AUSTIN | Whitley | 196 FT | 16 FLOORS | COMPLETE
 

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2011/0...-new-neighbor/
http://twitdoc.com/upload/JacobDirr/...-JacobDirr.jpg
http://twitdoc.com/view.asp?id=7578&...&usr=JacobDirr

I remember when the Capital National Bank building was the tallest commercial skyscraper in Austin at 189' & 15 floors.

Can't even see it any more. :(

?

What name does it go by now? You aren't talking about Norwood Tower are you? It hasn't been the tallest commercial office building in Austin since 1971. 823 Congress was the first commercial office building to break the 200 foot mark that year.

Yes, he's talking about Norwood Tower, which originally was known as the Norwood Building when it opened in 1930

From Norwood Tower History

With regards to the proposed building, it's ok, I guess - certainly better than what's there now. My problem isn't so much about the height, but rather the possible colors used on the facade. You can't tell much from a black & white rendering, but it seems as though it may have the same general color scheme as the Ashton and I think we have too many brown buildings in that area already. I'd rather see it done in a color scheme like Spring.

I did a mock model of this building today in my LEGO model of downtown. I also included the proposed Hyatt Place hotel across the street. Man, that is going to be one dense little pocket of downtown. Hampton Inn and Hyatt Place side by side on their block, then across the street will be this building. And then just to the west of this building is 301 Congress and to the east and caddy corner is the Marriott. Not to mention whatever gets built at 2nd & Congress with the convention center hotel plan.

This building actually looks fairly tall compared to 301 Congress. The main roof of this building will only be 99 feet shorter than 301 Congress across the street, and the penthouse will be just 86 feet shorter. I wish it would be taller, too, but I don't think it'll be too horrible. The difference in height between it and 301 Congress and all the surrounding buildings will be less dramatic than that of AMLI on 2nd which is surrounded by the W, Ashton and The Austonian - The Austonian being more than 3 times as tall as AMLI on 2nd.

Sorry for a bit of off topic... but do you have any pictures or photo thread or anything of your lego models Kevin?

I thought that looked pretty cool until I realized the concave facade and white art deco rounded edges were artifacts of the way the paper was curving.

Yes, it's now the Norwood Tower. My Dad did a brief stint as the personnel director of the Capital National Bank after he retired from the Army in 1959. The primary bank business space & offices by that time were located in the recently converted parking garage attached to the west side of the tower.

It's the lower structure to the left in this link:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D_iEOTIGzv...Headliners.jpg



BTW - the Austin Club was located on top of the bank. The penthouse on top of the Norwoood Tower has been renovated more than once - most recently by the LBJ family.

Sorry for the hijack.

That rendering vaguely ressembles the "old" Cambridge Tower building at Guadalupe & MLK.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/pr...town-soon.html

http://www.statesman.com/business/do...y-1874060.html

16 floors??? BOO!!!! So it went from 18 floors to 16 floors on a block that could hold a supertall. This project has keeps making me more upset. Get ready because we are going to have that part of Downtown look just like Downtown just south of the Capital. All the same height, boring designs.

That's a crappy black and white photo copy, so it's difficult to tell what it will really look like. You'd think that there would be a better rendering out there since it's breaking ground in October. The fact that it's so short is a huge disappointment though.

The elevation drawing above shows its height at 18 floors as being 220 feet tall. The 18th floor is at 185 feet. And the 16th floor is at 165 feet. So assuming the design stays the same (minus those two floors), then the building will be 200 feet tall. The main roof would only be 187 feet tall though.

Walked by the site on my lunch break today and looks like they have Demo about half of the old Whitley Printing company building so far.

Current status:


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/...5f49827e_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6052/...3aee4291_b.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...CORRECT900.jpg

Newest rendering. I actually like it.

btw, is it gonna take up that entire side of the block?

That looks alot better.