Two More 50-Story Towers Proposed

It’s starting to feel like 2007 again. It’s been five years since good economic times resulted in a wave of development that resulted in projects such as the Austonian, Four Seasons Residences, the Monarch, and Spring. In 2007, it seems that a new project was announced every couple of weeks. That’s exactly what is happening right now.

Last week’s big announcement was that two fifty story tourers could rise in the warehouse district. According to the statesman, The Sutton Co. wants to build the project on about two acres it has under contract bounded by Rainey and Driskill streets and East Avenue. The development would continue the transformation of a part of downtown where a new nightlife scene has emerged with the addition of numerous bars and restaurants. Together, the towers could have as many as 800 to 1,000 apartment and condominium units, along with hotel rooms in the first tower to break ground, said Mac Pike, a principal — along with Wally Scott — in the Sutton Co. The first tower, which Pike estimated would cost $75 million to $100 million to build, is at least a year to 18 months from breaking ground and would require a number of city approvals, he said.

It’s key to note that financing has not been secured for the very ambitious project In addition, the project would require approval from the city’s Historic Landmark Commission to knock down the houses on the site. It would also likely require additional special exemptions to build a project that tall on the Rainey street site. The developer does have a strong track record in the City “having converted older buildings into the Brazos Lofts in 1999, the Avenue Lofts in 2000 and, later, co-developing the Plaza Lofts, a new condo high-rise built in the early 2000s.”

Two Towers Proposed for the Rainey Street Neighborhood