Quote:
Originally Posted by StatenIslander237
I don't mind this, I don't think. I just hope this doesn't develop into something resembling an Atlanta-like layout of a skyline. This rendering sort of makes me, for the first time, agree that this tower might be better suited for the Downtown core. I will still be excited if this is built as designed and as located, but I hope that the bulk of future high-rises will be concentrated downtown, with dense groups of mid-rises in other nodes throughout the city. Austin's downtown still has the ability to absorb many more high-rises, and I hope developers continue to direct most of their focus on that core.
That being said, I think that this is almost like an exclamation on the skyline indicating the growing museum district, and that is definitely alright by me, especially when the design is so edgy and unique.
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The tower will still be within downtown, although on its northern edge for sure. Downtown Austin is officially bordered by Lamar Boulevard (west) - Cesar Chavez (south along the river) - I-35 to the east, and MLK Boulevard (19th Street to the north). This building will stand at Congress Avenue & 19th Street (MLK Blvd). By the way, that site is now occupied by a parking lot that takes up the whole block. That area of downtown is in need of a development boost. It's probably the most dead area of downtown Austin. It's mostly sprinkled with large blocky state office buildings and huge state parking garages, sprawling parking lots and some restaurants, commercial office and even residential thrown in. But this will help the area tremendously in encouraging development there. Most of the land is now owned by the state. The state has said they want to sell off or lease part of the land to developers for highrise development. The sell of the land would help the state financially of course.
Everything north of 19th Street is outside of downtown, including the UT Campus which runs for about another 12 blocks to the north. And then there is West Campus, which is one of the densest neighborhoods in Austin with lowrise blocks of student housing and several highrises. The tallest dorm is the Dobie Center, (the blue tower in the photo below).
In this photo of BevoLJ's, the tower will rise directly behind that white rectangular building in the center of the photo. It'll be two blocks east of it.
