27 replies to this topic

[Austin55]

Purely hypothetical. Let say a building of 500 feet or so. Where do ya'll think would be the best location for such a building?

 

 

[Jeriat]

I've already made PLENTY of suggestions on this one.

Would like to get other people's thoughts on it.

[Dylan]

Our 6 tallest towers are between 447 and 567 feet, so I would hope for a new tower outside of that height range.

 

Originally, I would have said the current AT&T building, but since that's not feasible, I will go with the Block TU site. You would be able to see the tower from many angles at the Block TU site, though it would stand off to the side when looking from the north or south. The AT&T site would stop that from being an issue.

 

Although I've heard support for the XTO/Landmark site, a tower there would be sandwiched between Burnett Tower and 777 Main when looking from Highway 121.

[gdvanc]

One area I would consider would be somewhere along Texas Street (which could be renamed "Park Place" with all its surface lots and garages and a city hall that blends in by trying very hard to look like a parking garage although it may not be quite that attractive). I think this would help fill in the skyline gap between 777/Burnett and Omni as viewed from 121 or from the southwest.

 

On the south side of the east end of the street there are a couple of lots. I think the one next to Jennings may be too small, but if I built on the other I'd like to build a companion building on the smaller lot to tie the streetscape in more closely with the buildings to the east. Retail/dining/etc. there would be convenient to the FWCC & Omni.

 

There is a small windowless building on the northeast corner of the larger lot that might have to be dealt with. Not sure if its part of the physical plant for city hall or what. Or maybe it's the oldest remaining example of small windowless buildings and should be protected. Not much street interaction, if that's important.

 

There are other lots further to the west that may help the skyline a bit more from some angles, but if you're trying to generate foot traffic they may be a bit too isolated just yet. Skylines are nice and make pretty postcards; compelling street scenes make better ones in my opinion and if I had the money to build a tower I'd have little interest in doing so just to make the skyline prettier.

[Mr_Brightside526]

Has anyone noticed how our tallest towers form a triangle?

 

I believe this alignment is what creates our nice skyline from different POVs...I nominate 501 W Lancaster. Right next to the Lamar St connector. Thoughts?

 

 

[cjyoung]

One area I would consider would be somewhere along Texas Street (which could be renamed "Park Place" with all its surface lots and garages and a city hall that blends in by trying very hard to look like a parking garage although it may not be quite that attractive). I think this would help fill in the skyline gap between 777/Burnett and Omni as viewed from 121 or from the southwest.

 

On the south side of the east end of the street there are a couple of lots. I think the one next to Jennings may be too small, but if I built on the other I'd like to build a companion building on the smaller lot to tie the streetscape in more closely with the buildings to the east. Retail/dining/etc. there would be convenient to the FWCC & Omni.

 

There is a small windowless building on the northeast corner of the larger lot that might have to be dealt with. Not sure if its part of the physical plant for city hall or what. Or maybe it's the oldest remaining example of small windowless buildings and should be protected. Not much street interaction, if that's important.

 

There are other lots further to the west that may help the skyline a bit more from some angles, but if you're trying to generate foot traffic they may be a bit too isolated just yet. Skylines are nice and make pretty postcards; compelling street scenes make better ones in my opinion and if I had the money to build a tower I'd have little interest in doing so just to make the skyline prettier.

I'm with my fellow IT professional.

[johnfwd]

Purely hypothetical. Let say a building of 500 feet or so. Where do ya'll think would be the best location for such a building?

 

 

 

May be hypothetical now, but there is the developing Trinity Uptown aka Panther Island area.  Height restrictions in the TRV master plan?  BUT, if no height restrictions and I don't think there should be, and if I were a real estate tycoon with influence, I'd want to market the whole area like a mini Las Vegas with high-rise hotels, condominiums, entertainment venues, and casinos.  But, alas, this is still Cowtown and the Stockyards are just to the north.​ 

[John T Roberts]

I think the best place is on the old Landmark Tower site.  It's a shame they are only building a parking garage on that block.

[BlueMound]

Welcome Back John !!!

[renamerusk]

What if a 800ft tower was built on this site to replace the Frost Motor Bank?

 

https://www.google.c...m/data=!3m1!1e3

[Jeriat]

What if a 800ft tower was built on this site to replace the Frost Motor Bank?

 

https://www.google.c...m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

As much as I hate Burnett Plaza (and I KNOW you all know how much I hate it), I'm sure the owners of it would have a problem blocking the only "signature feature" of the tower, at least from being just 2 blocks away.

...I actually wouldn't mind it either way, but I just get the feeling that they would try to block that somehow. 

[renamerusk]

I don't believe or think another tower can block the construction of another.  Crowded, massing of towers create synenergy.  Besides, if Burnett Tower was to attempt to do so, it would never get its day in Court.

[george84]

Fort Worth has a lot of weird rules about blocking things it seems, but that would be ridiculous. It is downtown after all. You can't expect that nothing will be built around your building. 

[Austin55]

Fort Worth has a lot of weird rules about blocking things it seems

 

And really all are made up. The only real view corridor designated by zoning law in the city is on Panther Island.

[Jeriat]

Fort Worth has a lot of weird rules about blocking things it seems, but that would be ridiculous. It is downtown after all. You can't expect that nothing will be built around your building. 

 

Oh, I wasn't talking about the city, just Burnett Plaza.

I know Ft. Worth itself has no "view corridors" like Austin used to have.

[george84]

Hopefully they would tell them to mind their own business. It would be wonderful if tall buildings were built all around Burnett Plaza so it would no longer be so prominent. I feel the same way you do about that building, it's an eyesore, and a huge one.

[Austin55]

I know Ft. Worth itself has no "view corridors" like Austin used to have.

 

Still has them.   https://en.wikipedia..._View_Corridors

[Jeriat]

 

I know Ft. Worth itself has no "view corridors" like Austin used to have.

 

Still has them.   https://en.wikipedia..._View_Corridors

 

 

Huh... doesn't seem like they do.

[renamerusk]

Hopefully they would tell them to mind their own business. It would be wonderful if tall buildings were built all around Burnett Plaza so it would no longer be so prominent. I feel the same way you do about that building, it's an eyesore, and a huge one.

 

   G84, of course you know because Downtown Houston is a perfect example of tall buildings being mast in close proximity of one another without any negative pushback.

[george84]

Very much so, yes. And now every time I go back, Im seeing new towers rising in old surface lots. The things I hoped for many years to see. Im sure that will come to fruition here too, as time goes on.

[ramjet]

 

 

I know Ft. Worth itself has no "view corridors" like Austin used to have.

 

Still has them.   https://en.wikipedia..._View_Corridors

 

 

Huh... doesn't seem like they do.

 

Austin still does.  I sit on a committee to advise on a large public building project here.  Capitol view corridors are very much in play in any building design on an affected block.  Take a look at the design of the recently built 5th and West condo building.  The somewhat weird design on the block reflects the restrictions of the view corridor.  https://www.5thandwe...IMG_2969w_1.jpg

[John T Roberts]

Here's a photo taken on Labor Day 2018 looking through that same view corridor to the Capitol Building.

 

viewcorridor by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

It may be time to get this topic switched back to Fort Worth.

[johnfwd]

I don't believe or think another tower can block the construction of another.  Crowded, massing of towers create synenergy.  Besides, if Burnett Tower was to attempt to do so, it would never get its day in Court.

I agree that it likely would not get its day in Court.  Particularly if it's one high-rise office building blocking the view of tenants in an adjacent office building.  Those tenants are there to work, not to enjoy the outside scenery.

 

But, maybe, residential tenants downtown might have a nuisance claim if their view is obstructed.  Trespass is another possible claim.  But prosecuting either type claim in a Texas court would be extremely difficult if the circumstances involve an invasion of light and air.   Of course if a high-rise project violated a zoning or subdivision regulation that might be a good nuisance per-se claim (most likely, though, the project would be shot down early-on by the city planning department or the zoning commission).

 

All this is relevant for downtown Fort Worth, particularly if more residential towers are constructed.  For those who like reading about light-and-air invasion gripes, here's a link to an article on the NOLO website.  https://www.nolo.com...iews-29942.html

[bclaridge]

I think that any taller buildings on the Fort Worth skyline, if built, should go somewhere in the middle of the current triangle where the current taller buildings reside.  Somewhere like the former Landmark Tower site where a parking garage currently resides.

Was going to also mention the old Monnig's lot, but that is way too close to The Tower (just the next block over) that some people's views on the east side of that building would get blocked.  Some kind of low-rise building might be more suitable there (perhaps something part retail, part parking garage).  I could see a skinny skyscraper going in at the small surface parking lot across from the Monnig's lot (at the SE corner of Throckmorton and 5th) though; however, there are still some blocking issues with The Tower there, though they may be fewer.  Those skinny skyscrapers are all the rage in NYC right now... I could foresee a mixed-use (commercial office and residential) skinny skyscraper going in somewhere in downtown Fort Worth.  That said, the economic conditions enabling skinny skyscrapers are likely a function of the special conditions in NYC (minimal land with extremely high land values), and something like a 60-story skinny tower is likely not viable in Fort Worth.

I just want to see fewer surface parking lots in the downtown area (they are mainly on the periphery now) and see them converted into either new buildings or park space.  All those lots along 3rd and 2nd between the City Center Towers and the railroad tracks would be ideal development land, in my opinion.  Maybe not for the tallest tower though (ideally something shorter than the City Center Towers for the skyline's sake could go there).

[renamerusk]

I think that any taller buildings on the Fort Worth skyline, if built, should go somewhere in the middle of the current triangle where the current taller buildings reside.... too close to The Tower (just the next block over) that some people's views on the east side of that building would get blocked. ....

 

Remember, the Skyline can be seen from a 360 degrees viewpoint.  There are any number of sight lines that all of the tall towers can be seen at one time.   A tower on the western edge of Downtown would both expand and add to the reaches of the the Burnett Tower and even 640 Taylor Street.

[roverone]

I'm not exactly certain where to put this, but I'll choose here, just because it is an example of a small town building a skyscraper with no competition for placement at all:

 

'Like the Eye of Sauron': western Europe’s tallest building planned for tiny Danish town:

 

https://www.theguard...ande-bestseller

[renamerusk]

I actually came across that story yesterday.  It raises a lot of eyebrows...in the middle of nowhere and defies logic.

[renamerusk]

This tower looks very nice. But, I'm still disappointed with the reduced height....The original proposal would've meant a skyline-defining skyscraper, rather than an infill high-rise.

 

 Of course, there are super tall residential towers in NYC and Chicago going up that do impact the skyline; however, I believe that skyline defining towers should be commercial office towers instead of hotel or apartment structures.