675 replies to this topic

[Austin55]

If it goes a floor per week from here it should top out in August. 

It's been a month since I have posted a construction photograph.  Here is the latest taken today from the east.

 

frostconst-09 by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

If it goes a floor per week from here it should top out in August. 

[John T Roberts]

Last weekend, I took my long lens back up to the Hulen Street Bridge.  Frost Tower is making more of an impact each week, but since I had been there over Memorial Day weekend, not too much had changed.  I need to get over to the Amon Carter to take some shots.

[johnfwd]

The southwest DT view is completely blocked by the Burnett Plaza tower and, at present, the BOA building. 

[JBB]

It's probably just the light and shadows, but it almost looks like there are contrasting shades of glass between what is to the right of the elevator and to the left.  I'm sure it's just my mind messing with me, but that sure would look nice.

[jefffwd]

It's been a month since I have posted a construction photograph.  Here is the latest taken today from the east.

 

frostconst-09 by jtrobert, on Flickr

Thank you John!!

[John T Roberts]

You're welcome, jefffwd.  Now, here's the latest construction photo taken on June 10, 2017.  They are now on the second floor of office space.  This is Level 15.

 

frostconst-10 by jtrobert, on Flickr

[JBB]

That's a really nice picture.  Thanks for the update!

[John T Roberts]

Thanks.  I'm trying to get down there every week, but sometimes, I don't post the pictures.  I also need to update the picture on the main website.  The problem is that I'm too busy right now to do everything.

[John T Roberts]

You know, back in the earlier days of this forum.  A high-rise under construction would be the most popular topic.  This is your chance to express your opinion of the construction of the building.

[Jeriat]

I joined not very long ago so I don't know what that was like. I will say this, though:

It's a nice, infill project that looks good and has a pretty decent height. I would be more excited if there were a couple of other factors going on with this building.

[John T Roberts]

What other factors?

[Now in Denton]

Frost being added to downtown Fort Worth is ok I guess. I don't really have much to say without bringing in other "factors" into conversation. As Jeriat says. lol So I will leave it at that. Other than I have not seen any nighttime renderings ? Does anyone know of any nighttime lighting ? Sorry if this was talked about before ? 

[JBB]

I'm dying to know more about these "other factors" that are so taboo. Scintillating and mysterious.

[Austin55]

Some aerial photos have been added to the website in recent days.]

Here's a photo I took a few minutes ago with the temporary concrete framework removed from the outdoor area.

 

[Jeriat]

What other factors?

- Height... it'll make a major impact on the skyline for as many floors it has now... it's already making an impact, really. But I'd like to see it hit 35. Still looking for that next new "tallest" tower in the city.

- That extension from the old Star-Telegram building... I know it's small and not really a big deal, but I'd like to see Frost Tower use ALL of that site. The extension kinda feels like it's just sitting there along with what's hanging over 6th Street. If all of that is still being used, I'd like to see it in the tower, getting rid of that extension, and then building the rest of that site for more restaurant, retail, and (if needed) office space.

That's just my take.

[johnfwd]

 

What other factors?

- Height... it'll make a major impact on the skyline for as many floors it has now... it's already making an impact, really. But I'd like to see it hit 35. Still looking for that next new "tallest" tower in the city.

I don't think builders do a "one-upmanship" on having their structure higher than others, but there is some ambition to having the world take notice.  This may apply to Frost Bank tower, because, at the height of 25 floors, it will be less conspicuous in its location than if it were 35 floors.  Unfortunately, the view of this building will be mostly obstructed because of its location.  Height matters to some people, just ask the builders over in Dubai.

[renamerusk]

 

What other factors?

- Height... it'll make a major impact on the skyline for as many floors it has now... it's already making an impact, really. But I'd like to see it hit 35. Still looking for that next new "tallest" tower in the city.

 

  Even though it is doubtful, I would like it if the tower added 15 more floors to its height.

 

  When Burnett Tower was planned, it originally designed for 30 floors; and before final construction, the BT added 10 more floors to top out at 40 stories. I don't fully recall the rationale for adding 10 additional floors, but it turns out that the additional floors were fully leased.

 

 I believe that Jetta could expect the same results if additional floors were added.

[Dylan]

Would those columns be able to handle any more floors? I'm assuming the columns are built to handle the height that's planned.

[John T Roberts]

The website lists LED edge lighting as a feature of the building.  A few dusk renderings have been released showing a band of light coming from the offset in the building slab where the glass will be cantilevering outward on the office levels that matches the offset in the parking levels.

 

The height of the building is comparable to the roof of the old Landmark Tower, which even with the clock removed, still made an impact on the skyline until it was demolished.  I still think it will make an impact on our skyline when it is completed.

 

I am sure that Jetta would have liked to have purchased the old Star-Telegram Annex, but I'm pretty sure that Morningstar Oil & Gas wouldn't sell.  Also, they would have lost quite a bit of their space with taking out five levels of the annex, plus three levels of building over 6th Street.  Not only would they have lost a lot of square footage, it would be difficult to remove the bridge portion of the building and then the 6th Street façade of the 1948 addition would have to be rebuilt. 

 

There is an interesting twist to the story about allowing the old Star-Telegram Annex to remain.  If you remember in previous threads, I have explained why parts of the Carnegie Building's southern façade do not have any windows.  Current building codes do not allow any openings in a building where the walls butt up against an adjoining piece of property.  Therefore, at the east and west parts of the Carnegie's façade there aren't any windows.  The center section of the building is set back, and if you are greater than 5 feet away from a property line, you are allowed protected window openings.  The further away a wall is from the property line, the lesser amount of protection is required until you are far enough away for no protection.  If you look at the rendering taken from 777 Main, it shows the south wall of both the tower and the parking levels with glass.  It also shows the east wall of the parking garage with a metal screen.  These would be unprotected openings.  The way that the developer was allowed to do this was to have the entire block re-platted into one piece of property and to enter a condominium arrangement with Morningstar for the old Star-Telegram Annex.  In the eyes of the city, both buildings now sit on the same piece of land.  Therefore, by the International Building code, the only separations that had to be made were for what is required between two buildings, not two pieces of property.  This allows for windows to be installed on the south side of the building, all the way up. 

 

More floors were added to Burnett Plaza because more tenants committed to lease the space while the building was still on the drawing board.  It also may have been that these tenants required more space than what was originally planned, so to keep them, the developers had to increase the height.  Burnett Plaza had commitments from the First National Bank, Meridian Oil, and Champlin Petroleum, and I think one other major tenant.  Adding more floors was done while the building was being designed; therefore, it was relatively easy to do. 

 

Once a building is designed and is under construction, it is not easy to add height to the building.  The structure is designed to handle what is being built.  A good example of trying to do this after part of the building was built was the old Landmark Tower.  I'm quite sure that the change in the design once the first four floors and two basement levels were built was part of the reason the building was ultimately demolished.  Since the Frost Tower is half way up, it is really too late to add any more floors.

[Jeriat]

The website lists LED edge lighting as a feature of the building.  A few dusk renderings have been released showing a band of light coming from the offset in the building slab where the glass will be cantilevering outward on the office levels that matches the offset in the parking levels.
 
The height of the building is comparable to the roof of the old Landmark Tower, which even with the clock removed, still made an impact on the skyline until it was demolished.  I still think it will make an impact on our skyline when it is completed.
 
I am sure that Jetta would have liked to have purchased the old Star-Telegram Annex, but I'm pretty sure that Morningstar Oil & Gas wouldn't sell.  Also, they would have lost quite a bit of their space with taking out five levels of the annex, plus three levels of building over 6th Street.  Not only would they have lost a lot of square footage, it would be difficult to remove the bridge portion of the building and then the 6th Street façade of the 1948 addition would have to be rebuilt. 
 
There is an interesting twist to the story about allowing the old Star-Telegram Annex to remain.  If you remember in previous threads, I have explained why parts of the Carnegie Building's southern façade do not have any windows.  Current building codes do not allow any openings in a building where the walls butt up against an adjoining piece of property.  Therefore, at the east and west parts of the Carnegie's façade there aren't any windows.  The center section of the building is set back, and if you are greater than 5 feet away from a property line, you are allowed protected window openings.  The further away a wall is from the property line, the lesser amount of protection is required until you are far enough away for no protection.  If you look at the rendering taken from 777 Main, it shows the south wall of both the tower and the parking levels with glass.  It also shows the east wall of the parking garage with a metal screen.  These would be unprotected openings.  The way that the developer was allowed to do this was to have the entire block re-platted into one piece of property and to enter a condominium arrangement with Morningstar for the old Star-Telegram Annex.  In the eyes of the city, both buildings now sit on the same piece of land.  Therefore, by the International Building code, the only separations that had to be made were for what is required between two buildings, not two pieces of property.  This allows for windows to be installed on the south side of the building, all the way up. 
 

I forgot who currently owned the building. Didn't think anything about any codes... when did this happen?

[John T Roberts]

Jeriat, when did what happen?  The adoption of the building codes, or the re-platting of the block?

[renamerusk]

.....More floors were added to Burnett Plaza because more tenants committed to lease the space while the building was still on the drawing board.  It also may have been that these tenants required more space than what was originally planned, so to keep them, the developers had to increase the height.  Burnett Plaza had commitments from the First National Bank, Meridian Oil, and Champlin Petroleum, and I think one other major tenant.  Adding more floors was done while the building was being designed; therefore, it was relatively easy to do......Once a building is designed and is under construction, it is not easy to add height to the building.  The structure is designed to handle what is being built.....Since the Frost Tower is half way up, it is really too late to add any more floors.

 

Thanks for clearing up my speculations:

 

In retrospect, Jetta likely designed a structure that met the current demand.  One thing that the determining market is suggesting is that towers in the size of Jetta (300-400k sf) are more the norm than super tall structures, the exception being in a market where land is simply largely unavailable (Manhattan); its hard to visualize, but DFW Airport landmass is larger than Manhattan. D.R. Horton choosing to build a campus setting is more the norm today; and again Jetta is going against this norm.  I believe that commercial high rises (30 floors plus) are unlikely in the future.

 

Instead, I would like to coin a new term for Downtown - Central Tourism District (CTD) to replace Central Business District (CBD).  CTD will become the major player in Downtown with new high rise residential structures and high rise hospitality structures.  The future of Downtown looks to me, at least, as the destination for tourists, conventioneers, restaurants, entertainment and housing.

 

A new thread is being open for further discussion - Central Tourism District: Redefining CBD.

[Jeriat]

Jeriat, when did what happen?  The adoption of the building codes, or the re-platting of the block?

The codes.

[John T Roberts]

Jeriat, an architect who is an expert on codes could probably quote the exact year the building codes were revised for this requirement.  I honestly can't tell you when that occurred; however, you can look at some of the buildings that were constructed over time here in the city to determine when those new codes took effect.  In 1957, the old Continental National Bank/Landmark Tower was completed on a 1/4 block site.  The north side of the building was adjacent to another piece of property and that north side had windows all the way from the 4th floor to the 30th floor.  In 1968 or '69, the Biltmore Garage was expanded upward with its east wall on the property line.  The expansion did not include any openings on that east side.  My guess is that somewhere in the 1960's this part of the code was adopted.

[Jeriat]

N well I guess that makes sense.

I'mpretty sure they're not even considering it, but with the soon-to-be open space coming with XTO'S departure, maybe it could free up that expansion space after all.

I'm just throwing darts, here.

[John T Roberts]

Austin55 had posted earlier this week a photo showing the temporary shoring removed from the outdoor area.  Today, I took an overall photo from the east side of the building.  The building is moving upward fairly rapidly now.

 

frostconst-11 by jtrobert, on Flickr

[John T Roberts]

I was just visiting with Austin55, and it appears the Frost Tower is now approximately 200 feet tall.

[Austin55]

Here's how it looks from the Methodist Church parking lot. Compare to 500 W 7th, which is 273 feet.

 

[johnfwd]

I'm not efficient at posting photos but I shot this view of downtown early this morning from Texas Street.  You barely see the new construction.

 

 

http://www.use.com/i...669ecd4ae1c.jpg

[John T Roberts]

The building is now making it's mark on the skyline from I-30 and Las Vegas Trail.  I have been out on the northwest portion of Loop 820 for two days, but since I was driving and there was traffic, I have not really noticed the building.

[Dylan]

This is really going to be significant infill for our skyline. I'd imagine it's making a big impact from 121 as well.

[Austin55]

Still haven't noticed it from 287, but it's battling with the At&t building. It's getting close though, I can tell by the crane height.

[John T Roberts]

Here's the latest construction photo taken on July 4, 2017.  It's up to 17 stories, out of 25.  Between this shot and the last one, I had a chance to tour the construction site for the third time.  The building is really shaping up and it will be a showplace for the city.  I had a chance to go to the skylobby and restaurant level.  The views are very nice from up there.

 

frostconst-12 by jtrobert, on Flickr

[Austin55]

The 17th floor is the last of the Frost floors. 18-22 are currently not leased. Jetta and Anthracite will occupy 22, 23 & 24.

 

http://imgur.com/a/29iS5

[John T Roberts]

The construction has moved up to the 18th Level.  This photo was taken on Saturday, July 8, 2017.

 

frostconst-13 by jtrobert, on Flickr

[JBB]

The building is now just barely visible as you drive into downtown on 121 from the northeast.

[John T Roberts]

Thanks for the update, since it has been about three months since I have been heading into downtown on 121.

[Austin55]

The first pieces of glass in the human occupied sections are going up. It is much more translucent than the garage glass.

 

[John T Roberts]

When we did the tour that focused on the glazing system, the architects mentioned that the glass on the office portion would be different than the glass on the garage.  They also stated that there were several different glass types on the building.

 

I'm sure there will be more glass installed on those levels by Saturday when I return to take my overall progress photos.

[Austin55]

Hey John, something I've just noticed looking at my own photo, the upper panel of glass in each section has 5 horizontal bands running across, each one shrinking in size and with a kind off gradient effect. Do you know what that is? 

[pelligrini]

Looks like a nice touch of design on the opaque spandrel glass portions of the panel. That glass on the top will be masking the floor slab, mechanical and dropped ceiling.

[renamerusk]

 

 

It looks AWESOME I think. It' very modern, but is'nt a total snoozefest, just very clean. The glass chosen will be very important to the final look of the tower. 

 

And it's got a little of everything! I LOVE it. 

 

Ahhh! Time for another look.

[John T Roberts]

Pelligrini is correct.  It is a special spandrel glass that does have the bands of varying width on it.  The spandrel glass was already being stored inside the building when I took my second tour.  As you can see from the renderings, there are still more different glass types yet to be installed on the building.  Also, if you look on my overall shots of the building all the way back to May, you can see the banded spandrel glass going in on the left side of the east façade.  It really shows up on the July 8th photo.

[John T Roberts]

The building is now making its mark on the skyline on the US 377 bridge over I-20 in Benbrook.

[John T Roberts]

Today, I have two construction photos for the forum.  The concrete is being poured on the columns for the 19th floor.  The first photograph is the overall.  The second photograph shows that the contractors have placed the steel joists to clear span the Event Space on the 13th floor. 

 

frostconst-14 by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

frostconst-15 by jtrobert, on Flickr

[John T Roberts]

I was downtown today, again.  They are working on the 20th floor of the building, but the elevator core has already gone up to the 21st level.  From what I have been told, the topping out should occur around the first of September.

[John T Roberts]

Photograph from July 23, 2017.  The rebar for the columns is in place on the 20th floor.  The elevator core has been extended upward to the 21st level.

 

frostconst-16 by jtrobert, on Flickr

[Austin55]

I was all over town today. 

From the instersection of Northside and Main, you can see just see a sliver of the newest floor poking above the Carnegie building. From I30 near the Tandy Hills, it looks to be challenging 714 Main as one of the taller buildings in downtown. From the East, it looks to be around the same height as 500 W 7th. 

[John T Roberts]

It's definitely getting taller.  It won't be long before it is topped out.  I need to be out taking skyline photographs soon.  The Hulen Street Bridge is a great location, but Burnett Plaza blocks some of the other buildings.

[rriojas71]

It's definitely getting taller.  It won't be long before it is topped out.  I need to be out taking skyline photographs soon.  The Hulen Street Bridge is a great location, but Burnett Plaza blocks some of the other buildings.

I think one of the best overall views of the skyline I'd from the bridge on University that crosses the West Fork near the go carts. I think the best place once it is completed will be from the top floor of the Dickies Arena parking garage.