Austin growing up!

[GRID]

I go to Austin every year or two it seems for the past 10-12 years and what's going on there now rivals any skyscraper boom I have seen anywhere.  Per capita, it's not even close.  They are building a new skyline overnight and a tall one too.  I was just there six months ago and today they have a totally different skyline.  I will be there this week doing aerials, those photos will be totally obsolete by May.

Here are a few renderings check out the list below.  Amazing.

They continue to break ground on towers during this "recession" we are having up here in KC where we can’t get a single 18 floor condo tower out of the ground.


360 by Novare 580' 44 Stories Condo Tower


The Monarch by ZOM 29 Stories Apartment tower
















32-story Four Seasons


501 Congress/T. Stacy Tower - 705 feet - 47 floors - Start - 2nd quarter of 2007 - Completion - 2009
200 Congress/Benchmark Tower - 700 feet - 48 floors - Start - mid-2007 - Completion - 2009
360 Condominiums - 581 feet - 44 floors - Start - 2006 - Completion - 2008
45--Spring - 450 feet - 36 floors - Start - 2007 - Completion - 2009, (Ground breaking expected next February).
101 Colorado/MetLife Tower - 415 feet - 36 floors - Start - mid-2006 - Completion - 2008
Four Seasons Residences - 410 feet - 35 floors - Start - 2nd quarter of 2007 - Completion - 2009
Block 21 Tower - 402 feet - 32 floors - Start - early 2007 - Completion - 2009
Red River Residential Tower - 375 feet - 30 floors - Start - 2007 - Completion - 2010
Red River Hotel Tower - 375 feet - 30 floors - Start - 2007 - Completion - 2010
Museum/Condo Tower project - 375 feet - 30 floors - Start - ????
603 Davis Street - 339 feet - 29 floors - Start - 2006 - Completion - 2007
The Monarch - 314 feet - 29 floors - Start - 2006 - Completion - 2007
23--Legacy @ Town Lake - 310 feet - 27 floors - Start - ????
27--Marriott Convention Center Hotel - 300 feet - 26 floors - Start - 2007 - Completion - 2009
28--Fairfield Residential Hyatt Site - 275 feet - 25 floors - Start - ????
30--The Shore - 251 feet - 22 floors - Start - 2006 - Completion - 2008

[schugg]

so their skyline will surpass ours in like 9 months?  I would take the last one on that list!

[GRID]

so their skyline will surpass ours in like 9 months?  I would take the last one on that list!

Well, they will go from a skyline that was smaller than Wichita in 2002 to a skyline that will approach Minneapolis by 2010.  Obviously, Austin does not have the density or size that KCMO has, but you can't deny it's pretty impressive for a city to do what Austin is doing.

A lot is going on in Dallas, Houston and even San Antonio as well.  I'm just surprised KC isn't doing more.

[schugg]

Well, they will go from a skyline that was smaller than Wichita in 2002 to a skyline that will approach Minneapolis by 2010.  Obviously, Austin does not have the density or size that KCMO has, but you can't deny it's pretty impressive for a city to do what Austin is doing.

A lot is going on in Dallas, Houston and even San Antonio as well.  I'm just surprised KC isn't doing more.

yeah, we just need a good dozen or two condo sales downtown in like the next month to turn heads and maybe some small local company can experience a boom and great success. 

I guess It's just wishful thinking on my part.

texas is just booming but I want no part of it.  too damn hot!

[GRID]

Just in case the skyscrapers didn't make you jealous







Look "real" BRT buses, pretty cool!



Look another town that use buses designed for commuter routes on commuter routes!

[kard]

Doesn't Austin have one of the highest number of millionaires per capita?  Dellionaires, as it were?

[heatherkay]

Also many trustifarians

[AllThingsKC]

Wow. 

Austin would be an impressive city with tall skyscrapers and mass transit, but they're Arena Football team just moved from the AFL to the AF2.  Therefore, Austin sucks.

[KansasCityCraka]

Wow. 

Austin would be an impressive city with tall skyscrapers and mass transit, but they're Arena Football team just moved from the AFL to the AF2.  Therefore, Austin sucks.

Well the owner is in over his head. He is the owner of the NO Voodoo, Autin Wranglers and 3 other AF2 teams.

[AllThingsKC]

Well the owner is in over his head. He is the owner of the NO Voodoo, Autin Wranglers and 3 other AF2 teams.

So, Austin doesn't have more billionaires per capita than Kansas City?  I knew it!

Austin sucks.

[schugg]

Real World Austin.  I guess If Mtv comes and tapes their show in your city then your city is happening.

[Joemoney]

Doesn't Austin have one of the highest number of millionaires per capita?  Dellionaires, as it were?

Omaha has more millionaires per capita..and billionaires per capita.

[GuyInLenexa]

Austin only has bus service.  They just approved a 32 mile non electric commuter rail.  They do not have BRTs even, like KCMO.
Their transit company is Capital Metro not Metropolitan Transit Authority.
Like all Texans, I love Austin, and true it has a lot of high rise projects on plan.  However, I have a feeling that the credit/mortgage crises may put a damper on some of these projects.  Several in Dallas and FW have already been postponed.
Grid is right that Austin's growth has been uncanny.  When I was young in the 70's I would spend time there at my grandmother’s house.  The population was only around 250,000.  In those days there were strict height restrictions to keep the Texas capitol dome's view not being block, in the last two decades they lifted it and there has been a building boom ever since.
It’s a wonderful city.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Austin only has bus service.  They just approved a 32 mile non electric commuter rail.  They do not have BRTs even, like KCMO.
Their transit company is Capital Metro not Metropolitan Transit Authority.

If you look closely at the top of the train it says "Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority".  Same Diff me thinks.  Also, one of the trains is clearly marked "austin" and you can see the skyline in the background. 

[GuyInLenexa]

The commuter rail does not exist at this time, it is only planned and moving ahead, the only commuter trains in TX at this time is in Dallas and FW.

[GuyInLenexa]

I think it starts later this year or early 2009.

[stevensj63]

Good for Austin TX! Another no-name town that's passing up KC.

What do we get on our message board?
"Funk" and "my weekends in Topeka." 
Our leadership let's the FRB move out of the Financial District and
they don't seem to have the sensibilities to land the GSA downtown either.

"Sprawl it out 'long the rivah, there's acres and acres of land for parkin'!"
No more park and no more riverfront development after the GSA monster (AKA: CLOVERFIELD) lands.

Imagine FRB and GSA both in the East Loop.
Dream ...because it will never happen.
If you call a gem (KC) a cowpoke long enough maybe it becomes one?

[GRID]

I'm not sure I'm understanding, they are testing the trains now.  Those are real photos.  The trains are sitting in Austin’s new rail maintenance facility.

It's commuter rail that looks like light rail.  They are diesel driven.  It's something that would work very well on the I-35 line or the rock island line to lee’s summit since they operate on freight tracks yet are able to slip right into the city streets like light rail.

They will only operate during rush hour at first.  Near downtown, the trains jump off the freight tracks and onto their own tracks.

Austin is also building a 20 mile BRT system and plans to purchase the style of BRT shown above.

Austin has over 500 buses, almost twice as many as KC, they have commuter coaches as well.  KC has none.

I’m not saying that Austin has the best transit system in the world, I think they spent more on their trains than anything else.

But I do think that when a city half the size of KC (used to be much smaller) had a transit system that makes us look silly is a bit sad.  I think the more you see the Austins, Omahas, OKCs,  Albuquerques etc build modern transit systems, the more chances KC will get going on this since most of the cities our size already have.

[KansasCityCraka]

So, Austin doesn't have more billionaires per capita than Kansas City?  I knew it!

Austin sucks.

The owner is actually from NO.

[Louman]

While Austin is transforming like gangbusters, many of those projects are on hold because of the mortgage/economy crisis.