UT System Headquarters | 270 FEET | 19 FLOORS | COMPLETE

[wwmiv]

retail = amazeballs. shows the system is trying in some way to better integrate with its surroundings, if not at least ut austin itself.

[KevinFromTexas]

That area needs it, too. I was over there last week and noticed how quiet it is. A lot of parking garages and no retail. It makes for a dead zone in the middle of downtown. It's a shame, too, because minus the parking garages it's a charming area of downtown with the older buildings around there.

[Jdawgboy]

So when you say multiple floors you mean instead of 15, it will be closer to 20?

It probably isn't a whole lot if it wont break the 300 foot mark but it will be a nice addition. Really glad that they are going to add retail.

[Austinite101]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

So when you say multiple floors you mean instead of 15, it will be closer to 20?

It probably isn't a whole lot if it wont break the 300 foot mark but it will be a nice addition. Really glad that they are going to add retail.

Closer to 20.

[ivanwolf]

MEET & GREET
With The University of Texas System’s
New Building Project Team

This is an informal event to provide an overview of project design and construction. Feel free to come and go as necessary. Light refreshments will be provided.

Please check-in with security upon entering the building.

Thursday, July 24, 2014
4:00-6:00 p.m.

Ashbel Smith Hall, Rm 208
201 W 7th Street

[KevinFromTexas]

Cool, I'll try to make it. Thanks for the info.

[The ATX]

A new file in the 07/31 ATD_AULCC refers to the building as "~16" stories.

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/140731/

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by ivanwolf

MEET & GREET
With The University of Texas System’s
New Building Project Team

This is an informal event to provide an overview of project design and construction. Feel free to come and go as necessary. Light refreshments will be provided.

Please check-in with security upon entering the building.

Thursday, July 24, 2014
4:00-6:00 p.m.

Ashbel Smith Hall, Rm 208
201 W 7th Street

So, I went. Larry Speck was there, and I listened to him intently. haha He said the building is still being designed. They couldn't release too many details for that reason. No renderings are available, yet, but he did say the design will be presented to the board of regents sometime next month. So he said shortly after that he expects a rendering would be released to the public/media. He said demolition of the Colorado Building, the UT garage and the other building, the name escapes me - anyway, he said demolition on those will start August 18.

Some of the residents of the Brown Building were there and a board member of the Norwood Tower. Their main concerns were construction noise/vibration and dust, plus garage usage and access. There didn't seem to be too many that were worried about the views. You gotta remember the Colorado Building has been there for 84 years, so as one guy put it, one building is going away and another will replace it. Larry Speck said he knows people who work in the Colorado Building who would tell him it's not a good situation having an office building with windows looking into the private residences of an adjacent building - the Brown Building. He said the parking levels would likely solve that issue and they could even put up some screens. Larry Speck didn't really talk much about the design or materials even though someone did ask if it would be glass. I asked about the height, he said 15 to 20 floors. They did have a post showing an envelop of the tower, just a boxy placeholder to show its location and relative height. I guessed it was maybe 220 feet, but I got the feeling nothing was really to scale.

Anyway, the building will cover the entire southern half of the block along 7th Street. A crane permit showed they'll need two cranes.

[MichaelB]

Thank you for posting that Kevin. Glad you went.
I am happy Larry Speck is designing.
He will make what could be a bland buidling, handsome.
I say that knowing A: How conservation the UT Board is and B: knowing it is an institutional building and they will be careful not to look like they are wasting $$
Mr. Speck is a really good fit for that. ( Meant in a very positive way)

[KevinFromTexas]

Also, the parties of the other properties were asking if the building could give them some more room in the alley. I took that as meaning a view issue since this new building will no doubt be taller than the Brown Building. Larry Speck and the construction company rep also mentioned it would have retail and would contribute to the street life.

Larry Speck especially was talking about street life improvements in downtown with wider sidewalks, benches, bike racks and more trees. He noted how much cooler downtown is with the new trees that have been planted over the last decade since he's lived in downtown.

[The ATX]

19 stories confirmed:

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news...-grows-/ng6Lm/

[Austinite101]

Maybe now I can post the rendering without getting my source in trouble.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

Maybe now I can post the rendering without getting my source in trouble.

Please do.

[KevinFromTexas]

Wow, that makes it quite a bit taller. Depending on what the roof looks like this could be pushing 300 feet.

Originally Posted by Austinite101

Maybe now I can post the rendering without getting my source in trouble.

Yes, please. I had heard from Larry Speck that the design and rendering would be presented to the regents on August 18 and that it would be released to the public sometime after that. It's likely that the media already has it.

[JoninATX]

So I guess demolition has started. It won’t be to long before it's all razed and prep for the new tower.

[KevinFromTexas]

It will pretty much completely fill the middle portion of the photo.

[JoninATX]

Kevin, I believe the name of the adjacent 2 story building next to The Colorado is The Lavaca Building.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2014...m-headquarters

Regents' committee approves changes to new UT System headquarters

Published on August 20, 2014 at 4:18 pm
Last update on August 21, 2014 at 12:34 am
BY ALEX WILTS

Expected to be completed in 2017, the new building will be located on Seventh Street between Colorado and Lavaca streets, across from Ashbel Smith Hall, which houses the current board meeting room.

The project was first approved in 2012 with a project cost of more $102.4 million. The proposed design changes increases the number of floors from 15 to 19 and the total square footage from 258,500 to 342,200.

The building will be constructed according to commercial design standards with the intention that 30 percent of it will be leased to outside tenants and 70 percent will be used as open space.

[Jdawgboy]

Rendering???

[AusTxDevelopment]

Here is the handy map that was printed in today's Stateman article.

Plan for UT System’s downtown Austin offices grows to $133.1 million
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/p...-grows-/ng6Lm/