For those who are counting, this is the fifth new downtown Austin tower announced in the last two weeks. Today’s newly announced project is a 15-story boutique hotel with 60-70 rooms. It will be constructed on Congress Avenue between fourth and fifth streets across from the Frost Bank Tower.
The new hotel will be located at 416 Congress and will integrate the existing 1893 Congress Avenue facade
The boutique hotel will integrate the 1893 Romanesque facade into a new 15-story tower to be designed by prominent Austin architect Dick Clark. The building will be 52,000 square feet and will not require any building variances for construction. The small size results from the small lot — the average floor plate will be just 3,500 square feet or 50 by 70 feet.
Austin has a number of successful boutique hotels such as the Hotel San Jose on South Congress. 416 Congress will be the first downtown boutique hotel and an important development for Congress Avenue. Earlier this year, plans were cancelled for an unpopular Mariott mega hotel on Second and Congress.
The 416 Congress hotel is expected to open in 2012
