In other words, you don't want to be there when the wiper blade breaks down and about 47 dogs show up.

Actually, what really happens is that the dog ignores the steel plate and goes in the lap pool. Then the dog nails the guy in the swim trunks on the ankle.

You've got to wonder if they keep a garden hose handy in case they need to break up the dogs. Also, is there any restriction on the size of dog that can use this dog toilet? "Not in our research, no," Ziegler said. "The plate looks like it accommodates almost anything. I hate to think what else might use it."

Kappa Sigma comes to mind, especially on Texas football weekends.

I'm curious what scent they'll use to attract the dogs. I hear Eau de FiFi In Heat works pretty well.

Ziegler says the device will be popular with dog owners who live downtown.

"Owners of condominiums don't want to walk around with a bag in their hands," Ziegler said. "So we're trying to promote a very positive experience for the owner and their dog."

Great, but won't this lead to jokes about the Austonian? Won't some people start calling the place the Pomeranian? And would you really want to live next to a building full of people who are too lazy to walk their dogs?

Oh well, at least the dog toilet will give the Austonian a new marketing logo: Close to Downtown and Barking.

John Kelso's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 445-3606 or jkelso@statesman.com.

[I45Tex]

re: Austonian,

I don't like the message that it sends to have high-rollers' residences towering behind the State Capitol, but at least this one is shaped like a stick of deodorant ameliorating the insiders' stench.

[freewaytincan]

re: Austonian,

I don't like the message that it sends to have high-rollers' residences towering behind the State Capitol, but at least this one is shaped like a stick of deodorant ameliorating the insiders' stench.

good call.

it looks like the top of the four seasons has been simplified (and in my opinion improved.)

what happened to that pelli-designed tower that made me really uncomfortable with the outwardly slanting side?

[rosewood]

Darlings,

Politics has never looked so good! Austin is joining the super luxury high-rise boom and adding it's spire to the Lone Star Capital Skyline.

Soaring 55 stories and sporting only 195 luxurious condominiums in it's slender spire, The Austonian is set to rise. In a nod to the Capital, a rather democratic move, a spectacular three story Skylounge for the lucky residences will be perched on top as the "official" Penthouse! Floors 53 through 55 will be reserved for this Spa-like, Sky-high luxury lounge with commanding 360° views through its all glass walls.

This building blows all the others out of the water in height.

Congrats Austin! Vaycay condos are just a 40 minute jet ride from Jet East. How lovely is that?! Now maybe some Republicans can through some decent fund raisers with a few.

Rosewood.

[JaeTex]

Boo. Hiss.

I mean it looks cool and all and I'd like to have it in Uptown but I'm old-school and still of the belief that no building in Austin should be taller than the capitol (I know that's already been broken, but still).

Also, see this: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedi...ck=1&cset=true