Texas Capitol Complex & North Austin Complex Projects Update Thread

[wwmiv]

Key quote from the Dallas Observer article:

Sen. Hancock wouldn’t speak by phone with the Observer, but did send an email response:

“Texas has a rich, unique musical history that deserves to be celebrated all across our state,” he wrote. “The Texas State Music Museum will be a state-of-the-art addition to the developing state museum district that already includes the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Blanton Museum of Art, providing music education for thousands of Texas school children who visit the Capitol Complex in Austin each year. As a fiscal conservative, I’m pleased to report that this museum won’t require any state money. Instead, the nonprofit Texas Music Foundation would raise the money to build and operate the museum.”

This institution better have heaps of music venues. I still think (and have posted previously elsewhere) the City of Austin should pursue a Museum of Live Music, though, which would be distinct conceptually from this.

[drummer]

Another partnership that would be obvious is one with UT School of Music and many other state-funded colleges of music in Texas...even the non-state-funded ones could do well to partner to help them gather and maintain Texas music history. University of North Texas has, by far, the most respected College of Music in Texas (and it's up there for the U.S. as a whole) and UNT is also home to the Portal to Texas History. I bet they'd partner well.

I like the emphasis on music education as well, and in that case, it makes good sense to have it next to the Bob Bullock museum and the Capitol building.

[KevinFromTexas]

Speaking of Texas music and museums, the Bullock Museum right now has a Stevie Ray Vaughan exhibit. Several of his guitars are there, including his famous "Number 1" hand written notes and his clothes.

http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/visit...ie-ray-vaughan

[drummer]

^^ Something that would be a great fit for a Texas Music History Museum right there if there....what a great exhibit! Too bad I'm not due for an Austin trip for a year or two.

[The ATX]

The State selected Austin over Houston for the Texas music museum. It's to be built east of the state history museum.

http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-...CM6HtlRO1DOsO/

[lzppjb]

Sweeeeeet!

[the Genral]

That's awesome and hopefully just the beginning of a museum district. I can see why they want to get this built quickly. There's only so much memorabilia with historic value to go around. And Nashville and DC would grab it all if there was nowhere else to put it. Austin over Houston is a no brainer. We're the music capital of the world.

[drummer]

Great news!

[The ATX]

The bill for the music museum still has to pass the House. But that's just a formality at this point because there is a similar bill already in the House, and the Senate is where Austin vs. Houston was an issue.

According to this article the museum would be in one of the two new state office buildings: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/po...143334074.html

...the museum would occupy part of a new 14-story building proposed for an expanded state museum district near the state Capitol.

[MichaelB]

great news!!!! Please be a good architect.... pleeeeaasseeeee!!!!!!!

[lzppjb]

The building will be a 14-story guitar-shaped highrise. It'll be amazing. You'll love it.

[The ATX]

I'm really glad about the museum district expanding. But having the music museum rent space in an already planned state office building has me a little bit worried about the presentation of it.
It's going to be across the street from Bullock at the corner of Congress & MLK. So the location is great considering the proximity to Blanton & Bullock.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I'm really glad about the museum district expanding. But having the music museum rent space in an already planned state office building has me a little bit worried about the presentation of it.
It's going to be across the street from Bullock at the corner of Congress & MLK. So the location is great considering the proximity to Blanton & Bullock.

Are we sure it'll be an office building? The quote said a 14-story building as part of an expanded museum district. I didn't see where it mentioned it being office. Is that just the most likely scenario?

Maybe the other floors could be other museum/art exhibits.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

Are we sure it'll be an office building? The quote said a 14-story building as part of an expanded museum district. I didn't see where it mentioned it being office. Is that just the most likely scenario?

Maybe the other floors could be other museum/art exhibits.

The info from the link to the Fort Worth news source states the location as the parking lot where the 14-story office building is going up, and it says the non-profit running the museum will rent space in the building. I think we need to wait until the House votes on the final version of the bill before we can be 100% sure of anything.

[Jdawgboy]

I just hope it won't be a half ass cheesy attempt. When I hear that the museum will rent space within the office building I get a little nervous. I can't help to think of the so-called "Austin Aquarium" which is a shopping center attraction rather than a true aquarium.

I would prefer a purpose built museum in which the building itself could be iconic and synonymous with Texas music history. The way it sounds now it's like it could be some side entrance on the ground floor of a government office building with an unremarkable sign letting passers by that there is a museum there, plus we all know government buildings typically don't scream unique or architecturally significant in most cases.

[The ATX]

If the new state office building at Congress & MLK resembles the massing rendering instead of a typical ugly box, it'll be a decent place for a museum. According to one article, the groundbreaking should be in just a few months. So a rendering must exist somewhere. Just not online apparently.


https://www.virtualbx.com/constructi...tol-to-ut.html

[austlar1]

Folks, the state is not going to build a 14 story building on a prime block solely to house a music museum. I am guessing they are planning the museum space to occupy a small part of the ground floor or maybe a couple of floors in just one area of the building, probably facing the Bullock building. If the music museum can raise the money they need to occupy this space, it will go to them. Otherwise (or if the museum fails for lack of ongoing funding), there is instant room for the Bullock to have additional exhibit space.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by austlar1

Folks, the state is not going to build a 14 story building on a prime block solely to house a music museum. I am guessing they are planning the museum space to occupy a small part of the ground floor or maybe a couple of floors in just one area of the building, probably facing the Bullock building. If the music museum can raise the money they need to occupy this space, it will go to them. Otherwise (or if the museum fails for lack of ongoing funding), there is instant room for the Bullock to have additional exhibit space.

Most everyone posting here should be aware of that. The 14-story building and a second ~18-story building have been planned for a couple years. One of the articles about the music museum said a non-profit would rent space in the 14-story building for the museum.

[The ATX]

Balfour Beatty is the contractor for the two new state office buildings. According to this link to the Texas Facilities Commission website there is a groundbreaking scheduled for a Balfour Beatty Capitol Complex project on 05/30.

https://impact.parsons.com/pmcs/site...9%3A17%3A42+AM

[KevinFromTexas]

They sure aren't wasting any money on public announcements or renderings. Has anyone seen any renderings of these yet? These are probably going to be some pretty big buildings. How tall are they supposed to be? I remember thinking one might be pushing 200 feet.