AUSTIN | Hotel Granduca | 9 FLOORS | Complete

KevinFromTexas · #1 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 2:38 AM**

http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/l...scan-style-ho/

Quote:

Hotel Granduca Austin begins construction on Tuscan-style hotel

by Kyle Webb April 10, 2014

Construction began April 9 on Hotel Granduca Austin, a luxury Tuscan-style hotel located at the northwest corner of Bee Caves Road and Capital of Texas Hwy.

The 194-room hotel build is a joint venture of Houston-based Interfin Companies LP and Riverside Resources of Austin and is scheduled for a completion in late 2015.

The nine-story hotel will feature a 220 guest ballroom, private conference rooms, a library, massage rooms, a fitness center, a billiards and game room, and gardens. The hotel's in-house restaurant will feature northern Italian cuisine similar to the Houston Hotel Granduca's Ristorante Cavour—recently named one of the best Italian restaurants in Houston.

Also part of the development is a planned 7-story office building called Capital Ridge. This shows the hotel in the background.

KevinFromTexas · #2 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 2:42 AM**

I'm wondering, though, is this really under construction yet? It's located at Bee Caves Road and Capital of Texas Highway, and I haven't been able to find any files on it on the city's website so far.

JoninATX · #3 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 2:48 AM**

They reported on the Statesman and Biz Journal that a formal groundbreaking will be held on April 14th. So I'm assuming they plan to go full steam afterwards. I wish I can get a picture of the site but since it's tucked away behind a hill and the 2 lane road is currently U/C they'll most likely tell me to leave.

Jdawgboy · #4 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 5:58 AM**

It looks like its as large as the Renaissance.

royiv · #5 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 9:36 AM**

Looks like an Embassy Suites worthy of Frisco, TX. Sad that thing will pockmark the Hill Country.

MichaelB · #6 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 3:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by royiv

Looks like an Embassy Suites worthy of Frisco, TX. Sad that thing will pockmark the Hill Country.

OH damn…. I said the said the same thing about Embassy Suties then deleted it knowing the agnst that comment would cause.
Yeah…. cheap faux any-historical is always a disaster!

GoldenBoot · #7 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 6:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I'm wondering, though, is this really under construction yet? It's located at Bee Caves Road and Capital of Texas Highway, and I haven't been able to find any files on it on the city's website so far.

The site is in the City of West Lake Hills. Site prep began several months back. The property is located adjacent to (on the west side of) southbound 360...just before the Bee Caves Road exit.

Also, it seems that HFF has helped secure a $33MM construction loan for the hotel through IBC Bank and it's partners.

JoninATX · #8 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 11:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

OH damn…. I said the said the same thing about Embassy Suties then deleted it knowing the agnst that comment would cause.
Yeah…. cheap faux any-historical is always a disaster!

I'm wondering will it be that cheap faux?

hookem · #9 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 11:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoninATX

I'm wondering will it be that cheap faux?

Google the Grandluca Houston... it does look like the cheap faux stuff.

JoninATX · #10 Posted **Apr 11, 2014, 11:58 PM**

The interior looks nice though. To me the exterior doesn’t that bad, but at least it's not another Hyatt building. I still cannot get over that hideous back side.

KevinFromTexas · #11 Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 12:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

The site is in the City of West Lake Hills. Site prep began several months back. The property is located adjacent to (on the west side of) southbound 360...just before the Bee Caves Road exit.

Also, it seems that HFF has helped secure a $33MM construction loan for the hotel through IBC Bank and it's partners.

Thanks. That being the case then, I'm wondering if we should be saying this is "Austin" at all. I know that Westlake Hills is very much an inner suburb and is for all purposes very much "Austin" - but this is a grey area with building stats I've always gone back and forth on. It's definitely not as much of a suburb as say Round Rock is, but it is technically not within Austin's city limits and will likely not change in that way in any time soon.

KevinFromTexas · #12 Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 4:48 AM**

Where is this thing?!

I sent an email to Westlake's city website, and this is what I got.

Quote:

As the saying goes, "All I know is what I read in the papers." My understanding is that this project is proposed for the west side of Loop 360, which is out of the city limits of the City of West Lake Hills.

Mr. Meisel is correct. The hotel that you are asking about will not be located in West Lake Hills. I believe it is in an unincorporated (not in a city) area of Travis County. I do not know any details about the project.

hookem · #13 Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 5:43 AM**

A lot of the land around 360 is still unincorporated Travis county. But as soon as an office building or other expensive improvement goes up, it's annexed by the CoA to add to their tax roll. They do need it to be adjacent to the CoA, though.

My neighborhood, Lost Creek, is being annexed at the end of 2015 -- but they've already annexed the office buildings on 360 surrounding us (which probably helps them with the adjacent requirement). From what we can tell in the neighborhood, CoA is building infrastructure in the area to support annexing more around 360 -- they are adding water pump stations, and because of the LC annexation will likely add a fire station around there as well. Despite the Westlake FD having a fire station right off 360 near Lost Creek Blvd. CoA offered to buy it, by Westlake FD refused...

All that to say -- this hotel will be annexed by Austin. But right now, it is probably just unincorporated Travis County. Which is great for them now -- fewer permit hurdles.

SecretAgentMan · #14 Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 12:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

A lot of the land around 360 is still unincorporated Travis county. But as soon as an office building or other expensive improvement goes up, it's annexed by the CoA to add to their tax roll. They do need it to be adjacent to the CoA, though.

My neighborhood, Lost Creek, is being annexed at the end of 2015 -- but they've already annexed the office buildings on 360 surrounding us (which probably helps them with the adjacent requirement). From what we can tell in the neighborhood, CoA is building infrastructure in the area to support annexing more around 360 -- they are adding water pump stations, and because of the LC annexation will likely add a fire station around there as well. Despite the Westlake FD having a fire station right off 360 near Lost Creek Blvd. CoA offered to buy it, by Westlake FD refused...

All that to say -- this hotel will be annexed by Austin. But right now, it is probably just unincorporated Travis County. Which is great for them now -- fewer permit hurdles.

The northwest corner of the intersection is City of Austin ETJ. The site plan is called Munson Park Commercial.

hookem · #15 Posted **Apr 12, 2014, 4:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

The northwest corner of the intersection is City of Austin ETJ. The site plan is called Munson Park Commercial.

Thanks for the name, wouldn't have guessed it. I did assume any remaining unincorporated land along 360 would fall in the 5-mile CoA ETJ (except for the West Lake Hills part). Just not in the city yet.

But Austin will annex it soon enough, I'm sure.

KevinFromTexas · #16 Posted **Apr 13, 2014, 4:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

The northwest corner of the intersection is City of Austin ETJ. The site plan is called Munson Park Commercial.

Thanks for that. The address is 320 South Capital of Texas Highway. I didn't see any elevations, though.

PartyLine · #17 Posted **Jun 4, 2014, 2:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

OH damn…. I said the said the same thing about Embassy Suties then deleted it knowing the agnst that comment would cause.
Yeah…. cheap faux any-historical is always a disaster!

It looks a little similar to eilan in NW San Antonio by La Cantera but without the Apartments and shops.

http://www.eilan.com/

AusTxDevelopment · #18 Posted **Jun 4, 2014, 4:50 PM**

Here's an animation fly-around video for the office building (Capital Ridge) which is adjacent to the Hotel Granduca and will share the garage with the hotel. Not much imagery of the hotel, but it is in the background in some of the animation.

http://capitalridgeaustin.com/video/video.html

The ATX · #19 Posted **Jul 4, 2014, 6:19 AM**

Here's a drone flyover of the construction site. That's quite a scar they ripped into the hills for this project:

http://vimeo.com/97712383

the Genral · #20 Posted **Jul 4, 2014, 7:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

Here's a drone flyover of the construction site. That's quite a scar they ripped into the hills for this project:

http://vimeo.com/97712383

Its good to see the destruction of so many ugly trees from our horrible hillsides to make way for yet another fabulous commericial building in the middle of basically nowhere near anything. I hate this and can only hope it doesn't lead to more destruction...I mean construction in that area