Stacy Tower @ 5th and Congress

[rad707]

World-renowned architects designing Austin high-rise

Tower at Fifth and Congress could be city's tallest.

By Shonda Novak

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, May 11, 2006

A renowned architectural firm that created one of the world's tallest buildings is designing what could become Austin's tallest high-rise

[JDawgboy]

Looks like the planning commission got a first glimps of what the design could be. Too bad they havn't made is public.

[cheeriokid61]

On SSC there is a rendering of a tower which I was led to believe was the final design for this one. It's in the second forum with all of the construction updates. I don't know why.

[JDawgboy]

On SSC there is a rendering of a tower which I was led to believe was the final design for this one. It's in the second forum with all of the construction updates. I don't know why.

Yea I finally saw it. Very interesting design but it is actually not the final design. Its basically what the building will look like but there will be some tweeks in the design between now and when they break ground.

[eastsider]

This is the rendering that was in with the Statesmans article online.

[zt456]

that's ugly

[eastsider]

And another view.

[BHCav]

I just moved away from the Austin area. Liked the place a lot and I wouldn't mind living there again. This building is horrendous. Austin's skyline is very visually pleasing and I would hate to see this project stick out like a sore thumb in the mist of it. I have a feeling that the finished product will not look anything like this though. Someone will come to their senses.

[cheeriokid61]

I really like it. I think it'll be a cool signature building for the city, and will remain a great tower, even after it's not the tallest.

[JDawgboy]

I don't believe this building will stick out at all. You keep forgetting there are seveal other buildings going up that will be tall. Plus with competition from another 700 footer, the skyline will be more balanced by the time they finish 5th at Congress.

[cheeriokid61]

Yeah, and still, it would be less than 200 feet taller than the Frost Bank. That's not much for a signature tower, which is what this should be.

Just out of curiosity, with it being made of all glass and having lots of trees, does anyone else think this tower could be LEED certified?

[JDawgboy]

I am not sure at this point since these are still peliminary renderings. But overall several projects in downtown Austin are definatly being built with an enviromentaly friendly design and incorporate solar energy as well as other things. I would think that the designers would utilize that in the design of this building.

[eastsider]

In a recent article about the sale of another downtown office bulding, Tom Stacy was quoted about this project.

And Amstar said it is "looking forward to doing more deals in Austin" with Stacy, whose other projects include plans for a 47-story high-rise at Fifth Street and Congress Avenue to be designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, an internationally known architectural firm. It would be built next to Stacy's Bank of America building, replacing the current annex.

The building is planned to have condominiums, shops, offices and possibly a hotel. There is no timetable for breaking ground, Stacy said.

[eastsider]

Things seem the be slowly progressing, There has been an agreement for the tenants of the four story building to move out, with most of them going to the 26-story 515 Congress building across the street which Tom Stacy also owns. He still says that there is no time table foe the new mixed-use tower which was originally announced in late 2004.

Stacy has since simplified the project, eliminating the hotel and apartments and focusing on two levels of retail, 200 condominiums and 330,000 square feet of office space.

[JDawgboy]

We could see a design change here though not sure if it will be scaled back from the current plan of 47 stories. He is likely going to add office space where the hotel and apartments were taken out so it could stay around the same height or maybe get taller. Time will tell.

[erdogs]

More than three years after Austin developer Tom Stacy and a Chicago partner company purchased the building at 501 Congress Ave. and unveiled plans for a dramatic multiuse tower on the site, the deal has grown much larger, incorporating one-and-a-half city blocks, two soaring towers and an estimated $500 million investment.

Stacy

[The ATX]

Wow, it took an 830 footer for this board to show signs of life. Too bad Tom Stacy's name is on this project. He doesn't have the best track record getting projects to break ground. But this is a long term project, and we have so many other high rises to watch going up in the meantime. Hopefully we see some renderings soon.

[erdogs]

Wow, it took an 830 footer for this board to show signs of life.

[The ATX]

I have noticed that few in Texas are interested in urban design, the lack of interest in any of the Texas forums as evidence. The Austonian is going up as I type and it will top out at about 55 floors. These are interesting times in Austin as the skyline will be unrecognizable in a few years.

[buckett5425]

I have family in Austin, so I occasionally check the Austin forum and I noticed it always was dead, same with other cities like Mobile. But I then realized it wasn't because of a lack of interest, it is just that they use another website to chat, SSP. Speaking of which, SSP's forum isnt organized and their info of all the cities is inaccurate, and UP is much better. Get the Austonians in line and on UP, lol

[erdogs]

What does SSP stand for, never heard of it?

[buckett5425]

What does SSP stand for, never heard of it?

[The ATX]

I have family in Austin, so I occasionally check the Austin forum and I noticed it always was dead, same with other cities like Mobile. But I then realized it wasn't because of a lack of interest, it is just that they use another website to chat, SSP. Speaking of which, SSP's forum isnt organized and their info of all the cities is inaccurate, and UP is much better. Get the Austonians in line and on UP, lol

[The ATX]

Here's the Emporis link to see the 40 Austin high rises in the works:

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?...;ht=3&sro=1

[mrchris386]

Here's the Emporis link to see the 40 Austin high rises in the works:

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?...;ht=3&sro=1