AUSTIN: Green Water Treatment Plant & Seaholm Power Plant Redevelopment Update Thread - Page 11

wwmiv · #**201** Posted **Jun 1, 2012, 3:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by H2O

Does anybody know anything about the Seaholm item (#9) on the June 7 Council Agenda?

http://austin.siretechnologies.com/s...doctype=agenda

It looks like the developer is asking to not have an retail in the power plant, and just have office. I don't think I like that idea.

No. They're asking to have multi-use ground level instead of solely retail. I.E. there will still be retail, but not only. This is actually probably a good sign for the development.

KevinFromTexas · #**202** Posted **Jun 4, 2012, 1:13 AM**

It seems they're still working on designs. This has to be the 4th design I've seen for the tower at Seaholm, and each time it's gotten taller.

Southwest

Seaholm Power LLC - http://seaholm.info/ - STG Design - http://www.stgdesign.com/

Southeast

Northwest

More renderings

West/Southwest

Northwest plaza/base

Southwest plaza/base

Southeast plaza/base

MichaelB · #**203** Posted **Jun 4, 2012, 5:44 PM**

I Like where this is heading. I see alot of attention to detail on what is still just a white box. I know that is left handed compliment, but lets face it, That's all A developer like that is going to do. So..... I'm happy to see they are working to make it at least a "new modern generic" LOL! . Small desing Blessings I guess.

If I only have a like and dislike button.
I Like!

the Genral · #**204** Posted **Jun 5, 2012, 2:50 AM**

Yeah, I think each rendering gets better. I'd be happy with this one if it was the final design. I don't mind the white and gray color scheme. It looks like the theme for the entire development including Trader Joes. Should tie everything together nicely. Much better than the overused earth tones we see everywhere dt and should brighten a typically dark section of town at night even without a lot of exterior lighting.

kingkirbythe.... · #**205** Posted **Jun 5, 2012, 5:57 AM**

What's a left handed compliment? Did you mean a back handed compliment?

MichaelB · #**206** Posted **Jun 5, 2012, 7:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by orderlychaos

What's a left handed compliment? Did you mean a back handed compliment?

um..... my left hand can get you coming and going! LOL! ( JK )

Jdawgboy · #**207** Posted **Jun 5, 2012, 5:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

um..... my left hand can get you coming and going! LOL! ( JK )

OMG Michael you did not just go there!

MichaelB · #**208** Posted **Jun 5, 2012, 11:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

OMG Michael you did not just go there!

Oh no....Jdawg... I think you took it one step past even what I meant! LOL!

Now back to our thread!

KevinFromTexas · #**209** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 12:51 AM**

This forum is such a sausage fest. lol

KevinFromTexas · #**210** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 4:26 AM**

I was hoping that the power plant main building would be for a more public use such as the retail development they suggested originally. Having it be commercial office space is kind of disappointing.

http://www.statesman.com/business/re...inglePage=true

Quote:

Council to weigh allowing Seaholm plant to be used for office space

By Sarah Coppola and Shonda Novak
Published: 10:32 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Austin City Council on Thursday will consider significant changes to a plan to redevelop the Seaholm Power Plant including potentially allowing the historical building to be used for office space for a local company.

The revisions are being requested because Seaholm Power LLC, the team working to redevelop the site, is in "very serious negotiations" to lease the bulk of the decommissioned power plant to a local business, said John Rosato, managing partner for Seaholm Power LLC. Rosato declined to name the company.

In another change to its 2008 redevelopment deal with the city, the developer is asking the council to allow it to build apartments instead of condos, based on a heightened demand for rental housing downtown, where occupancy is nearing record levels.

MichaelB · #**211** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 7:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I was hoping that the power plant main building would be for a more public use such as the retail development they suggested originally. Having it be commercial office space is kind of disappointing.

http://www.statesman.com/business/re...inglePage=true

Ok... I confess. I never thought retail would work in there. It would be like an Urban mall.... not sure that indoor space would pull enough people in, especaially where it would be... feels disconnected with the rest of retail.

KevinFromTexas · #**212** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 8:11 AM**

Yeah, I don't know. I'm not really for retail there either, but whatever it would take to make it more public. It would be a neat place for a museum, but with the planetarium north of the capitol and possible aquarium at the Statesman site, that might be too many museums at once to see them all built.

BevoLJ · #**213** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 8:12 AM**

If that is the case they should have left it as a music venue! lol. It was a great venue. I mean the sound wasn't great but it had a great atmosphere. They could have fixed it up to be a fantastic festival venue. I know quite a few who would have been interesting is operating that.

H2O · #**214** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 10:29 AM**

This is exactly as I feared. It is almost 100% office, with a little bit of token retail. That is a huge loss of potential. I think the public deserves access if tax payer money is going into the project. I'd go down to City Hall to speak, but I'm out of town on Thursday.

wwmiv · #**215** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 11:24 AM**

Hey! We're still getting a Trader Joes out of this development, so let's not crow.

BevoLJ · #**216** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 11:59 AM**

Good point WW. =)

wwmiv · #**217** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 12:17 PM**

FWIW, I actually think that this project will be more successful with the actual plant as office space. It just makes more sense.

MightyYoda · #**218** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 3:41 PM**

Maybe I am naive, but I thought an indoor mall with spots for local crafts and food trailers outside would really make that space come to life. With as many apartments that are being built downtown, it seems like the need for retail space is there and the building would sell itself imo.

Making it an office building feels like a cop out and will make the building forboding and sterile and nothing will really change from how it is now. Having it open on both sides where people could just walk through it as they travel through downtown sounded like a great way to include it as part of the street life. I would want it to be anything other than office space. It is a waste of that building.

gmsalpha · #**219** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 4:53 PM**

Maybe they could make it an office building but add the Trader Joe's and like, a Staples or Office Depot. That way the employees could run down to pick up some lunch and buy post-it notes and pens while giving downtown residents a nice grocery store and a retailer for office supplies.

Yeah?

Or they could just put price tags on all the employees' desk items and let the public roam around the offices, offering to buy unused or unwanted printers and pencil sharpeners.

No, I didn't think so.

Shucks. But it's not too late, right? I mean, it's always possible this office thing could get derailed?

Jdawgboy · #**220** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 6:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

If that is the case they should have left it as a music venue! lol. It was a great venue. I mean the sound wasn't great but it had a great atmosphere. They could have fixed it up to be a fantastic festival venue. I know quite a few who would have been interesting is operating that.

I agree with you, I am really dissapointed. They advertised for years Seaholm was to be a transformation into an entertainment destination. Why in the world would you then use the iconic structure itself for stupid offices. Build a dayum highrise next to it for office but lets keep the old powerplant open to the public. Im going to write City Council over this issue and would like to try to go to a meeting.

It would be a great music venue/retail/restarunt space where you could walk in from the expanded Second street make the inside a continuation of the street itself and connect the Market District/West End on the other side. As far as sound goes inside there that can be simply fixed with sound studio wall padding and good placement of speakers.

Oh and I could care less about Trader Jo's. WHOLE FOODS FOR LIFE!!! LOL