Beyond Residential: Other Downtown Projects
January 29, 2007 11:23 Filed in: Development Watch
While the focus of AustinTowers is downtown high-rise residential development, there are a number of non-residential projects that will also help reshape downtown over the next few years. Here are a few:
W Hotel - The new W Hotel will anchor the $225 million "Block 21" project in the heart of the second street district. If it is like other W's, the upscale design-themed hotel's bar and lobby will likely prove to be a popular nightspot. Block 21 will also include 200 high-end condos, a Willie-Nelson owned nightclub, a new Austin Children's museum, new studios for the Austin City Limits TV program, and 50,000 square feet of street-level retail. The project is expected to be completed in 2009.
Federal Courthouse - A new federal courthouse will replace the Intel shell (the shell will be demolished) across from Republic park on San Antonio st. between 4th and 5th streets. To meet federal security requirements, San Antonio st. will be closed and replaced with a pedestrian plaza. The courthouse utilizes an edgy design and will not include any ground-floor retail. The building will measure 211,000 square feet and cost approximately $63 million.
Hotel van Zandt - Kimpton hotels will manage this new 29-story boutique hotel at Red River and Davis streets in the southeast corner of downtown. The hotel will contain 290 rooms and a restaurant. The Hotel van Zandt will be the first Kimpton hotel in Austin. The hotel is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2007. The hotel's website is www.hotelvanzandt.com.
Long Center for the Performing Arts - After what seems like a decade of planning and construction, the new Long Center is finally slated to open in March of 2008. The Long center will provide a permanent quasi-downtown home for performances of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Austin and Austin Lyric Opera, all of which currently utilize Bass Concert hall at UT for performances. The Long center will also include a variety of smaller venues which will be utilized by an additional 200 or so performing arts groups. Located in a new 54-acre "cultural park" on the shores of Town Lake, the Long Center will be in walking distance of many of the new residential developments.
Ballet Austin Butler Dance Education Center - This Downtown dance education center and performance center is located at 3rd and San Antonio. It will allow Ballet Austin to open for smaller downtown performances, seating nearly 300 people, as often as six days per week. This will be an important cultural venue for the 2nd st / warehouse district.
Marriott Complex - On Congress between 2nd and 3rd streets, across from he newly-announced 55-story Austonian, Marriott is planning to build three adjacent Marriott hotels. Marriott is a major player in the Austin hotel market with more than 20 properties (compared with just one for Starwood). The$185 million project includes three hotels with a combined 1,000 rooms -- A 650-room Marriott, a 200-room Renaissance, and a 150-room Springhill Suites. The Marriott is probably the most controversial project: it displaces beloved local businesses including La Mananitas and Tesoros Trading Company, a fact that has been made worse by insulting statements by Marriott executives. In addition, the generic design proposal and Marriott's reputation for boring architecture aren't helping. It's hard to get very excited about three Marriott hotels, and nothing else, on such a key downtown block. The project is in the planning phase and is expected to be completed in 2009.
W Hotel - The new W Hotel will anchor the $225 million "Block 21" project in the heart of the second street district. If it is like other W's, the upscale design-themed hotel's bar and lobby will likely prove to be a popular nightspot. Block 21 will also include 200 high-end condos, a Willie-Nelson owned nightclub, a new Austin Children's museum, new studios for the Austin City Limits TV program, and 50,000 square feet of street-level retail. The project is expected to be completed in 2009.
Federal Courthouse - A new federal courthouse will replace the Intel shell (the shell will be demolished) across from Republic park on San Antonio st. between 4th and 5th streets. To meet federal security requirements, San Antonio st. will be closed and replaced with a pedestrian plaza. The courthouse utilizes an edgy design and will not include any ground-floor retail. The building will measure 211,000 square feet and cost approximately $63 million.
Hotel van Zandt - Kimpton hotels will manage this new 29-story boutique hotel at Red River and Davis streets in the southeast corner of downtown. The hotel will contain 290 rooms and a restaurant. The Hotel van Zandt will be the first Kimpton hotel in Austin. The hotel is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2007. The hotel's website is www.hotelvanzandt.com.
Long Center for the Performing Arts - After what seems like a decade of planning and construction, the new Long Center is finally slated to open in March of 2008. The Long center will provide a permanent quasi-downtown home for performances of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Austin and Austin Lyric Opera, all of which currently utilize Bass Concert hall at UT for performances. The Long center will also include a variety of smaller venues which will be utilized by an additional 200 or so performing arts groups. Located in a new 54-acre "cultural park" on the shores of Town Lake, the Long Center will be in walking distance of many of the new residential developments.
Ballet Austin Butler Dance Education Center - This Downtown dance education center and performance center is located at 3rd and San Antonio. It will allow Ballet Austin to open for smaller downtown performances, seating nearly 300 people, as often as six days per week. This will be an important cultural venue for the 2nd st / warehouse district.
Marriott Complex - On Congress between 2nd and 3rd streets, across from he newly-announced 55-story Austonian, Marriott is planning to build three adjacent Marriott hotels. Marriott is a major player in the Austin hotel market with more than 20 properties (compared with just one for Starwood). The$185 million project includes three hotels with a combined 1,000 rooms -- A 650-room Marriott, a 200-room Renaissance, and a 150-room Springhill Suites. The Marriott is probably the most controversial project: it displaces beloved local businesses including La Mananitas and Tesoros Trading Company, a fact that has been made worse by insulting statements by Marriott executives. In addition, the generic design proposal and Marriott's reputation for boring architecture aren't helping. It's hard to get very excited about three Marriott hotels, and nothing else, on such a key downtown block. The project is in the planning phase and is expected to be completed in 2009.