The Waterline isn’t even finished yet but it may have already lost its title of the tallest tower in Texas. Though still in the trenches of Austin’s permitting process, developer Wilson Capital announced plans to break ground on an 80-story, 1,035-foot skyscraper— to be named the Wilson Tower.
In an interview with CNN, architect Brad Wilkins said he expects more supertalls to pop up around the city, though he did not mention the 74-floor building under construction just on the other side of the convention center.
Construction on The Waterline on 98 Red River Street began on June 13 but isn’t expected to finish until August 2025. Meanwhile, the groundbreaking for the Wilson Tower is scheduled for some time in 2023.
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Wilkins and his architecture firm HKG have worked on some of the world’s tallest buildings, including Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and the Wuhan Greenland Center in China.
“’Why Austin?’ would be the obvious question,” Wilkins said. “As you scratch beneath the surface, it just makes sense. It’s a really energetic place. It’s amazing how much is happening and how much is going to continue to happen here.”
Not only will the Wilson building be the tallest building in Texas, it’s expected to be the tallest residential building outside New York in the United States.
Wilkins is an advisory group member for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. And even though he’s worked on projects all over the world he believes this project will be unique to Austin. The project’s unique plans also include an entire floor dedicated to pets, offering pampered fur babies with a playroom, a dog run and a grooming center. As for outdoor space, there will be balconies and innovative environmental technology.
“The colors and textures are all something that we’re trying to ground here in Austin…to be something that’s like no other, that doesn’t belong anywhere else,” he said.
— Maddy Sperling
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