New Tallest Building For Austin

[editor]

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal)

[marc]

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal)

[Talbot]

Good news for Austin. Sounds like a big development, and an awesome one at that.

[AlcazarSpyder04]

I live in Austin and I was on the City of Austin Website and went to the Central Business District site and Austin has alot of emerging projects. Austin is growing really fast here is a list of them

1. Unnamed Building - 689ft, 45 floors

2. MetLife Tower - 490 ft, 29 floors

3. ZOM Tower - 479 ft, 25 floors

4. AMLI Tower - 31 floors

5. University Hotel - 27 floors

6. Four Seasons Residences - 28 floors

and many more...

There are some renderings which i am looking for.

[marc]

I live in Austin and I was on the City of Austin Website and went to the Central Business District site and Austin has alot of emerging projects. Austin is growing really fast here is a list of them

1. Unnamed Building - 689ft, 45 floors

2. MetLife Tower - 490 ft, 29 floors

3. ZOM Tower - 479 ft, 25 floors

4. AMLI Tower - 31 floors

5. University Hotel - 27 floors

6. Four Seasons Residences - 28 floors

and many more...

There are some renderings which i am looking for.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very Cool.

I was in Austin this past spring and had not been there since 2000. What an amazing difference! The Frost Tower alone has reshaped the skyline.

I like that it seems city planners and developers think very long and hard before just throwing up a building in our capital city. Most have a distinct "flavor" to them. I hope that trend continues with all the massive development.

As a local, how do you feel about the explosion of growth and development? I have some Austinite friends and the reviews are mixed. Half love the development, half are afraid it will lose its charm by becoming a Dallas or Houston. Like either of those cities do not have charm? Interesting take on it...to me. But then again, I am orginally from Houston.

m.

[Gary]

Very Cool.

I was in Austin this past spring and had not been there since 2000.  What an amazing difference!  The Frost Tower alone has reshaped the skyline.

I like that it seems city planners and developers think very long and hard before just throwing up a building in our capital city.  Most have a distinct "flavor" to them.  I hope that trend continues with all the massive development.

As a local, how do you feel about the explosion of growth and development?  I have some Austinite friends and the reviews are mixed.  Half love the development, half are afraid it will lose its charm by becoming a Dallas or Houston. Like either of those cities do not have charm?  Interesting take on it...to me.  But then again, I am orginally from Houston.

m.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have in laws and friends throughout the Austin area and most of them hate what's happening to the city. They say traffic is horrible and the culture is slowly changing to a big city feel.

I have no feelings either way as I love Austin, however last time I was up the traffic was pretty bad.

[HeightsGuy]

Gary, you're using present tense in your sentiment. My friends from Austin typically use the past tense, as in they hate what happened to the City.

Austin was one of my stomping grounds back in the 80's. It lost it's small college-town charm long ago. As much as I still love the city, you couldn't make me live there at twice my current salary. The traffic will only continue to get worse, unlike Houston you can't simply draw a line between two points and build a road. They are pretty locked in to the West, and have no other alternatives for north-south corridors. I think eventually Guadalupe Street will have to be widened, which will be a kick in the teeth for the old hippie part of the city I love.

[AlcazarSpyder04]

I feel that people who hate what is happening to Austin should deal with it or move out.. Every city will grow into a metropolis someday. Cities need to grow. I personally love what is happening to Austin. I think it still does have culture and a cool feel. I am for develpment. It helps the economy.

[kirbyaustex]

Austin hasn't been a small college town in a very long time, but I think it has hung on to a "small town" feeling. Now, that all depends on where you go, what kind of lifestyle you have, and your general perspective on the world. I rarely venture outside of 45th St. on the north, I-35 on the east, Lake Austin on the west, and Oltorf on the south. Those are the rough boundaries of my daily world. My own bubble of urban-hipster-ness. Inside my bubble, there is a small town feel. I'm forever running in to the same people at stores, restaurants, UT, bars, theater shows, festivals, the lake, parties, the movies, etc. I don't actually know most of these people by name, but I know them by face. Some times I know them enough to say hi or maybe chitchat. I mean, I see these people almost everyday like I would in a small town. Outside of my bubble, Austin can feel like any nameless suburban city. It has all the same things happening that you would find in any and every city. Traffic is bad, but it's bad just about any city you go to. But not for me in my bubble. It's just all about perspective. What's bad to you might not be bad to me. With development, it depends on what kind it is and where it's at. The area of my bubble needs continued and well thought out developement, while the suburban developement needs much more forethought and less cookie-cutter. Downtown needs loads of mix-used developement. Now, the mix-use will change Austin's look, but now necessarily it's feel since the same people will live and frequent the area. I personally don't think Austin has a "big city" feel like Houston and Dallas. I think we've still got a ways to go for that.

[marc]

Austin hasn't been a small college town in a very long time, but I think it has hung on to a "small town" feeling.  Now, that all depends on where you go, what kind of lifestyle you have, and your general perspective on the world.  I rarely venture outside of 45th St. on the north, I-35 on the east, Lake Austin on the west, and Oltorf on the south.  Those are the rough boundaries of my daily world.  My own bubble of urban-hipster-ness.  Inside my bubble, there is a small town feel.  I'm forever running in to the same people at stores, restaurants, UT, bars, theater shows, festivals, the lake, parties, the movies, etc.  I don't actually know most of these people by name, but I know them by face.  Some times I know them enough to say hi or maybe chitchat.  I mean, I see these people almost everyday like I would in a small town.  Outside of my bubble, Austin can feel like any nameless suburban  city.  It has all the same things happening that you would find in any and every city.  Traffic is bad, but it's bad just about any city you go to.  But not for me in my bubble.  It's just all about perspective.  What's bad to you might not be bad to me.  With development, it depends on what kind it is and where it's at.  The area of my bubble needs continued and well thought out developement, while the suburban developement needs much more forethought and less cookie-cutter.  Downtown needs loads of mix-used developement.  Now, the mix-use will change Austin's look, but now necessarily it's feel since the same people will live and frequent the area.  I personally don't think Austin has a "big city" feel like Houston and Dallas.  I think we've still got a ways to go for that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks everyone for your comments. It seems what you all have said is exactly the response i got from my friends. Some hate it.........others love it. I had noticed even the Hyde Park area is undergoing changes. It also seems, like some of you said, that the trend for most large potential filled cities is to become even larger.........the nature of the beast. I often wonder in cities like Austin, thanks to the communications revolution, the concept of "downtown" may be reworked. What i mean is that DT is no longer for large corporations when satellite offices located throughout a city are just as effective. In fact, CEOs can even work from their own home. SO, like in so many other American cities, if the trend for the next generation will be to turn DT into hyper-culture centers full of living spaces and the ammenities residents will require? If this is the case I wonder what that will mean for the DT look?? Maybe more mid-rises rather than supertalls.

m.

[N Judah]

So what's a good substitute for Austin? Where can I go for that small college-town charm these days?

[Kirzania]

So what's a good substitute for Austin?  Where can I go for that small college-town charm these days?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Blacksburg, WV?

[houstonfella]

Austin is relatively small when you put it into perspective. I've watched 50, 60, 70 story buildings go up in H-town; 40 stories is a mid-rise.

[Montrose1100]

I think that its good Austin is going for alot of Mid-Rises, and not just one, or two, High-rises. There planning it well, I like how its Skyline isn't super tall or giant. Alot of Little Buildings looks better then just one big one.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Austin is supposed to be very laid back, but maybe that is because you

[Dominax]

Does anybody have a diagram or some kind of photo of the design of this building

[supkof]

So what's a good substitute for Austin? Where can I go for that small college-town charm these days?

Champaign-Urbana, IL.

If I were willing to give up city life and move to a small college town, it would be that area. It's very cool and has quite a college-town feel, and it's small. Not that I live in a huge city, but I do live in a city of a quarter-million people, whereas they only have about 90,000 in that area. For such a small area, they have a LOT of cool stuff.

[eelimon]

I live in Austin and I was on the City of Austin Website and went to the Central Business District site and Austin has alot of emerging projects. Austin is growing really fast here is a list of them

1. Unnamed Building - 689ft, 45 floors

2. MetLife Tower - 490 ft, 29 floors

3. ZOM Tower - 479 ft, 25 floors

4. AMLI Tower - 31 floors

5. University Hotel - 27 floors

6. Four Seasons Residences - 28 floors

and many more...

There are some renderings which i am looking for.

ZOM Tower

So what's a good substitute for Austin? Where can I go for that small college-town charm these days?

Prairie View

I have in laws and friends throughout the Austin area and most of them hate what's happening to the city. They say traffic is horrible and the culture is slowly changing to a big city feel.

I have no feelings either way as I love Austin, however last time I was up the traffic was pretty bad.

Austin needs to rethink their options for mass transit rail

[H-Town Man]

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.

[JDawgATX]

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.

[DrkLts]

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.

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.

Edited December 15, 2005 by DrkLts

[JDawgATX]

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.

[DrkLts]

Well, I do hope FW and Austin does get more tall skyscrapers. It's always been all about Dallas and Houston skylines. It's FW and Austin's turn to reach for the sky.

[WesternGulf]

Isn't this the new building for Austin? It is suppose to be designed by the same devloper of the Mosaic in the Museum District.

[Dominax]

Isn't this the new building for Austin? It is suppose to be designed by the same devloper of the Mosaic in the Museum District.

That building there is probly THE SPRING TOWER!!!

[Saddleman]

It's the 360. Spring is seven or eight blocks to the west.

[banking214]

Austin hasn't been a small college town in a very long time, but I think it has hung on to a "small town" feeling. Now, that all depends on where you go, what kind of lifestyle you have, and your general perspective on the world. I rarely venture outside of 45th St. on the north, I-35 on the east, Lake Austin on the west, and Oltorf on the south. Those are the rough boundaries of my daily world. My own bubble of urban-hipster-ness. Inside my bubble, there is a small town feel. I'm forever running in to the same people at stores, restaurants, UT, bars, theater shows, festivals, the lake, parties, the movies, etc. I don't actually know most of these people by name, but I know them by face. Some times I know them enough to say hi or maybe chitchat. I mean, I see these people almost everyday like I would in a small town. Outside of my bubble, Austin can feel like any nameless suburban city. It has all the same things happening that you would find in any and every city. Traffic is bad, but it's bad just about any city you go to. But not for me in my bubble. It's just all about perspective. What's bad to you might not be bad to me. With development, it depends on what kind it is and where it's at. The area of my bubble needs continued and well thought out developement, while the suburban developement needs much more forethought and less cookie-cutter. Downtown needs loads of mix-used developement. Now, the mix-use will change Austin's look, but now necessarily it's feel since the same people will live and frequent the area. I personally don't think Austin has a "big city" feel like Houston and Dallas. I think we've still got a ways to go for that.

I will always love Austin and its charm. To some of the old timers, maybe it has changed for the worse in your opinion, but to me it is still a place like no other in Texas. I love the "small town" feel that it carries with it. I can't compare Austion or Chicago, but I get that same feel everytime I am there.

[JDawgATX]

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.

[JDawgATX]

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.

[WesternGulf]

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