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Longhorn Al

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On 1/24/2020 at 10:14 PM, Pasken said:

I don’t have the flight paths in front of me but looking at the directions of the DAL runways and downtown Dallas, I don’t think it’s similar enough to compare to austin. 
 

Are you sure it blocks the approach? I guess it’s wb traffic going to 31R?

It doesn't exactly block the approach.  But both runways at DAL point directly at downtown.  In contrast, whether taking off to the north or to the south, downtown Austin is at a 90* angle to the approach on short final.

Yeah, planes departing to the west take a right turn when taking off to the south to go out over downtown.  But they're at higher altitude when they go over downtown Austin than what every single departure on 31R is at when going over downtown Dallas.

So I really don't understand the FAA restriction (insofar as its rumored existence is even real).  It must be the result of some recent regulatory changes.

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4 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

It doesn't exactly block the approach.  But both runways at DAL point directly at downtown.  In contrast, whether taking off to the north or to the south, downtown Austin is at a 90* angle to the approach on short final.

Yeah, planes departing to the west take a right turn when taking off to the south to go out over downtown.  But they're at higher altitude when they go over downtown Austin than what every single departure on 31R is at when going over downtown Dallas.

So I really don't understand the FAA restriction (insofar as its rumored existence is even real).  It must be the result of some recent regulatory changes.

The issue at ABIA I believe is planes on approach from the north west that pass east over pflugerville to line up with 37L. A tall enough building in downtown would block line of sight of the plane to the port. Maybe one of the pilots on Surly can weigh in. 

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16 hours ago, Pasken said:

The issue at ABIA I believe is planes on approach from the north west that pass east over pflugerville to line up with 37L. A tall enough building in downtown would block line of sight of the plane to the port. Maybe one of the pilots on Surly can weigh in. 

That doesn't make sense.  First, there is no such thing as a Runway 37L.  Runways are numbered based on the direction they point (i.e., a runway pointing northwest at 300* will be numbered Runway 30).  

But second, and more importantly, downtown isn't between Pflugerville and the airport.  And having worked downtown for awhile, I've seen plenty of planes departing out over downtown, but I've never seen one approach over downtown.

I think it has something to do with some emergency protocol, like if a plane loses both engines on takeoff.  The FAA may have revised their requirements after the USAirways flight that landed in the Hudson.

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1 hour ago, Ghost of LL said:

That doesn't make sense.  First, there is no such thing as a Runway 37L.  Runways are numbered based on the direction they point (i.e., a runway pointing northwest at 300* will be numbered Runway 30).  

But second, and more importantly, downtown isn't between Pflugerville and the airport.  And having worked downtown for awhile, I've seen plenty of planes departing out over downtown, but I've never seen one approach over downtown.

I think it has something to do with some emergency protocol, like if a plane loses both engines on takeoff.  The FAA may have revised their requirements after the USAirways flight that landed in the Hudson.

Sorry, I meant 35L but I should have used the other side 17R in the example. I looked at the trajectory again and you're right. Planes on approach would be too high up when downtown is between them and the airport for a 1000' tower to matter.

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16 minutes ago, Pasken said:

Sorry, I meant 35L but I should have used the other side 17R in the example. I looked at the trajectory again and you're right. Planes on approach would be too high up when downtown is between them and the airport for a 1000' tower to matter.

And I don't know if this FAA thing even exists.  I've seen rumors of it, but that's only been linked to tower cranes (which may have different rules than permanent structures).  So I don't know what the deal is.

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From The ATX on ssp re: Railyard towers:

Quote

Filed for AULCC. These are going to be big.

ATX East Tower = 500 Apts. + 300 Condos + 15K Sq. Ft. Retail

ATX West Tower = 884K Sq. Ft. office + 15K Sq. Ft. Retail

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/AULCC_2020/200213/PLANS/

 

Edited by Longhorn Al
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On 2/1/2020 at 1:29 PM, DalTxHornFan said:

It looks like this project may be the one to give Austin a 1,000 footer.  The one on the east block has to be close.

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This is going to be a shit show.

Spoiler

 

Two Permanent Public Toilets are Fully Armed and Operational Downtown

portland_loo_installation_austin_4-scaled.jpg

After several years of planning, two of the three permanent “Portland Loo” public restroom facilities previously announced by the City of Austin are officially installed and “open for business,” you might say, in the downtown area.

The restrooms, one on the east side of Trinity Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets and the other on the east side of Brazos Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets, are a project between the city’s Public Works, Transportation, and Economic Development Departments, in partnership with the Downtown Austin Alliance. Though they were installed in January, the facilities didn’t open to the public until February 7 last week.

https://austin.towers.net/two-permanent-public-toilets-are-fully-armed-and-operational-downtown/?agent=caitlyn@towers.net

 

 

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You've gotta give the designer credit...it's Art Moderne meets original Total Recall.

It answers the question, can a public space capture "AIDS by Heroin Needle" in a functionally self-contained design?  

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Found this on Skyscraper Pages.

A new office tower by the name of 5C is going up at the southeast corner of 5th and Colorado, replacing several small buildings. Apparently, the developer is keeping the facade of the old Frank Hot Dog restaurant as part of the building. You can spot it at the bottom of the West elevation below.

dYDoN51.png

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2 hours ago, bolverk said:

Found this on Skyscraper Pages.

A new office tower by the name of 5C is going up at the southeast corner of 5th and Colorado, replacing several small buildings. Apparently, the developer is keeping the facade of the old Frank Hot Dog restaurant as part of the building. You can spot it at the bottom of the West elevation below.

 

I got you.

 

dYDoN51.png

 

About 656' tall. 

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The tall towers just keep coming:

brazos_hall_site_photo-scaled.jpg

The Brazos Hall event venue at the northeast corner of East Fourth and Brazos Streets, an early-1900s warehouse that could potentially be demolished for a tower project depending on the results of a historic preservation review by the city. The 1999 office structure seen on the right side of the image will not require review, and will also be demolished for the new tower’s construction. On the left side of the image, you’ll notice a crane for the Fifth & Brazos hotel and apartment project. Image: GarzaEMC

https://austin.towers.net/theres-a-tower-in-the-works-at-fourth-and-brazos-in-downtown-austin/?agent=caitlyn@towers.net

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The demo permit for the entire old Brackenridge hospital complex was approved today.  Also, the site plan to re-align Red River from 12th to 15th is in city review. This would straighten out Red River in the new medical complex.

 

Screen-Shot-2020-02-20-at-11-49-04-AM.jp
Screen-Shot-2020-02-20-at-11-48-52-AM.jp

Screen-Shot-2020-02-20-at-11-49-58-AM.jp

Edited by Pasken
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What's not shown on that rendering is four 50+ towers in the works. The proposed BBVA tower catty corner to the ^X Guadalupe which will be 60 stories | 770 feet.

Three towers in the Rainey District,  Travis 1 (50 stories | 594 feet) and Travis II (60 stories | 704 feet) and 44 East (50 stories | 573 feet)

BBVA Tower

BBVA_Austin-1024x795.jpg?theia_smart_thumbnails_file_version=2

 

Travis I on the left, Travis II on the right

the_travis_towers_1-e1561157609931.jpg

 

44 East 

Image result for 44 east austin

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19 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Hope I live long enough to see all those completed. Amazing changes from 60 years ago.

Ditto.  Amazing changes from just 35 years ago. That was when I first had a high-rise office in the First City Bank building at 9th & Congress.  Unobstructed view of the Capitol from there back then.

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On 2/20/2020 at 1:56 PM, bolverk said:

Came across this on SSP where a poster made this rendering of Austin's future skyline.

49558533238_8a43e95207_h.jpg

https://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=167841&page=115

 

 

On 2/20/2020 at 4:28 PM, yoladu said:

What's not shown on that rendering is four 50+ towers in the works. The proposed BBVA tower catty corner to the ^X Guadalupe which will be 60 stories | 770 feet.

Three towers in the Rainey District,  Travis 1 (50 stories | 594 feet) and Travis II (60 stories | 704 feet) and 44 East (50 stories | 573 feet)

BBVA Tower

BBVA_Austin-1024x795.jpg?theia_smart_thumbnails_file_version=2

 

Travis I on the left, Travis II on the right

the_travis_towers_1-e1561157609931.jpg

 

44 East 

Image result for 44 east austin

Wild.  I've been in Austin since 1986, but wasn't old enough to remember downtown til the 90s.  Crazy what's happened just since then.

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