Block 185
{{Short description|High-rise office building in Austin Texas}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Block 185
| image = Block 185 from Lady Bird Lake.jpg
| image_size = 250px
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| image_caption = Block 185 viewed from Lady Bird Lake
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| alternate_names = 601 W. 2nd St.
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| building_type = Office
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| address = 601 W. 2nd St.
| location_city = Austin
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| coordinates = {{coord|30.2656|-97.7504|type:landmark_region:US-TX|display=inline,title}}
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| groundbreaking_date = January 16th, 2019
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| est_completion = Q2 2022
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| height = 594 ft. (181m)
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| floor_count = 43
| floor_area = 719,470 sq. ft.
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| architect = Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
| architecture_firm = STG Design
| developer = Trammell Crow
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Block 185 is an office skyscraper located at 601 W. 2nd St. in Downtown Austin, Texas.{{Cite web |last=Rambin |first=James |date=2018-08-08 |title=At Last, Here's Our First Look at the Block 185 Office Tower |url=https://austin.towers.net/at-last-heres-our-first-look-at-the-block-185-office-tower/ |access-date=2019-01-29 |website=TOWERS |language=en-US}} The tower topped out in July 2021. The tower is the fourth tallest in Austin at 594 feet, and the tallest office tower in Texas outside of Houston or Dallas. Block 185 is bound to the west by Shoal Creek, to the east by Nueces Street, to the north by Second Street and to the south by Cesar Chavez Street. The tower is located on the final parcel of the former Green Water Treatment Plant and in Austin's Second Street District.{{Cite web |last=Buchholz |first=Jan |date=2019-01-18 |title=Block 185: Is it Google, Salesforce or the shadow? |url=https://atxrealestatenews.com/2019/01/18/block-185-is-it-google-salesforce-or-the-shadow/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053741/https://atxrealestatenews.com/2019/01/18/block-185-is-it-google-salesforce-or-the-shadow/ |archive-date=2019-01-30 |access-date=2019-01-29 |website=ATX Real Estate News |language=en-US}}
History
In the 1839 plan of Austin the property, along with three other adjoining properties, was designated for use as a penitentiary, however, a map of Austin from 1840 shows that lot split out into four tracks - Block 185, 186, 187 and 188.{{Cite map |last=Sandusky |first=William H. |title=A Topographical Map of the Government Tract Adjoining the City of Austin |date=5 January 1840 |publication-place=Austin, Texas |url=https://historictexasmaps.com/collection/search-results/4833-a-topographical-map-of-the-government-tract-adjoining-the-city-of-austin-general-map-collection |access-date=30 March 2025}} Eventually, the 1.26 acre plot of land would become the Green Water Treatment Plant and, in 2012, it was purchased by a partnership between Trammel Crow and MSD Capital{{Cite magazine |title=Trammell Crow Company and MSD Capital Top Out 35-Story Class A Office Tower in Downtown Austin |magazine=Texas Contractor |publisher=Associated Construction Publications |access-date=May 16, 2025 |url=https://acppubs.com/TXC/article/8F11CBFD-trammell-crow-company-and-msd-capital-top-out-35-story-class-a-office-tower-in-downtown-austin |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250516175245/https://acppubs.com/TXC/article/8F11CBFD-trammell-crow-company-and-msd-capital-top-out-35-story-class-a-office-tower-in-downtown-austin |archive-date=May 16, 2025}} for $10,277,470.{{Cite web |title=GWTP Master Development Agreement between The City of Austin and TC Green Water Master Developer, LLC Concerning the Development of the Green Water Treatment Plant, Austin, Texas |url=https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Redevelopment/Redevelopment_Projects/GWTP_MDA_-_Executed_optomized.pdf#page=14 |page=14}}{{Cite web |last=Widner |first=Cindy |date=2 April 2019 |title=New Google building will a rare starchitect-designed tower |url=https://austin.curbed.com/2019/4/2/18291500/google-building-austin-new-design-pelli |website=Curbed Austin}} After many years of planning and many design changes, both increasing and decreasing in height,{{Cite web |last=Rambin |first=James |date=2017-06-26 |title=Good and Bad News on Block 185 |url=https://austin.towers.net/good-and-bad-news-on-block-185/ |access-date=2019-01-29 |website=TOWERS |language=en-US}} Block 185 started construction on January 16, 2019. Even after the groundbreaking, the tenants of the tower had not yet been announced and no renderings had been made public.
On January 31, 2019, while it was still under construction, Brandywine announced that Google would lease the entire building,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-01-31 |title=Brandywine Realty Trust 2018 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Slides |url=https://seekingalpha.com/article/4236986-brandywine-realty-trust-2018-q4-results-earnings-call-slides |access-date=2019-01-31 |website=Seeking Alpha |language=en}}. The lease expires in 2038, however, amid the COVID-19 recession, Google delayed moving employees into the building, even after its 2022 completion, and the building remained empty through early 2025.{{Cite news |last=Bell |first=Jeff |last2=Coutu |first2=Matt |date=18 March 2025 |title=Tech giant confirms move into Downtown Austin 'sail' skyscraper |url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/google-moving-into-austin-sail-building/269-cf139055-8927-4fa5-b336-58fcdf2414d5 |work=KVUE}}{{Cite news |last=Baird |first=Cody |date=20 March 2025 |title=Google to occupy downtown Austin’s Sail Tower later this year |url=https://www.kxan.com/news/business/google-to-occupy-downtown-austins-sail-tower-later-this-year/ |work=KXAN |agency=Austin Business Journal}}
The same day as Brandywine's announcement of Google's lease, the Austin-American Statesman released the first renderings the same day.{{Cite web |last=Novak |first=Shonda |title=Source: Google to occupy 35-story office tower in downtown Austin |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20190131/source-google-to-occupy-35-story-office-tower-in-downtown-austin |access-date=2019-01-31 |website=Austin American-Statesman |language=en}}
In December 2024 Cousins Properties announced that they would be acquiring Block 185 for $521.8 million, the largest purchase of an office property in Austin in 2024.{{Cite news |last=Petterson |first=Lauren |last2=Bell |first2=Jeff |date=11 December 2024 |title=Austin's famous 'sail tower' sells for $522 million |url=https://austin.culturemap.com/news/real-estate/sail-tower-sold-google/ |work=CultureMap Austin |agency=KVUE}}{{Cite news |last=Baird |first=Cody |date=11 December 2024 |title=Austin’s Sail Tower to be purchased for $522M |url=https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austins-sail-tower-to-be-purchased-for-522m/ |work=KXAN |agency=Austin Business Journal}}
Architecture
The building's unique design is due, in part, to setback requirements owing to its proximity to Shoal Creek and Lady Bird Lake. On the south side fronting Lady Bird Lake, this setback manifests itself as a series of receding terraces. On the west side, facing Shoal Creek, the tower's curtain-wall glass façade curves away from the creek, giving the building a sailboat like appearance.{{Cite news |last=Guzmán |first=Andrea |date=3 March 2022 |title=Exclusive: Architect involved in Austin's new Google tower outlines considerations that led to unique design |url=https://austonia.com/google-tower-austin-skyline |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227150023/https://austonia.com/google-tower-austin-skyline |archive-date=27 December 2022 |work=Austonia}}{{Cite news |last=Egan |first=John |date=19 March 2021 |title=Austin's next iconic high-rise sails toward opening date with Google as anchor tenant |url=https://austin.culturemap.com/news/real-estate/03-19-21-tech-giant-set-to-sail-into-downtown-austin-office-tower-in-2023/ |work=CultureMap Austin}} The tower has been called "the single most impressive skyscraper design we’ve seen in the city since the debut of the Frost Bank Tower".{{Cite web |last=Rambin |first=James |date=26 March 2019 |title=Google's New Home at Block 185 is Downtown Austin's Next Signature Tower |url=https://austin.towers.net/googles-new-home-at-block-185-is-downtown-austins-next-signature-tower/ |website=TOWERS}}