Up, up, and away
New 60-story high-rise banks big changes for downtown Austin skyline
A Minneapolis real estate developer plans to grace the ever-changing Austin skyline with what would be the city’s second tallest building — a 60-story tower anchored by apartments and offices.
On December 19, the developer, Ryan Cos. US Inc., along with Houston-based architecture Page Southerland Page Inc. and Birmingham, Alabama-based bank BBVA USA unveiled the 530,371-square-foot project at West Sixth and Guadalupe streets.
“The opportunity to significantly shape the skyline of Austin is a privilege afforded to very few projects. Page is thrilled to be a part of this monumental project, which elegantly combines a diversity of uses on an exceptionally tight site,” Talmadge Smith, design principal at Page, says in a release. “This … smart, dense and ambitious development will serve as a template for future projects downtown.”
The high-rise would replace Maiko Sushi Lounge at 311 W. Sixth St. and a BBVA bank branch at 321 W. Sixth St. Ryan still must wrap up the purchase of the land and gain project approval from the Austin City Council. Construction is set to start in late 2020 and be finished in mid-2023.
The skyscraper would be a neighbor of what’s in line to become Austin’s actually tallest building. The 6 X Guadalupe office tower, at 400 W. Sixth St. would be 66 stories high and encompass 589,662 square feet. An Extended Stay America hotel previously occupied the site.
As envisioned now, the 770-foot-tall Ryan building would feature 363 studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments on levels 20 to 60. The top floor would include a 3,000-square-foot clubhouse. The two levels below, 18 and 19, would offer a fitness center and swimming pool. Levels 12 to 17 would contain 120,000 square feet of office space, while the remaining floors would be set aside for retail and parking.
“Partnering with BBVA on the significant redevelopment of a unique downtown Austin corner is very exciting to the Ryan team. The mixed-use product that keeps the BBVA bank presence intact meets an important live, work, play need for downtown,” Hunter Barrier, regional president of Ryan, says in the release.
The new building would feature a 4,000-square-foot, ground-level BBVA branch to replace the existing one at 321 W. Sixth St.. Renderings of the tower show BBVA’s logo on the exterior, but it’s unclear whether the high-rise would wind up bearing the BBVA name.
“BBVA’s mission of creating opportunities and its commitment to the places it calls home is epitomized in this project. Austin, with its innovative business and economic landscape, is a key market for the bank. Our involvement in this landmark project will enhance our ability to serve our Austin clients,” Jon Rebello, Austin CEO of BBVA, says in the release.
