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Old 08-08-2012, 09:44 AM
 
Location: Volcano
12,969 posts, read 28,305,646 times
Reputation: 10756

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Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
In other words, Austin belongs to those who moving in who want to make it into Anywhere Else, USA and those who love it and want to preserve even a modicum of what makes it special should tuck tail and run? Don't think so.

Heck, let's bulldoze the Capitol! Imagine what an awesome skyscraper could be built in its place!
No, I never said that. Matter of fact I'm personally against putting skyscrapers north of the Capitol, and I personally enjoy many of the quaint businesses in older low-rise buildings which are most threatened by unfettered development.

There's a difference, though, between having specific criticisms and suggestions, and simply rubber stamping everything "bad, bad, bad" with generic slams against the City administration.
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Old 08-08-2012, 09:53 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,234,375 times
Reputation: 24738
This is absolutely true. I may have some issues with decisions made by City Councils past and present, but they're not the biggest problem by far.
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Old 08-08-2012, 11:31 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX/London, UK
709 posts, read 1,396,372 times
Reputation: 488
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady View Post
In other words, Austin belongs to those who moving in who want to make it into Anywhere Else, USA and those who love it and want to preserve even a modicum of what makes it special should tuck tail and run? Don't think so.

Heck, let's bulldoze the Capitol! Imagine what an awesome skyscraper could be built in its place!
What makes Austin unique and special is that there are actual people in Downtown and that it is a fun place to be where people want to be. Wanting Austin to be boring and sleepy is wanting Austin to be like Anywhere Else, USA. Like almost every other downtown in the country.

And for the record all the hotels currently under construction and all the hotels planned for Austin are being built on empty parking lots with the exception of one. The Hampton on Lavaca is being built right now in what has been a god ugly concrete shell from a project that failed many years ago in the dot.com bust. I cant imagine anyone truly thinking they would want to preserve a concrete shell like what it was before they started on the Hampton.

Every other hotel under construction and planned is on empty parking lots. Empty parking lots downtown does not make Austin special. It only makes Austin like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio or Anywhere Else, USA. Boring.

Edit: This is what Hampton Inn is replacing. Not really worth preserving, IMO.


http://www.austintowers.net/Austin_D...ca_shell_2.jpg
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Old 08-08-2012, 12:02 PM
 
215 posts, read 349,745 times
Reputation: 251
The problem is too much growth too quickly. Many great downtown venues are gone now. Most given up to build so the rich can flaunt their money. Serious consideration needs to given to those of us that have been here and know the truth about how fun downtown was. In the past, downtown derived the majority of its income from people who enjoyed being out at night. The buildings were fun to occupy. Now everything has be dolled up and pretending to be hip.

Austinites have compromised enough for the newbies and greedy carpet baggers.
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Old 08-08-2012, 12:06 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,234,375 times
Reputation: 24738
Quote:
Originally Posted by BevoLJ View Post
What makes Austin unique and special is that there are actual people in Downtown and that it is a fun place to be where people want to be. Wanting Austin to be boring and sleepy is wanting Austin to be like Anywhere Else, USA. Like almost every other downtown in the country.

And for the record all the hotels currently under construction and all the hotels planned for Austin are being built on empty parking lots with the exception of one. The Hampton on Lavaca is being built right now in what has been a god ugly concrete shell from a project that failed many years ago in the dot.com bust. I cant imagine anyone truly thinking they would want to preserve a concrete shell like what it was before they started on the Hampton.

Every other hotel under construction and planned is on empty parking lots. Empty parking lots downtown does not make Austin special. It only makes Austin like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio or Anywhere Else, USA. Boring.

Edit: This is what Hampton Inn is replacing. Not really worth preserving, IMO.


http://www.austintowers.net/Austin_D...ca_shell_2.jpg
Oh, you mean the failed project that was responsible for Liberty Lunch being closed?

Much like Armadillo World Headquarters was torn down to put up a failed bank building?

Or Las Manitas?

The list goes on and on, selling our birthright for a mess of pottage.
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Old 08-08-2012, 01:06 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX/London, UK
709 posts, read 1,396,372 times
Reputation: 488
I totally agree with you how tragic those are. But you are placing he blame for old Austin mistakes on beneficial things happening in the Austin of today. Those building the Hampton Inn didn't close Liberty Lunch. They are building their hotel on top of a ugly concrete shell. You really think we should save that concrete shell?

The other hotels currently under construction on 3rd and San Jacinto and 2nd and Congress are both replacing parking lots. They didn't tear down what was there. Nor did they tear down the Armadillo. Both of those were done long ago. The closing of the Dillo and Liberty Lunch of those were done during the time of the Austin you want us to be more like, not today. Just because mistakes have happened in Austin's past shouldn't mean that we have to live with the huge parking lots and empty shells of failed projects that those mistakes left us with.

I just feel like you are opposed to things that are needed and good for Austin today, because of how Austin used to behave in the past. I just don't see building a hotel on a parking lot as the same thing as tearing down the Armadillo.

When it comes to protecting Austin treasures I totally agree with you. When they announced the big new office building they are going to build on 3rd and San Antonio I originally thought they were planning it for 3rd and Congress and were going to tear down those buildings where Manuel's is. I would die with out my flautas! lol. I was very upset about it until I found out that the new office building is just going in to the parking lot on the other side of that block on San Antonio. Now that I don't have a issue with. I say get ride of those parking lots. Those parking lots are the results of the type of horrible development behavior you are complaining about. Rather than just living with the tragic results of that type of destructive development why not move on and replace those parking lots with something that we can enjoy?

But just being opposed to any and everything today that can be good for us regardless of situations (example a parking lot, or empty shell), just because a long time ago Austin destroyed some of its biggest treasures seems kind of silly and narrow-minded.

Here is an example of something I don't agree with:

19th-century building on Congress Avenue likely to be razed
By Tara Merrigan
Published: 8:13 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, 2012


Quote:
A 19th-century Congress Avenue building could soon face the wrecking ball after a city commission all but cleared the way for its demolition.

The Austin Historic Landmark Commission agreed Monday night that few original features remain at the two-story building at 901 Congress Ave.

Texas Public Policy Foundation, the conservative think tank that owns the property, can raze the building once the historic commission reviews designs for the new structure.

Read More: http://www.statesman.com/news/local/19th-century-building-on-congress-avenue-likely-to-2425628.html


But there is a difference to me in tearing down a old building like that on Congress and building something on a parking lot. There is also a difference to me in replacing what has stood as a big 9 story concrete shell with a 11 story hotel or keeping that concrete shell as is because over a decade ago Liberty Lunch was closed. It was closed a long time ago. Time to move on. That shell that had been there forever now was ugly as could be, and something needed to be done about it.

Last edited by BevoLJ; 08-08-2012 at 01:21 PM..
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Old 08-08-2012, 01:16 PM
 
Location: SW
98 posts, read 186,857 times
Reputation: 61
Next thing you know, they'll be tearing down the McDonalds at S. Lamar/Barton Springs and replacing it with high-falutin organic grocery.

the nerve!
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Old 08-08-2012, 01:19 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,234,375 times
Reputation: 24738
I agree that the shell needed to be replaced with something useful. But I do think that we don't need to continue to go rushing arms wide into "development" without keeping firmly in mind what that's done in the past. When, several times, an Austin landmark is destroyed for something that never gets built or fails miserably because it's not what the city needs, it's just more of the same old same old, then we're doing something wrong and we should learn from history, not replicate it because we're just flat not paying attention or because we're SO excited at something new. I mean, really, now, how exciting is a hotel, anyway? If that's what it takes to float your boat, unless you're benefiting from it financially, you really need to get out more!

Austin, or some of its occupants, sometimes remind me of a woman who gets married to identical jerks over and over and over again, and each time is so madly in love that she doesn't remember the past.
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Old 08-08-2012, 01:32 PM
 
Location: The Lone Star State
8,030 posts, read 9,017,312 times
Reputation: 5050
Some very interesting conversation here... good points made on both sides. But I do agree, we should take more pointers from San Antonio (preservation) and Houston (build only by market demand) and not from Dallas (build flashy and then hope that they come.)
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Old 08-08-2012, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX/London, UK
709 posts, read 1,396,372 times
Reputation: 488
@ THL: I think we are in agreement somewhat. It is just that when it comes to building exciting stuff on places that there is noting, or nothing of any worth or benefit to us as a community and public, then I think it is a good thing. Adding hotel rooms to downtown is exciting to me. Yes it does benefit me some financially, but more that that I think it adds to the vibrancy and excitement of what is happening downtown. At least it does much more-so that what it is replacing, empty parking lots. Those empty parking lots I think destroy the vibrancy and fun of visiting downtown.

But I totally agree we should learn from the mistakes. The destructive development behavior that has cost us some of our biggest treasures. I mean I can't even fathom say if someone planned on tearing down Antone's or replacing Stubb's with another of those God ugly boring as hell apartment blocks! lol.

But just because Austin has done that in the past (and no doubt it will happen again) doesn't mean we have to live with the wasteland it left us with. I think putting stuff that makes the area more vibrant and full of life in the left over parking lots that are the result of that past destruction is a good thing. I think that is moving on.
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