As the City of Austin works to hammer out a new and improved version of its increasingly dated Downtown Density Bonus Program, we were blown free of our chairs last week by a memo from the city’s Design Commission recommending, among other things, the complete removal of floor-area ratio (FAR) limits in the downtown area. Under such a change, the height and density of new towers…
towers
Block 185, Austin’s New ‘Google Tower,’ Officially Topped Out Downtown
Block 185, the 35-floor downtown Austin office tower bringing an instantly-iconic sailboat-inspired design to the skyline and reportedly set to be occupied by tech giants Google celebrates its official topping out today, according to developers Trammell Crow Company and investment firm MSD Capital. (Sharp-eyed readers might note that “MSD” stands for “Michael Saul Dell,” meaning this tower was made possible at least in part…
The Long Road to a Residential Tower at Downtown’s Former Carmelo’s Site
Three long years ago, Houston-based developer Allen Harrison Company showed off a few renderings of a residential tower designed by local architects and tallness enthusiasts Rhode Partners for the shuttered site of longtime downtown Italian restaurant Carmelo’s at 504 East Fifth Street, a plan that attractively balanced new development with both the preservation needs of the historic building on the property and the…
48-Story Residential Tower Planned at Rainey Street’s Food Truck Park
A development planned for an assembly of properties along Rainey Street currently occupied mostly by the Rainey Street Food Truck Lot is currently seeking city approval for the construction of a 48-story tower bringing more residences to this downtown Austin neighborhood — and though it’s not the tallest plan underway in the district, if built this would displace an earlier proposal and be unique…
West Avenue’s Most Mysterious Tower-Friendly Properties Hit the Market
It’s been three long years since we examined the interesting traces of what appeared to be very early plans for a tower development at the site of former downtown pizzeria Frank & Angie’s at 508 West Avenue, and in the following years we’ve seen a few changes at the corner of West Sixth Street and West Avenue — Hut’s Hamburgers closed, the Favorite Liquor & Wine…
All Signs Point to Yes at the Linden, Northwest Downtown’s Tallest Tower Yet
The Linden, a 28-floor downtown Austin condo tower planned in the previously rarely-developed northwestern corner of downtown Austin, is one step closer to becoming this area’s first major residential tower in many years. Along with a recent city permit for the installation of a 418-foot crane implying pending construction, a demolition application filed earlier this week is…