A view of the Zephyr condo project from South Lamar Boulevard. Image: Pearlstone Partners / STG Design
This week, we’ve learned that the 182-unit condo project by local developers Pearlstone Partners currently under construction atop the site of a former used car lot at 2323 South Lamar Boulevard would not be called Montage after all — which is kinda funny, because I have an insulated tumbler sitting in my kitchen cabinet with that name on it, since the Pearlstone folks were handing them out like candy at the groundbreaking ceremony for the building that took place almost exactly a year ago. It’s a really good mug, Yeti brand and everything! Those aren’t cheap!
This is kinda like having a ticket stub from when the Beatles were called the Quarrymen. Photo by James Rambin
But the building’s new name, Zephyr, is a welcome upgrade due to its connection with the nearby Zilker Park. You may recall that prior to this whole Zilker Eagle debacle, the kiddie train at the park was known as the Zilker Zephyr. I would have preferred to keep that name, perhaps out of the same arbitrary sense of local nostalgia that makes people mad about new condo buildings replacing a used car lot, so it’s nice to see the spirit of the Zephyr live on here in some small way.
The building itself, designed by Pearlstone’s frequent fliers at the Austin office of architecture firm STG Design, is a uniquely good-looking addition to its South Lamar district, with some great use of emerald green tile at the ground level and a honkin’ big five-story piece by local muralist Emily Eisenhart overlooking the street.
An aerial view of the building including its rooftop deck and five-story mural overlooking the street. Image: Pearlstone Partners / STG Design
Formerly referred to as Montage South Lamar, the condominium project has re-branded to Zephyr as an homage to the beloved Austin kiddie train at Zilker Park due to its close proximity to the park as well as Austin’s iconic shops, restaurants, and nightlife on South Lamar.“Zephyr is as unique as Austin, and we wanted to capture that with the name as a tribute to the city,” said Tayler Davis, Marketing Director for Pearlstone Partners. “It is stylish, yet timeless; luxurious yet vibrant, and nestled near nature, yet close to the action. We think it’s the perfect living space for Austinites.”— Pearlstone Partners
A view of the Zephyr building from the corner of South Lamar Boulevard and Bluebonnet Lane — that corner retail space in particular will represent a big upgrade from this site’s previous life as a used car lot. Image: Pearlstone Partners / STG Design
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