[Complex01]

I was looking online today, and they have updated the rendering of the tower on their (vidorra's web site). There is one question that comes to mind when i see this picture, and that is are they are really going to build the 2nd tower. I ask this because the building looks longer (has a wider foot print). Now i have driven by this area many times and it just does not seem that there is enough room to build two of the same towers if they are going to look like this. So i guess we shall see. Do miss the old towers though...
:drunk:


Vidorra (http://www.vidorraliving.com/homepage.htm)


You have to go the link to see the rendering. I couldnt get it off the website. (Its in flash)

[METALMiKE]

It's a nice building.

[Paul in S.A TX]

Austin is whipping our Butt!!!!!SA needs to get with it.

[Asobi Seksu]

The more and more I read Paul's posts, the more and more I'm embarrassed he represents San Antonio on this forum.

[KevinFromTexas]

Hey man, Austin has some ugos, too. And not every building that comes along will make everyone happy, especially the first projects to come along and break into new territory. Architecture is art, some people will love it, while others will hate it.

[ryan5021]

I stopped by the sales center last week and they will be building the second tower. They told me they will break ground on tower one by the end of the year. Once tower one is 80% sold they will start taking reservations for tower two.

[21bl0wed]

Lol this makes SA look even more like a joke. Weren't they supposed to originally build tower 1 with 60% of sales? And wasn't that supposed to be in september? Late september if i remember? Well now this new design sucks and I guess they are still struggling for the 60%...Why even think about a tower 2 when this one can't even get off the ground. Vidorra was something good that turned into a piece of **** real quick.

[Asobi Seksu]

21blow giving Paul major competition.

[The Nano]

Come on Seksu, let them speak their mind. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

[Complex01]

The more and more I read Paul's posts, the more and more I'm embarrassed he represents San Antonio on this forum.

:no:

Hmm now I think if anything you should be embarrassed by your own comments. Anyone can say what ever they want. So what if he doesn’t like it or likes it. These threads aren’t only for people who love everything; it’s a discussion and guess what goes on during a discussion DISAGREEMENT. I am not embarrassed at all by someone who voices their opinion, in fact more power to them...

[21bl0wed]

positives -
A 20 story building downtown will add to density
First true condo development which BETTER be the first of many more!

negatives -
Scaled down in height.
First design was better looking imo
Probably only one tower will be built

It's still better than nothing though.

[Asobi Seksu]

:no:

Hmm now I think if anything you should be embarrassed by your own comments. Anyone can say what ever they want. So what if he doesn’t like it or likes it. These threads aren’t only for people who love everything; it’s a discussion and guess what goes on during a discussion DISAGREEMENT.

So you're berating me for my post that does exactly that.

[Asobi Seksu]

Come on Seksu, let them speak their mind. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I agree. Am I not entitled to my opinion?

[starvinggryphon]

I don't think the sales office is really sure what they are doing. How can tower 2 be built when the new rendering is 2 1/2 times as wide as any one tower in the old design? Use the structures at the bottom of the rendering for reference. They are two tiny old homes along Center St. You can see that the new structure clearly covers most of the block where the "twin towers" were thinner and had room to sit side by side. There will be only one tower......it's like they sat both buildings side by side and connected them.....................right? Or am I seeing things that aren't there?

[michobq]

I think that this building looks great and will add some life to the other side of I-37 and Sunset Station. The newer floor plans look great as well. I look forward to seeing the whole area getting revitalized.

I tend to agree with Asobi Seksu on comments made by others. It makes the writer of the post look childish and the city they represent look petty and jealous. Just my opinion.

[The Nano]

I agree. Am I not entitled to my opinion?

Sure you are, but this thread isnt about what you think about the other members of the board, its a general discussion of the project. Not other members and what you think of them.

[jaga185]

First true condo development which BETTER be the first of many more!


Have you forgotten about La Cascada?

Anyway, I in no means think that this rendering is ugly, sure it's not as "whack, in your face" but it's not ugly.

[alexjon]

I like it.

Trust me-- after a while you get tired of condo buildings with fins. It's the "thing" to do nowadays.

[JACKinBeantown]

It's OK. It's much more than a bland glass box. I like that the style fits in with SA's old buildings, but looks semi-modern. I also like that there is clear delineation between the floors. That always accentuates the deparation between the floors, which in turn adds to perceived height by adding a human scale (as opposed to a shiny glass surface that's uniform from bottom to top). While this is not groundbreaking architecture, it's certainly a solid addition to SA's west downtown skyline.

[KevinFromTexas]

And wasn't that supposed to be in september? Late september if i remember?

Don't pay much attention to groundbreaking dates. Those tend to change all the time with projects. Also, the media doesn't always get it right. Developers themselves have told me that they often get construction dates and project sizes, such as height, number of floors and units wrong. They're especially bad with numbers.

I've caught the Austin American-Statesman and the Austin Business Journal being incorrect about information more than a few times. Things like building names spelled wrong, or buildings that were talked about in different articles and had different floor numbers listed for them. To clear those issues up, I'd usually go straight to either the developer, or architect. They usually know what's going on, even more so than the sales office.

[Paul in S.A TX]

I love San Antonio and its exsisting architecture.
I just havent gotten over the the suppose to be built Convention Center hotel.Now the twin Vidorra is changed to a one colored box.It looks incomplete.Looks like a XMAS tree w/o the star or angel at the top.

I was really excited when I saw the new Convention Center hotel.I was very dissapointed when I saw a huge replica of the Holiday Inn Select taking it's place, lol.I just hope they at least build the multi-color version instead of the boring plush box they are advertsing

They took the candy right out of our mouths.

Anyway I'm looking foward to San Lorezo Piazza and the new Kress Tower.

[Complex01]

Hi all, if you go to the following link

http://www.sanantonio.gov/historic/hdrc.asp

Download the file, (its a big one)

Go down to pages 146-158, its shows some new renderings of Vidorra. It fills the area nicely. Also it shows the foot print of the area, and there is room for 2 towers. So that is good news. If someone could post some of the images, that would be really great. (They are pdf, and i have yet to learn how to post those files on here)

Thank You...


:ahhh:

[KevinFromTexas]

Here you go. I actually just found out how to to do it. When you open the PDF file, you'll notice some icons at the top left. There's a printer, binoculars, a hand, and it'll say "select" with an arrow. Next to that there's a camera. If you wave your cursor over it you'll see it says "Snapshot". Click on that. It'll pop up a little crosshair. Use this to crop out the image you want in the PDF file. It'll say "Copied to clipboard". Use a photo editing program such as Paint Shop Pro, and paste it into the window in that program. The image should show up right away. From there save it as a JPEG file type, then name it what ever you want. Between croppings make sure to click on the hand icon so you can navigate and scroll down to the next image. Once you have them all cropped and saved, just upload them to any photo hosting site, such as Photobucket or Imageshack.

Here they are:

By the way, I do like it. I think it'll look fine.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/KevinFromTexas/San%20Antonio%20Renderings/SanAntoniorenderingsVidorra5.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/KevinFromTexas/San%20Antonio%20Renderings/SanAntoniorenderingsVidorra4.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/KevinFromTexas/San%20Antonio%20Renderings/SanAntoniorenderingsVidorra3.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/KevinFromTexas/San%20Antonio%20Renderings/SanAntoniorenderingsVidorra2.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/KevinFromTexas/San%20Antonio%20Renderings/SanAntoniorenderingsVidorra1.jpg

And the color one for good measure...
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/KevinFromTexas/San%20Antonio%20Renderings/SanAntoniorenderingsVidorranewdesig.jpg

[Complex01]

Oh thanx you Kevin very much. Great job. Yes they look very nice...

:yes:

[Trae]

It's not that bad. It should add "some" density to San Antonio. Is it only 20 floors?

[Complex01]

I counted 21. ? Anyone else...

:shrug:

[KevinFromTexas]

I counted 21. ? Anyone else...

:shrug:

I did, too.

[matttwentyeight]

if yall go to vidorraliving again they have another pic of the building loaded.

[Schertz1]

Viddora has financial approval to break ground. They are planning for 28-29 Dec 06. Less than 40 units are left in tower one. They also say sales for tower II should begin around spring.

[sananto]

What is the exact location of these Vidorra Towers? Does anybody know what intersection they will be on? I would like to invision by driving on IH37 as to how they will look when and if completed

Thanks.

[METALMiKE]

What is the exact location of these Vidorra Towers? Does anybody know what intersection they will be on? I would like to invision by driving on IH37 as to how they will look when and if completed

Thanks.

The address on their website is 215 Center Street.

A map of the area:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/metalmike07/areamap_03.jpg

[Trae]

Nice map.

[Complex01]

Well hopefully it will start at the end of december. Wow i remember when the story first broke, about the same time last year. I still have the newspapper clipping from the paper.

:yes:

[texboy]

Just got an e-mail....the groundbreaking ceremony for Vidorra 1 will be on friday December 15th from 11am to 1pm.....FINALLY....maybe if I can find time, Ill try and make my way down there to take some pre construction pics!

[KevinFromTexas]

Fantastic! Yes, please do take some pics if you can. :banana:

[matttwentyeight]

i got that one too... yeehah. i am gonna try to go and take some pics as well, so hopefully i can get some good ones. i wonder when they are gonna put up the crane though... hmm?

when i saw the email on my phone i was a little shocked because i figured that they were going to keep pushing the date back another month like they had been doing over and over again. they had a little blip about them starting construction next month in the real estate section of either sat's or sun's newspaper but after all the different things i had heard already i didnt know whether it was factual or not. now we know.

whoever might be going i will see you there.

[Asobi Seksu]

matt, did you recieve my email?

[matttwentyeight]

hjlgl

[genny]

The Vidorra project is revitalizing the east side. The city has been making improvements to this side of town and it shows from the newly paved streets to the artistic benches along E. Commerce. The east side is up and coming.

[genny]

There have been new updates to the Vidorra website. Green features and a section on meeting their buyers.

[max777]

I wanted the buildings or original rendering with the FINS on the top of them. Those WERE the most unique condos I'd ever seen. Well, I'm not going to be a party pooper. So I'm just going to say, I DO like them. Looking on the bright side, they WILL have great views of the city.:hell: :yes: :banana:

[miaht82]

From NestFest on MySA.com (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/realestate/2009/03/vidorra-condos-open-for-living.html)

By Creighton Welch on Mar 18, 2009

What once was nothing more than an artist's rendering is now complete (except some cleaning and landscaping).


The Vidorra condos near Sunset Station are ready for residents. In fact, four owners have closed and two already are living in the 20-story tower. Check back later today for photos of the finished product.


The developers say they'll be able to close about seven condos per week for the next few months. About 60 percent of the 146 condos and six townhomes are sold at this point.

The units range from about 1,000 square feet up to a 3,866-square-foot penthouse. The two penthouses are still available, and pricing is available upon request. The condos start at $255,900.

In addition to being near the activity of Sunset Station, the condos offer the amenities such as a concierge, pool, fitness and business centers, guest suites and catering arrangements with Sunset Station.

From another story in the business section of MySA.com (http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/Vidorra_condos_SAs_newest_high-rise.html) , not NestFest.

"Once 80 percent of the condos are sold, developers will begin the process of building a second 20-story tower next to the condo, Rochelle said."

[KevinFromTexas]

Thanks for posting that. You need to include the source though.

[Dom"n"Converse]

You didn't write that part that said when tower one is 80% sold, tower 2 will start construction.

[miaht82]

Added it;

So if I do math correctly, 152 (146+6 townhomes) x .80 = 121.6 = magic number
So far, we are at ABOUT 60% which is around 91 or so that have been sold.

We, or I, can assume that 30 more need to sell before Tower 2 will break ground.

[kornbread]

Added it;
So if I do math correctly, 152 (146+6 townhomes) x .80 = 121.6 = magic number
So far, we are at ABOUT 60% which is around 91 or so that have been sold.

We, or I, can assume that 30 more need to sell before Tower 2 will break ground.

Originally, construction wasn't supposed to start until 60% of the units had been sold. So now that units are available for residents to start moving in, they still have only sold 60% of the units?

At that rate, you will never reach 30 more, and even if they do wouldn't they just start to sell units in the second building (as opposed to actually breaking ground)?

[miaht82]

Unless growth comes to a complete standstill, I can't see it being at that frozen rate for longer than a couple of years.
Logistically speaking though, it would make sense to break ground at todays prices than risk rising cost of labor and materials down the road. Also, the hard part is done. The interest in the location is there, so they don't run so much of a risk in building a second tower as they did in the first. The land is already theirs and they might even include more of the smaller plans in the second tower if they really are that much more popular.
The last 12 months might have been rough and maybe I'm just optimistic (and maybe too optimistic) but I talked to a few out of towners recently at a conference that spent a few extra days here that planned on purchasing homes; 2 at Vidorra, 1 at Judson Lofts and 1 put a deposit down at Lone Star. Their reason; BRAC.
They weren't the only 4 that were looking at homes.

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally, construction wasn't supposed to start until 60% of the units had been sold. So now that units are available for residents to start moving in, they still have only sold 60% of the units?

At that rate, you will never reach 30 more, and even if they do wouldn't they just start to sell units in the second building (as opposed to actually breaking ground)?

There's a difference between buying an imaginary (yet to be built) unit in a high rise and buying a tangible thing like a unit in a high rise that is built. Look for sells to increase once the place is finally build and open.

[kornbread]

There's a difference between buying an imaginary (yet to be built) unit in a high rise and buying a tangible thing like a unit in a high rise that is built. Look for sells to increase once the place is finally build and open.

Sure there is, but is the message SA is sending to developers: "I might be interested, but I have to see the finished product first"?

Obviously the developer believes in their project, but it's the lenders they have to convince, and these days...
So if people aren't willing to back up their interest with $$, can we really expect more projects like this to happen?

Maybe this is an acceptable rate of sales; maybe even good. I don't really know.

It sounds like there is interest from new residents, so the beefing up of Ft. Sam might well help with Vidorra sales.

[sirkingwilliam]

Sure there is, but is the message SA is sending to developers: "I might be interested, but I have to see the finished product first"?


I'm not a developer nor do I pretend to be one but unless the market is super hot (like Florida and Vegas a few years ago) that's the norm for most places.

[sakyle04]

Unless growth comes to a complete standstill, I can't see it being at that frozen rate for longer than a couple of years.
Logistically speaking though, it would make sense to break ground at todays prices than risk rising cost of labor and materials down the road. Also, the hard part is done. The interest in the location is there, so they don't run so much of a risk in building a second tower as they did in the first. The land is already theirs and they might even include more of the smaller plans in the second tower if they really are that much more popular.
The last 12 months might have been rough and maybe I'm just optimistic (and maybe too optimistic) but I talked to a few out of towners recently at a conference that spent a few extra days here that planned on purchasing homes; 2 at Vidorra, 1 at Judson Lofts and 1 put a deposit down at Lone Star. Their reason; BRAC.
They weren't the only 4 that were looking at homes.

I think your logic is good (especially with regard to locking in contracts at lower labor/materials costs), but you might be a bit too optimistic.

The global credit markets are crap, meaning that finding funding for a speculative tower 2 would be near impossible. Even if San Antonio is in some way recession-proof (and it isn't), no one is lending the kind of cash needed to build that second tower - at least not now.

Interesting side note about loft/condo deposits. I have an uncle who has put down deposits on 3 units at Lone Star. Already, he is having 2nd thoughts...I wonder what the rate of closure is on those reserved units...?

[Schertz1]

Actually, construction financing, even for large projects, is still readily available. Only, the terms have changed; twenty-five percent is the usual pay to play. However, there are other considerations: developer net worth, loan to value, loan to cost, and debt service. I am not too familiar with the developer, but he seems well connected and respected. IMO, he shouldn't have a problem.

[miaht82]

Actually, construction financing, even for large projects, is still readily available. Only, the terms have changed; twenty-five percent is the usual pay to play. However, there are other considerations: developer net worth, loan to value, loan to cost, and debt service. I am not too familiar with the developer, but he seems well connected and respected. IMO, he shouldn't have a problem.


25%? wow, they used to be 10 to 16%, or at least double the conventional bank rate for hard or bridge loans.

[The Model]

Today was the official grand opening of Vidorra.
At least 100 turned out, KSAT 12 was there.
Some City Officials were there as well, it was a nice event.
They also got approval for a quiet zone from Union Pacific.
This will go into action on Friday.

[The Model]

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0MFP009V000043&po=44

[The Model]

Sorry, I tried to post an image, didn't work.

[Schertz1]

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/schertz1/SanAntonioStPaulSquare001.jpg

Downtown/Vidorra from St. Paul Square

[miaht82]

nice shot. I really do like how those townhomes come out to the street. makes it seem a little more connected to the neighborhood. It would look kinda nice if it continued for a couple of blocks or if we just had more of that in the neighborhood.

[adtobias]

That would fit nicely in the river north area

[jaga185]

Heck yeah, I love the way those town homes look. I totally agree miaht, right up to the highway would be friggin sweet.

^^^ I hope townhomes like those are built in river north, totally.

[JACKinBeantown]

Looks like New York City. Wow... good job, S.A.

[sirkingwilliam]

Got this in my email:

Vidorra Closes an Astounding 45 Homes in 4 Months, Outpacing Developments Across The Country!

http://www.vidorraliving.com/enewsletters/images/6MonthNoPayment_Flyer.jpg

[adtobias]

One of my friends just moved in to these condos and loves it.

[Lando]

Got this in my email:

Vidorra Closes an Astounding 45 Homes in 4 Months, Outpacing Developments Across The Country!

http://www.vidorraliving.com/enewsletters/images/6MonthNoPayment_Flyer.jpg

Man that's a sweet view! Good to see they're doing well selling units.:tup:

[tgannaway89]

Camera crews from WOAI News filmed the skyline from Vidorra. This will be used for their newscast intro.

http://www.vidorraliving.com/enewsletters/August09.html

[kornbread]

Good to see they're doing well selling units.:tup:
Are they selling, or are they closing on the units that they had deposits on:shrug:

If these are related to new sales, zoidberg says "hooray":D