JDawgATX

I completely agree with N Judah...

While I'm not saying this is a bad, stupid, or ugly project, I ask you what differentiates it with The Woodlands Mall/riverwalk or with what they're trying to do in Sugarland and now the old Town and Country Mall site ...all are essentially fake looking stucco crap projects with a little polished metal thrown together in the spirit of New Urbanism...which, I'm sorry folks, does have its faults. I'm not saying it's 'wrong', but it has become rather cult like in people's belief that it will solve everything.

If you want to talk dense, URBAN, modern, and CHIC, then think the Houston Galleria. Yes, folks. In our own backyard. That's first class. This is a suburban piece of crap 12 miles from downtown Austin that is disguised to be urban.

Why does everything Austin do somehow seem to get the seal of approval? Just read what everyone has said so far...Houston isn't 'FAR BEHIND THE TIMES'...lol...if not having one of these stucco places is "far behind" to you, then I ask you where you've been living? Under a rock? Again, Houston has several of these projects going up around town on a little smaller scale, and I'm not necessarily a fan of those, either. But they're there,

Austin needs a legit mall. They say this will be it and for years to come. But I'm talking about a mall like Dallas's or Houston's Galleria. Compact, enclosed (Texas heat), and full of high end department stores and boutique stores. Not some outdoor pavilion where people on a Saturday afternoon will sweat and wear shorts, sandals, fanny packs, and Mickey Mouse t-shirts to beat the Texas heat. That doesn't seem so cool to me.

This mall looks like that fake Hollywood town square from Back to the Future 2! lol...and that movie set was supposed to be a joke about the suburbs people.

It looks like they're trying to turn it into some Country Club Plaza in Kansas City...but that takes 25 years, too, and a ton of land. Not just for the shops, but for the 30 story midrises, condos, park, etc. (Country Club Plaza in KC is like Houston's Uptown Galleria area...but all outdoors and made for the automobile...CCP is also only 4 miles from downtown KC with an area sort of like Montrose/Sixth St. (Westport St.) between the downtown and the CCP area...it's just a straight shot down Broadway street from downtown KC to CCP more or less like Westheimer goes thru north museum area/Montrose and then onto Galleria is in Houston. The mall part looks really nice...but really stucco, too...bottom line, it's no Galleria. And I don't see this Austin place being any CCP in KC, either. It's 12 miles from downtown Austin and doesn't connect to downtown as well as the centers in KC or Houston. But who knows. Maybe it will in a 100 years like The Domain's homepage states!

http://www.countryclubplaza.com/ --- compare.

http://www.thedomainaustin.com/ --- if you go to the Gallery section, you will notice that a lot of these pictures aren't impressive at all. Buildings look like something you would find on the Beltway, not the Loop.

The Domain is closer to downtown than 12 miles in fact Ill pull up a map I saw recently that shows it maybe be closer than 10 miles. Not only that but the Domain is near 2 major freeways one is Loop One wich may not go into downtown but has easy accsess in getting into downtown. Second the new Commuter rail line will run through the area wich will be a direct connect to downtown.

Totally agree! Austin is SO overrated! I think it's just PC to 'follow the crowd' and sing the town's praises. This development is ok but can't begin to compare with true shopping/ dining destinations. Austin: it's enough to make you sick...

So much love for your capital city, think twice before you blurb some stupid comment about Austin, youd be suprised how many Austin people get on here. Though its your Opinion, its funny how I meet so many people who just moved to Austin from Houston and how much they like it here... Nuf said... Houston is a great city I love Houston alot it is my second favorite city in Texas behind Austin. I enjoy visiting Houston and I agree I think Austin needs an actual mall similar to the Gallaria because I honestly don't want to be walking around in 100 degree heat in the summertime. Austin has Barton Creek Square wich is a REAL mall but we need something alot bigger.

The Domain is on the Northwest side and is roughly about 10 or so miles from downtown. I can't remember the exact distance so 10 miles might be wrong. This is just the beginning of what could be considered an outdoor version of Houston's Gallaria to a certain extent. A new Westin hotel will be built as well as new buildings of up to and over 300 feet high. Nordstrom will be building its second Austin store here and there are other high end retailers that are planning on opening up once the second phase is finished. It should be very interesting to see how it is built up over the years.

The city Zoning commission has aproved Tom Stacy's tower, If you havn't seen the renderings for it yet they were already posted up in a different thread. Ill try to get them here as well. From what was said at the meeting the building will be upwards of 700 to possibly 750 feet high. They were also supposed to vote on the Benchmark Project also at 700 feet but aparently Benchmark requested a two week waiting period. It seems they wanted to see what Tom Stacy's building was going to look like. Look for the Benchmark project to change to compete with the height of 5th at Congress. There is definatly a skyscraper race to see who will build the tallest building in Austin.

http://www.zieglercooper.com/congress%20%20condos.htm

Wow, now Ive herd rumors about this but I didn't think it was true. I wonder how Tom Stacey is going to respond to this. When the Novare/360 went from 40 stories to 44 stories, Tom Stacey announced his tower was going from 41 stories to 45 stories and at least 705 feet. Austin is defintatly in the middle of a race to see who will build the tallest tower.

Update for 5th at Congress. The Garage should break ground by the begining of June. The actual tower is supposed to start construction by fall. No official renderings yet but you would think they would come out soon.

That building there is probly THE SPRING TOWER!!!

Actually that building is the Novare tower/Austin 360 tower as it is now being referred to. It will be 580 feet.

Also more news on the ZOM Tower or Monarch. It actually isn't on hold although there were several rumors going around that it was. They are begining to demolish the existing structure on the lot that they are going to build it. It should start full construction within the next month or two.

I dunno, you might wanna add Fort Worth to that list of "outside Houston and Dallas".

If you haven't read the DFW section, Fort Worth has a chance of getting a 60 story, 900'ft tower in '06.

If the building actually comes out to be 900 feet, then it will only be 21 feet shorter than the Bank of America Plaza in Dallas, and taller than Dallas' second tallest building.

At 900 feet, it would be Texas' fifth tallest.

1. JPMorgan Chase Tower Houston - 1,002 ft.

2. Wells Fargo Plaza, Houston - 972 ft.

3. Bank of America Plaza, Dallas - 921 ft.

4. Williams Tower, Houston - 901 ft.

5. Block TU Tower, Fort Worth - 900 ft.

Yes, you are right that came out after I made that last post. But I do have some updated information. As far as the Monarch goes, that has been put on hold indefinatly.

The 5th at Congress tower is now going to be 45 stories and at least 705 feet tall.

The Novare tower also known as Austin360 will now have 44 stories and will rise to 580 feet.

The Novare tower should start construction by the begining of March. Construction for the 12 story garage for the 5th at Congress tower is slated for construction in June. Construction of the Tower itself should start at the end of 06.

Also several other projects should be breaking ground over the next 2 to 3 months including Metlifes 28 story tower wich is slated for construction begining April 1st. Amili's 18 story apartment tower in the second street district is suppost to break ground within the next 3 months. There are some other projects though I don't have a whole lot of info them right now.

Hey guys,

If you read the initial post carefully, it doesn't sound like they're going to build a new tallest building. It sounds like they will be adding new amenities to the Bank of America building. Of course, BoA is not the tallest anymore, which makes me wonder how old that is.

The ZOM looks cool.

About small towns turning into big cities... yeah, I know the feeling. College Station is starting to feel a little big city to me - not like it was in '98 when I first came here. Oh well, at least there's still Snook.

Actually they are going to build a second tower next to the BOA building wich will be over 40 stories tall and up to 680 feet high when built it will be the tallest building in Texas outside of Houston and Dallas. As far as the ZOM tower its been renaimed as the Monarch and will actually be 27 stories now. Also look for another 40 story building to start construction at the begining of 06 as the Novare tower wich at 40 stories will surpass the Frost Bank in hight at 558 feet.