SAN ANTONIO │ Frost Bank Headquarters │ 386 FEET | 23 FLOORS │ Complete - Page 33

AwesomeSAView · #**641** Posted **Mar 16, 2017, 3:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanshirt

For it to be the city's tallest tower, it would make more sense for it to be about a quarter mile east. With consideration to the height balance with existing buildings, it's exactly the height it should be.

I absolutely agree with you, oldmanshirt! Totally correct on the height balance with downtown's existing buildings!

At least someone is starting to make some sense to all of this!

JACKinBeantown · #**642** Posted **Mar 16, 2017, 11:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanshirt

For it to be the city's tallest tower, it would make more sense for it to be about a quarter mile east. With consideration to the height balance with existing buildings, it's exactly the height it should be.

Fair enough and I definitely see your point, but by that logic nobody would ever build something taller than 400 feet outside of that little cluster. The Empire State Building would never have been built.

AwesomeSAView · #**643** Posted **Mar 17, 2017, 1:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Fair enough and I definitely see your point, but by that logic nobody would ever build something taller than 400 feet outside of that little cluster. The Empire State Building would never have been built.

It is what it is. We are getting a beautifully designed tower by a world known, prized, top architectural designer.

txex06 · #**644** Posted **Mar 17, 2017, 1:37 AM**

The developer's aren't a couple old dudes. If and when this project is a success. When it provides a catalyst for future development. Who is to say Weston and the guys don't plan something new 5-10 years down the road? Something bigger and taller? Things are starting to shape up that way in my eyes.

JACKinBeantown · #**645** Posted **Mar 17, 2017, 2:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by txex06

The developer's aren't a couple old dudes. If and when this project is a success. When it provides a catalyst for future development. Who is to say Weston and the guys don't plan something new 5-10 years down the road? Something bigger and taller? Things are starting to shape up that way in my eyes.

There are plenty of parking lots in and around downtown SA just waiting to be several hundred feet taller.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.4267.../data=!3m1!1e3

The Model · #**646** Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 2:22 PM**

[IMG]

San Antonio Skyline by Raul Medina III, on Flickr[/IMG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanshirt

For it to be the city's tallest tower, it would make more sense for it to be about a quarter mile east. With consideration to the height balance with existing buildings, it's exactly the height it should be.

RyanfromTexas · #**647** Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 3:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Model

[IMG]

San Antonio Skyline by Raul Medina III, on Flickr[/IMG]

Nice shot Raul!!I was just searching for 2017 shots of DT!!!

I really wish the Tower of Americas and the Tower Life Building would update their spires! That flag pole needs to go IMHO. In the spirit of the current "making the old new again" paradigm in SA this would make sense. It would restore the iconic look of Tower Life and a taller, more purposeful spire for ToA could make it the tallest structure in Texas just in time to dedicate Hemisfair. Just a thought....

The Model · #**648** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 1:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyanfromTexas

Nice shot Raul!!I was just searching for 2017 shots of DT!!!

I really wish the Tower of Americas and the Tower Life Building would update their spires! That flag pole needs to go IMHO. In the spirit of the current "making the old new again" paradigm in SA this would make sense. It would restore the iconic look of Tower Life and a taller, more purposeful spire for ToA could make it the tallest structure in Texas just in time to dedicate Hemisfair. Just a thought....

How much taller would the spire need to be to make the TOA the tallest in Texas?

Restless 1 · #**649** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 2:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Model

How much taller would the spire need to be to make the TOA the tallest in Texas?

Tallest in Texas is JP Morgan Chase in Houston at 1,002 feet.

TOA is listed at 622 feet.

So, about 380 feet, which would look absolutely awful.

KevinFromTexas · #**650** Posted **Mar 23, 2017, 12:52 AM**

The Tower of the Americas and Tower Life Building don't have spires. The Tower of the Americas has an antenna (strictly for communication), and the Tower Life Building has a flagpole, not a spire. I'll admit that I resented them removing the antenna from the Tower Life Building, but I think it looks better with the flagpole. That old antenna that was up there was a jalopy sitting on top of a gem. The flagpole is more elegant and appropriate for the building, I think. And that's actually historically correct since they constructed the new flagpole to the specs of the one that was originally up there ~50 years ago. I like all the flagpoles on San Antonio's old highrises. It's something I wish Austin had more of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Model

How much taller would the spire need to be to make the TOA the tallest in Texas?

You would need to take the Bank of America Plaza (387 feet) and place it atop the Tower of the Americas (622 feet). If you did that it would be 7 feet taller than the Chase Tower in Houston at 1,009 feet.

The CN Tower in Toronto is nearly three times as tall as the Tower of the Americas which totally blows my mind. That thing is crazy tall. It's 1,815 feet tall.

JACKinBeantown · #**651** Posted **Mar 23, 2017, 12:55 AM**

Nice shot, Raul! What's the crane on the left by the auditorium?

jaga185 · #**652** Posted **Mar 23, 2017, 2:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Nice shot, Raul! What's the crane on the left by the auditorium?

It's the tobin parking garage. It's going to have a bit of retail on the bottom so that's exciting!

JACKinBeantown · #**653** Posted **Mar 23, 2017, 2:00 PM**

Thanks, jaga. Ground level retail is always exciting!

Sigaven · #**654** Posted **Mar 24, 2017, 5:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyanfromTexas

Nice shot Raul!!I was just searching for 2017 shots of DT!!!

I really wish the Tower of Americas and the Tower Life Building would update their spires! That flag pole needs to go IMHO. In the spirit of the current "making the old new again" paradigm in SA this would make sense. It would restore the iconic look of Tower Life and a taller, more purposeful spire for ToA could make it the tallest structure in Texas just in time to dedicate Hemisfair. Just a thought....

The flagpole on the Tower Life Building was just installed several years ago to replace the defunct radio tower on top of it. The flagpole actually adheres to the original design of the building - the original flagpole was taken down in the 50's to put that radio mast in.

As for the ToA, the "spire" up there isn't architectural, it's just for communications, so wouldn't really make sense to "update" it or re-design it.

Personally I think the city needs to get away from this mentality of "can't build taller than the Tower of the Americas" - plenty of cities have observation towers like this with taller buildings around it (Seattle for example).

AwesomeSAView · #**655** Posted **Mar 24, 2017, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Model

[IMG]

San Antonio Skyline by Raul Medina III, on Flickr[/IMG]

Enough with the "spire conversation"....

I wish someone would place the new gleaming awesome Frost Tower in this San Antonio skyline photo, so we can see what it will look like in several months!

Any takers??

car2004 · #**656** Posted **Mar 25, 2017, 1:51 AM**

I drove by Houston street today and saw so much going on. This is really exciting. Though, I am wondering if anyone may know what is happening to one of the buildings at 140 E. Houston St.?

KevinFromTexas · #**657** Posted **Mar 27, 2017, 8:24 AM**

Anyone know what those huge smokestacks are way in the background east of downtown (above the Alamodome)?

DanielM · #**658** Posted **Mar 27, 2017, 12:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Anyone know what those huge smokestacks are way in the background east of downtown (above the Alamodome)?

That's the Calaveras power plant at Calaveras Lake.

jaga185 · #**659** Posted **Mar 27, 2017, 3:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by car2004

I drove by Houston street today and saw so much going on. This is really exciting. Though, I am wondering if anyone may know what is happening to one of the buildings at 140 E. Houston St.?

It's being renovated into office space, I believe.

SAtown · #**660** Posted **Mar 27, 2017, 10:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by car2004

I drove by Houston street today and saw so much going on. This is really exciting. Though, I am wondering if anyone may know what is happening to one of the buildings at 140 E. Houston St.?

The Book Building (the red brick building at 140 E Houston) is going to be a boutique hotel. I don't think that has been announced yet, but it's some group who specializes in boutique hotels in historic buildings. Really small, not many rooms.

The Savoy Building (the limestone building connected on the west side of the Book Building) is being converted into creative office space. ScaleWorks just leased the whole building.

The Solo Serve Building (behind both of the above but along the river) is being demolished and a hotel is being built on the site.

The city is also completing the Main & Soledad street improvements from the 2012-2017 bond.

LOTS going on in that block!!!!