At 515 feet, the Frost Bank Tower at 401 Congress Avenue was downtown Austin’s tallest building after its grand opening in 2004, but found itself quickly surpassed by the 360 Condominiums in 2008, which stood higher by a mere 47 feet. Still, four years of being the tallest in town ain’t bad, right? As Austin’s growth continues seemingly unabated,…
In Downtown Austin’s Northwest Corner, a Neighborhood Cries Out for a Name
What do you call the part of downtown Austin northwest of the Capitol? No, I don’t mean Judge’s Hill, a neighborhood located further to the west than this area according to its self-defined boundaries — we’re talking about the region roughly bound by West 12th Street to the south, Rio Grande Street to the west, MLK Jr….
Five Snapshots of Downtown Austin’s Ever-Changing Sixth Street
East Pecan Street, now called Sixth Street, has remained a prominent corridor in downtown Austin since the city’s incorporation in 1840. Its historic, Victorian-style buildings have mostly remained the same, but the street’s social function has continually evolved. Almost 20 years ago, January 30, 1999 was a notable night in the history of both Sixth…
Austin, It’s Time to Pick Your Favorite Design for Downtown’s New Substation
Hey, remember when we talked about Austin Energy’s new downtown substation — bound for 55 East Avenue smack in the middle of some pretty cool upcoming development — and how it doesn’t necessarily have to suck? We’ve arrived at the actually fun part of that process,  . . . Become a patron to get the full story and gain access…
At San Jacinto Center, Austin’s ’80s Boom Built the Four Seasons Hotel
Though we’re getting taller all the time, skyscraper development in Austin really boomed during the 1980s. Between 1980 and 1987, 12 buildings with 15 or more floors opened in the downtown area, including the cluster of earth-toned towers — One American Center, One Eleven Congress, 100 Congress, 301 Congress, and San Jacinto Center — that defined…
The Rainey Street District’s Next Tower Is Called ‘The Quincy’ for Some Reason
How do you name a building? More importantly, how do you name a building good? Here in Austin, we’ve seen some common trends — sometimes buildings receive names from the intersection where they’re located, and generally when developers go down this path, the word “and” connecting the two street names gets replaced with something a…