AUSTIN: Green Water Treatment Plant & Seaholm Power Plant Redevelopment Update Thread - Page 12

BevoLJ · #**221** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 9:18 PM**

If I could have my way it would be like the Faneuil Market in Boston. The one with the Quincy Market if you have ever been to Boston. I LOVE IT! It would be so amazing to have something like that in Seaholm. And then at night it can be a music venue. =)

the Genral · #**222** Posted **Jun 6, 2012, 10:47 PM**

I thought it would make an excellent place for an aquarium / natural history museum.

H2O · #**223** Posted **Jun 7, 2012, 2:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

If I could have my way it would be like the Faneuil Market in Boston. The one with the Quincy Market if you have ever been to Boston. I LOVE IT! It would be so amazing to have something like that in Seaholm. And then at night it can be a music venue. =)

That was actually the original concept - and 'Austin Marketplace' of unique local stores and restaurants in smaller pavilions, kind of like the airport.

KevinFromTexas · #**224** Posted **Jun 7, 2012, 4:50 AM**

If they need 115,000 square feet of space, I'm sure Cousins would love to talk to them about their proposed 3rd & Colorado project. Otherwise why not put that company into an existing highrise and drive down the vacancy rate.

It also just seems weird to have a public lawn or plaza surrounding a private commercial office space. It would be like having public gatherings in the plaza of Frost Bank Tower or One Congress Plaza.

A market would be a neat idea, but Austinites always look for any excuse to be outside, and I'm not sure, but isn't the farmer's market doing well at Republic Square Park?

KevinFromTexas · #**225** Posted **Jun 8, 2012, 6:25 AM**

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

Quote:

Council OKs offices at iconic Seaholm plant

By Sarah Coppola
Published: 10:04 p.m. Thursday, June 7, 2012

The Austin City Council OK'd changes Thursday to a 2008 redevelopment deal for the old Seaholm Power Plant, allowing developers to lease most of the iconic downtown building to a local company to use as office space for as long as 20 years.

Thanks to details added to the deal Thursday at the urging of Council Member Laura Morrison, parts of the 117,000-square-foot plant will still be open to the public. The developers will have to include:

■ 1,000 square feet on the ground floor for a publicly accessible display of the site's history and a coffee shop, juice bar or other public use;

■ 5,000 square feet for a restaurant, part of which overlooks the plant's grand turbine hall;

■ 1,000 square feet for a ground-floor art gallery managed by the City of Austin.

hookem · #**226** Posted **Jun 8, 2012, 4:08 PM**

So does the new plan still leave the outdoor public plaza available for events as was planned before?

And what company is leasing it? That can't be such a well kept secret. The way this flew through the council, and the fact it's a 10 year lease, it's got to be a pretty big deal company locally. GSD&M? Whole Foods (but they are building their own office)? UShip?

East7thStreet · #**227** Posted **Jun 8, 2012, 5:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

So does the new plan still leave the outdoor public plaza available for events as was planned before?

And what company is leasing it? That can't be such a well kept secret. The way this flew through the council, and the fact it's a 10 year lease, it's got to be a pretty big deal company locally. GSD&M? Whole Foods (but they are building their own office)? UShip?

I think it is Facebook.

Jdawgboy · #**228** Posted **Jun 8, 2012, 5:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

So does the new plan still leave the outdoor public plaza available for events as was planned before?

And what company is leasing it? That can't be such a well kept secret. The way this flew through the council, and the fact it's a 10 year lease, it's got to be a pretty big deal company locally. GSD&M? Whole Foods (but they are building their own office)? UShip?

Not sure which company but what the article didnt mention is that the space could be offices for up to 20 years they will re-evaluate in a couple of years to see if they should go ahead and add more retail or other uses in the building.

IMO this has shot down any idea that Seaholm will be a destination in Downtown. The iconic structure which should be the focal point for public use will no longer serve that function. It will be a dead space after dark and nomatter what they put surrounding the plant its not going to achieve what the origional vision for it was supposed to be about.

hookem · #**229** Posted **Jun 8, 2012, 6:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by East7thStreet

I think it is Facebook.

No way it could be Facebook. #1 it's not a local company, #2 Austin would never do a deal for 10 years so quickly for a branch office. They still remember the Intel shell. Tax abatements for Apple notwithstanding, they won't risk an eyesore associated with some out of town company.

Whole Foods is building another office building, and supposedly leasing a building off 360 for extra office space in the meantime. So my guess right now must be GSD&M. They are local and politically connected enough to get Seaholm, and it makes sense for their type of business. Their existing offices could get redeveloped into a high rise, correct? Or is it CVC affected?

JAM · #**230** Posted **Jun 8, 2012, 6:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

IMO this has shot down any idea that Seaholm will be a destination in Downtown. The iconic structure which should be the focal point for public use will no longer serve that function. It will be a dead space after dark and nomatter what they put surrounding the plant its not going to achieve what the origional vision for it was supposed to be about.

Agreed, sad to see this occur. Retail is tough biz...

The ATX · #**231** Posted **Jun 9, 2012, 12:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

No way it could be Facebook. #1 it's not a local company, #2 Austin would never do a deal for 10 years so quickly for a branch office. They still remember the Intel shell. Tax abatements for Apple notwithstanding, they won't risk an eyesore associated with some out of town company.

Whole Foods is building another office building, and supposedly leasing a building off 360 for extra office space in the meantime. So my guess right now must be GSD&M. They are local and politically connected enough to get Seaholm, and it makes sense for their type of business. Their existing offices could get redeveloped into a high rise, correct? Or is it CVC affected?

Facebook already has an office here with a couple hundred or so employees just a few blocks from Seaholm. So it's not inconceivable that they would be moving there. They definitely have to money to do so. Having their name attached to the project would help the developers get financing.

Cloud92 · #**232** Posted **Jun 9, 2012, 4:37 AM**

i wanted the retail, offices just sound wrong there to me at least. an open air market place actually sounds like a fantastic idea there

the Genral · #**233** Posted **Jun 10, 2012, 12:20 AM**

This is a big disappointment. I agree that this will no longer be a destination spot and will pretty much only serve the residential and office tenants. I also imagine any retail will probably be generic, not including Trader Joes. Look for Starbucks, Subway... Looks like the city gave us the south lake project to divert us away from any public input for Seaholm, not that they had to in the first place. Frankly, they might just as well tear down the smoke stacks now...

MichaelB · #**234** Posted **Jun 10, 2012, 12:44 AM**

I guess I'll be odd man out on this one. I always questioned how the inside of Seaholm would draw a market. It seemed odd to me to have what could just be a failed downtown indoor mall in an area with more and more street accessible retail. If it wasn't going to be an event center, then I'm fine with it being what was negotiated.

BTW... Trader Jo's is not in this development. It will be accoross the creek with other street accesible retail.

wwmiv · #**235** Posted **Jun 10, 2012, 1:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I guess I'll be odd man out on this one. I always questioned how the inside of Seaholm would draw a market. It seemed odd to me to have what could just be a failed downtown indoor mall in an area with more and more street accessible retail. If it wasn't going to be an event center, then I'm fine with it being what was negotiated.

BTW... Trader Jo's is not in this development. It will be accoross the creek with other street accesible retail.

You aren't the only person. I've commented in other threads about this development and the switch to office and how it makes sense.

SecretAgentMan · #**236** Posted **Jun 10, 2012, 11:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

I guess I'll be odd man out on this one. I always questioned how the inside of Seaholm would draw a market. It seemed odd to me to have what could just be a failed downtown indoor mall in an area with more and more street accessible retail. If it wasn't going to be an event center, then I'm fine with it being what was negotiated.

BTW... Trader Jo's is not in this development. It will be accoross the creek with other street accesible retail.

Trader Joe's IS part of the Seaholm Redevelopment. It will be located in the low-rise building (under the Capitol View Corridor), at the corner of 3rd Street and Seaholm Drive.

MichaelB · #**237** Posted **Jun 10, 2012, 4:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

Trader Joe's IS part of the Seaholm Redevelopment. It will be located in the low-rise building (under the Capitol View Corridor), at the corner of 3rd Street and Seaholm Drive.

I thought it was in the Green development not Seaholm. Hum.... sorry

KevinFromTexas · #**238** Posted **Jun 13, 2012, 3:31 AM**

I found these images that show another proposal for the site.

http://bcarc.com/Project/green-water-redevelopment

Forrest City renderings. This link also has some renderings of the Grayco project on Riverside. That location has been totally demolished. That's actually a really nice project.
http://www.dsiaustin.com/Samples.html#PhotoSimAnchor

KevinFromTexas · #**239** Posted **Jun 13, 2012, 3:33 AM**

View From Southwest

Trammel Crow | Gensler - http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/8...4E75FA53F3.pdf

View East Down Cesar Chavez

Trammel Crow | Gensler - http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/8...4E75FA53F3.pdf

View East Down 2nd Street

Trammel Crow | Gensler - http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/8...4E75FA53F3.pdf

View West Down 2nd Street

Trammel Crow | Gensler - http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/8...4E75FA53F3.pdf

Plaza View From Hotel

Trammel Crow | Gensler - http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/8...4E75FA53F3.pdf

migol24 · #**240** Posted **Jun 13, 2012, 4:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I found these images that show another proposal for the site.

http://bcarc.com/Project/green-water-redevelopment

Forrest City renderings. This link also has some renderings of the Grayco project on Riverside. That location has been totally demolished. That's actually a really nice project.
http://www.dsiaustin.com/Samples.html#PhotoSimAnchor

did you check out that simulation on the forrest city rendering? that was pretty awesome. there's more height and the buildings don't look too much alike. i also liked the circle on the intersection of 2nd st and guadalupe (?). It's very much needed in Austin, especially having a very nice monument standing in the center, much like a european touristic city.