• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

TOWERS

Austin city life since 2007.

  • News
    • Condo Projects
    • Neighborhoods
  • Listings
    • Austin Condo Guide
  • Newsletter
Search
You are here: Home / News / The Travis Apartment Tower Project Finally Stirs to Life in the Rainey District
Search suggestions: condos for sale • rainey street

The Travis Apartment Tower Project Finally Stirs to Life in the Rainey District

James Rambin April 20, 2021 Comment

Site prep seemingly underway at the Travis site, specifically at the site of the Phase I tower. Image: Stephen Ratke

The still-uncertain impact of the last year’s pandemic on many of the tower projects previously announced for downtown Austin has us watching several sites around town with more anxiety than usual, and the Travis at 80 Red River Street was near the top of our list for towers we weren’t quite sure would survive. But in this case, we’re more than happy to turn out wrong — over the last week or so, increasing excavation work and preparation for a heritage tree relocation at the site appears to be solid evidence that site prep is now beginning for the Travis Phase I.

Day and night renderings of the Travis Phase I tower, with Waller Creek in the foreground. Image: GDA Architects

Remember, this project is imagined as a multi-part development that would eventually raise two towers at this site on the far western edge of the Rainey Street District near the shores of Waller Creek, an approximately 2.3-acre plot previously occupied by ’80s-era condo community the Villas on Town Lake, which was vacated at the end of 2017 but not demolished until 2019.

When the two-tower project was first announced, the sole developer was the Dallas-based Genesis Real Estate Group, but a press release earlier this year indicated the second-phase tower at the site would bring in M2 Development Partners, an outfit associated with Washington, D.C. developer Timothy Morris, to construct an 802-foot mixed-use apartment, condo, and hotel tower designed by globally-acclaimed architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Our only view of the design is below:

The Phase II tower at the Travis / 80 Red River site designed by global architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill — of the two new towers seen in this image, the taller SOM design is on the right, with the Phase I apartment tower seemingly now beginning site prep seen on the left. Image: M2 Development Partners / SOM

This second tower is allegedly scheduled for completion by 2025, but the announcement didn’t give us much info regarding the first-phase Travis tower, designed by GDA Architects and containing an estimated 414 apartments in its 50 floors along with a small ground-level retail space of some kind — and judging by the location of this new site work at the property along with the latest city permit activity associated with the address, it’s preparation for this tower that we’re currently seeing.

They’ve smoothed a large area for reasons I don’t understand, but it looks like that tree is nearly ready to move. pic.twitter.com/MES67eP9qJ

— Stephen Ratke (@steveratke) April 13, 2021

It’s not exactly a surprise, since that’s how phases generally work, but after more than a year of silence from its developers and that second-phase tower hogging all the spotlight with its all-star architects a few months back we were starting to wonder how this whole site was expected to take shape. Site prep is just another step on the road to breaking ground, but with a lot of previously-announced towers currently in an uncertain state and some notable recent changes in downtown priorities throwing other exciting plans into limbo, we’re just happy to see some dirt moving over here.

Related

Filed Under: News Tagged With: 78701, apartments, architecture, city life, condos, design, development, hotels, mixed-use, rainey street district, residential, retail

About James Rambin

James is an Austin native, but tries not to brag about it. Email him anything at james@towers.net.

625 Tillery Street #B
Austin, TX
Photo of 625  Tillery Street #B, Austin, TX 78702 (MLS # 7291431)
$999,625
17
  • Lot Size
    2,178 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,800 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

Previous Post: « What’s Missing from the Conversation about Reinstating Austin’s Camping Ban
Next Post: Preservation Austin’s 2021 Homes Tour Celebrates a Historic East Side District »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  •  Schedule a showing

Featured Buildings

  • 360 Condos
  • Austin City Lofts
  • The Independent
  • The Shore Condos
  • 70 Rainey

FEATURED Listings

625 Tillery Street #A
Austin, TX
Photo of 625  Tillery Street #A, Austin, TX 78702 (MLS # 4007841)
$1,095,000
15
  • Lot Size
    4,052 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,792 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

1009 E Riverside Drive #B
Austin, TX
Photo of 1009 E Riverside Drive #B, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 9235307)
$1,285,000
34
  • Lot Size
    7,101 sqft

  • Home Size
    2,364 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

501 West Avenue #2101
Austin, TX
Photo of 501  West Avenue #2101, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2853366)
$2,885,000
40
  • Lot Size
    157 sqft

  • Home Size
    2,517 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

View Virtual Tour
210 Lee Barton Drive #314
Austin, TX
Photo of 210  Lee Barton Drive #314, Austin, TX 78704 (MLS # 1136270)
$665,000
17
  • Lot Size
    393 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,016 sqft

  • Beds
    1 Bed

  • Baths
    1 Bath

1602 E 10th Street
Austin, TX
Photo of 1602 E 10th Street, Austin, TX 78702 (MLS # 9853077)
$749,000
25
  • Lot Size
    6,578 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,344 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

View Virtual Tour
800 W 5th Street #1105
Austin, TX
Photo of 800 W 5th Street #1105, Austin, TX 78703 (MLS # 3401518)
$1,795,000
33
  • Lot Size
    554 sqft

  • Home Size
    2,241 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

austin condo report

Footer

LEGAL NOTICE

TREC Information About Brokerage Services (pdf)

Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice


TOWERS realty

Austin Condos For Sale

Agents

Downtown Buildings

Luxury Towers

  • Four Seasons Residences
  • W Hotel & Residences
  • The Austonian
  • 5 Fifty Five at Hilton

Most Popular

  • The Shore
  • 360 Condos
  • Seaholm Condos
  • Spring Condos
  • Milago Condos

New Construction

  • The Independent
  • 70 Rainey
  • Austin Proper
  • Fifth & West

Loft Style

  • Austin City Lofts
  • Brazos Place
  • The Sabine
  • Plaza Lofts
  • Avenue Lofts
  • Brazos Lofts
  • Brown Building

Resources

  • Austin Condo Guide
  • Condos For Sale
  • Condo Buyer FAQ
  • Property Search

Featured

Archives

Austin city life since 2007 · Newsletter · About · Contact Us · DMCA · Privacy Policy · SLAPP · Copyright © 2007-2022 TOWERS.net · All Rights Reserved
 

Loading Comments...