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[BevoLJ]

I know I have seen someone mention it before (probably in this thread lol) but I'm feeling lazy.... how much space does the Omni have again?

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I know I have seen someone mention it before (probably in this thread lol) but I'm feeling lazy.... how much space does the Omni have again?

Similar, but the problem is that it was built awhile ago - I.E. different city design code. Different setback minimums, permeability requirements, etc will change the height.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I doubt it. Sam Biscoe is quoted as saying he's proposing two buildings on the block. One tower would be the courthouse tower, meaning it would contain 500,000 square feet. That leaves only 500,000 more square feet in another tower. I think we'll probably see two buildings in the 400 to 500 foot range, but I doubt anything will approach 600 feet or more. By the way, The Austonian is 850,000 square feet. Frost Bank Tower is 545,000 sq ft.

Unless they make these two buildings really skinny, something like The Austonian, then they'll probably both be Frost Bank Tower height or less.

Don't have a subscription, so it stops before he says that. I assumed, because Biscoe previously said that he wanted to sell half the block, that the entire mil. sq. ft. would be in a single building on their remaining half-block. My assumption would have easily yielded something bigger than the Austonian.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Aweful premature... but they do you use the language "building"... in reference to 1 building containing 1M sq feet. I'm 100% sure that will change though.

I'm certain that, within the entire context of Biscoe's previous statements, that "building" is more applicable than "buildings". Biscoe has previous stated that they were looking at selling half the property and only developing on their half.

Either way, if they build a single tower with 1 mil. or 2 towers each with .5 mil, the buildings will be gigantic. 500 ft., IMO, is gigantic (still) for Austin.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I'm certain that, within the entire context of Biscoe's previous statements, that "building" is more applicable than "buildings". Biscoe has previous stated that they were looking at selling half the property and only developing on their half.

Either way, if they build a single tower with 1 mil. or 2 towers each with .5 mil, the buildings will be gigantic. 500 ft., IMO, is gigantic (still) for Austin.

Yeah, 500' makes a whole lotta difference for a skyline that's still relatively small. That's taller than the W and look what a difference the W makes.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I know I have seen someone mention it before (probably in this thread lol) but I'm feeling lazy.... how much space does the Omni have again?

It's 990,000 square feet. It's 226 feet tall and has 16 floors. It occupies the entire block, and the block size is the same as the courthouse block.

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Don't have a subscription, so it stops before he says that.

That quote is from a different article that I posted in this thread. If you go up a ways a few posts I included it in the forum post quote. I think it was just an idea he was throwing out there, and I doubt he has final say on the matter, right? If they're planning to put this into one single tower, then it should be a big building then.

[Jdawgboy]

Remember the Downtown Austin Plan that they are working on discourages big, bulky buildings and instead pushes for thin sleek towers, we have already seen in recent buildings less bulk and more height.

My thinking is its quite possible we will see some very tall towers/ or tower, whatever they decide to do in the end. They may use the entire block or they may not. They may have an open space fronting Republic Square Park to push back the courthouse away from the street.

[SecretAgentMan]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Similar, but the problem is that it was built awhile ago - I.E. different city design code. Different setback minimums, permeability requirements, etc will change the height.

Both blocks are zoned CBD, which allows 100% impervious cover and has zero setback requirements. Travis County could build an exact replica of the Omni on their site if they chose to.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

Both blocks are zoned CBD, which allows 100% impervious cover and has zero setback requirements. Travis County could build an exact replica of the Omni on their site if they chose to.

Ah. Oh well. I hope they don't.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

Both blocks are zoned CBD, which allows 100% impervious cover and has zero setback requirements. Travis County could build an exact replica of the Omni on their site if they chose to.

Its one block not two and its a courthouse, I believe since 9/11 they have to have setbacks away from the street, thats why they closed down the stretch of San Antonio street in front of the new Federal Courthouse. Also The Downtown Austin plan as I stated before does require setbacks and pushes for sleek thin towers. I do not believe we will see a huge bulky block, nor do I think the county wants such a tower.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/conte...tant_more.html

County to pay consultant more for downtown plan changes

By Suzannah Gonzales | Tuesday, June 7, 2011, 02:24 PM

UPDATE:

Travis County commissioners voted today to increase Broaddus & Associates’ contract by about $81,000 so that the county’s so-called Central Campus master plan could include the downtown site for the planned new civil courthouse.

[SecretAgentMan]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Its one block not two and its a courthouse, I believe since 9/11 they have to have setbacks away from the street, thats why they closed down the stretch of San Antonio street in front of the new Federal Courthouse. Also The Downtown Austin plan as I stated before does require setbacks and pushes for sleek thin towers. I do not believe we will see a huge bulky block, nor do I think the county wants such a tower.

The two blocks I was referring to are the one the Omni sits on, and the courthouse block. Federal building security requirements do not apply to county buildings, even courthouses. The Downtown plan hasn't even been presented to Council in final form, let alone codified. Any requirements other than those contained in the current land development code are mere speculation at this point.

I hope the project is not as bulky as the Omni, but the fact is, there is nothing preventing it at this time.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/...inglePage=true

Travis officials look to New York, California projects for courthouse ideas

By Suzannah Gonzales
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:42 p.m. Monday, June 13, 2011

As Travis County commissioners contemplate a public-private partnership to finance a proposed civil courthouse downtown, they have been reviewing projects elsewhere as examples of what's possible. Among them: courthouse projects in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Long Beach, Calif., where such partnerships are in place.

Delegations of county officials have traveled in recent months to visit developers and officials involved in those two projects. In Brooklyn, a developer covered initial construction costs, which were paid back with public money. In Long Beach, where a new courthouse is planned, a developer will cover construction costs, and the state will pay the developer a not-yet-negotiated amount over 35 years.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/pr...ourthouse.html

County seeks partner for courthouse

Travis County closer to finding courthouse partner
Austin Business Journal - by Vicky Garza , ABJ Staff
Date: Friday, July 22, 2011, 5:00am CDT

Ten diverse companies from across the nation are vying to help Travis County determine how it will build one of the most ambitious projects in Central Texas.

The business chosen will work with county officials to decide whether the new county courthouse slated for downtown should be built with the help of a private partner. Part of the process will involve scrutinizing 21 offers submitted by developers from around the world.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.infactdaily.com/newsread.cfm

August 18, 2011
New Travis courthouse could be part of massive development

By Mike Kanin
The firm behind the master plan for Travis County's central campus project presented the Commissioners' Court Tuesday with a set of potential concepts for its new Civil and Family Courthouse building. The grandest of these schemes imagines a complex punctuated with a 72-story tower that would hold nearly 1.4 million square feet of lease space.

[StoOgE]

I just don't see us getting a supertall out of a courthouse of all things. But we'll see.

[KevinFromTexas]

^Well, as posted in the other thread. I don't think the taller tower is going to be the actual courthouse building.

I remember Sam Biscoe saying that the project would be divided. This article says the block can have up to 1.9 million square feet of space. The block itself is 77,000 square feet. Sam Biscoe wanted to sell half the block for private development, and leave the rest for the courthouse. I remember them saying the county wanted 500,000 square feet. And now this newest article mentions the tallest tower there would have 1.4 million square feet. Well, 1.4 million square feet + 500,000 sq ft is 1.9 million sq ft. So we could end up with a 500,000 square foot 17-story courthouse that would probably be around 350 feet tall, and then a 1.4 million sq ft tower sharing the same block that is 72 floors and maybe upwards of 900 feet tall or more.

[KevinFromTexas]

I emailed the editor at In Fact Daily - the publication that did the story on the 72-story courthouse proposal. He replied back this morning:

This is from our reporter, Mike Kanin, who covers the courthouse:

Hello,
The concepts presented to the court by Broaddus represent the earliest attempt to design the courthouse. As I wrote in the story, they are only rough ideas--and they are only stacked to give the court a plan for the maximum allowed use of space on the site.

Indeed, the court still hasn't figured how it will finance the project. Much of that decision will hinge on whether court members believe that a public-private partnership is a viable solution.

That debate is ongoing.

[KevinFromTexas]

I also found this on Broaddus & Associates' website.
http://www.broaddusplanning.com/inde...n=civic&idx=19

I guess that was back when they were just starting to look around for their options.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I don't think the taller tower is going to be the actual courthouse building.

I don't either, based on the concepts that were presented. There's a courthouse and a separate private tower.

link (pdf file)

These aren't actual renderings, they just show the different concepts showing placement and height.