395 replies to this topic

[JBB]

The full block at the NE corner of Throckmorton and 5th is a Sundance property. Planned to eventually be a hotel, maybe?

The half block at the SE corner with First Christian is owned by a private group that lists a suite in the Sinclair building as their address and I'm assuming that is outdated information.

[renamerusk]

There is a small surface lot that shares the block with HSG and XTO/Petroleum Building. If the lot could be made vertical, it would provide some additional parking for ACH.

[JBB]

The Petroleum Building and that surface lot are a single property owned by XTO.

[renamerusk]

 

I have a new height for the building.  With the extra floor, it will be 177 feet tall.

 

Or the height of Sundance West.

 

  ACH is not going to push the skyline ceiling upward but that slate facade will really be a contrast and an attention getter.

[Austin55]

The Petroleum Building and that surface lot are a single property owned by XTO.

 

But on the market currently.

[JBB]

Right. I thought that went without saying.

[Austin55]

Incentives awarded.

http://amp.star-tele...impression=true

[JBB]

I'm starting to wonder if Mr. Campbell, representative for a major private stakeholder in downtown, has any business being on the TIF board or DDRB.  As usual, rename beat us to the punch on that one.

[JKC]

The questions were intended to align the City policy with a unanimous desire to approve the project. The current City TIF policy says that TIF proceeds may not be used for an exclusively private purpose which this is. That was made very clear in the meeting as was full support for the project. The high cost of the double redundancy requirement in downtown is definitely a competitive disadvantage that needs to be addressed. The TIF policy should allow the board to simply say this is what is needed.. However, As it turns out, modifying the policy is not as simple as it sounds either. Edited.

[renamerusk]

The questions were intended to align the City policy with a unanimous desire to approve the project. The current City TIF policy says that TIF proceeds may not be used for an exclusively private purpose which this is.....

 

 I will thread lightly in the weeds surrounding TIF policy as it is something that is lawyerly, a bit complicated and something that I don't delve in.  But Campbell (Sundance Square) is acting suspiciously to me.  Isn't Sundance Square a private property and didn't the City close a portion of Main Street for them?  It may not be illegal, but it certainly looks improper and self serving. (Edited)

 

There too is the footnote that Frost Bank Tower received public incentives as a way to aid the construction of 640 Taylor Street.

[JKC]

The opposite is actually the case.  The easiest and most self-serving route would be to just keep silent and not ask those questions. Take the hotel and the transformer reimbursements for future projects.

[renamerusk]

(1) The opposite is actually the case.  (2) The easiest and most self-serving route would be to just keep silent and not ask those questions. (3) Take the hotel and the transformer reimbursements for future projects.

 

(1) Opposite of what?

 

(2) How would keeping silent be more self-serving then the act of raising questions that could be detrimental to a competitor's project?

 

(3) Not following you; in what way should reimbursements to the hotel or to Oncor for the transformer be better used and for what better future projects?

[JKC]

A hotel is not competition, it is very complimentary. In fact more are needed to support a hopeful growth in convention business and to offset frequent sellouts. 

 

The TIF position to reimburse for building transformers is also positive to future developments, arguably more positive for the larger developers who could more often take advantage of it.  The self serving route would have been to just let it go without discussion so as to be able to use it later without scrutiny.

[renamerusk]

A hotel is not competition, it is very complimentary. In fact more are needed to support a hopeful growth in convention business and to offset frequent sellouts. ....The TIF position to reimburse for building transformers is also positive to future developments, arguably more positive for the larger developers who could more often take advantage of it.  The self serving route would have been to just let it go without discussion so as to be able to use it later without scrutiny.

 

I could not agree with you anymore. 

 

I do find that raising concerns  "philosophical discussion" has been a tactic that has cause some developers who are accustom to  Austin and Dallas style developer's environment and who are new entrants in the Fort Worth market to have fears about their investments being at risk.  What comes in mind are projects such as Hotel Renovo, City Place  "signage" and now this hotel; and of course there was the attempt to micro management of the proposed high rise apartment tower at Commerce @ 8th. 

 

If raising concerns is truly meant to improve the environment for more developers to enter the market then it may be worthwhile.  The thing is to know when it is appropriate and when it is not.

[John T Roberts]

Austin is always keeping track of things.  Over at the Fort Worth Urban Twitter page, he is reporting that the new AC Hotel has registered the project with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). This is required before you apply for your building permit with most cities.  According to the registration, construction is scheduled to start in August.  The TDLR governs compliance with the Texas Accessibility Standards. Since this is a registration, review for compliance, and eventual inspection for compliance with our state's Accessibility Standards, the start and end dates for construction are not necessarily binding.  If a project is delayed or canceled, the owner can inform the TDLR of the current status. The same thing applies for completion.  However, a project must be inspected around the time of completion.  It helps to still have the contractor on the job, just in case the inspection reveals something that a contractor has to correct.

[Austin55]

I have noticed that those dates are very rarely hit, especially with bigger projects.

[Austin55]

  According to the registration, construction is scheduled to start in August.  

 

It's August and a foundation permit appeared with the city today. My guess is that as soon as the Sinclair's roof-work is complete the crane will be removed and construction will get going. The permit also mentions the hotel as being 17 stories, perhaps they are including the rooftop screening as a "floor".

[John T Roberts]

The building has a basement, so the 17th floor is most likely below grade.  This also means that we will probably be able to see the basement of the Kress Building and the possible basement of the Scott-Harrold/Lerner Shops that was demolished in 1996.  We might get a look to see if they pushed some of the Scott-Harrold Building into that basement.  The only thing is that when I watched it come down back then, I don't remember the basement being exposed.  It may not have been built with one.  I may need to visit the Sanborn Maps again.  Austin55, this will be an excellent opportunity for you to watch the project.

[John T Roberts]

I looked at the Sanborn Maps all the way up to 1951, and it doesn't appear that the Scott-Harrold/Lerner Shops building had a basement.

[Austin55]

The building has a basement, so the 17th floor is most likely below grade.  

 

Ah yes, reading further the permit does say that. It also says 252 rooms, a substantial increase from the 180 first planned.

 

 

Austin55, this will be an excellent opportunity for you to watch the project.

 

Yes, this will be a fun one. We haven't had any new construction in the core since Frost wrapped up. In addition, this building looks beautiful in renderings and description. It feels like a building from the 1930s in a sense, when considering the size, site, and lack of paking or truck bays and whatnot. 

[John T Roberts]

I'm glad to see a surface parking lot that had a building on the site until recent times (1996) filled in with a new building.  However, I am going to miss pointing out 123 years of visible Fort Worth History being covered up.  On my architectural tours or Fort Worth History tours, I always point out the brick wall of Kress and how you can figure out the history of the Scott-Harrold/Lerner Building by just the exposed wall.

 

Back to the AC Hotel.  I think it is nice design and it will add to the appeal and activity of Main, Houston, and 5th Streets.  I do like the design of the building.  I do think that CVS is in an excellent position by opening ahead of both hotels.

[renamerusk]

.... The permit also mentions the hotel as being 17 stories, perhaps they are including the rooftop screening as a "floor".

 

 

 

The building has a basement, so the 17th floor is most likely below grade.  

 

Ah yes, reading further the permit does say that. It also says 252 rooms, a substantial increase from the 180 first planned....Yes, this will be a fun one. We haven't had any new construction in the core since Frost wrapped up. In addition, this building looks beautiful in renderings and description. It feels like a building from the 1930s in a sense, when considering the size, site, and lack of paking or truck bays and whatnot.

 

 More rooms mean it is a 40% increase over the original number of rooms and could account for the 17th floor. What was the total number of floors in the original design?

[Austin55]

The building has also shown up in the FAA height records database. It is listed at 185 feet.

 

https://oeaaa.faa.go...370515830&row=6

[John T Roberts]

That doesn't surprise me that the total height is a little higher than the original 177' feet shown on the design drawings.  This dimension is to the top of the main roof parapet.  In the design drawings, the mechanical screen, penthouse, and elevator overrun are shown behind the main parapet and protruding upward above it.

[renamerusk]

To increase the number of rooms, will take a decrease in the rooms' square footage?

[John T Roberts]

I scaled the PDF file and my original calculation of 177 feet in height was to the top of the rooftop penthouse.  I still don't think a floor was actually added, since that would probably require more DDRB hearings.  Without increasing the height, the rooms would be reduced in size.  Another option would be to remove some of the amenities and then utilize that space with hotel rooms.  Another factor might be a reduction of the number of suites.  Those are usually designed to be converted to two regular sized rooms.

[Austin55]

Get your pics of the Kress wall in while you can, this is getting into site prep stage. Official groundbreaking very soon!

[Im]https://imgur.com/E9y35gs.jpg

[renamerusk]

It would a special if the "Kress Monogram" could effect the design of the hotel so as the monogram remains visible. 

 

Its really exciting to see things happening all over town.

[Doohickie]

I scaled the PDF file and my original calculation of 177 feet in height was to the top of the rooftop penthouse.  I still don't think a floor was actually added, since that would probably require more DDRB hearings.  Without increasing the height, the rooms would be reduced in size.  Another option would be to remove some of the amenities and then utilize that space with hotel rooms.  Another factor might be a reduction of the number of suites.  Those are usually designed to be converted to two regular sized rooms.

 

It's people like you that make them put those "NOT TO SCALE" notes on renderings. 

[John T Roberts]

Very funny.  I did the best that I could do with a digital copy.

 

Rename, I have that digital copy of the drawings, and unfortunately, the wall of the AC Hotel is going straight up from the property line.  The gold terra cotta Kress Logos will be covered up.  However, since they are two separate buildings and under separate ownership, there will be an expansion joint between the two buildings.  The new building will leave enough space between the two so that movement of both buildings will not damage either building.  Since that is a long wall between them and I'm pretty sure the Kress wall is not straight, they will probably leave about a 3 inch gap.  The Kress Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a City of Fort Worth Historic & Cultural Landmark.  Designations only protect a building's exterior and only to the property line.  What is done on a neighboring piece of property has no regulation, as long as that work does not harm the designated building.  It would have been nice to keep those Kress logos visible, but there is nothing that can be done to stop the AC Hotel from blocking their view.

[roverone]

Maybe whoever looks up tower crane permits can narrow a date down for us -- for sure they have been diligently cleaning up the lot lately.

 

I guess the foundation has got to come first, so it'll be a while for the crane.

[John T Roberts]

Yes, it will be a little bit.  The building has a basement, so there will be excavation.

[renamerusk]

Very funny.  I did the best that I could do with a digital copy.

 

Rename, I have that digital copy of the drawings, and unfortunately, the wall of the AC Hotel is going straight up from the property line.  The gold terra cotta Kress Logos will be covered up.  However, since they are two separate buildings and under separate ownership, there will be an expansion joint between the two buildings.  The new building will leave enough space between the two so that movement of both buildings will not damage either building.  Since that is a long wall between them and I'm pretty sure the Kress wall is not straight, they will probably leave about a 3 inch gap.  The Kress Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a City of Fort Worth Historic & Cultural Landmark.  Designations only protect a building's exterior and only to the property line.  What is done on a neighboring piece of property has no regulation, as long as that work does not harm the designated building.  It would have been nice to keep those Kress logos visible, but there is nothing that can be done to stop the AC Hotel from blocking their view.

 

 Has a Lead Architectural Firm for the AC Hotel been designated? Wouldn't you think that the architect could appreciate the beauty of the logos, and by having some appreciation, set AC Hotel back from the curb with enough room so that the logos are not covered?

 

I think that the 2-3 floors have open air balconies at both ends of the building, right?

[JBB]

This might be the crane. Start date listed as 10/1. If this isnt for the AC Marriott, I dont know what it is.

https://oeaaa.faa.go...70537159&row=10

[John T Roberts]

The map puts it in the right location.  The height of the crane is about right, as well.

[rriojas71]

It would be pretty cool if they would make a glass wall to be able to see the Kress logo through it and have it be incorporated as artwork when looking at them from inside the hotel

[John T Roberts]

It would be cool, but I think the building codes would preclude that. 

[renamerusk]

....the wall of the AC Hotel is going straight up from the property line.  The gold terra cotta Kress Logos will be covered up...... It would have been nice to keep those Kress logos visible, but there is nothing that can be done to stop the AC Hotel from blocking their view.

 

 

It would be pretty cool if they would make a glass wall to be able to see the Kress logo through it and have it be incorporated as artwork when looking at them from inside the hotel

 

 

It would be cool, but I think the building codes would preclude that. 

 

 Consolation being that we will still have the gold logos along three walls remaining that can be seen.

[John T Roberts]

I would feel pretty safe to say that the logos on the other three walls will be exposed for many years to come.  The Kress Building has its historic designations.  The two adjacent buildings to the south have varying levels of designation.  The bar facing Houston is City of Fort Worth Demolition Delay and the Winfree Building is designated even higher than the Kress Building on the local level.  Winfree is Highly Significant Endangered.

[Austin55]

A showroom/mockup rooms for the hotel will be built at 3000 Cullen.

[John T Roberts]

Rename, sometimes it takes me a while to answer your questions.  Merriman/Anderson Architects of Dallas are the architects of the new AC Hotel.  From what I understand, they were fully aware of the gold terra cotta logos, but the tight site of the project did not allow for cutting away of the building to preserve the views of the logos.

[renamerusk]

I would feel pretty safe to say that the logos on the other three walls will be exposed for many years to come.  The Kress Building has its historic designations.  The two adjacent buildings to the south have varying levels of designation.  The bar facing Houston is City of Fort Worth Demolition Delay and the Winfree Building is designated even higher than the Kress Building on the local level.  Winfree is Highly Significant Endangered.

 

 

Rename, sometimes it takes me a while to answer your questions. ... From what I understand, they were fully aware of the gold terra cotta logos, but the tight site of the project did not allow for cutting away of the building to preserve the views of the logos.

 

Thanks for ferreting out and sharing with us that the architects were aware of the Kress Logos.  It sounds as if they would have liked to preserve the view of them but were faced with an impossible situation.  With respect to architects in general, they do tend to pay attention to things that can be potentially sensitive.

 

We may also take some comfort in the fortuitous designations of the adjacent properties which you made a point to emphasize and which can act as a force that will deter any further obliteration of the view of the logos. 

 

As concluded earlier, we can take as consolation the three remaining view of the logos.

 

http://www.fortworth...e.com/kress.jpg

[John T Roberts]

When the Kress Building was built in 1936, there was not guarantee that buildings would not be built on either the north or the south sides of it.  The architect of Kress (Edward F. Sibbert of New York) at least had the foresight to put a logo at the top of the center of the building on the Houston and Main Street facades along with "S.H. Kress & Co." above the mezzanine on both of those facades, as well.  Those will always remain visible.  The ones on the south should stay visible, as well, with the historic designations of the buildings to the south.  I do appreciate that Meso Maya did not cover the company names with a sign like the Fox & Hound did.

[Austin55]

Construction has seemed to pick up today, more of the parking lot is being torn up. JBB's research mentioned the crane erection is expected 10/1, so I'll keep an eye out for that to get installed soon.

[John T Roberts]

Since the building has a basement, they will probably excavate it and shore up the sides before they pour the foundation for the crane and erect it.  This might take a little time, but since they are only digging out one floor, it won't take as long as the Frost Tower.

[renamerusk]

Its very uplifting to see a project proceeding as announced. 

[John T Roberts]

Utility work has been going on in the street leading up to the building.  Today, construction barricades have been placed on 5th and on Main.  Excavation for the basement should start soon. 

[John T Roberts]

Excavation has started on the building.  Andrew Piel took two photographs and wanted me to share them with the forum.

 

AC Hotel Fort Worth Construction by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

More AC Hotel Construction by jtrobert, on Flickr

[renamerusk]

Excavation has started on the building.  A friend took two photographs and wanted me to share them with the forum.

 

 Thank your friend on behalf of us.

[John T Roberts]

I will.  He's a follower.  His name is Andrew Piel.