AUSTIN | 70 Rainey | 419 FEET | 34 FLOORS | Complete

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Tech House

Times are rapidly changing. What you're saying may have been true in the past, but people are increasingly wanting to eat local, organic, fresh, and healthy food. My initial response to the illustration was one of glee. It would be a major selling point for me. Granted, I could never afford such a place, but I'd be all over it if it were available. And it's not like they're offering a planter box to every unit, so they only need a handful of residents who are avid gardeners in order to make it work.

I know nothing about the quality of the renderings and how that correlates to the likelihood of any of this ever happening, but I can assure you that there is a segment of the population that wants the best of both worlds and is willing to pay for it.

Eating local, organic, and fresh is entirely different than wanting to grow it yourself... The types of people who live in highrises are definitely yuppies who are on the Whole Foods and Trader Joes kick (the eating local, organic, and fresh crowd) but they are NOT the types of people who are going to want to farm it all themselves and build a nice neighborhood co-op garden. Those are the old NIMBY Austinities who want NOTHING to do with highrises. C'mon ppl... Common sense here.

[drummer]

However, some folks just enjoy working in a garden. It's not necessarily out of need (folks who live like that can afford groceries) but rather serves as a hobby. Bonus: they get to eat some fresh produce that they personally grew. Sure, not all folks fit this category, but some may. The room afforded in the rendering doesn't allow for every resident to participate (okay, I know the rendering doesn't prove anything). A few might find it fun and it might be attractive to them.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Eating local, organic, and fresh is entirely different than wanting to grow it yourself... The types of people who live in highrises are definitely yuppies who are on the Whole Foods and Trader Joes kick (the eating local, organic, and fresh crowd) but they are NOT the types of people who are going to want to farm it all themselves and build a nice neighborhood co-op garden. Those are the old NIMBY Austinities who want NOTHING to do with highrises. C'mon ppl... Common sense here.

Sorry, but you are completely wrong in making such a blanket statement. I personally know high rise residents that tend community gardens miles from their homes because they miss the ability to garden. I know they would die for an opportunity to do it on their own roof terraces. Providing such amenities make high density living more attractive to people who are used to living in single family homes.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by H2O

Sorry, but you are completely wrong in making such a blanket statement. I personally know high rise residents that tend community gardens miles from their homes because they miss the ability to garden. I know they would die for an opportunity to do it on their own roof terraces. Providing such amenities make high density living more attractive to people who are used to living in single family homes.

But that's /different/! You're so totally misunderstanding the type of person I'm trying to paint here...

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

However, some folks just enjoy working in a garden. It's not necessarily out of need (folks who live like that can afford groceries) but rather serves as a hobby. Bonus: they get to eat some fresh produce that they personally grew. Sure, not all folks fit this category, but some may. The room afforded in the rendering doesn't allow for every resident to participate (okay, I know the rendering doesn't prove anything). A few might find it fun and it might be attractive to them.

I agree with that, but that isn't a major selling point nor should it be for a high end condo. Furthermore, the fact that they're using it as such AND with such horrible quality renderings suggests that they're, like I've always maintained, amateur hour.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by H2O

Sorry, but you are completely wrong in making such a blanket statement. I personally know high rise residents that tend community gardens miles from their homes because they miss the ability to garden. I know they would die for an opportunity to do it on their own roof terraces. Providing such amenities make high density living more attractive to people who are used to living in single family homes.

Yup.... It's very appealing for us high rise dwellers... and our high rise dweller types and our high rise dweller friends.

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

You're so totally misunderstanding the type of person I'm trying to paint here...

You successfully painted a type of person, it's just that there are a lot more types of people than that. The simple fact is that I, and most of the people I've known over the decades, would absolutely love to have a highrise condo where we can grow a token of fresh veggies and herbs while enjoying the view. I think it could even be regarded by some as a status symbol when they're entertaining, although nobody'd want to admit that they had their nose up in the air about getting their fingers in the dirt.

If your main point is that "they're probably not going to actually do this" then that's not something I'd argue with. Yeah, they're having fun with goofy illustrations, we probably shouldn't take any of it too seriously. But conceptually, I like it.

[The ATX]

I think somebody at 70 Rainey likes posting screen shots from Sims 3.

[Jdawgboy]

I know if I could afford to live in a highrise DT, I'd love to live in one that offered community gardening or the opportunity to garden at all for that matter. It is a drawing point for those who want an urban lifestyle but either love to garden or grew up in single family neighborhoods where they could garden in their yards.

It fits perfectly in a city like Austin.

[Tech House]

I think the next pretty rendering of this development should focus on their pet-sharing facility. In addition to having a veggie garden, I'd like to be able to borrow a nice, attractive dog, so that I can walk in parks without worrying that women and children might view me as a potential predator. [Don't worry, wwmiv, I'm not serious about this one. Well... sort of... in theory...]

[Homecreek]

Originally Posted by Tech House

I think the next pretty rendering of this development should focus on their pet-sharing facility. In addition to having a veggie garden, I'd like to be able to borrow a nice, attractive dog, so that I can walk in parks without worrying that women and children might view me as a potential predator. [Don't worry, wwmiv, I'm not serious about this one. Well... sort of... in theory...]

Maybe I will start a GoFundMe page for UberDogs

[kingkirbythe....]

You can.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bark...999491361?mt=8

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Tech House

I think the next pretty rendering of this development should focus on their pet-sharing facility. In addition to having a veggie garden, I'd like to be able to borrow a nice, attractive dog, so that I can walk in parks without worrying that women and children might view me as a potential predator. [Don't worry, wwmiv, I'm not serious about this one. Well... sort of... in theory...]

In all seriousness, Austin Pets Alive always needs dog walkers at Ladybird Lake. The dogs are usually very happy to get a walk instead of just running around in the kennel area. And I imagine it couldn't hurt with the ladies...

http://www.austinpetsalive.org/get-i...eer/jumpstart/

[drummer]

^ My wife and I did this a lot when we were living in Austin. It was great for us because we didn't have a dog (we knew we were moving) and it helped them out. It's a lot of fun.

[urbancore]

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/bl...ict-nears.html

Great news!

[the Genral]

Yeah that is great news! Taller than the Windsor on the Lake by 133 feet, which I thought was good height close to 35, this will be even more dramatic from the southern approach to the city. And its proximity to Skyhouse will make for a nice vertical bundle. Add in the Fairmont and the southeast section of downtown will be starting to catch up to the southwest side. I really like how this will add even more depth to the skyline.
I used to think it was important that we fill in the gaps dt, but now I'm kind of liking the distinct highrise clusters.

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by Homecreek

Maybe I will start a GoFundMe page for UberDogs

That's actually a pretty cool concept, even if it's not particularly realistic. It's unfortunate that we're not all of equally high trustworthy character, because if we were then we could have Uber for pets AND for human companions, like an escort service but without the seediness and sexual connotations.

Originally Posted by hookem

In all seriousness, Austin Pets Alive always needs dog walkers at Ladybird Lake. The dogs are usually very happy to get a walk instead of just running around in the kennel area. And I imagine it couldn't hurt with the ladies...

Can you take them on a field trip, off property? Can you take them somewhere in your car? That would be cool, although I don't think I could handle it on an emotional level because dropping them off back at the shelter would feel just horrific, like sending them back to prison. I know it's better for them to get out for a walk and go back in than to never get out at all, but the thought of the whole process just severely depresses me.

Originally Posted by the Genral

Yeah that is great news! Taller than the Windsor on the Lake by 133 feet, which I thought was good height close to 35, this will be even more dramatic from the southern approach to the city. And its proximity to Skyhouse will make for a nice vertical bundle. Add in the Fairmont and the southeast section of downtown will be starting to catch up to the southwest side. I really like how this will add even more depth to the skyline.
I used to think it was important that we fill in the gaps dt, but now I'm kind of liking the distinct highrise clusters.

On another thread, someone asked, "Why is everyone so obsessed with balancing the skyline?" Earlier today I was thinking about it and I realized it's more about depth. Then I see your comment and you used that word, depth. Yes, that's it. And I've gone through the same process of accepting the way Austin is developing, where I used to want it to be more concentrated but now I'm really liking the clusters and corridors. The CVCs, which are very aggravating and arbitrary to me, are actually helping to create a very unique topography that wouldn't have happened without them. I think it was one of the Kevins who commented on this a year or two back, how the CVCs are a good thing because of the way they disrupt the skyline and generate unique patterns of skyscrapers. Not in those words, but along those lines.

I'm so happy that the ABJ article mentioned the greenery!!! I had assumed that the greens on the garage would be omitted because it just seems like that's the way it always goes down. Make a nice rendering and get approved, use the nice rendering for early sales, then slash the budget and deliver a more stark product. But this one might actually deliver on its promise!

What a fantastic year this is for downtown, with this and Indy and Proper and on and on.... so many exciting things happening, and here I am thinking about moving to Boise of all places.

[urbancore]

^ Boise? What's happening in Boise? Fam?

[lzppjb]

Sweet!

I can't read the article, though. Was the height mentioned the same as already mentioned in the thread title?

EDIT: Nevermind. I see I can create an account for free and read it.

[KevinFromTexas]

Very nice. So glad to hear this one is moving forward. It's one of my favorite new proposals.