58-story ‘Jenga Tower’ breaks ground
Austin American-Statesman | Jan. 11, 2016
Developers broke ground Monday on The Independent, a 58-story tower that will reshape Austin’s skyline when it opens in about three years at West Third Street and West Avenue downtown. Featuring a distinctive stacked design that has earned it the nickname the “Jenga Tower,” the Independent will become Austin’s tallest building and the tallest residential tower west of the Mississippi. The development team consists of Austin-based Constructive Ventures, whose principals are Perry Lorenz and Larry Warshaw; Austin-based Aspen Heights; and Los-Angeles-based CIM Group. Kirk Watson, a former Austin mayor and now a state senator, and current Mayor Steve Adler, lauded the project, saying new high-rises downtown are making significant contributions to the city’s tax base.