San Antonio Skyscrapers (merged threads) (Houston, Dallas: insurance, luxury, living)

[NEsananto]

Well, if you consider the fact that San antonio was offically founded in 1718, you have to take into effect that that much of the downtown is considered historic, unlike Austin. Although San Antonio doesn't have many highrises in the downtown, it does have more high rise buildings outside of it's downtown than Austin, and San Antonio makes up for the lack of tall skyscrappers by having one of the most efficient highway systems in the nation (says a lot about this country's infrastructure) that's always being expanded to accomadiate the growing population unlike Austin with it's one poorly designed interstate and "highway" system for that. Tall buildings don't do a lot for a city when you can't get around. But then again, Phoenix doesn't have any real tall buildings and it has a population of 1.5 million and 4 million in the metro verses Austin's 700,000 and 1.5 million metro. -Yeah Austin, I said that.

[Guerilla]

There is WAAAAAAAAY too much focus on suburban development in San Antonio is what I think.

[imaterry78259]

San Antonio, unfortunately, the new condo in Austin is just the tip of the iceberg of new high rises going in downtown. SA you haven't built a highrise in the suburban area since the 90's that over 20 stories.

[Tone]

im calling san antonio a sleeper city. just wait. we will have our OFFICIAL boom. the whole city right now is tore up. construction is going on everywhere including downtown. and we can have all this suburban sprawl cuz of our highway system. just like someone said earlier. austin could never do that unless there highway system has a lot of work done to it. i wuldnt be suprised if there is a second downtown eventually on the northside. we will have an uptown and a downtown. now theres an idea. i dont see why anyone is talkin down anyway. buildings dont make a city what it is. but the buildings will come regardless.

[case44]

Originally Posted by imaterry78259

Austin just broke ground on a downtown 56 story hi rise condo, with more highrises to come. SA has never built anything ever over 45 stories, what gives. I guess we will always look like downtown Amarillo with a Tower

Actually, SA has more than Amarillo and Lubbock combined. I'm trying to get Lubbock to build some new high-rises.

[case44]

Originally Posted by imaterry78259

Need I say more San Antonio!!!!

Benchmark Development has supposedly begun sales of the planned 155 condos in what they are now calling "The Austonian" (the website is now up). The current plan is a 700 foot tall, 55 story tower of condo power above what appears to be (and had better be) ground floor retail on the corner of Congress and Second Street (across Congress from the current location of Las Manitas - BTW, word is that Las Mas will be moving into the landmarked structure nearby owned by the current proprietors, with a healthy retro-fit subsidy from the newly created Congress Avenue Retail Retention and Enhancement Fund).

The Austonian is ... tall and has a funny shape. The materials look nicer than they were in the prior iteration, but judging materials by these renderings is a dicey proposition. To the developer: glass is good. Preferably with some UV filtering, cuz those top floors are going to be right up against the sun. The planned "illuminated architectural feature" for the top sounds scary, but it might make it easier for the aliens to find us from space, so that's nice. The developers appear to have squeezed an additional seven stories into the plan (previous indications were that the tower would be 48 stories), while maintaining a height of 700 feet,

I've seen the website and the designs for that. Wow!

[fishfister]

I used to live there. My brother is still there so I still get down there enough to remind me of my youth.
Why would you ever want a huge skyline in SA? The tower says it all to begin with and there is no reason to build that much office space downtown.
Here in DC there are no buildings taller than the Washington Monument. I am rather glad.
Those that want the taller buildings must be from cities with them. NYC, Chicago, Pittsburgh and LA can keep them.

Isn't there a tall office building on 281 just outside of downtown?

[FastFerrari]

San Antonio's downtown will have those highrise shortly...the Hyatt is nearing its "topped out" status..the Vistana, The Courtyard(Marriott), Vidorra..hopfully still twins..and the rumored W Hotel...these may not add 500plus feet to the skyline but will add a little more density and a signature unlike any other city...besides once big business trickles its was to SA..then we will be graced with a 600+ skyscraper...HINT HINT AT&T! !! ! ! ! !

[adtobias]

I have heard great things about the w hotel......everyone loves it

[940]

As much as I'd love to see a super tall in SA, I have pretty much given up hope. I remember years ago as a kid (late 70s/early 80s??) when the Express-News blasted on their front page that the "new" hotel downtown would be 50 stories tall (this was the original Marriott Hotel that ended up being about 30 stories tall). I remember cutting out the article and the proposed picture b/c even back then, I craved a new high rise for SA. Unfortunately, just like the current convention center hotel being built, the plans were revised and the size and height were changed to a smaller structure.