Which of these condos is not like the other?
Fri., March 23, 2007
Spring's the Thing
Spring Condo lauds itself as the first point tower to dot Austin's skyline. Emphasizing its amenities and inclusiveness over its original pitch of quasi-affordable units, Spring's models start at a scant 576 square feet, sprawling to three-bedroom, three-bath units of more than 1,700 square feet, for $800,000-plus. Units come with your choice of Berber carpet or hardwood floors; bathrooms have the option of marble floors (alas, no in-floor heating). There's a waterfall pool, lounge, and private health club. Amenities include guest suites and dining rooms capable of accommodating dozens.
360 Panorama
360's "spire" design – a favorite of developers Novare Group – reflects light through the tower's numerous panes of glass. One-bedrooms range from 779 to more than 1,500 square feet, while two-bedrooms start at more than 1,000 square feet and can grow to more than 3,000 square feet, in two stories. At 861 square feet, the model unit set up at 360's showroom seemed cramped, packed tight with the latest in Danish modern furniture – and a washer and dryer in the bedroom closet. Extraswise, there's an amenities deck on the ninth floor of the parking garage, with in-water tanning chaises in the pool. 360 also contains a Wi-Fi club room and wet bar, a "state-of the-art" fitness center, and a theatre room complete with a 61-inch plasma screen.
All the Comforts ...
The 5 Fifty Five condominiums appeal to your "Eloise" childhood dreams of living in a hotel. You're not mixed in with the Hilton Austin guests but in one of 99 units spread through the fifth through ninth and 27th through 31st floors. Hotellike amenities include a concierge and membership-optional Tower Health Club, but 5FF also has its own entrance and dedicated elevators. All units feature balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows. Some provide panoramic views; others gaze blankly at the top of the Convention Center or Downtown landmarks like the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. The "condotel" has a huge, luxurious edge on its competitors: room service. Prices top out at more than $3 million.
ANSWER: None.
*Oops! The following correction ran in our March 30, 2007 issue: "Which of These Condos Is Not Like the Other?," a photo sidebar of last week's news feature "We Were the Urban Pioneers," incorrectly identified a picture of a high-rise building under construction as the Spring Condominiums. Due to miscommunication between our writers and the photographer, the building was actually the Monarch condominiums at Fifth & West Avenue. Construction has not yet commenced at Spring, which will sit where the recently closed Tambaleo nightclub is at Third & Bowie.
Also, the Chronicle didn't attribute the concept art depicting each condominium's interior. Each depiction came from the respective developers of the three projects – Spring, 360, and the 5 Fifty Five. The Chronicle regrets the omission.
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