AUSTIN | Modern Austin Residences | 658' | 56 FLOORS | U/C

[myBrain]

Originally Posted by austlar1

More restaurants, mostly hotel, convention and visitor oriented.

The main clientele at our hotel restaurants are still Austinites. Hotels have been responsible for some of our best restaurants over the past few years. And some pretty good bars.

There's more to do, and more life, downtown than ever. I think you are just arguing that its culture has changed, and yes you're right. But as you mentioned, that culture has moved into the neighborhoods and it's hard to say that isn't better overall.

There isn't any reason to complain about this building.

[myBrain]

I think I need to see a closer rendering of the facade to pass judgement.



What are the dark panels on the eastern facade? Ventilation? Balconies? Panels?

Are they black? Grey?

I think this one is going to come down to the quality of the materials. Which is a big if.

[DaveinWimberley]

Originally Posted by myBrain

I think I need to see a closer rendering of the facade to pass judgement.



What are the dark panels on the eastern facade? Ventilation? Balconies? Panels?

Are they black? Grey?

I think this one is going to come down to the quality of the materials. Which is a big if.

I was wondering if this building even has balconies!
I guess we'll have to wait for a good rendering.
I hope we're surprised, in a good way. Time will tell.

[resansom]

Originally Posted by DaveinWimberley

I was wondering if this building even has balconies!

From the Towers article:

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by myBrain

The main clientele at our hotel restaurants are still Austinites. Hotels have been responsible for some of our best restaurants over the past few years. And some pretty good bars.

There's more to do, and more life, downtown than ever. I think you are just arguing that its culture has changed, and yes you're right. But as you mentioned, that culture has moved into the neighborhoods and it's hard to say that isn't better overall.

There isn't any reason to complain about this building.

I get the sense that a fair number of longtime Austinites are seeing some closings of the places that they went to for years and years and it subsequently *feels* to them like there is less to do and fewer places to go. I also get the sense that many of these folks don't get out as much as they used to and don't really explore new places.

The truth is that there are WAY more Austin original places now than there ever has been. So every time an Austin oldie closes and people throw a fit about how they see Austin disappearing, I shake my head. I've lived here most of my life and I don't get their high level of consternation. The Austin they say they knew is not disappearing. The facade is just refreshed and updated from time to time. The core of the Austin culture is still largely the same (in my eyes anyway).

[paul78701]

Regarding this building, it looks as if the garage entrance will be in the alley. IMHO, new buildings that are built next to an alleyway should be required to put their garage entrances in the alley (unless not technically feasible for some reason). The fact that new buildings are still allowed to create new, separate curb cutouts and put more cars in pedestrian pathways is pure jackassery (again, IMHO).

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by myBrain

The main clientele at our hotel restaurants are still Austinites. Hotels have been responsible for some of our best restaurants over the past few years. And some pretty good bars.

There's more to do, and more life, downtown than ever. I think you are just arguing that its culture has changed, and yes you're right. But as you mentioned, that culture has moved into the neighborhoods and it's hard to say that isn't better overall.

There isn't any reason to complain about this building.

OK. I'll stop arguing about all the other stuff, but this building has a parking podium that is approximately the same height as the Van Zandt Hotel across the way. It is probably as tall as the podium on the new building at 4th and Colorado. It is just not good design and will do little to enhance the urban fabric over there.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by austlar1

OK. I'll stop arguing about all the other stuff, but this building has a parking podium that is approximately the same height at the Van Zandt Hotel across the way. It is probably as tall as the podium on the new building at 4th and Colorado. It is just not good design and will do little to enhance the urban fabric over there.

Truth. And compared to the original designs, which took pains to literally embed restaurant space in the curtain wall, this one looks like it could give a shit about how it relates to the neighborhood, or what the ground floor offers beyond an tolerable lobby experience.

And not that we need to rehash this again but, holy crap, traffic in Rainey is going to be an immovable shitshow after this garage, and the three OTHER garages to come, are built out.

The process on this one, where all the good ideas are slowly whittled away into nothing, has been particularly depressing to me.

[the Genral]

Agree about the traffic. But I have to say....I like this tower.

[GoldenBoot]

Since this is Urbanspace's (Kevin Burn's) first major development project, I wonder if the frugality of design was precipitated by the lack of securing enough equity to support the initial (or a more aesthetically pleasing/original) design?!?

[JAM]

Originally Posted by austlar1

Well, to be honest, I don't think this building is likely to improve the quality of my life or anyone I know. I guess it will look impressive when viewed from afar, so there is that. The resentment shown in the comments on the KVUE post are from people who sense the loss of the user friendly and fun downtown that they once knew. This new high-rise downtown ends up being a place for visitors and conventioneers along with the well-heeled residents who can afford the price of admission. I get that this counts as progress, and change is inevitable and maybe even desirable. Still, anyone who has lived in Austin for a while understands that we've paid a hefty price for all these changes-

I feel ya Bro! People here shouldn't just write off what you are trying to say. So many expert opinions, so little time........ In what you say, there is a lot of truth to be examined. I often tell my wife we have to go support some of the last holdouts around here, i.e. Shoal Creek Saloon and Cedar Door. Hey, I like to go hoity-toity around as much as the next guy, but sometimes I just want a good cheap hamburger dam it! NIMBY is a two way street, takes a while to learn that........

[The ATX]

Here's a slightly better rendering of the top from Urbanspace's Instagram:

[Echostatic]

I think this will be the nicest of our 600-footers. Looks much cleaner than the Austonian and the crown is obviously and improvement over Jenga's.

[Syndic]

I like the top but the sides leave me wanting. They're a little featureless. More diversity in the paneling would go a long way.

[sjk]

I wish that the space in the crown could be dedicated to a huge rooftop restaurant/commercial space. It seems appropriate IMO since it is on Rainey. I'm aware there is likely going to be a rooftop bar/restaurant on top of the Ritz-Carlton tower, but the more the public can utilize and benefit from these developments, the better. I think it would be amazing to have a few options where the public has access to enjoy Austin from these incredible views.

[H2O]

Well, the top level is taller, but you can't even tell it on the east side. I think it is even more boring now.

[KevinFromTexas]

Towers has a really nice big rendering of it.

https://austin.towers.net/meet-the-m...lyn@towers.net

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by sjk

I wish that the space in the crown could be dedicated to a huge rooftop restaurant/commercial space. It seems appropriate IMO since it is on Rainey. I'm aware there is likely going to be a rooftop bar/restaurant on top of the Ritz-Carlton tower, but the more the public can utilize and benefit from these developments, the better. I think it would be amazing to have a few options where the public has access to enjoy Austin from these incredible views.

The rest of Austin neighborhoods get hit over the head pretty intensely for espousing nimby points of view, but there are plenty of nimbys in downtown - both the type who don't want new development to block their views and, worse, the ones who want to keep the public out of those buildings even in what would be separate dedicated public spaces. I keep waiting to hear about a public observation deck in one of these new towers, but they still haven't come yet.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The rest of Austin neighborhoods get hit over the head pretty intensely for espousing nimby points of view, but there are plenty of nimbys in downtown - both the type who don't want new development to block their views and, worse, the ones who want to keep the public out of those buildings even in what would be separate dedicated public spaces. I keep waiting to hear about a public observation deck in one of these new towers, but they still haven't come yet.

NIMBYism is alive and well all over the place in one form or another, that's for sure.

[We vs us]

The Towers write up is good. Glad to hear that they've preserved ground floor (and basement) retail. Really important for any building in the CBD, much less in an area like Rainey that made its rep by being walkable.