Skyscrapers (San Antonio, Austin, Nash: income, to live in, ordinances)

[TexHwyMan]

Downtown SA doesn't have the height of some comparible cities, but it does have nice density.

[traveler guy]

any updates on the broadway.

[oldmanshirt]

^^^4 floors and counting.

[oldmanshirt]

Originally Posted by ChrisSA_wxatUIW

I don't think it would hurt to plop a 900ft high rise in downtown, or two or three, maybe our downtown would finally look like it's in a city of 1.5mil.

The problem - for the millionth time - is that you're comparing SA with other cities of its size, when those cities all have significantly larger metro areas, with more total wealth and more demanding business environments.

If you really want a good comparison, try Columbus, Milwaukee, Nashville, Sacramento. The skylines in those places look much more like SA's. Know why? Those are all cities (metros) that are SA's size and thus a much more pertinent comparison than Dallas, Philly, Houston, or whoever else you're trying to compare.

[kevinm030]

I go to Austin every other weekend I love their skyline, they're always adding to it, no one is affraid of change there. W

When is San Antonio going to wake up and get out of the 70's?

Who knows?

[traveler guy]

Originally Posted by oldmanshirt

The problem - for the millionth time - is that you're comparing SA with other cities of its size, when those cities all have significantly larger metro areas, with more total wealth and more demanding business environments.

If you really want a good comparison, try Columbus, Milwaukee, Nashville, Sacramento. The skylines in those places look much more like SA's. Know why? Those are all cities (metros) that are SA's size and thus a much more pertinent comparison than Dallas, Philly, Houston, or whoever else you're trying to compare.

you know another city that has a similar population to SA at 1.2 Mil and 1.5 Mil in metro is Dubai. Nothing is stopping them from erecting the world's tallest in there skyline. Also Austin has a similar metro pop. and 600 ft. buildings are popping up left and right.

[gy2020]

You guys are so righteous about it, put up the money and go do it. Leave us be.

[ChrisSA_wxatUIW]

Originally Posted by oldmanshirt

The problem - for the millionth time - is that you're comparing SA with other cities of its size, when those cities all have significantly larger metro areas, with more total wealth and more demanding business environments.

If you really want a good comparison, try Columbus, Milwaukee, Nashville, Sacramento. The skylines in those places look much more like SA's. Know why? Those are all cities (metros) that are SA's size and thus a much more pertinent comparison than Dallas, Philly, Houston, or whoever else you're trying to compare.

Seattle?
Awesome skyline. Small City.

[BigDogsTX]

Originally Posted by ChrisSA_wxatUIW

Seattle?
Awesome skyline. Small City.

12 second google search "seattle-tacoma metro area"
Wikkipedia Results:

The Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington includes the city of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and Pierce County within the Puget Sound area. The U.S. Census Bureau defines the metropolitan area as the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, with an estimated population of 3,203,314, making it the 15th largest United States metropolitan area.

VS:

San Antonio (pronounced /ˌsænænˈtoʊnioʊ/) is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventh largest city in the United States. Located in South Texas, the city is a cultural gateway into the American Southwest. San Antonio is the seat of Bexar County with a population of 1,328,984 as of the 2007 U.S. Census estimate, as well as the 4th fastest growing large city in the nation from 2000-2006 in terms of percentage.[1] Its metropolitan area has nearly 2 million people and is the 28th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

[SilverCreek78250]

Just out of curiosity, because really, I don't get the whole argument/need for skyscrapers, but just to better understand this whole thing, let's say that Red McCombs or some rich guy plopped down a huge Dubai-like skyscraper. Then what? Do the 700 executives from AT&T move back to San Antonio and take up the top two or three floors? If the bottom floor is made exclusively of shops and restaurants, who occupies the remainder of the 30 or 40 floors? Homeless people? Section 8 downtown housing?

I am not opposed to taller buildings when the need arises, but good grief, you gotta do something with them once you have them. If you want to build a worthwhile skyscraper in downtown SA, I say put up a 25 story parking garage in the parking lot of the Alamodome and another one somewhere near El Mercado. That would solve problems.