Everything's bigger in Texas - and as far as skyscrapers go, we are about to be home to the biggest in the state. The general consensus from development experts and Austin residents on the Waterline, a 1,022 foot tall skyscraper that just broke ground in June, is that the new building is a symbol of our downtown’s economic strength and has the potential to contribute to the evolution of the city as a whole. As an advocate for community investment, Jacob Wegmann, UT Austin Graduate Adviser for Community & Regional Planning, thinks that while the Waterline will not be considered “affordable” by any means, it will certainly contribute money to the city. “All the things that we care about spending money on, whether it's hiring more EMTs, subsidizing more affordable housing, maintaining and expanding parks, what noody wants to talk about is that they all require money,” Wegmann said. With the development of Austin's multibillion-dollar light rail system in the works, investments like the Waterline are especially important now. “Increasing jobs, bringing in residents and encouraging tourism downtown will make the city a more vibrant, happening destination, which makes it much more likely that the transit system will succeed,” Wegmann said. As attractive as the Waterline’s economic appeal may be, many are also turning their heads at the design of the building itself. For those who have not yet seen a rendering of the Waterline, the 74 stories of office space, hotel rooms and apartment units is going to make an already impressive skyline even more noticeable,” says Greg Anderson, Director of Austin Habitat for Humanity, with experience on the City of Austin Planning Commission. It will become a staple, a “placemaker” of the state, and the attraction of tourists will be further supported by the mixed-use function of the building; those traveling to work in the building will also be able to live in it. Anderson adds that “the Waterline’s proximity to the light rail exhibits high internal capture, meaning that residents can depend less on cars for transportation.” Not only will the Waterline change the skyline, but it will bring with it improvements to Rainey Street and the surrounding area. Anderson mentioned that the developers applied for and were granted a Great Streets Density Bonus, which is essentially an entitlement program offered to developers in exchange for community benefits. In this case, the Design Commission is requiring the Waterline to add 18 foot sidewalks to Rainey street, a much needed renovation to the cluttered strips of crumbling concrete that make it hard to get around on busy weekends. The Waterline’s planning and development is also worth taking a moment to appreciate. Although the additional 20 feet past Houston’s current record holding building might have been a slight dig, there is a certain formula considered in the planned height of a building. “If you add another floor, that’s more space you can lease or sell, and the premium rents for better views improves the higher you go,” Wegmann said. “But on the other hand, as the building gets taller and taller, support columns have to get thicker to support more weight, foundation has to go deeper to hold up the building, and more engineering needs to be done to guard against wind force. Not to mention, your valuable space is being taken by elevator shafts and water pipes, which you have to increase in capacity to accommodate more residents.” With all of these complicated considerations, it is impressive that Waterline’s developer has determined that the trade off is worth it in downtown Austin. The city’s ability to support a building like the Waterline seems like a miracle with all of the current headwinds against development: post pandemic labor shortages, inflation, lack of material resources, and the like. As Anderson said, “the fact that it’s going from the parking lot of a BBQ shop to a billion dollar investment just demonstrates the incredible economic strength of downtown Austin.” This is something to celebrate, Austinites. Keep looking forward (and upward) for 2026!
Sources
https://austin.towers.net/inside-waterline-downtown-austins-record-breaking-supertall-to wer-plan/ - https://www.archpaper.com/2022/09/kpf-reveals-design-texas-tallest-tower-waterline-aus tin/ - https://www.statesman.com/story/business/real-estate/2022/09/06/austin-waterline-tower -to-be-tallest-building-texas/65467286007/ - Jacob Wegmann, he/him - Greg Anderson, he/him