Austin's Future Skyline (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio: limousine, houses, employment)

[Austinite101]

Originally Posted by migol84

You mean to say that Austin's downtown looks like a suburb of some sort?

That's exactly how I took it as well.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Austin97

Your #4 is my 2a. We are talking 800K people. Mueller, a huge property has about 1400 households planned. Im sure there will be plenty of low rise multifamily units, but I doubt there is enough space for only that style.

Other than Dell Hospital, I only see buildings of a couple of stories at Mueller. Put in some mid-rise apartment buildings, say 10 stories, and you could easily achieve an agreeable medium density, IMHO. It's the false dichotomy of "2 story vs. 50 story" that I reject.

I've lived in much bigger cities than Austin, and been in and around skyscrapers most of my life. I think I understand how much different the experience of living in a high-rise is than what a large percentage of Texans seem to really want. So just building high rises is no panacea.

[BevoLJ]

I would love if what you are saying was possible OpenD, but I just don't think it could ever happen. I totally agree that it shouldn't be a 50-story condo towers or single family home only discussion, or possibilities. I would love to see more like the N. Lamar/Guad triangle around town. But with some midrise possibilities. Not everything must be downtown. However, inside of the city limits due to the neighborhood associations in a city like Austin mid-rise buildings are only allowed downtown, and a very few heavy traffic roads like Lamar or Burnet (but those proposals always get yelled down and almost never approved). Can you imagine someone proposing a 10 story building in Travis Heights or Terrytown? lol. They don't even allow duplexes in neighborhoods, much less mid rises.

I know I sure wouldn't want a 10 story building moving in next door to me. lol. But there do need to be more options. The problem always seems that every time something is proposed, even on say Lamar or Barton Springs everyone starts going on and on about all the traffic it will cause. And most of that time the fear of the traffic caused by mid rises outside of downtown kill those projects. So the only real options becomes condos downtown, or single family homes in Round Rock or Lakeway. Where is the concern about the traffic caused by SFHs in Round Rock or Lakeway? People complain about the traffic, but they encourage the causes of the traffic. There is never a concern for traffic problems or the need to build a new highway because of a new SFH development in the burbs of the same sort of concern we see for a mid rise in the city.

Without traffic solutions such as better transit options I don't see how the proposed mid rises outside of downtown will ever be able to overcome that killer fear of traffic that kills all those proposals.

Edit: And for the record it isn't like midrises aren't constantly being built in and around downtown (like west campus). There are a whole bunch being built right now, and have been a crapload of them in the past 10 years. Many many more midrises have been built around downtown over the past 10 years than highrises. They just aren't as noticeable since they are midrises, so don't get all the attention.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Many many more midrises have been built around downtown over the past 10 years than highrises. They just aren't as noticeable since they are midrises, so don't get all the attention.

And they don't get all the attention because they are not as overwhelming as high-rises are.

Anyway, this just in on the latest form the ACC/Highland Mall project... which is apparently going to include mid-rise housing.

ACC acquisition clears way to plan future of Highland Mall

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Looks pretty cool.

Anybody remember the 1959 skyline pic which I took from just south of I-35 & Riverside & posted almost 2 years ago?

Priller posted this tonight on another forum. This will be just on the other side of Riverside than where you took your picture, but from the same angle. It is a Google Earth with a model of the the new hotel by the Convention Center added.


Made by Priller on SSP: AUSTIN | Projects & Construction III - Page 44 - SkyscraperPage Forum

[twange]

On a side note, I love seeing all of you guys here on the CD forum from the SSP forum...I've been lurking pretty regularly there for 5 years. It's always been full of excellent information and mostly informative debates.

[migol84]

Originally Posted by OpenD

And they don't get all the attention because they are not as overwhelming as high-rises are.

Anyway, this just in on the latest form the ACC/Highland Mall project... which is apparently going to include mid-rise housing.

ACC acquisition clears way to plan future of Highland Mall

That's why I think if you wanna start building this mid-rise development all throughout the city, I think you shouldn't fight against us but instead against the incessant NIMBYism that is mostly illogical and keeping Austin literally in the 60s. I don't think skyscraper enthusiasts aren't entirely against your vision of urbanism and I also completely respect your views on the planetarium oddly positioned (although I think it will clear way to sort of make it more cohesive between UT and Downtown, I still nonetheless respect your dislike for it.) It's this attitude that BevoLJ has mentioned how none of these projects you speak about would even have a chance getting built around Tarrytown, Travis Heights and such.

I will point out though that the East Side has been getting some decent development. Like this project right here below that will go right across from Shangri-La. Of course, there probably is gonna be some tension there between the bars and this development just like the one that got built right across from the Mohawk on Red River. But what can you do when there's a lot of people who are always shooting these projects down? Austin sure is one heck of a city with multiple personality disorders, I'll tell you that much. It doesn't know what it wants to be and I think its up to informed people to really make a difference and educate the population if they really care, instead of just talking about it over some forum.. although its a great place to start spreading the word.

BOKA Powell: Architecture / Interiors / Planning / Graphics / Strategy


But, meh, why should I care. I live in San Francisco and they seem to have it down just about right.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by OpenD

And they don't get all the attention because they are not as overwhelming as high-rises are.

Anyway, this just in on the latest form the ACC/Highland Mall project... which is apparently going to include mid-rise housing.

ACC acquisition clears way to plan future of Highland Mall

That is pretty sweet. I for some reason have had this fear about it, that ACC was going to buy and flip it with out any of that happening. Looks like they are going to buy and flip, but it will happen.

I also remember reading something pretty cool on this forum about a plan for Airport BLVD. How the neighborhoods got together and fought to get the city to push though some pretty cool changes. They are trying something called form based zoning, which I know little to nothing about but I remember from reading it a good while back it was really interesting.

Another area where I remember the neighborhoods getting together to push something to help vibrancy is Riverside. And there has been a lot of work going on along Riverside. There are several massive projects in the pipes and one huge one being built right near I-35. But I don't know how much street interaction any of those will have like the plans for Airport with the form based zoning wants.

And another area where neighborhoods are trying to attract development is on 11th and 12th where they kinda split directions on the east side away from I-35.

What those need are big anchors. Like 78704 has Barton Springs and SoCo, plus downtown. The East Side which and Migol mentioned has had a good deal of mid rise projects (especially creative based office buildings popping up like weeds over there!) it has 6th Street and downtown as anchors. N. Lamar has Seton and the Medical District plus the Triangle and UT as anchors. If that ACC project gets built it would be huge for those neighborhoods along Airport to see their plans workout. It looks like the urban rail line along Riverside to the Airport was pushed back to the 2nd phase so it likely won't happen for a long time. Other than that, maybe something happens because of COTA being out that way? Emo's moved out there, and as great as it is, alone isn't going to do much on its own to attract much. The new Boardwalk where the trail will no longer be along the streets could help.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Priller posted this tonight on another forum. This will be just on the other side of Riverside than where you took your picture, but from the same angle. It is a Google Earth with a model of the the new hotel by the Convention Center added.


Made by Priller on SSP: AUSTIN | Projects & Construction III - Page 44 - SkyscraperPage Forum

Wow, quite impressive!

I remember when a lot of people got ticked off after the "new" US Post Office was built on 8th Street partially obscured the Capitol.

Capitol view corridors & height restrictions seem to have all gone by the wayside, but such is the price of progress.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Wow, quite impressive!

I remember when a lot of people got ticked off after the "new" US Post Office was built on 8th Street partially obscured the Capitol.

Capitol view corridors & height restrictions seem to have all gone by the wayside, but such is the price of progress.

As long as you hold by the idea that unrestricted growth and thoughtless building is "progress", then, yes.

Or, we could redefine what constitutes progress.