[skirby]

I was taking pictures today and I went by to take a shot of where the new MT development will be. The block contains the Tuf-Nut Lofts and some men were putting up a sign.
Third and Rock.


First view of the River Market Tower.




What do you think? It looks like this project will contain two buildings. Anyway I went across the river while the sign was being completed.

This post has been edited by skirby: 03 November 2006 - 05:21 PM

[Cru Jones]

Nice scoop Skirby

BTW, here's the website according to the sign

http://www.rivermarkettower.com/

[Aporkalypse]

That's 19 stories, all but the ground floor are condos.

If you look at the flash on the website there's a map. One of the lower rise buildings is a hotel, presumably the Hilton Garden Inn.

The other is the existing Tuf-Nut Lofts, called "The Shops at Tuf-Nut". Are the lofts being converted to retail?

This post has been edited by Aporkalypse: 02 November 2006 - 04:27 PM

[johnnydr87]

Aporkalypse, on Nov 2 2006, 04:25 PM, said:

That's 19 stories, all but the ground floor are condos.

:-(

Not bad.

[Aporkalypse]

Did anybody notice the tennis and basketball courts on top of the parking deck?

They'd better not let me serve or some lady in the parking lot might lose a hat.

[skirby]

Back from across the river and the sign was almost done.

[johnnydr87]

On top? Haha. Yeah that's a bit dangerous.

I guess this will be good urban infill. Less parking lots.

Speaking of MT, I was look at pictures of 300 third on their website. I'm not sure this building will age well. It looks like one of those buildings that seem in style at one point but not 15-20 years down the road. I could be wrong....

This post has been edited by johnnydr87: 02 November 2006 - 04:36 PM

[Aporkalypse]

skirby, on Nov 2 2006, 04:33 PM, said:

Back from across the river and the sign was almost done.

Looking at the background behind the tower in that sign, all of the sudden the Arkla property looks like it has a lot more potential.

[mcheiss]

So this is the tower project that I've been hearing so much about this week?

[Aporkalypse]

mcheiss, on Nov 2 2006, 07:28 PM, said:

So this is the tower project that I've been hearing so much about this week?

Yes, it's the next Moses Tucker project. The formal announcement is tomorrow.

[mcheiss]

It's beautiful, congrats on getting another great looking tower downtown.

[Architect]

skirby, on Nov 2 2006, 05:18 PM, said:

I was taking pictures today and I went by to take a shot of where the new MT development will be. The block contains the Tuf-Nut Lofts and some men were putting up a sign.
Third and Rock.

What do you think? It looks like this project will contain two buildings. Anyway I went across the river while the sign was being completed.

Idea: Great

Execution: Yuck

This doesn't look like an AMR project. 300 Third has it all over this. This looks like some sort of First Security rehash, and no offense to our fine friends at WD&D - who were victims of a developers lack of vision - but that's not a compliment.

This post has been edited by Architect: 02 November 2006 - 08:46 PM

[Aporkalypse]

Architect, on Nov 2 2006, 08:46 PM, said:

Idea: Great

Execution: Yuck

This doesn't look like an AMR project. 300 Third has it all over this. This looks like some sort of First Security rehash, and no offense to our fine friends at WD&D - who were victims of a developers lack of vision - but that's not a compliment.

Interesting. I'm not a big fan of 300 Third and thought it didn't fit the area nearly as well as the building they tore down to build it. This project seems to be a hybrid between the red brick warehouses and a modern design that I thought would work really well, especially incorporating it into one development with Tuf-Nut. This building utilizes ground level retail and creates a pedestrian-friendly streetscape much better than 300 Third in my opinion.

Then again, I'm no architect.

[Architect]

Aporkalypse, on Nov 2 2006, 09:54 PM, said:

Interesting. I'm not a big fan of 300 Third and thought it didn't fit the area nearly as well as the building they tore down to build it. This project seems to be a hybrid between the red brick warehouses and a modern design that I thought would work really well, especially incorporating it into one development with Tuf-Nut. This building utilizes ground level retail and creates a pedestrian-friendly streetscape much better than 300 Third in my opinion.

Then again, I'm no architect.

Aporkalypse - you are certainly entitled to your opinion, as this is mine. But - if I may borrow from my own post on 300 Third - it is a modern, sophisticated tower that creates a healthy juxtaposition with the surrounding context - very well executed. To me (and many others) it looks great. It says "Hey, I was actually built in 2007!" and doesn't make any apology to it, which is how it should be. You don't have to resort to knee-jerk, knock-off "traditional" cliches, which never live up to the spirit of the original craftsmanship anyway. Textbook example - First Security Center.

My first reaction to the Rivermarket Tower is that it is quite bland - as is its name. I hope its just a poor rendering, and that the actual design proves a little more sophisticated - and I have hopes that it will (it could be that the materials match 300 Third - the rendering technique is altogether different though, which makes me question if this is an AMR project).

I shouldn't give full judgement off of one drawing. However, the original 300 Third rendering had a tremendous "wow" factor that this does not. It really does look like an "uh-oh" child of Capital Commerce (shape) and First Security (exterior materials/aesthetics). I guess I was also expecting it to be measurably taller than 19 stories, but it is by no means insignificant.

However, I do agree that the pedestrian scale, mixed-use planning of that whole block for Rivermarket Tower is a plus. This is a good thing. I like the fact that it fills the block, reinforcing the urban edge - with retail no less!

This post has been edited by Architect: 02 November 2006 - 11:11 PM

[mcheiss]

Man, this page is getting a lot of hits from guests. I saw where it had around 15 not too long ago.

[johnnydr87]

I posted the link on the Arkansas Times blog after another reader mentioned the project yesterday.

I know about 4 or 5 of us here read the blog...so I'm assuming either Apork, skirby, or some other UP member first informed the Arkansas Times.

Not to mention...this is just a major project for LR in general...

This post has been edited by johnnydr87: 03 November 2006 - 10:21 AM

[skirby]

Information has been released about the project. The cost will be $80 million and include a 19 story tower and a 8 story hotel. The tower will contain 152 condominiums and the hotel will have 120 rooms. Also retail space will be in the Tuf-Nut Lofts building as well as the ground floor of the tower.

[Aporkalypse]

johnnydr87, on Nov 3 2006, 10:16 AM, said:

I posted the link on the Arkansas Times blog after another reader mentioned the project yesterday.

I know about 4 or 5 of us here read the blog...so I'm assuming either Apork, skirby, or some other UP member first informed the Arkansas Times.

Not to mention...this is just a major project for LR in general...

I e-mailed Max Brantley about it.


The hotel will be an 8-story Hampton Inn and Suites and will open by Summer '08.

This post has been edited by Aporkalypse: 03 November 2006 - 10:50 AM

[theman]

Aporkalypse, on Nov 3 2006, 10:49 AM, said:

I e-mailed Max Brantley about it.
The hotel will be an 8-story Hampton Inn and Suites and will open by Summer '08.

I was hoping that it was going to be a Hilton Garden Inn, but I know Hilton is putting many Hampton Inn and Suites in downtown areas. I haven't been in the one in WLR, but my wife has and she says that it is very nice. I'm sure this one will be also.

I'm glad that MT is redeveloping the whole block. Placing retail in the Tuf Nut building will save that building that has been a part of LR for years. In fact my mother used to work at Tuf Nut way back in the day. I read that they were going to put a grocery store in there.

[Aporkalypse]

theman, on Nov 5 2006, 12:35 AM, said:

I was hoping that it was going to be a Hilton Garden Inn, but I know Hilton is putting many Hampton Inn and Suites in downtown areas. I haven't been in the one in WLR, but my wife has and she says that it is very nice. I'm sure this one will be also.

I'm glad that MT is redeveloping the whole block. Placing retail in the Tuf Nut building will save that building that has been a part of LR for years. In fact my mother used to work at Tuf Nut way back in the day. I read that they were going to put a grocery store in there.

Hamptons are a slight step up the ladder from the Garden Inns in the Hilton hierarchy, it's an improvement.