Austin | 701 Trinity (Block 87) | 428' | 31-Stories | Proposed

[The ATX]

We should be getting an update about this project in the near future.  The Episcopal Church is lucky enough to own an entire Downtown block, and is looking for a development partner.  

A height limiting Capitol View Corridor runs through most of the site.  But there is just enough room in one corner of the site for a point tower.  Since this is Austin, it will most likely be a residential and/or hotel tower.  But one of the church's requirements is a significant amount of space for their archives.

These renderings came from the project's website and the architect's website.  

[The ATX]

A formal Capitol View Corridor (CVC) height determination request for the site was filed this week.  It was already known that most of the site has height limits except for one corner where the point tower in the rendering could be built.  Hopefully this filing means a specific project is in the works.

 

[The ATX]

A site plan was filed yesterday.  There are no project details with it yet, but it's good to see this one moving forward.  The Towers blog  (formerly Austin Towers) has an article with some info about the site including this photo of the site which is an entire block currently used for parking:  

 

[The ATX]

Austin based Cielo Property Group was announced as the developer today, and Gensler is the architect.  Some new renderings were released today as well.  The project gained a little height, but still looks similar to the visionary renderings in the OP.

Towers

 

[The ATX]

Here's another rendering:  

Austin Business Journal

[The ATX]

Additional details about this project were added to the site plan application today.  This is a true mixed use tower:  

Hotel rooms = 260
Condo units = 280
Office space = 182,328 sq. ft.
Supermarket = 27,109 sq. ft.
Restaurants x 2 = ~12,000 sq. ft.  

The super market on the east side of Downtown is needed.  The west side has Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.  There are also around six small Royal Blue urban grocery stores scattered around Downtown, but the east side doesn't have a full service grocery store.  There were plans for three:  one was dropped after NIMBYs complained about traffic (One Two East residential towers), the plans for another seemed to have vaporized (Lambie Cove residential tower), and the third is still not confirmed (Plaza Saltillo mixed use).

[The ATX]

Here's a new rendering.  This is yet another skinny tower due to the CVC restrictions.

Link

[The ATX]

Some elevations for this wedge on a podium were released today.  There will be 36 occupied floors including 20 condo and 10 hotel levels.

[The ATX]

This is one step closer to happening.  The Downtown Commission recommended the approval of the vacation of an alley that splits the site in half.  The entire block is a parking lot, so the alley crossing the block wasn't very noticeable.

The approval letter:  http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=282417

The Downtown Commission Presentation:  http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=282407

 

[The ATX]

We have a new rendering showing the inside part of the project that is being referred to as the "Market".

Gensler

[The ATX]

This project was getting stale, but there was an update to the site plan this week indicating that it is alive and well and moving through the permit process.  

[The ATX]

The site plan for this project has been withdrawn meaning that the project is being re-designed.  The project's Gensler architect confirmed this in a post at SSP, but he couldn't give any details of course.  I personally believe that the residential portion is being replaced with hotel or office.  The site and surrounding area is a homeless encampment with rampant crime and drug use and across the street from homeless shelters.  Nobody is going to want to live in this area, and the City isn't doing anything to clean up the mess.

[The ATX]

The site plan application was actually refiled when the original one was withdrawn in July.  But based on the info in the site plan, I don't see any changes to the project. 

[The ATX]

This one is finally back on track.  A new site plan was filed yesterday.  The last one was withdrawn a year ago, and the developer bought out their previous partner.  So this project may be get an update from the original plans.

[The ATX]

We have some details about the project's changes via the Austin Business Journal.  The project was previously half apartments and half hotel at 436', 36-stories.  The new version is half apartments and half office at 31-stories.  But the overall height probably hasn't changed significantly due to the switch to office.

[The ATX]

The site plan has gone into review.  There is no specific height info yet.  But the project is still roughly 50/50 apartments/office.   

[The ATX]

The site plan with elevations has been released.  A little estimating is needed, but the height looks to be 428'.