Austin a strong candidate for Sears relocation

Date: Thursday, October 6, 2011, 3:04pm CDT

Cody LyonStaff writer - Austin Business Journal

Austin should know by the end of the year whether Sears Holdings Corp. .. will move its headquarters from Illinois to Texas.

Company officials visited Austin and Columbus, Ohio, according to sources close to Sears.

Company officials conducted various site tours in each location. Those sources also said both cities offer desirable and strong quality of life that appeals to Sears. At the same time, officials in Ohio and Texas appeared eager for Sears to move there and both are offering generous incentives, the sources said.

Sears officials met with local municipal and economic leaders, chamber of commerce members, as well as gubernatorial staff members while in Austin.

City, state and chamber officials declined comment.

If Sears does move here, it would bring 6,200 employees.


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/2011/10/austin-a-strong-candidate-for-sears.html

Third-quarter numbers lift outlook for Austin-area office market

ByShonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 10:11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

The Austin-area office market continued to show improvement in the third quarter, with average rents up and the vacancy rate down more than 4 percentage points from the same quarter last year, Oxford Commercial said Friday.

The market is tightening enough to warrant plans for possible new office projects in 2012 or 2013, commercial real estate firm CBRE said in its third-quarter local office report.

The third quarter ended with the vacancy rate for top-tier (Class A) space at 18.3 percent compared with 22.4 percent in the third quarter of 2010, according to Oxford Commercial .

Rents for first-class space averaged $28.23 a square foot compared with $27.61 a square foot in the year-ago quarter, Oxford said.

Companies leased 570,000 square feet of net new space in the quarter, bumping the year-to-date total to 833,000 square feet — the third-highest absorption level in about a decade, said Ford Alexander, a partner with Oxford, and Ryan Kasten, an associate vice president with the firm. The 570,000 square feet compares with about 170,000 square feet of net new space leased in the third quarter of last year, and with about 18,000 square feet in the quarter that ended in June.

"We're continuing to see strong leasing activity, and with no known large move-outs, we expect to finish the year with additional positive absorption," Kasten said.


http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/third-quarter-numbers-lift-outlook-for-austin-area-1902184.html

Austin a strong candidate for Sears relocation



http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/2011/10/austin-a-strong-candidate-for-sears.html

I don't think Sears will move headquarters. They have other things to worry about rather than a HQ relocation and this is probably just a strategy being used by the company to get more goodies and incentives from Hoffman Estates, Ill., the small city that's currently the HQ.

Yeah. I'm not holding my breath on this one. If they do move to Austin it would be great but I'm not counting on them building a very tall skyscraper like Sears Tower, but most likely it would be something similar to the Samsung plant in north Austin.

Ikea Round Rock store adding 50,000 square feet, garage.


COMPILED FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Updated: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

Ikea Round Rock is about to get even bigger.

The retailer announced plans Wednesday to expand the store, which opened in 2006, by 54,000 square feet.

A three-level parking garage will also be added to offset spaces lost as the building's size increases.

After work is completed in summer 2012, Ikea Round Rock will span 306,000 square feet, up from its current 252,000 square feet.

The store will remain open while construction is under way, the company said.


http://www.statesman.com/business/business-digest-ikea-round-rock-store-adding-50-1910693.html

Yeah. I'm not holding my breath on this one. If they do move to Austin it would be great but I'm not counting on them building a very tall skyscraper like Sears Tower, but most likely it would be something similar to the Samsung plant in north Austin.

It's interesting that Austin is emerging as such a strong candidate since Sears was a lock for Northern Virginia. If they do relocate to Austin, I would expect a suburban office campus much like their present one in Illinois...

Pretty much.. The biggest impact would be jobs and 6,000+ moving here.:)

Final Rendering of 2400 Nueces.

http://assets.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2400Neches.jpg?v=1

Austin Business Journal by Cody Lyon, Staff writer
Date: Friday, October 21, 2011

A 16-story student housing and retail building is about to rise just west of the University of Texas at 2400 Nueces St., the site of the old Wooldridge Hall.

The demolition of Wooldridge Hall was finished in September, and a notice to proceed was issued in the first week of October. The 380,000-square-foot project is scheduled to be ready for occupancy by fall 2013.

When finished, the $64 million building will include studio and one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments for students and faculty.


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/10/21/ut-getting-16-story-tower.html

Hotel, offices head to Four Points

Austin Business Journal by Vicky Garza, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, October 21, 2011,

Construction on 40,000 square feet of medical offices and a hotel in Northwest Austin’s Four Points community could start by the end of the year.

River Place Pointe LP owns most of the 23-acre River Place Center, which includes tracts for 125,000 square feet of professional office space, a restaurant and a United Heritage Credit Union that is scheduled to open in December.


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/10/21/hotel-offices-head-to-four-points.html

Update: They fenced off the site for the new 17. st Hyatt Place Hotel with some construction equipment. Also the demolished old Whitley building for the new 16 st. apartment tower. Site prep for 2400 Nueces is underway.

State selling part of Triangle

Austin Business Journal by Vicky Garza, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, October 21, 2011

Almost two acres of state-owned land next door to the Triangle development is under contract to an undisclosed buyer with plans to continue the mixed-use development trend in that area.

The applicant has proposed to build midrise apartments or condos with the possibility of first-floor retail, according to the city.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/10/21/state-selling-part-of-triangle.html

New Gates Computer Science Complex and Dell Hall

https://www.utexas.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/gates_speedway_day-350.jpg

https://www.utexas.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/gates_atrium_interior-350.thumbnail.jpg

Oct. 29, 2010

AUSTIN, Texas — The Department of Computer Science breaks ground on the Bill & Melinda Gates Computer Science Complex and Dell Computer Science Hall today with a street fair celebration called DigCS.

Groundbreaking for the building complex marks the start of a new era for the Department of Computer Science. After completion in December 2012, the complex's two buildings and connecting atrium will house the department — ranked eighth in the nation — under one roof for the first time in its history.

The department is the only top-10 department in the United States that does not have one central home. The shift to a new facility is expected to propel the department's research and education programs to even greater heights and bring increased vitality to the Central Texas technology economy.

"Technology innovation is absolutely critical to our future, and this new building complex will serve as a catalyst for advances in computer science," says university President William Powers Jr. "More important, it will provide for an even higher standard of education for those students who will become the next computing innovators, entrepreneurs and teachers."

Computer Science Department Chair Dr. Bruce Porter says, "The Gates Complex will enable the department to take on a great many initiatives in research and teaching that were previously impossible for lack of coherent space. In anticipation of the new building, faculty are already proposing new research directions and collaborations, along with new courses and degree plans that will significantly expand the department's impact and reach."


http://www.utexas.edu/news/2010/10/29/gate_groundbreaking/

Business Digest: White Lodging breaks ground on downtown Hyatt Place hotel.

Published: 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011

White Lodging Services Corp. broke ground Wednesday on a Hyatt Place hotel at Third Street and San Jacinto Boulevard in downtown Austin.

The 17-story hotel will have 296 rooms and is expected to open in the spring of 2013. The project is a joint venture with an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. and will add 250 construction jobs and 95 permanent jobs.


http://www.statesman.com/business/business-digest-white-lodging-breaks-ground-on-downtown-1935899.html

A new look for East Riverside? Austin to highlight plan.

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01174/east-riverside_1174012c.jpg

ByJuan Castillo
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 10:35 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011

City plan to transform the East Riverside Drive corridor into a more vibrant, urban mixed-use neighborhood is reaching another milestone. The City of Austin will host a community open house today as it launches a transportation study of the corridor, part of a city master plan to remake the 3.5 mile-long roadway between Interstate 35 and Texas 71.

"The vision is to transform the area from an auto-dominated, aging corridor to a people-oriented destination with lots of people living, working and playing within walking distance of transit," said Erica Leak with the city's Planning and Development Review Department.

The vision is at least partly dependent on a future urban rail line with new neighborhood centers developing around rail stops. City leaders plan to ask voters next year to support bonds for an initial phase of an urban rail system, but it isn't clear yet whether that first phase will include East Riverside. Eventually, city planners envision urban rail running from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport along East Riverside to downtown.

City officials say the East Riverside transportation study will explore how to make the thoroughfare more suitable for pedestrians, bicyclists and people riding the bus or train, as well as for drivers.

At tonight's meeting, officials will also review proposed rules for development along the corridor. Community recommendations helped shape the rules.


http://www.statesman.com/news/local/a-new-look-for-east-riverside-austin-to-1936100.html

Riverside at Texas 71 overpass work set to begin in January

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01173/WEB102711riverside_1173944e.jpg

ByBen Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 9:33 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011

Construction should begin by January on an East Riverside Drive overpass and extension of the Texas 71 express lanes, eliminating a significant obstacle for those headed to and from nearby Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Crews have already begun to move utility lines alongside the road, and the Texas Department of Transportation has awarded a $35 million contract for construction, said Carlos Lopez , the agency's Austin district engineer.

For now, at least, the traffic light on Texas 71 at Thornberry Road just west of the airport entrance will remain, but that light is green most of the time for highway traffic. TxDOT officials in 2009 had indicated that they might remove the Thornberry light in conjunction with the Riverside project, but that plan has been shelved for now.

Currently, Texas 71's freeway setup — with six express lanes and six frontage road lanes — ends about a half-mile west of Riverside, and traffic tends to stack up at the Riverside traffic light.

Once the 30-month project is done in the summer of 2014 , those 12 lanes will extend about a mile farther east to just short of the Texas 71-U.S. 183 interchange.


http://www.statesman.com/news/local/riverside-at-texas-71-overpass-work-set-to-1936064.html

Twentyfirst & Pearl

http://www.loopnet.com/xnet/mainsite/HttpHandlers/attachment/ServeAttachment.ashx?FileGuid=63DCF589-FC16-4D6D-A91D-9A3E8F8B020E&Extension=jpg&Width=631&Height=421&PadImage=False&DisableVisualWatermark=&ClipImage=False

Description
We are looking for equity participants at this time
West Campus Apartment Project
Shovel Ready
Plans for 134 Unit Apartment building
Highly desirable location only four (4) blocks west of UT and Dobie Mall
Site development permit in hand
Building permit in hand
0.8774 Total Acres
4 contiguous lots: 911 W. 21st, 909 W. 21st, 907 W. 21st, and 2104 Pearl
University Overlay (UNO) Zoning in 60 foot and 40 foot height areas
6 stories above ground
2 parking levels below ground.

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16063331/2104-Pearl-Austin-TX/

Out of the ashes, a jump-start to Bastrop economy

ByDave Harmon
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 9:40 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011

BASTROP — First came the men with the pickup trucks and the fliers, soliciting homeowners who were sifting through the rubble. On their heels came the scrappers, hunting for salvage metal. Then came the demolition crews, the tree crews, the dump trucks piled with concrete and brick, filling the blackened forest with the sounds of diesel engines and chain saws.

Vince Kaiser of Prestige Custom Homes in Smithville said he has at least 18 new homes under contract already and figures he'll double his usual pace of one new home a month.

"It's going to be a boom for the next year; I'm booking things for nine months out," said Kaiser, adding that about half of his customers are rebuilding in the burn zone and the rest are buying land elsewhere in Bastrop County. "We're all working seven days a week now. There's going to be a lot of jobs created. It's a good thing from a bad situation."

Builder D.R. Horton said it has sold eight already-finished homes to Bastrop fire victims, most of them in the Hunters Crossing development outside of the burn zone — and the company has started construction on 20 more new homes to meet the extra demand.


http://www.statesman.com/news/local/out-of-the-ashes-a-jump-start-to-1942172.html

Campus construction set to go at St. Ed’s

http://assets.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/StEdwards-rendering.jpg?v=1
John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center

Austin Business Journal by Sandra Zaragoza, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, October 28, 2011, 5:00am CDT

By the end of 2015, the students at St. Edward’s University will walk onto a revitalized campus with a new library, science building and chapel.

When the university set out to update its campus, it was intent on hiring up-and-coming architects as it recognized the role design can play in attracting top students.


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/10/28/campus-construction-at-st-eds.html

Hullabaloo over hotel continues
Developer: High-rise not viable without bending downtown development rules

Premium content from Austin Business Journal by Cody Lyon, Staff writer
Date: Friday, November 4, 2011, 5:00am CDT

An Austin developer plans to break ground on a 29-story hotel, office and entertainment venue by early 2013, but only if his design plans are approved without having to increase how far the building’s face must recede as it rises — as required by city codes.
The Austin Hotel is planned for Eighth Street and Congress Avenue; plans include a restaurant and 100,000 square feet of office space. The project would also include a live music venue, outdoor plazas and valet parking for bicyclists.
Developer David Khan and business partner Eduardo Margain are confident about being able to finance the project, but they are not excited about the possibility of having to redesign it to accommodate a larger total stepback, which refers to the distance a building’s front must back away from the street line at a given height. The developers have proposed having two 15-foot stepbacks at 45-foot intervals from the ground rather than two 30-foot stepbacks within the first 90 feet. In other words, the Austin Hotel’s face would rise 45 feet to the top of the historic Bosche-Hogg Building’s facade, recede 15 feet, rise another 45 feet and recede another 15 feet. After that, the building would rise uninterrupted to its full height.
The developers said they need the bigger floor-to-area ratio provided by the shorter stepbacks to make the project profitable because of the lot’s small footprint.
But some downtown advocates are upset about possibly restricting views and would rather preserve them, even if doing so derails the project.
The Downtown Austin Alliance said the building, if built as the developers propose, would represent the most extreme variance from stepback requirements on the west side of Congress Avenue. Unlike the east side of Congress, newer buildings more than 90 feet tall have provided 60-foot stepbacks, DAA Executive Director Charlie Betts said. The DAA is fine with other aspects of the project.
“What I do know is that a developer at 416 Congress is looking to build an almost identical project, but they’re respecting the 60-foot stepback,” Betts said.
But language on page 74 of the new downtown Austin plan — set to be approved by the City Council on Nov. 8 — suggests that the city should consider relaxing the 60-foot stepback requirement within the Congress Avenue overlay.
City staff, the design commission and the downtown commission have approved Khan’s hotel plans.
“We should always be encouraged when we see density development proposed for downtown,” said Stan Haas, a downtown commission member and associate principal at Nelson Partners. “I Think the 60-foot stepback is too much. Besides that, it’s long been reduced on the east side of the street.”
He said the 60-foot stepback would make the site undevelopable.
Support for the project so far from city staff and two city commission is indicative of its design being adequate to preserve Capitol views, said Steve Drenner, a lawyer with Winstead PC who represents the developers.
“There’s no way any of them … would be supporting this project if we weren’t more than meeting the intent of intended code,” said Drenner, adding that the project’s construction would create 200 construction jobs and that the completed hotel and restaurant would create hundreds more.
Drenner echoed the argument that it would be uneconomical to develop the site while adhering to the stricter stepback requirements. He said the only way to make a full stepback work is by having a full block to build on. He said that’s why Austin has not seen any large-scale development on Congress Avenue north of One American Center, whose owner — Thomas Properties — stands to benefit with a continued uninterrupted view if the full stepback requirement is enforced.
“Thomas Properties owns seven of the largest buildings in downtown Austin, including One American Center, which sits directly across from the project’s site,” Drenner said. “If we’re going to talk about protecting views for private office buildings, we’ve embarked on a whole new set of regulations.”
Thomas Properties could not be reached for comment.
http://www2.transwestern.net/Public/Austin/ATX_CRE/David-Khan-Hotel-Rendering.jpg
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/11/04/hullabaloo-over-hotel-continues.html

ATI Envisions Major Wet Lab
Facility could boost big, small biotech firms
Premium content from Austin Business Journal by Sandra Zaragoza, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, November 4, 2011, 5:00am CDT

It would be built in phases, but ultimately Austin Technology Incubator expects to build offices around 60,000 square feet of wet lab space — possibly at the Mueller neighborhood. The ultra-clean environments are essential to biotech.

http://www2.transwestern.net/Public/Austin/ATX_CRE/Wetlab-Mueller.jpg
[Austin Technology Incubator is proposing a $60 million to $80 million wet-laboratory incubator that it said could rapidly accelerate the biotechnology industry in Central Texas.]

The proposal for such an incubator is the result of a yearlong study, funded partly by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, that identified a lack of wet-lab space in Austin. The ATI report estimates Austin needs to add 60,000 square feet of wet-lab space — space where chemistry can be conducted — during the next five years just to meet the demand from the existing 130 or so biotech companies in Central Texas.
ATI, a program under the University of Texas’ IC2 Institute, is using the recent report to bolster its case for a wet-lab incubator. An incubator could have an annual economic impact of $40 million to $110 million and create 275 to 740 direct jobs and 415 to 1,095 indirect jobs, the report estimates.
ATI is in early talks with the city, state and other interested parties about its proposal with hopes of funding it through a private-public partnership.
If the funding goals are met, the incubator’s first phase could be finished and ready for occupancy as early as 2015.
ATI believes providing wet-lab space will jump start the commercialization of life science technology companies here, said Cindy WalkerPeach, director of ATI Biosciences.
The annual operating cost of such a wet-lab incubator is pegged at about $1.4 million. That’s in addition to the considerable construction costs. Wet-lab space typically costs $600 to $800 per square foot to build and requires a large infrastructure investment. ATI’s incubator would be equipped with showers, sinks, a biological safety hood or fume hood, and shareable equipment.
As part of the study, ATI, several individuals from the Austin Chamber of Commerce and other biotech professionals visited nine wet-lab incubators across the country to help define what one in Austin may look like.
“We are going to create this combination of rental space and business support. That’s what ATI is known for,” WalkerPeach said.
Thanks to an EDA grant, ATI was able to hire HDR Architecture in Dallas to design a multistory, 150,000-square-foot project with 60,000 square feet of wet-lab space. The project would likely be built in phases, with the first phase including about 13,000 square feet of wet-lab space. ATI’s next goal is to obtain a $2 million EDA grant that could be used for construction of the first phase.
ATI has identified the new Mueller neighborhood just north of downtown as the most likely site for the project, but it also considered two other sites in its report — including the Sematech site in Southeast Austin.
ATI said Mueller’s proximity to medical centers and UT make it ideal. Plus, UT has a ground lease for property next to Dell Pediatric Research Institute at Mueller, which means the university could potentially donate the land.
“We want to be close by medical-oriented facilities that are doing research as well, and that includes UT and the pharmacy school, for instance, and hopefully someday a medical school,” WalkerPeach said.
WalkerPeach sees the wet-lab incubator as a complement to State Sen. Kirk Watson’s 10 Goals in 10 Years plan to build a medical school and a modern teaching hospital in Austin.
She said the incubator’s focus will be on housing startups, although it’s possible that it would recruit a large anchor tenant to help stabilize revenue. There will be a selective process for determining the incubator’s tenants similar to that used by ATI.
John Kinzell, CEO of Xeris Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company in residence at ATI, believes the incubator will be a much-needed alternative.
“We are now in a position to get commercial space, but wet-lab space is limited here unless you want to take much more [space] than you need,” Kinzell said.
Similar to other biotech startups, Xeris has had to work around its lack of a wet-lab by using contractors outside of the region.
There are other signs of wet-lab demand.
In Georgetown, the Texas Life-Sciences Collaboration Center, a nonprofit focused on post-incubation biotech and life science companies, has plans to build a 15,000-square-foot building to meet demand.
And at least one San Francisco-based developer, Drawbridge Partners, has plans to convert a 19,000-square-foot building on Red River Street downtown into an office and wet lab for biotech firms, engineering companies and alternative fuel companies.
Mark Pearson of Drawbridge believes there’s not enough demand now to support even just the first phase of the incubator ATI is proposing. He said demand would come “over a longer period of time.”
Susan Davenport, senior vice president of global technology strategies at the Austin Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber sees the incubator as a critical piece for growing the regional biotech ecosystem and is supporting ATI’s efforts.
“I think ATI has a long-term perspective about what the needs will be five to 10 years down the road,” Davenport said. “We believe it will propel more startups. All of this will ultimately help create jobs and bring relocated businesses.”
ATI envisions an incubator where there will be “interaction between practice clinicians, research clinicians and basic scientists,” WalkerPeach said. “That is where real spinouts and commercialization can occur.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/11/04/ati-envisions-major-wet-lab.html

3rd & Brazos U/C

http://www.rogers-obrien.com/media/63125/3rd%20and%20Brazos%20ARC%20Shell%202011-09-15%2010-53-01-401.jpg

Rogers-O’Brien has been selected to build a new 17-story apartment tower in downtown Austin to be located at Third and Brazos streets. This $40 million high-rise apartment tower will encompass over 282,000 SF and will include 268 multi-family units, 10,000 SF of ground-floor commercial space, 6,000 SF restaurant, 5 floors of above-ground parking and 11-floors for residential occupancy. The structure will be a cast-in-place concrete structure with a combination of brick, stone and glass facade, and will feature a number of upscale amenities such as an expansive pool and deck, fitness center, business center, coffee bar and lounge.

http://www.rogers-obrien.com/portfolio/all-projects/3rd-brazos.aspx#viewitall

Live-Oak Gottesman building 70K s.f. in NW Austin

http://assets.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/CedarBendProfCenter2011.jpg?v=1

Austin Business Journal by Cody Lyon, Staff writer
Date: Tuesday, November 8, 2011, 2:21pm CST

Live Oak-Gottesman LLC .. broke ground Oct. 25 on a 70,000-square-foot medical office building in Northwest Austin.

The Cedar Bend Professional Center, located at 12301 N. MoPac Expy., is adjacent to St. David’s North Austin Medical Center .. . Construction should be complete by the third quarter 2012.

The building, which offers both medical and office space, is 90 percent pre-leased by tenants that include the General Services Administration .. , Capital Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgeons, Nasal & Sinus Center of Austin, Renu Austin and Snoring Austin.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/2011/11/live-oak-gottesman-building-70k-sf.html

http://www2.transwestern.net/Public/Austin/ATX_CRE/Siteplan.jpg
"Originally proposed in 2005 and marketed as a build-to-suit in 2009, this Class A, 2-building office park was put on hold during the recession, but is being marketed again by the developer. Located at the corner of RR 2222 and Loop 360/North Capital of Texas Highway, this 220,600 SF proposed project will include 2 buildings and structured parking, and was designed to achieve a LEED Gold certification."

http://www2.transwestern.net/Public/Austin/ATX_CRE/Rendering2.jpg

[Note: Champion developed Travesia Corp Park in Northwest Austin, but let it get foreclosed on in early 2011 and then bought it back from the bank for a huge discount. Champion also developed Parkway at Oak Hill in Southwest Austin but let that project get foreclosed on in 2009, and it was eventually sold to a third party.]

DPS to build drivers license megacenter in Pflugerville

By Blake Rasmussen Thursday,
10 November 2011

One of the six driver's license "megacenters" planned by the Texas Department of Public Safety throughout the state will be built in Pflugerville.

The new centers are part of a $63 million initiative from the State Legislature to cut down on wait times and red tape at driver's license centers. The Pflugerville center will be the only such DPS drivers license facility in the Austin area.

Pflugerville officials said the state estimates the center would attract 500-600 trips per day, create 57 jobs and spur development in the surrounding area.

"Those people will ideally live, shop and work in Pflugerville. And those 500-600 trips will add to our sales tax dollars," Pflugerville Community Development Corp. Executive Director Floyd Akers said.

The facility is expected to cost $3 million to build. Groundbreaking is scheduled for January, and the state plans to move in to the new center in mid-August of next year.

Of the other five driver's license megacenters, two others will be built in the Houston area, two around Dallas/Fort Worth and one in the San Antonio area.

John Bundy, vice president of Development 2000—which won the bid from the state to build the facility—said the 24,000-square-foot facility will include computerized check in similar to airports, a queuing system and other measure meant to streamline the process and cut wait times in half.

The new DPS megacenter will be located at the corner of Wells Branch Parkway and Heatherwilde Boulevard.


http://impactnews.com/round-rock-pflugerville/254-recent-news/15724-dps-to-build-drivers-license-megacenter-in-pflugerville

New rendering of 3rd & Brazos

http://c715036.r36.cf2.rackcdn.com/ml_1071_portfolio_detail_hero.jpg

http://www.burypartners.com/portfolio/detail/244#0

Officials break ground on new ACC campus in Elgin

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01196/ACC_Elgin_Campus_1196619c.jpg

ByRalph K.M. Haurwitz
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 7:32 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011

A forecast of stormy weather didn't keep groundbreaking ceremonies for Austin Community College's Elgin campus from proceeding today but it did force the festivities indoors.

Officials and community members gathered at the Stardust Ballroom of the Elgin SPJST, a Slavonic benevolent society. They even brought along some dirt carted over from the campus site, at U.S. 290 and County Line Road, for the ceremonial dipping of shovels.

Voters in the Elgin school district opted to join the ACC taxing district last year, and enrollment from Elgin has increased 58 percent in the year since annexation, ACC officials said. The 98-acre campus is scheduled to open in August 2013.


http://www.statesman.com/news/education/officials-break-ground-on-new-acc-campus-in-1971246.html

Florida university to open campus

Austin Business Journal by Cody Lyon, Staff writer
Date: Friday, November 18, 2011

One of the nation’s largest institutions for graduate studies in physical and occupational therapy will build its third campus on 28 acres near the Circle C Ranch neighborhood in Southwest Austin.

Florida-based University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences plans to break ground on its future graduate school this month.

The Austin campus will ultimately be capable of educating about 500 students

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/11/18/florida-university-to-open-campus-here.html

City dump to become solar farm, offices

Austin Business Journal by Vicky Garza, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, November 18, 2011

The city of Austin may turn a landfill on FM 812 into a solar farm, a gas-to-energy facility and an eco-industrial park. But it’ll take help from the private sector.

The proposal is part of the master plan for Austin Resource Recovery, the city’s trash department, to implement the city’s zero-waste strategy.


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/11/18/city-dump-to-become-solar-farm-offices.html

Developer chosen for new section of homes at Mueller

A Canadian company will build a new type of home at the Mueller development in East Austin: 14 "shop houses" featuring live-work spaces.

Homes by Avi, a Calgary-based builder, will start constructing the houses next summer at Mueller, Austin's former 700-acre airport site that Catellus Development continues to transform into a mix of residential, office, retail and other development.

Homes by Avi will join three other builders — David Weekley Homes, Standard Pacific Homes and Streetman Homes — to build 221 single-family homes at Mueller.

Catellus plans to break ground on the new roads, utilities and home lots this December.

Also a new 301-unit apartment project by Simmons Vedder will break ground by the first part of 2012.

http://www.statesman.com/business/business-digest-developer-chosen-for-new-section-of-1986756.html

2-story medical office building planned for Burnet Road

https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRQ6Hz1GrW8X13cBp8hX7hwiPAbIPzjxOk--suH1eCU5KqUW2_m

By Gary Dinges | Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A two-story medical office building will soon pop up on Burnet Road.

Eye Physicians of Austin has already committed to the project, which will allow it to double the size of its current office.

The 21,000-square-foot building will be located at 5011 Burnet Road, near West 51st Street.


http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/theticker/entries/2011/11/02/2story_medical_office_building.html

City might pay for Friday night, Saturday MetroRail service

ByBen Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 10:32 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011

The City of Austin is considering paying Capital Metro up to $2.7 million a year to run MetroRail trains Friday evenings and Saturdays throughout the year.

The added service could begin as soon as January , officials said. The arrangement must be approved by the Austin City Council and Capital Metro board.

"It's the No. 1 request we get from everybody," Capital Metro President and CEO Linda Watson said of weekend service. She said Austin City Manager Marc Ott approached her weeks ago about the possible city subsidy. "I think (city officials) believe it's a service that the public would really utilize."

The expanded service — Fridays until midnight, and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to midnight — could have the added effect of broadening and boosting MetroRail ridership as the city heads toward a possible November bond election on a streetcar system.

"It's based on the idea that the (limited) weekend service has been very successful," Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said. "So it might be of benefit to the city."

Capital Metro extended MetroRail service to midnight on four Fridays in March, during the South by Southwest festivals, and ran trains from noon to midnight on two Saturdays. The added trains were generally packed: Fridays, including the regular daytime runs, averaged 126 passengers each run on the 108-seat trains, and the Saturday trains averaged 107 riders per run.

In May, when Capital Metro ran MetroRail on the Saturday of the Pecan Street Festival downtown, trains averaged about 160 riders per train run. Trains can hold about 200 people.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/city-might-pay-for-friday-night-saturday-metrorail-1989292.html

Construction moves forward in Longhorn Junction development

http://www.kaharchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Night-View-from-Northwest.png

By Beth Wade Friday, 11 November 2011

GEORGETOWN — Three years after opening the first portion of the 280-acre Longhorn Junction commercial center with the construction of Citigroup’s data center, new movement can be seen on the west side of the development at I-35 and S.E. Inner Loop in Georgetown.

J Jacobs Construction, a Georgetown-based general contracting firm, is expected to begin construction on a renovation project to transform the former Candle Factory building into its headquarters before the end of the year.

Demolition of the building has been completed. Once construction begins, it could be finished in four to five months, and the company could be in its new offices in June, J Jacobs Construction President Stacy Rudd said.

The nearly $1.8 million building will be 10,000 square feet in size and feature design aspects inspired by the former Candle Factory, including translucent, back-lit panels.

“We are going to keep the concept of lighting up the building like the Candle Factory used to do, except it will be professional offices now, and it will be much more attractive,” Rudd said.

The commercial contractor is expected to occupy 5,000 square feet of the building, while the rest of the space will be available for lease for other professional offices.

“The building that’s there now is run-down, it’s kind of an eyesore, where it used to be kind of a cool place to go, and we are going to turn it into a cool place to go again,” Rudd said.


http://impactnews.com/georgetown-hutto-taylor/376-business/15666-construction-moves-forward-in-longhorn-junction-development

1,800 homes planned near Lake Travis

Austin Business Journal by Cody Lyon, Staff writer
Date: Friday, November 25, 2011, 5:00am CST

A new development team that includes Steiner Ranch real estate veteran Robert Long is reviving the dormant Sweetwater master-planned community in Western Travis County.

Seven homebuilders will be hired over the next 30 days to fully develop the 1,400-acre site, according to project developer Wheelock Street Capital LLC from Greenwich, Conn. About 15 homebuilders are vying for the work, according to Wheelock, which will take several years to complete.


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2011/11/25/1800-homes-planned-near-lake-travis.html

405 S. Austin Avenue: "The Georgetown"

http://mainstreet.georgetown.org/files/2010/07/TheGeorgetownOffTheSquare-300x95.jpg

By Historic District Planner Robbie Wyler
October 26, 2011

Downtown Georgetown could soon be getting new residents. The Historic and Architectural Review Commission (HARC) recently approved a 3-story, mixed-use project for the west half of Block 24 to be called “Georgetown – Off the Square”. The first level of the project will consist of covered parking, a restaurant and room for retail. The upper two levels will be one and two bedroom residential units for senior living. The building is phase two of the Block 24 development project and would join the Main Street Townhomes that occupy the eastern half of the block.

http://mainstreet.georgetown.org/new...town-projects/

The Summit at Rivery Park Master Plan

http://www.thesummitatriverypark.com/images/banners/MasterPlan_4.jpg

http://www.thesummitatriverypark.com/master-plan.php

Upscale ‘destination’ development headed for P&Z vote

http://smmercury.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/north-campus.jpg

by BRAD ROLLINS
November 22, 2011

Darren Casey, the San Antonio developer who is investing heavily in San Marcos, wants to build an upscale $63 million development on 13.5 acres across Sessom Drive from Texas State University.

View Development in Texas State North Campus area in a larger map

With 419 units and a total of 1,001 beds, the as-yet unnamed project would be the latest addition to San Marcos’ apartment boom which shows no signs of slowing. The city council entitled 1,000 units of new apartments last week alone, including another Casey project on the Thorpe Lane site of the old county hospital.

The Sessom Drive project would include more than a token commercial component. Plans call for 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space arranged around a 7,000 square feet stained and polished concrete outdoor commons area. The apartments would be spread between two buildings connected by a skybridge spanning the development’s entrance.

Casey and Carter Morris, the real estate broker on the deal, say the Sessom Drive development would be a class above any other on the ground — or on the drawing board — in San Marcos.

“It will be a destination. It will look like no other development in San Marcos. … The rents will probably be the highest in town,” Morris said.


http://smmercury.com/50922/upscale-destination-development-headed-for-pz-vote/

^^ That area is very hilly. Not sure where they are going to squeeze all of that in.

I'm sure they'll find a way.

Austin circuit construction set to go ahead after Ecclestone deal.


By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, December 7th 2011 13:25 GMT

Circuit of the Americas chiefs have announced construction of the track will resume immediately after saying they have reached an agreement with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The event, scheduled to host the penultimate round of the 2012 championship, was in doubt after construction was stopped because of problems with the contracts.

Ecclestone gave organisers an extended deadline after failing to meet the original one.

After the race was included in the final 2012 calendar released by the FIA, Austin officials said work on the track will resume right away, and they are confident it will be ready for the grand prix.

"Mr. Ecclestone received his check today. We want to thank the fans supporting us, the local officials and businesses that have encouraged us, the State of Texas, Circuit of The Americas' staff and Bernie himself," said founding partner Red McCombs.

"I want to thank and commend Bobby Epstein for getting us across the finish line. Bobby's perseverance and leadership kept the project on track despite unfair and unfounded criticism.


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96681

Planned downtown hotel's upgrade to luxury brand may be coup for convention market, experts say

ByShonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 9:22 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011

In a major change for its project and a coup for Austin's convention market, the developer of a 1,003-room convention hotel set to rise on Congress Avenue says the hotel will be a JW Marriott a luxury brand that is a significant upgrade from the Marriott Marquis previously planned.

The change will give the 30-story hotel a higher profile and added cachet, industry experts say, and potentially catapult the city into an elevated tier for attracting convention business.

The developer, Indiana-based White Lodging Services Corp., was scheduled to announce the change today. It plans to break ground in June on the $300 million hotel, which will be on Congress between Second and Third streets. Richard Suttle Jr., White Lodging's Austin attorney, said a site plan will be submitted to the city today.

The hotel is slated to open in January 2015. The Austin City Council approved waiving $4.3 million in development fees for White Lodging to build the hotel.


http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/planned-downtown-hotels-upgrade-to-luxury-brand-may-2017065.html

GlobeSt.com

Last Updated: December 8, 2011 05:30pm ET
Developer to Move Ahead on $2B in Mixed-Use Projects
By Amy Wolff Sorter

AUSTIN-Approximately half a decade after Taurus of Texas Holdings LP acquired a total of 2,300 acres on the area’s far east side, the developer is ready to launch construction on two mixed-use communities. Roads and sewers are the first step for Whisper Valley and Indian Hills, thanks to $40 million in municipal bond financing for the projects’ infrastructure.
The estimated build-out for both projects, which are located along SH 130, is pegged between 30 years and 40 years, with all-in costs topping $2 billion. According to Taurus of Texas’ managing partner Douglas Gilliland, obtaining the municipal bond funding from the city of Austin was the final step in getting the projects off the ground.
“Traditional bank financing, which developers typically use, isn’t available for land development in the current economy,” Gilliland says. Furthermore, he adds, bank financing is more short-term in nature. “Since these bonds are spread out over a 30-year time frame, it gives us the opportunity to pay off costs of development as the projects develop,” Gilliland tells GlobeSt.com.
The deal, however, wasn’t overnight in the making – back in 2006, the city focused on regulating land use while funding infrastructure along the SH 130 corridor. This led to development of a Public Improvement District, or PID, which allows cities to sell bonds to fund infrastructure improvements in PID-approved areas. The bonds are repaid at tax-exempt interest rates through property owner assessments. The city council approved the debt-issuing PID at its Nov. 3 meeting, making it the first time Austin has used such an instrument for infrastructure improvements.
Whisper Valley, which totals 2,063 acres, is near the intersection of a future Braker Lane extension and SH 130. According to the plan, this development will support approximately 4,800 single-family and townhomes, 2,600 multifamily units and more than 2 million square feet of office and retail space. Indian Hills, at 239 acres, is at Decker Lake Road and SH 130, and will include 1,160 multifamily units and 1.75 million square feet of office, light industrial, commercial and neighborhood retail space.
Though Taurus bought the land some years ago, Gilliland says it’s a good time to launch construction on projects like these. For one thing, he points out, Austin wants to see growth in the eastern section. “These two particular sites have direct access to and frontage on SH 130, they’re close to on- and off-ramps and are easily accessible,” he comments.
Just as important, he goes on to say, is that the on-site infrastructure – consisting of sewer and wastewater treatments and two major roads -- will take approximately two years to complete. During the early development process, Taurus will select developers and home builders for the project. By that time, the economy will likely be headed into recovery mode.
“Austin is one of the strongest markets in the country,” he remarks. “By the latter part of 2013, we should have a market that is somewhat pent up, and we think those locations will be appealing, especially to families looking for homes in the mid-$100,000s to mid-$300,000s.”
Gilliland adds that Taurus will handle some of the vertical commercial development itself, and will also ask other qualified developers to submit plans. “As we begin to move into that stage in which we’re actually developing,” he notes, “we’ll sit down and begin to educate the builders and developers as to what our plan is, and start to make our selections in 2012.”

http://www.globest.com/news/12_239/austin/development/-316394.html

Austin trustees expected to OK arts center designs tonight

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01234/pac2_1234707c.jpg

By Farzad Mashhood

Published: 6:40 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011

The curtain is rising on the design for the Austin school district's performing arts center, a multimillion-dollar facility that will be built in the new Mueller neighborhood in East Austin.

Tonight the school board is expected to approve designs that call for a 1,200-seat auditorium, a 225-seat black box theater, offices for the district's fine arts department and a parking garage with 400 spaces.

The facility could also include a smaller space for rehearsals, with movable audience seating for smaller performances.

All this is meant to give the district a space for music and theater performances, local and statewide performance competitions, and larger events such as assemblies and commencements that currently require the district to rent space.

"We're excited because this space is really going to be used 98 percent of the time by AISD students," the district's fine arts director, Greg Goodman, said Sunday.

The buildings will showcase paintings and other visual arts by district students, Goodman said.


http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-trustees-expected-to-ok-arts-center-designs-2026208.html

Final flyover open on Ben White/I-35 interchange

By Ben Wear | Monday, December 12, 2011, 10:47 AM

The final of eight flyover bridges at the confluence of Ben White Boulevard and Interstate 35 opened to traffic at about 10:40 a.m. today, completing what has been a generation-long effort to upgrade what in the 1990s was perhaps the most congested intersection in Central Texas.

The barricades on the westbound Ben White to southbound I-35 direct connector bridge were moved aside minutes after state Sen. Kirk Watson emceed a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at a nearby parking lot. Watson, first as mayor and more lately as a senator, had successfully lobbied Texas Department of Transportation officials for funding what ultimately cost $134.5 million.

I-35 in this section has about 183,000 cars a day, and Ben White sees about 144,000.


http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/traffic/entries/2011/12/12/final_flyover_open_on_ben_whit.html

New rendering of Gables Park Place.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G2tU8Qqo3uM/TtefftLTF4I/AAAAAAAAAjg/8PTKEeZ4jbs/s400/daytime+crop+2_small.jpg

http://zieglercooperarchitects.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-new-texas-mixed-use-developments.html

Groundbreaking this month.

Austin trustees expected to OK arts center designs tonight

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01234/pac2_1234707c.jpg



http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-trustees-expected-to-ok-arts-center-designs-2026208.html

Very nice! More school districts should pool their arts facilities to save money and showcase their best talents!

Very nice! More school districts should pool their arts facilities to save money and showcase their best talents!

My thoughts exactly.

Construction set to begin on second phase of Gables Park Plaza

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01239/lo_res-Park_Plaza__1239761c.jpg

ByShonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 8:26 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011

Gables Residential says it plans to start construction Monday on the 18-story second phase of its Park Plaza apartment project downtown, with 222 units to be built just east of its eight-story, 290-apartment complex near North Lamar Boulevard and West Cesar Chavez Street.

The second phase of the project will also have 14,000 square feet of retail space, said Jennifer Wiebrand, development director with Gables in Austin. A projected cost was not available Thursday for the project, which is just west of the former Seaholm Power Plant. The project is expected to be completed by late 2013, Wiebrand said.

The new Gables phase comes amid a flurry of development in the Austin apartment market, which is the hottest part of the area's real estate sector.

Demand for apartments is healthy, experts say, but few new units are being added to the market, although 10,000 to 12,000 are in the planning pipeline.

Austin-area rents rose to an all-time high this year, and local real estate expert Charles Heimsath predicts that the Austin area will end 2011 with a 97 percent occupancy rate.

Wiebrand said the company has told residents in the existing complex not to be surprised if they see activity on the site Monday, when Gables plans a "soft start" on the second phase.


http://www.statesman.com/business/construction-set-to-begin-on-second-phase-of-2035043.html

Downtown Austin post office sold

Austin Business Journal
Date: Monday, December 12, 2011, 11:29am CST

The United States Postal Service .. has sold its post office in downtown Austin.

Austin development firm Andrews Urban .. LLC and Atlanta-based Novare Group .. purchased the property in a joint venture. A purchase price has not been disclosed.

A very large building or high-rise is almost certain to be built on the downtown post office site — located at 510 Guadalupe St. — as plans have ranged from a hotel to a high-rise condo. The sale of the block at Guadalupe and West Sixth streets will close in mid or late 2012, Taylor Andrews, president of Andrews Urban said.


http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2011/12/downtown-austin-post-office-sold.html

Pflugerville's Renewable Energy Park to get solar 'sail' car charger

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01240/1217solarsail_1240930c.jpg

By Marques G. Harper
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 8:48 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, 2011

Pflugerville's new Renewable Energy Park, which is under construction near Texas 130, is getting a signature solar-energy "sail" that will provide the energy for two electric car-charging stations.

The solar sail, which was created by New York-based company Pvilion , and the rest of car-charging station are scheduled to be unveiled to the public at 4 p.m. Monday .

The charging stations are part of a $60,000 grant from the State Energy Conservation Office to install 12 charging stations in Pflugerville. Others will be installed at such spots as Stone Hill Town Center, City Hall and the public library.

The Pflugerville Community Development Corp. is developing the renewable energy park.

The solar sail will cost $200,000, and it will cover a pad of about a 5,000 square feet, said Floyd Akers, development corporation executive director. The corporation is developing the triangular-shaped industrial park, and the charging station will be in the north section of the park near Pecan Street.

"Our particular charging station will be the only one with a sail," Akers said. "We thought it would be a nice little entryway to Pflugerville."


http://www.statesman.com/news/local/pflugervilles-renewable-energy-park-to-get-solar-sail-2037117.html

City sees growth, migration of Asian population

Northwest Austin feels effect of changing demographic

By Sara Behunek Tuesday, 20 December 2011

In the past 10 years, the size of Austin’s Asian community has increased by 40 percent, bringing the share of the city's population to 6.3 percent—the 10th highest share in the nation, according to Census Bureau data.

Nowhere has this change been more evident than in Northwest Austin, where employment and highly ranked public schools are drawing a growing swath of the city’s Asian residents.

“Northwest Austin is really becoming a destination neighborhood for middle-class and upper middle–class Asian households,” said Ryan Robinson, demographer for the City of Austin.

Since 2000, the size of the Asian population in the area that Community Impact Newspaper identifies as Northwest Austin—the 78727, 78729, 78750, 78758 and 78759 ZIP codes as well as part of 78726—has leapt by 78 percent, compared with a total population growth of 14 percent.

“It’s not gentrification by any means because you are not having the displacement of lower-income households with higher-income households,” Robinson said.

In fact, as the Asian population in the area has grown, so too has the average level of education and the median income.


http://impactnews.com/northwest-austin/239-local-news/16126-city-sees-growth-migration-of-asian-population

Portfolios pour in from around the world for a shot at designing the new Waller Creek urban park

By Karen Brooks

12.20.11 | 06:00 pm

Dozens of design and engineering teams from Barcelona to Coppenhagen to Austin are vying for a chance to turn the blighted Waller Creek into the next world-renowned urban space, creek advocates told CultureMap on Tuesday.

Some 30 portolios poured into conservancy offices by the end of the last week, as teams from across the world are hoping to be chosen to help redesign and revitalize the creek.

Next month, the list gets pared down to 8 or 10. In April, the finalists will be chosen. The conservancy hopes to have a concept to show the public within a year.

Applicants have come from not only major cities across the U.S., but from all over the world, including Lisbon, Ankara, Madrid, Barcelona, Mexico City, Montreal, Copenhagen, Oslo, Bejing.

"We are so excited," said Stephanie Lee McDonald, executive director of the Waller Creek Conservancy, which seeks to preserve and redesign the creek for public use. "We think there is going to be an international smackdown!"

A massive project is underway to turn the creek, which runs through downtown Austin, into a unique community space. The conservancy has been soliciting ideas inspired by the likes of the Manhattan High Line urban park.


http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdetail/12-20-11-17-34-portfolios-pour-in-for-a-shot-at-designing-the-new-waller-creek/

New Rendering of JW Marriott

http://whitelodging.com/portfolio/marquis/austin-hotel-renderings-4.jpg

http://whitelodging.com/portfolio/marquis/austin-hotel-renderings-5.jpg

http://whitelodging.com/portfolio/marquis/austin-hotel-renderings-6.jpg

http://whitelodging.com/portfolio/developmentgallery.asp

New Renderings of 2400 Nuecus

http://cdn.archinect.net/images/615x/v0/v09hoeahr4z2ju38.jpg

http://cdn.archinect.net/images/615x/ap/apu3rijo8f5yz3uh.jpg

http://cdn.archinect.net/images/615x/o8/o8evt1nhjj8paptt.jpg

http://cdn.archinect.net/images/615x/fm/fmmlsuddknqqs5fq.jpg

http://archinect.com/people/project/21347818/2400-nueces/27550782#8

Very nice! More school districts should pool their arts facilities to save money and showcase their best talents!

As an art teacher, i agree. As someone who has family members in the upper administration of a school district, these things are very expensive and since every high school has an auditorium built onto it, not all see a reason for it.

is the JW Marriott going to have a wood paneled exterior?

is the JW Marriott going to have a wood paneled exterior?

I believe the exterior will be some type of marble, I would have to get back with you on that one.

WindData to Invest $210 Million in Build Green Data Center in Texas

http://www.thewhir.com/single_images/news/news_27123.jpg

Energy efficient data center operator WindData (www.winddatacenters.com) announced on Friday it plans to invest $210 in a 600,000-square-foot, five-building data center in Pflugerville, Texas following the approval by the Pflugerville Development Community Development.

According to the agreement, WindData will invest $70 million in the first three years of the TX-1 data center project, as well as another $140 million within 10 years.

The project will generate at least 30 new jobs paying $67,500 a year within the first three years, then an additional 100 jobs within 10 years.

Construction on the facility is expected to begin some time in 2012.

http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/110411_WindData_to_Invest_210_Million_in_Build_Green_Data_Center_in_Texas

Riverside at Texas 71 overpass work set to begin in January

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01173/WEB102711riverside_1173944e.jpg



http://www.statesman.com/news/local/riverside-at-texas-71-overpass-work-set-to-1936064.html

This is great since that is one hell of a frustrating intersection traffic wise. :cheers:

We still need full freeway and rail connections to the airport, this is just one step closer to full freeway access. Can't wait until they get 183 going as well. The tollway does help for people who live up north though but freeway at F.M. 973 would be nice too.

Another render of Gables Park Plaza:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G2tU8Qqo3uM/TtefftLTF4I/AAAAAAAAAjg/8PTKEeZ4jbs/s1600/daytime+crop+2_small.jpg
Ziegler Cooper

^^
That looks great!

This is great since that is one hell of a frustrating intersection traffic wise. :cheers:

We still need full freeway and rail connections to the airport, this is just one step closer to full freeway access. Can't wait until they get 183 going as well. The tollway does help for people who live up north though but freeway at F.M. 973 would be nice too.

I'm glad something is being done in that area, and with a future expansion of rail to the airport.

Btw dirt is turning on the Gables Park tower site also, saw a few construction workers there a few days ago.

City plans 208-acre, mixed-use development in East Austin

ByMarty Toohey
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 9:44 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012

With 208 acres of rolling, city-owned land as a backdrop, Austin officials announced Wednesday that the city would be creating a mixed-income, mixed-use, environmentally friendly development in a hardscrabble slice of far East Austin.

City officials envision, in at least the most general terms, something similar to the Mueller development, which is being built in stages on the site of the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, also in East Austin.

The process of figuring out exactly what to build in Colony Park and how to get it done will take three years, according to city officials. Among the possibilities: a partnership or set of partnerships between the city and private interests.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Austin a $3 million grant to create a master plan for the site.

"We want to create a community that is affordable but has other things," such as housing that is

energy- and water-efficient and close to jobs, said Anthony Snipes, chief of staff for City Manager Marc Ott. "When you have 208 acres, there is so much that can be done."


http://www.statesman.com/news/local/city-plans-208-acre-mixed-use-development-in-2080858.html

$3.4 million Sabine promenade could anchor Waller Creek district

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01274/WEB010612sabinestr_1274687k.jpg

ByBen Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 7:51 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012

There's a good chance many longtime Austinites have never been to Sabine Street. After all, only four-plus blocks of the downtown road exist, broken into two out-of-the-way segments near Interstate 35.

The City of Austin aims to change that by transforming the larger piece between East Fourth Street and East Seventh Street into a promenade that, according to a 2010 master plan for the Waller Creek district on downtown's east side, "can become a catalyst for the revitalization of the area."

Although the promenade details remain to be worked out, that master plan for Waller Creek, which meanders just east of this section of Sabine, anticipates that more than 55 feet of the street's existing 80 feet of right of way would be given over to broad sidewalks on each side, with a double row of trees on one side and a single row on the other.

The makeover would be similar to other "great streets" designs the city has done and continues to do elsewhere downtown, but this one would be oriented even more toward those on foot and on bikes.

Cars and trucks would still be allowed, said Jim Robertson , the city's urban design manager, if only because businesses such as the Palm Door events facility would need access for deliveries. But that traffic could be restricted, Robertson said.

Much of the three blocks is lined with one-story buildings and parking lots, labeled in the master plan as "development opportunities."


http://www.statesman.com/news/local/3-4-million-sabine-promenade-could-anchor-waller-2083098.html

New Rainey Street Apartment Tower Proposed: The Austin Skyhouse

http://downtownaustinblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/austinskyhouse.jpg-600x348.jpg

by Jude Galligan
2012 January 10

According to an administrative site plan filed with the city today, the Austin Skyhouse is a proposed downtown Austin mixed-use apartment tower at 47 Rainey Street. If built, the tower could deliver more than 300 apartments to downtown Austin’s hot rental market.

The ~1.4 acre site, shown below, is directly north of the Legacy apartments (187 units), and across the street from the Milago Condos (240 units). The CBD zoned property has long been expected to be developed into a tower, so this shouldn’t be received with much surprise.

According to the application: “The applicant is proposing to construct Apt. Tower/Retail and Garage/Retail with associated improvements.” The applicant is familiar to downtown Austin development – Novare/Andrews Urban – the same team who developed the successful 360 Condos.

Since Milago has the dominant lake and city view for the first twelve floors, we’ll hopefully see a tall tower over podium design where most of the units’ views would clear Milago’s roof. Given the parking challenges in the Rainey Street district, perhaps we’ll see extra parking included in the design which could be used by visitors to the neighborhood. If any variances are needed for the project, bringing extra parking to the district would be a good point of discussion.


http://downtownaustinblog.org/2012/01/10/new-rainey-street-apartment-tower-proposed-the-austin-skyhouse/#more-13718

New 23-story apartment tower planned in Rainey Street area

By Shonda Novak | Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 06:02 PM

The developers behind a 44-story downtown condominium high-rise near the Austin Music Hall said today that they are planning their next project: a 320-unit apartment tower that would rise 23 stories in the Rainey Street area.

An affiliate of Novare Group Investments LLC and its Austin partner, Andrews Urban LLC, said they plan to break ground this spring on the project, to be named SkyHouse Austin. Located at 47 Rainey Street on downtown’s eastern edge, the tower would include significant retail space, Novare/Andrews Urban said in a statement.

Novare/Andrews Urban developed the 360 condominium tower with 430 residences at Third and Nueces.

“We are excited to be working with Taylor Andrews on another project in Austin,” said James Borders, president and CEO of Atlanta-based Novare Group. “SkyHouse Austin will complement a vibrant and growing Rainey Street District with a great new residential community with many amenities, the primary one being its location in downtown Austin.”

Taylor Andrews, president of Andrews Urban, said adding 320 more residences “will play a significant role in fulfilling the city’s vision for the Waterfront District and provide needed tax revenue for the Waller Creek Tunnel project.”

The tower is among a new wave of apartment construction planned or under construction both in and around downtown, and the larger Central Texas region.


http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/theticker/entries/2012/01/11/new_23story_apartment_tower_pl.html

EA unveils new offices in North Austin

By Brian Gaar
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Updated: 5:10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012

As video game publisher Electronic Arts debuted its newest Austin expansion on Monday, company officials said their local staff has grown to 600 people, beginning to make good on their vow to bring new jobs to town.

EA officials unveiled their new digs in an office park just east of Parmer Lane near Anderson Mill Road in North Austin. This will be home to the customer support division.

Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore called it the company's new "worldwide consumer experience center" and said that it will handle calls from customers and manage EA's other customer service centers around the word. About 50 full-time employees will work in the new space of about 50,000 square feet.

"If there was a corporate headquarters for customer experience for us, it's right here in this building," Moore said.

The new location opened less than six months after EA announced that it would expand its Austin presence, ultimately bringing 300 jobs to Central Texas along with its famed EA Sports game division.

http://www.statesman.com/business/te...n-2091990.html

Area home starts could jump as much as 10% in 2012, expert says

By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 10:43 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012

New home construction is expected to increase in 2012 for the second straight year, with the number of starts projected to rise 5 to 10 percent over last year's level, a housing expert said Thursday.

Eldon Rude , director of the Austin market for Metrostudy , delivered his projection at the fourth annual housing forecast hosted by the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin and the Austin Board of Realtors. The forecast covers Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell counties.

Last year, builders started construction on 6,115 homes, 5 percent more than in 2010, housing industry tracker Metrostudy found in its most recent survey. Demand is coming from continued job, population and household growth in Central Texas, along with sharply higher rents in the current tight apartment market that are pushing more tenants into the single-family home market, Rude said.

This year, Rude forecast that builders will start construction on 6,400 to 6,700 homes — and possibly as many as 7,000 if job growth and the economy continue to improve. Starts have averaged slightly more than 6,200 a year for the past three years, Rude said.

Builders had pulled back dramatically during the recent recession, and home prices have been relatively flat during the past three years. Last year's 6,115 starts were off nearly 62 percent from the peak in 2006, when builders started on 15,977 houses. However, experts have said the Austin-area housing market fared better than many other parts of the country.

But strict mortgage lending criteria and tepid consumer confidence will limit new home sales in the coming year, Rude said.


http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/area-home-starts-could-jump-as-much-as-2099202.html

I'm sure JoninAtx was going to get to this. But i'll go ahead and oblige in advance...

New Renderings of Circuit of the Americas


http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/23/00/slideshow_1002308102_rbz_Formula_1_Update_25.JPG http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/23/00/slideshow_1002308113_rbz_Formula_1_Update_23.JPG http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/23/00/slideshow_1002308130_rbz_Formula_1_Update_22.JPG http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/23/00/slideshow_1002308100_rbz-Formula-1-Update-24.jpg
http://www.statesman.com/sports/formula1/austin-firm-pushes-to-finish-f1-track-work-2099095.html

I'm sure JoninAtx was going to get to this. But i'll go ahead and oblige in advance...

New Renderings of Circuit of the Americas


http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/23/00/slideshow_1002308102_rbz_Formula_1_Update_25.JPG http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/23/00/slideshow_1002308113_rbz_Formula_1_Update_23.JPG http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/23/00/slideshow_1002308130_rbz_Formula_1_Update_22.JPG http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/23/00/slideshow_1002308100_rbz-Formula-1-Update-24.jpg
http://www.statesman.com/sports/formula1/austin-firm-pushes-to-finish-f1-track-work-2099095.html

:cheers:

ACC’s Hays campus clears final legal hurdle

The Texas Supreme Court has cleared the path for the Austin Community College District to move forward with construction of the new Hays Campus. On January 13, the court ended a resident’s legal challenge to the college’s Hays CISD annexation election by declining to hear his petition for review.

“We are gratified to bring this to a successful conclusion,” says Cobby Caputo, ACC legal counsel. “With this decision, the college can secure financing and break ground.”

Nearly 7,000 voters in Hays CISD – a 59 percent majority – voted to approve annexation into the ACC District in November 2010. Ray Wolbrecht, a resident of Hays CISD, filed a challenge to the election the following month. All rulings throughout the case were favorable to ACC, but because of Dr. Wolbrecht’s continued appeals, the college had been unable to issue bonds to finance campus construction.

ACC will now resume the bond issuance process; bonds are expected to be secured by late spring. Once that is complete, the college will be able to set the project budget, determine a groundbreaking date, and finalize the construction timeline.

http://haysfreepress.com/2012/01/13/accs-hays-campus-clears-final-legal-hurdle/

Hanover South Lamar

http://hanoverco.com/imagegen.ashx?class=portal&image=/media/17271/lamar_bldg_4nov2011_300dpi_9x17.jpg

http://hanoverco.com/home

Did anyone hear about the new office tower proposed for whole foods?

Did anyone hear about the new office tower proposed for whole foods?

http://www.statesman.com/business/whole-foods-plans-major-downtown-office-expansion-2110412.html

Hampton Inn to rise at site of unfinished project on Lavaca Street

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01297/012012_hampton_bw_1297597c.jpg

n eight-story, $24.5 million Hampton Inn & Suites soon will rise at the site of an unfinished building that has been a eyesore and caused traffic problems on parts of Lavaca Street.

Construction started Thursday on the $24.5 million hotel project at 1701 Lavaca St., just one day after Austin VHR LLC, an Austin-based hotel development and investment company, purchased the site and shell from the lender, Texas Capital Bank. The bank had posted the property for foreclosure last year.

Houston-based Vista Host Inc., a hotel management company, will operate the hotel.

It is due to open in September and will have 137 guest rooms, underground parking for 95 cars and meeting space for 100 people. The design will feature a traditional brick base and porch facing Lavaca Street.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/hampton-inn-to-rise-at-site-of-unfinished-2113072.html

Lakeway hospital developer envisions apartments, retail, offices as part of medical campus

By Marques G. Harper

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

As workers put finishing touches on the main hospital of the Lakeway Regional Medical Center, slated to open this spring, its developer is focusing on what's next for the land surrounding the hospital.

During Tuesday's City Council meeting, Lakeway council members and the public were given a glimpse by James Kerby, a partner of developer Phin-Ker Ventures, of the future of the medical campus off RM 620. Council members didn't vote on any issues related to the site Tuesday night but urged Kerby and the hospital's chief executive, Dave Kreye, to consider traffic and water issues as the campus grows.

According to Kerby and Phin-Ker's website, the planned 93-acre campus, with the 274,500-square-foot, 106 bed-hospital, will include:

• Restaurants.

• Apartments.

• 75,000 square feet of retail space.

• An extended-stay hotel.

• A day care center.

• About four miles of trails.

• Three 53,000-square-foot medical office buildings.

• An assisted-living facility.

• A 75-bed rehabilitation hospital near the main hospital.

• A recovery center.

http://m.statesman.com/statesman/pm_23035/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=wNhmcJoW

LCRA wants to secure new water supply by 2017

By Farzad Mashhood AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012

The Lower Colorado River Authority's general manager said Wednesday that she plans to secure 100,000 acre-feet of new water supply by 2017.

The LCRA has a maximum reservoir storage of 2.01 million acre-feet, but amid the current drought, the LCRA's two main reservoirs, lakes Travis and Buchanan, have dropped to 738,000 acre-feet of water. An additional 100,000 acre-feet would be enough to supply roughly 300,000 households with water for a year.

"The basin, for its own economic help, has got to have new supplies of water," Becky Motal told the LCRA's board of directors Wednesday.

Building a storage reservoir, such as Lake Travis, is not likely because reservoirs typically take 10 to 15 years to build and can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Motal said that the water would most likely come from rain runoff and other river flows that pour into the Gulf of Mexico. She also said the LCRA would still keep enough water in the river for environmental health of the waterway and Matagorda Bay.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/lcra-wants-to-secure-new-water-supply-by-2110244.html

Interesting PDF document prepared by the City of Austin:

Emerging Projects - Austin
Prominent Development Projects In Planning Or Construction Phases In And Around Austin

Stumbled across this while searching for something else.
ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/GIS-Data/planning/data/EmergingProjects/ep2011det.pdf

Cool... but the link isn't working.

Round Rock approves zoning change to allow for apartment-townhome complex

By Benjamin Wermund

ROUND ROCK — The Round Rock City Council voted Thursday night to annex and rezone a tract of land off University Boulevard to allow for the construction of an apartment and townhome development.

The planned development will divide the 41-acre tract into two sections. One 36-acre section will house multifamily apartments, while the remaining 5 acres will be reserved for either senior living facilities or townhomes. A total of 720 units will be allowed on the property.

The City Council also agreed to spend about $20,000 on off-site infrastructure improvements — including installing traffic lights on University Boulevard and Sunrise Road — needed to develop the tract.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/round-rock-approves-zoning-change-to-allow-for-2128724.html

Cool... but the link isn't working.
The link works for me, but I'm using an old version of Explorer. I copied it to our FTP site. Try this link:

http://www.transwestern.net/public/Austin/MarketReports/EmergingProjects201109.pdf

Does anyone have any pictures of recently completed developments in Austin? (post 2009)

Other than the rebuilding of Echelon I (the building that the irate taxpayer flew his plane into), a few tiny suburban office condos and a handful of mid-sized suburban medical office buildings, there haven't been any medium-to-large office buildings constructed in Austin after 2009. There are some retail and apartment properties, but I don't really track those. The City of Austin and the Downtown Austin Alliance do track that data, tho, so you may be able to find some info on their websites.

Other than the new 6 story Cirrus Logic building that is near completion. I will make a list of the projects that are now U/C.

16st. 1400 Nueces- UT
6st. Grand Marc- UT
17st. Hyatt Place hotel- Downtown
17st. 3rd & Brazos- Downtown
18st. Gables Park Plaza tower- Downtown
Two 5st. 9st. 11st. Riverview apartments- South of downtown

There are many other projects that are U/C but most of them are in the 3-6st. range. I will be downtown on wendsday to take some pictures.

New arts center on tap at Mueller

http://media2.kxan.com//photo/2012/01/29/PACPLANtwo2_20120129210830_640_480.JPG

http://media2.kxan.com//photo/2012/01/29/PACplan_20120129210449_640_480.JPG

Published : Sunday, 29 Jan 2012, 9:18 PM CST

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The design plans for a $26.6 million Performing Arts Center will be approved by Austin Independent School District trustees at Monday night's school board meeting.

A 3-acre site for the complex, at the intersection of Mueller Boulevard and East 51st Street, was purchased by Austin ISD last April. That followed the hiring of Pfluger Associates Architects to design the PAC in 2009.

The earliest stages of construction will begin on the site in June 2012. Construction should be completed, according to the school district, in the Fall of 2013.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/new-arts-center-on-tap-at-mueller

New rendering of The Grand Hotel at Waller Creek

http://utorange.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/view-from-cc_pedestrian_revised.jpg

http://utorange.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/on-the-rise-new-hotels-expected-to-accommodate-out-of-towners

2 new phases for Blackhawk subdivision approved

By Marques G. Harper

Published: 6:47 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012

Travis County commissioners approved revised preliminary plans Tuesday for two new phases for the Lakeside at Blackhawk subdivision, part of a master-planned community in the Pflugerville area in northeastern Travis County.

The plans for new homes at the Blackhawk subdivision near Texas 45 North and Texas 130 call for more lots.

There would be 93 lots — 14 more than previously planned —with three open space parcels on 44 acres.

The road plans won't change. However, changing one of the street names from Middle Falls Lane to Middlemarch Lane was approved.

The Blackhawk master-planned community has been under construction since 1995.

The revised preliminary plan for the new phases was approved by Pflugerville's Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 9, city spokeswoman Terri Waggoner said.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/2-new-phases-for-blackhawk-subdivision-approved-2139308.html

Development activity picks up at The Domain

http://impactnews.com/downloads/7519/download/bitblt-620x357-1fd6cfee9cc55c7a61006a565acca740dd3dd406/NWA201201-01-1m.jpg

by Amy Deis
January 31, 2012

Construction on three new projects at The Domain began in the past five months, ending Endeavor Real Estate Group’s three-year-long development hiatus at the high-end retail, office and residential center. This activity signifies renewed confidence in the local economy and will eventually bring to fruition Endeavor’s dream of an 8 million-square-foot urban complex dotted with parks and trails. “We’re back,” said Ben Bufkin, a development associate at Endeavor. “Momentum is building again.” Quiet no longer The three projects that broke ground include a 55,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market, which will replace the smaller location at Capital of Texas Hwy. and MoPac. Workers broke ground in September and the market is scheduled to open in spring 2013. In October, a residential project developed by Endeavor, Dallas-based Columbus Realty and an international real estate investment firm, RREEF, also broke ground. The development will open in two phases: Phase 1 will be 315-unit apartment complex at Esperanza Crossing and Alterra Parkway, and Phase 2 will be a 228-unit apartment complex at Domain Drive and Esperanza Crossing. The third project is a 9-acre park on Alterra Parkway between Kramer Lane and Esperanza Crossing, for which construction began in January. The initial phase of the park will include grassy areas, a bocce ball court and a trail and will open in spring 2012. A second phase will add a pavilion.

http://impactnews.com/articles/development-activity-picks-up-at-the-domain

Also there's a new 9 arce park currently U/C at The Domain

http://www.thedomainaustin.com/getattachment/fc2a796f-a405-48cc-882c-9ee0346dd164/Rendering.aspx

http://www.thedomainaustin.com/The-Community/Photos-and-Renderings/Rendering.aspx

The Genesee

http://www.bigreddog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Genesee-VMU-Rendering-A_web.jpg

http://www.bigreddog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Genesee-VMU-Rendering-B_web.jpg
http://www.bigreddog.com/

Austin Aquatic Center

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6692254517_ea08d51e33_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6692254517_ea08d51e33_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6801647737_3159ca8e19_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6801647737_3159ca8e19_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6692258593_4474862184_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6692258593_4474862184_z.jpg

South Lamar Plaza

http://studiodwg.com/wp-content/gallery/south-lamar-mixed-use/south-lamar-mixed-use-1.jpg

http://studiodwg.com/wp-content/gallery/south-lamar-mixed-use/south-lamar-mixed-use-1.jpg

Thorpe Lane Lofts

http://smmercury.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/thorpe-lane-lofts.jpg

By Sean Batura

November 7, 2011

A developer says he will build a five-floor 174-unit apartment building on Thorpe Lane on the site of an abandoned nursing home in San Marcos.

The project, Thorpe Lane Lofts, would sit on 2.42 acres at Thorpe and Warden Street where the former River Crest Nursing and Rehabilitation center has sat overgrown and idle since being abruptly closed by regulators in 2007.

Houston-based Javastone Capital Holdings says the building will feature one- and two-bedrooms apartments situated around a central courtyard and pool area.

Plans call for 2,060 feet of retail or office space on the ground floor, a provision negotiated by the Planning & Zoning Commission before it unanimously approved rezoning the property last month. The rezoning still must be approved by the city council.

The developer has agreed to 10-foot sidewalks and trees lining the street at every 30 feet, exceeding city requirements for five-foot sidewalks and trees every 50 feet. Senior planner Sofia Nelson said the streetscaping would “increase the walkability of this area in a safe manner.”

http://smmercury.com/49952/five-story-mixed-use-building-planned-for-thorpe-lane/

New rendering of The Grand Hotel at Waller Creek

http://utorange.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/view-from-cc_pedestrian_revised.jpg

http://utorange.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/on-the-rise-new-hotels-expected-to-accommodate-out-of-towners

I absolutely love this design, I'm jealous.

I absolutely love this design, I'm jealous.
Same here. But am I the only way that thinks the design would look better without the spire?

Same here. But am I the only way that thinks the design would look better without the spire?

Yeah, the spire looks like a "cheater" to gain prominence and the title of 'Austin's tallest' but in a way I think it suits the tapered roof design and slender hotel proportions and massing. Unusual for the building type but not out of context for a city increasingly burgeoning with crowns and crenellations. :cheers:

New hotel opening in Downtown Austin.

Another downtown hotel on the way (http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2012/01/another-downtown-hotel-on-the-way.html?s=image_gallery)

New hotel opening in Downtown Austin.

Another downtown hotel on the way (http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2012/01/another-downtown-hotel-on-the-way.html?s=image_gallery)

Yep thats the old La Vista on Lavaca site or aka "intel shell 2". That place as been an eyesore since construction stop back in 2008. I'm just glad its being finished. :cheers:

Got the official hieght of Grand Hotel at Waller Creek

It will be 581 feet to the roof and 700 feet to the spire. It will have 47 occupied floors plus a mechanical level at the top, so 48 floors really.

4 levels of parking below grade.

6 levels in the podium:

Hotel Podium Levels 01 – Hotel Lobby, Restaurant and LoungeLevel 02 – First Grand Ballroom LevelLevel 03 – Meeting Room LevelLevel 04 – Second Grand Ballroom Level Level 05 – Meeting Room LevelLevel 06 – Meeting Room, Pool, Spa and Fitness Level

Work starts on apartment project, as boom looms for South Lamar

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01340/021112_apartments__1340230c.jpg

By Shonda Novak

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Austin-based Ardent Residential has broken ground on Gibson Flats, a 202-unit upscale apartment complex that will be part of an emerging apartment boom along South Lamar Boulevard.

Slated for vacant land at South Lamar and Gibson Street, the first apartments in the five-story building are expected to be ready for tenants by mid-2013, with the project scheduled for completion in late 2013.

The location "is at the center of a burgeoning entertainment district that appeals to the young professionals who gravitate toward urban living," said Brett Denton, a principal in Ardent with Art Carpenter. Denton cited popular establishments such as the Alamo Drafthouse, the Highball bowling alley and lounge, Maudie's and Uchi restaurants, and other nearby entertainment options.

Denton said Ardent worked with city arborists to protect trees on the site, including seven heritage trees.

Developers are zeroing in on the area, which they say faces a shortage of apartments but heightened demand for rental units.

http://m.statesman.com/statesman/pm_23035/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=2n4wvVQC

http://media2.kxan.com//photo/2012/02/10/wall_20120210102218_640_480.JPG

Seaholm to have lighted, colorful wall
Art will cost city $750,000

Updated: Friday, 10 Feb 2012, 10:03 PM CST
Published : Friday, 10 Feb 2012, 10:24 AM CST
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/seaholm-to-have-lighted-rainbow-wall

AUSTIN (KXAN) - People driving past the old Seaholm Power Plant in Downtown Austin will soon see the most expensive piece of public art the city has ever purchased.

Set for construction next year and completion in 2014, the 1,000-foot-long wall art will enclose an electrical substation, costing the city $750,000.

Austin Energy – which has recently said it now faces a $77 million deficit – will pay for most of the artwork project, while the city’s Art in Public Places program will pay for the rest.

The project is part of the redevelopment of the decommissioned Seaholm Power Plant and Green Water Treatment Plant. The site will also include a new central library, hotels, condominiums and apartments.

The selected architect, Boston-based Nader Tehrani – the head of the architecture program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- said the wall will be made of concrete, metal and wood. The top of the wall will look like a wave, rising and falling between 12 and 25 feet.

..

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01237/web121411postoffic_1237971k.jpg

Downtown post office site to be sold; redevelopment options under discussion
ByShonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 8:25 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011
Published: 9:29 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011
http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/downtown-post-office-site-to-be-sold-redevelopment-2030661.html

The U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday that it plans to sell its downtown station at West Sixth and Guadalupe streets to Atlanta-based Novare Group and its Austin partner, Andrews Urban, the firms that developed the nearby 44-story condominium high-rise called the 360. The post office would relocate in early 2013 to a yet-to-be-determined site, which "very likely" will be downtown, said Sam Bolen, a Postal Service spokesman.

The site would be redeveloped, with options including "office, residential, retail and/or hotel uses," said Taylor Andrews, president of Andrews Urban.

Andrews said Tuesday that his company and Novare "have reached agreement on how to move forward with our purchase of the site. It is under contract, and we are exploring our options for the optimal development of the site."

"We will be continuing discussions with joint venture partners over the coming weeks, and this will determine the specifics of what will be developed on the site," Andrews said.

Novare and Postal Service officials did not disclose the purchase price or other terms of the contract. The property has an appraised value of $17.1 million, according to the Travis County Central Appraisal District. The Postal Service solicited offers to redevelop the block in 2006, and Novare won out over five other proposals.

Novare planned to build a boutique hotel and a high-rise with as many as 550 condominiums but delayed those plans when the economy turned down and construction financing for new projects evaporated.

Bolen called the downtown site "a prime piece of real estate" and said it "will definitely generate money" for the agency.

Charles Heimsath, a local real estate expert, said he is "delighted that this site will be developed by a very capable private-sector joint venture."

"This is one of the few remaining 'underdeveloped' blocks in downtown that are unimpeded by the Capitol View corridor (rules), so the possibilities for a large mixed-use development are very promising," Heimsath said.

The Postal Service has met with city officials to notify them of the sale and relocation of the downtown station. Bolen said the agency will outline its relocation plans at the Austin City Council's Jan. 12 meeting and will take public comment. Standard procedure is for the agency to present its plans for any relocations or closures in a public forum. The agency will accept written comments from the public for 15 days after the meeting and then will seek proposals for alternative quarters that meet or are designed to postal service specifications, Bolen said.

......

..

^
I'd love to see a skyscraper occupy that site. :cheers:

New rendering of The Grand Hotel at Waller Creek

http://utorange.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/view-from-cc_pedestrian_revised.jpg

http://utorange.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/on-the-rise-new-hotels-expected-to-accommodate-out-of-towners

Gorgeous! How tall will this building be?

Gorgeous! How tall will this building be?


It will be 581 feet to the roof and 700 feet to the spire. It will be Austin tallest building. :cheers:

^^ :omg:

It will be 581 feet to the roof and 700 feet to the spire. It will be Austin tallest building. :cheers:

Wow! Looking at that rendering gave me an architectural orgasm.

New Renderings Of Capital Terrace

http://downtownaustinblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Capital-Studios-Rendering.png

http://downtownaustinblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Capital-Studios-with-other-buildings.png

http://downtownaustinblog.org/2012/02/17/new-renderings-of-capital-studios/

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01358/0223ikea1_luc_1358998c.jpg

Work progressing on Ikea expansion, parking garage
By Gary Dinges
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 8:36 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012
http://www.statesman.com/business/work-progressing-on-ikea-expansion-parking-garage-2193649.html

It'll soon take even longer to navigate your way through the Round Rock Ikea.

Work is under way to add 54,000 square feet to the already cavernous 252,000-square-foot home furnishings store, with completion expected early this summer.

A 300-car parking garage is being built to offset spaces lost to the expansion and should be ready by April, an Ikea spokesman said. There will be 1,200 parking spaces once the garage opens — the same number the store had before.

The Swedish retailer's Round Rock location opened in late 2006. An expansion was planned at some point in the future but not this soon, said Joseph Roth, public affairs director for Ikea's U.S. stores.

"This is a clear indication of our success here," Roth said. "This store has grown faster than we expected, in terms of sales and customer base."

The extra space will allow Ikea to carry additional products and stock larger quantities of items, store manager Gerd Diewald said. Expanded areas will include the self-service furniture department and the store's warehouse. Six more checkout lanes will also be added.

"We're improving the efficiency of the store and improving the shopping experience," Roth said.

Shoppers routinely drive an hour or more to visit Ikea, according to Diewald, coming from as far away as Laredo and Waco.

"We're reacting to a need," Diewald said. "When you're coming a long distance, you want to get what you came for. It's instant gratification for our customers."

....

..

The Callaway House U/C

http://callawayhouseaustin.com/Resources/Content/Gallery/Callaway%20Austin%20Ground%202.15.12.jpg?propertyName=The+Callaway+House+Austin&constrainWidth=603&constrainHeight=463

http://callawayhouseaustin.com/

Mueller set for quantum leap in growth this year

By Shonda Novak AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 5:58 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012

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With its remake into a master-planned New Urbanist development about one-third complete, the Mueller community northeast of downtown is poised to take a quantum leap in its growth this year.

Projects totaling about $250 million are set to break ground in 2012, said Greg Weaver, who has overseen redevelopment since before construction started in 2005 on the 700-acre site that once was home to Austin's municipal airport.

The new development will include Mueller's first grocery store and hotel, along with more housing, a new hospital wing and facilities for a nonprofit theater and a performing arts center.

Taken together, the projects mean 2012 will be pivotal for Mueller, the largest public-private venture in Austin's history. "There's so much happening at Mueller right now," Weaver said. "In the coming months, you'll be able to drive by a number of areas of the community, feel the energy and see the momentum that's taking shape."

One of the key additions will be a 75,000-square-foot H-E-B grocery store, which is expected to be a centerpiece of Mueller's highly anticipated Market District.

Also this spring, construction is due to start on a Residence Inn by Marriott with 112 rooms, as well as a second phase of apartments — 301 units — being developed by Simmons Vedder Co.

By summer or early fall, the Austin school district intends to break ground on its long-awaited performing arts center, with a targeted opening in August 2013.

And the Austin Playhouse, a professional theater now in temporary quarters at Mueller, hopes to start construction on a $4 million, 18,000-square-foot facility in March, pending city approval of a site plan, said Don Toner, the producing artistic director of Austin Playhouse.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/mueller-set-for-quantum-leap-in-growth-this-2199751.html

So far Austin has 5 highrise projects that just started recently including the new 17 st. Calloway House at UT. I will soon be making alist on what has started like what Hannah Banana did on the San Antonio section. Also the 24st 7 Rio project will be starting soon. :)

Apparantly Costco is going to open up a new store in Cedar Park.

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01232/WEB121011costco183_1232473e.jpg

In sign of area's economic health, Costco to open third Central Texas store (http://www.statesman.com/business/in-sign-of-areas-economic-health-costco-to-2023542.html)

So far Austin has 5 highrise projects that just started recently including the new 17 st. Calloway House at UT. I will soon be making alist on what has started like what Hannah Banana did on the San Antonio section. Also the 24st 7 Rio project will be starting soon. :)

Awesome news! Austin is the hottest city in the US right now. I'm dizzy at the news just this past year! :)

UT Area

The Callaway House U/C
http://callawayhouseaustin.com/Resources/Content/Gallery/Callaway%20Austin%20Ground%202.15.12.jpg?propertyName=The+Callaway+House+Austin&constrainWidth=603&constrainHeight=463

2400 Nueces U/C
http://assets.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2400Neches.jpg?v=1

Grand Marc U/C
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/301015_172199966192524_153476438064877_369232_424194486_n.jpg

Circle West Campus U/C
http://www.circlewestcampus.com/wp-content/themes/blankSlate/assets/images/gallery/15.jpg

Twentyfirst & Pearl U/C
http://www.loopnet.com/xnet/mainsite/HttpHandlers/attachment/ServeAttachment.ashx?FileGuid=63DCF589-FC16-4D6D-A91D-9A3E8F8B020E&Extension=jpg&Width=631&Height=421&PadImage=False&DisableVisualWatermark=&ClipImage=False

Longhorn Luxury Living Center U/C
http://campusapts.com/Longhorn/images/Slider/LonghornLux_02.jpg

Awesome news! Austin is the hottest city in the US right now. I'm dizzy at the news just this past year! :)

I know, it gives me a headache sometimes but in a good way. :)

Not a skyscraper, but its the first rendering I've seen of the boardwalk. From the AustinTowers website:

Hike & Bike Boardwalk Underfunded but Project will Proceed
February 22, 2012

According to the Statesman, "the boardwalk trail over and along Lady Bird Lake might cost at least $3.3 million more than estimates released for the 2010 City of Austin bond election that authorized the project. The city received eight bids for the work, all far exceeding the expected cost." Despite the significant projected cost overrun, the City remains committed to finding the funds to complete the popular downtown project.

The Hike and Bike Trail that runs alongside Ladybird Lake in downtown Austin is one of the City's most-valued recreational areas. 3,000 - 15,000 people use the trails each day to run, walk, bike, or relax. Unfortunately, the trail loop is incomplete: a 1.1 mile gap on the south shore on either side of I-35 is a problematic hole in a much-loved 10-mile loop. Ttrail users who venture East of Congress Avenue on the south shore "must divert onto the narrow sidewalk and travel along busy Riverside Drive, crossing 35 busy business entrances and other points of conflict and crossing 6 lanes of I-35 access roads to travel east or west and use the south side of the Trail."

Last year, the City passed $14.4 million in bonds to build a boardwalk in the lake to close the entire 1.1 mile gap. The bonds were contingent on a contribution of $3 million in private funds to be raised by the Trail Foundation. This week, the Trail foundation announced good news: they have quickly raised $2.4 million of the $3 million goal and are increasing the target to $5 million to fund additional trail improvements.

Rendering of the New Boardwalk
http://www.austintowers.net/Austin_Downtown/files/austin_ladybird_lake_boardwalk_extension.jpg

According to the article, Howard Lazarus, director of the city's Public Works Department, said there are numerous options for coming up with the extra money — unspent bonds authorized in past elections, bonds that might be OK'd this November, short-term borrowing, even private donations — and that the project is not threatened. He said he anticipates settling on a source, or sources, for the extra money later this week, and that the city staff probably will make a contractor recommendation to the City Council by late March or early April. That would allow the project to begin construction by late May."

http://www.austintowers.net/Austin_Downtown/files/hike_bike_boardwalk_funding_issues.php

Uptown Austin

Hampton Inn & Suites U/C
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQIgzQoyydvQXGz1AGnoMgfl0E3zH7i_DwK1uHeF_w-xbU0anViTg

Austin Planetarium Proposed
http://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/e959/pols_feature9.jpg

Downtown Austin

Capital Terrace Proposed
http://downtownaustinblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Capital-Studios-with-other-buildings.png

Grand Hotel at Waller Creek Approved
http://utorange.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/view-from-cc_pedestrian_revised.jpg

JW Marriott Approved
http://whitelodging.com/portfolio/marquis/austin-hotel-renderings-1.jpg

Hyatt Place U/C
http://whitelodging.com/images/underdev/hyattplace-austinLG.jpg

3rd & Brazos U/C
http://www.rogers-obrien.com/media/63203/3rd%20and%20Brazos%20Rendering_2011-11-10.jpg

South Austin

Flats on Wilson U/C
http://photonet4.hotpads.com/search/listingPhoto/Postlets/RT7115817/0004_345750059_medium.jpg

Gibson Flats U/C
http://img.vrvm.com/media/render.htm?m=380949597&width=320&height=213

Genesee Lofts U/C
http://www.bigreddog.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/mondeo_v2.0.3/framework/plugins/timthumb.php%3Fsrc%3Dhttp://www.bigreddog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Genesee-VMU-Rendering-A_web.jpg%26h%3D380%26w%3D910%26zc%3D1

South Lamar Plaza Approved
http://www.bigreddog.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/mondeo_v2.0.3/framework/plugins/timthumb.php%3Fsrc%3Dhttp://www.bigreddog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/South-Lamar-Rendering-Main-Drive1.jpg%26h%3D380%26w%3D910%26zc%3D1

Hanover South Lamar Approved
http://hanoverco.com/imagegen.ashx?class=portal&image=/media/17271/lamar_bldg_4nov2011_300dpi_9x17.jpg

Weekend Rail Service, *every* weekend, beginning March 23 (http://capmetroblog.com/2012/03/01/weekend-rail-service-every-weekend-beginning-march-23/)

From reading the earlier articles about Novare purchasing the downtown post office site, I was under the impression that the US Post Office was closing the downtown Austin location rather than relocating it? Apparently they have changed their mind. the GSA posted a solicitation to lease space for a new downtown Austin USPS office location on their FBO website on March 1st:

https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=821c09bd1c2001e6ce8135d788815731&tab=core&_cview=0

Since it's a lease, it could also be a short-term location in case they need to move out of Novare's way prior to the wind-down of the downtown post office (they don't state the required lease term in the solicitation), however, relocating a government facility to a short-term lease space prior to closing it is a very expensive way to handle that issue. I guess we'll see.

Development activity picks up at The Domain

http://impactnews.com/downloads/7519/download/bitblt-620x357-1fd6cfee9cc55c7a61006a565acca740dd3dd406/NWA201201-01-1m.jpg



http://impactnews.com/articles/development-activity-picks-up-at-the-domain

I was wondering what was going on at the domain. New buildings are always going up, excited about the new Whole Foods. I love Austin, I love living here!!!

What would the Austin Central Business District (CBD) look like in 2039?

The Downtown Austin Plan that was adopted by the City in December 2011 has a rendering on its cover of what the Austin CBD would look like if all of the potential developable sites were built out. PDFs of the full report and a summary report are located here (scroll to the bottom of the page for the links): http://www.austintexas.gov/department/downtown-plan

Its 208 pages, but there is a lot of interesting info (including proposed development) in the full version of the Austin plan. Below is the rendering of the potential Future Austin CBD in 2039:

http://www.transwestern.net/public/Austin/austin-2039-dap.jpg

I was wondering what was going on at the domain. New buildings are always going up, excited about the new Whole Foods. I love Austin, I love living here!!!

Same here.:)

Here is another hotel coming to the domain.

Lone Star Court

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01379/030712_hotel_1379992c.jpg

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01379/030712_hotel2_1379993c.jpg

By Shonda Novak AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

A new hotel concept reminiscent of the roadside motor court hotels in the 1940s and 1950s will take up residence at the upscale Domain project in North Austin.

Billed as "a 21st century re-interpretation of the nostalgic motor court," the upscale concept is the latest by Valencia Group. The Houston-based company develops and operates boutique luxury hotels, including the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio.

Scheduled to break ground this month and open early next year, Lone Star Court will be built at the south end of the Domain project, which includes shops, restaurants, offices and apartments. The hotel will have 123 rooms and about 2,000 square feet of indoor meeting space. It also will include an outdoor covered pavilion of 1,600 square feet, plus an adjacent open-air lawn that will add 1,800 square feet to the total meeting space.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/new-upscale-hotel-planned-for-the-domain-2221266.html

Bike bridges to help link Southwest Austin to downtown

By Ben Wear AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

The Austin City Council is expected to take a big step forward today in the construction of an ambitious, $10 million-plus series of bike and pedestrian bridges through the Barton Creek greenbelt that would help link downtown to Southwest Austin.

The project, which includes bridges over Barton Creek and Loop 360, has long been awaited by cyclists because it would eliminate a perilous passage along the southbound MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) shoulder that is currently the only bike link through the area.

The alternate bike route will also clear the way for the Texas Department of Transportation to add a vehicle lane to southbound MoPac in that area.

The council today will consider spending $1.4 million for an environmental study and final engineering plans for the project. That would be on top of $650,000 already authorized for preliminary engineering.

When the work is done by the end of 2015, cyclists will be able to travel from Zilker Park to south of Barton Creek at MoPac without sharing pavement with cars.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/bike-bridges-to-help-link-southwest-austin-to-2224012.html

Apple announced it is going to build a new campus in Austin with 3,600 new jobs. That is in addition to their current ~3,500 jobs in Austin.

This would put them up there with IBM, Freescale and AMD in the 6-7k Austin employee area.

How many does Samsung have now that the new plant went online last November?

Apple announced it is going to build a new campus in Austin with 3,600 new jobs. That is in addition to their current ~3,500 jobs in Austin.

This would put them up there with IBM, Freescale and AMD in the 6-7k Austin employee area.

How many does Samsung have now that the new plant went online last November?

The Austin Chamber of Commerce keeps a map (page 1) and a list (page 2) of the top employers in Austin, last updated September 2011 located here: http://www.austinchamber.com/do-business/files/Major%20Employers%2009-2011.pdf

They also keep a list of the top Tech employers in Austin, updated in November 2011 located here: http://www.austinchamber.com/do-business/files/map-high-tech.pdf

According to the below map, the site Apple is taking for their new campus is the old Sun Microsystems land, which they sold to MetLife about 4 years ago. A project called Riata Vista was planned for that site before the recession stopped all speculative development. It is across the street from their current campus.

Apple to create 3,600 new jobs in Austin
by Mitzie Stelte

March 9, 2012

Gov. Rick Perry announced March 9 that Apple Inc. will invest $304 million in a new campus in Austin, creating more than 3,600 new jobs.

http://impactnews.com/downloads/8397/download/bitblt-620x238-ce2cef36cb164c06373e19f28a6be7178908287d/AppleExp-03-09-2012-WebMap.jpg

The new campus is expected to double the size of Apple's workforce in Texas during the next decade. In exchange for Apple's commitment to create these new jobs, the state has offered Apple an investment of $21 million over 10 years through the Texas Enterprise Fund—a fund created in 2003 to attract businesses to the state.

The agreement is contingent upon the finalization of contracts and a local incentive agreement with the City of Austin and Travis County.

The City of Austin announced the same day that it welcomes Apple's plans for a new campus supporting the company's growing operations in the Americas with expanded customer support, sales and accounting functions for the region.

The city has offered the corporation a performance-based grant investment of $8.6 million over 10 years in exchange the $304 million capital investment.

According to Apple's Business Information form filed with the city, the campus property would consist of 38.81 acres of vacant land on West Parmer Lane and Delcour Drive, near its current Riata Vista location in Northwest Austin.

Specifically, Phase I of the project would consist of the new construction of a two-building campus off of Parmer Lane at Riata Vista totaling approximately 200,000 square feet with construction estimated to last one year. The expected start date would be June 1, 2012.

Phase II would be construction of up to 800,000 square feet of additional new office space.

Apple currently has 3,100 employees in Austin. Apple estimates of the 3,600 new full-time employees, 93 percent of the hires would be local.

The Austin campus would be the operational center of the company for the Americas region ouside of Apple's global offices in Cupertino, Calif.

According to the business information form, Apple is also looking at Phoenix as an alernative location due to its supply and cost of labor as well as its proximity to Cupertino.

According to Melissa Alvarado of the city's economic growth and redevelopment services office, a presentation on the proposal will be provided to the Austin City Council at a special called meeting March 15 at City Hall, and the proposal will be up for a vote at the regularly scheduled meeting March 22.

"It will be a two-part process with a presentation and then a vote," Alvarado said. "There will be a survey to gather citizen comments, but council will not vote until March 22."

According to the Governor's office, it will be one of the largest job creation projects in TEF and one of the largest capital investments by a TEF recipient.

Public comment began at 11:30 a.m. March 9 and will continue through 5 p.m. March 18.

http://impactnews.com/articles/apple-to-create-3%2C600-new-jobs-in-austin

Apple should move everything to Austin! :D

I wonder if it will have an unusual design like their new spaceship HQ in Cupertino?

Apple should move everything to Austin! :D

I wonder if it will have an unusual design like their new spaceship HQ in Cupertino?

I like your thinking.:cheers:

Went by the Domain today, wish I had more time hopefully next weekend I can get some more pictures in and around Austin.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/425637_3433628516562_1145904752_5078974_1899956576_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/426864_3433625556488_1145904752_5078971_1967180599_n.jpg

What would the Austin Central Business District (CBD) look like in 2039?

The Downtown Austin Plan that was adopted by the City in December 2011 has a rendering on its cover of what the Austin CBD would look like if all of the potential developable sites were built out. PDFs of the full report and a summary report are located here (scroll to the bottom of the page for the links): http://www.austintexas.gov/department/downtown-plan

Its 208 pages, but there is a lot of interesting info (including proposed development) in the full version of the Austin plan. Below is the rendering of the potential Future Austin CBD in 2039:

http://www.transwestern.net/public/Austin/austin-2039-dap.jpg

.... I think I just came. That looks AWESOME.

Developer hopes Lago Vista will help it finance master-planned community

By Marques G. Harper

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Developers are seeking the city's assistance with infrastructure financing to get a proposed 1,800-home development moving again.

While City Council members voiced tentative support for the idea, environmentalists say they are concerned because the project threatens habitat for endangered birds.

Lago Vista Assistant City Manager Frank Robbins said developer Hines wants to begin initial construction in September on 874 acres near RM 1431 and the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.

The development process began four years ago but went into a holding pattern during the national housing slowdown. Hines, which has headquarters in Houston and London, wants to finance the infrastructure and roads for Tessera on Lake Travis through the creation of a planned improvement district.

In this type of district, cities usually issue bonds on behalf of the developer. The bonds are backed by the property and repaid by the developer and through taxes on future homeowners.

It's a nontraditional tool for development, but the City of Austin recently created similar districts for two new master-planned developments near Texas 130.

Rob Witte, vice president of Hines, said backing from the city was necessary because traditional financial options would take years.

The project would be built over the next 10 to 12 years and include single-family homes starting in the high $200,000s, said Kim Jagger, a spokeswoman for Hines. There also might be space for office or retail development, she said.

http://m.statesman.com/statesman/pm_23035/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=DOViuqbH

Morningside development moving forward in Bee Cave

Housing development could be catalyst for new hike and bike trail, developer says The plans for a development that would bring more than 350 new condos and single-family dwellings to Bee Cave were submitted mid-March to city leaders for approval. Plans for the Morningside development are for 316 condos and 62 single-family dwellings on 35.6 acres of land off RR 620 between the Falconhead subdivision and Home Depot. Ash Creek Homes President Scott Morledge, the developer of the project along with Embry Partners, said he hopes the city will complete its review of the development plans by late summer and that construction can start by the fall. “I think this project makes sense for Bee Cave,” he said. Medium-density residential The tract of land where Morningside is planned has been owned by Barry Lewis since 1984. The plot was identified by Bee Cave’s comprehensive development plan for medium-density residential use. “This project just seems like what should be there because nothing else would work there,” Lewis told City Council. “We’ve been around the horn a lot, and we think we’ve brought the right project.”

http://impactnews.com/articles/morningside-development-moving-forward-in-bee-cave

What would the Austin Central Business District (CBD) look like in 2039?

The Downtown Austin Plan that was adopted by the City in December 2011 has a rendering on its cover of what the Austin CBD would look like if all of the potential developable sites were built out. PDFs of the full report and a summary report are located here (scroll to the bottom of the page for the links): http://www.austintexas.gov/department/downtown-plan

Its 208 pages, but there is a lot of interesting info (including proposed development) in the full version of the Austin plan. Below is the rendering of the potential Future Austin CBD in 2039:

http://www.transwestern.net/public/Austin/austin-2039-dap.jpg

........................................Googly Moogly...........................................

Travis County commissioners approve $7.25 million purchase of downtown lot

Juan Castillo AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 10:41 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, 2012

In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, Travis County commissioners agreed to buy downtown Austin land at the corner of West 11th and San Antonio streets with an eye toward building office space for district attorney and county attorney prosecutors.

The county would pay $7.25 million for the property, a parking lot directly across from the county's Criminal Justice Center, if zoning issues that surfaced in closed session Tuesday can be resolved, County Judge Sam Biscoe told the American-Statesman. He said money would come from debt issuance on certificates of obligation, which do not require voter approval.

Commissioners Karen Huber and Sarah Eckhardt voted against the purchase because they said the price was too high.

The Texas Congress of Parents and Teachers owns the property, which was appraised by an outside appraiser for the county at $3.7 million, according to Biscoe. It wasn't clear Tuesday how much the Travis Central Appraisal District valued the land.

In late 2010, commissioners purchased a vacant downtown block for $21.75 million, with plans to build a civil courthouse there. The appraisal district valued it at $13.87 million. An independent appraiser hired by the county valued it at $21.25 million.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/travis-county-commissioners-approve-7-25-million-purchase-2250615.html

Developers lay out $500 million vision for old water treatment site

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01406/032312_green_1406677c.jpg

By Shonda Novak

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Trammell Crow envisions 1.75 million square feet of development in all. The 826 apartments would be spread out in two towers, each at least 30 stories tall. The 17-story hotel would have about 200 rooms, while the 28-story office tower would have 456,000 square feet of space. The four buildings combined would have 82,000 square feet of retail space, including about 50,000 square feet along Second Street. The project would have about 2,700 parking spaces, including at least 250 available for public use.

http://www.statesman.com/business/de...d-2255598.html

Austin council OKs $8.6M in incentives for new Apple facility

By Marty Toohey

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Austin approved $8.6 million in tax breaks Thursday for Apple Inc., likely paving the way for the company to build a facility that it says will bring up to 3,600 jobs here.

The unanimous thumbs-up by the City Council comes after a week of back-and-forth about whether the incentives are really necessary to lure Apple. City officials said the company might otherwise choose Phoenix as the home for what it is calling its Americas Operations Center.

But the city approval comes just days after Arizona officials were quoted as saying Phoenix was never really in the running. Some critics took those statements as evidence that Austin is throwing public money after jobs that would come here anyway.

"Apple has to decide what side of the narrative it wants to be on," said Todd Wroblewski, an Austin independent filmmaker critical of using tax incentives to lure companies. "Do they want to be the billion-dollar company that invests in Austin, or the billion-dollar company that takes millions of dollars at a time the state is slashing social services?"

The council's approval was also significant because it was necessary before the company could qualify for a $21 million incentive package from the Texas Enterprise Fund.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-council-oks-8-6m-in-incentives-for-2255638.html

I know its controversial, but I like the new Green Water development plan. While not as Sims-clectic as the original renderings (from 2008) it has an appropriately Austin ambiance nonetheless, adding uniformity to the warehouse district as well as still offering the possibility of green roofs, urban H-E-B (I dont care who's design this was, you gotta do it), plus solid density. I think we have to give 2 thumbs up. :okay: :okay:

Two years after MetroRail's start, stations attract little development


By Ben Wear

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF


If you build rail, the developers will come.

Eventually. Maybe.

As Austin-area voters in 2004 were weighing whether to support a commuter rail line, Capital Metro officials and other advocates of what would become MetroRail made so-called "transit-oriented development" a key argument, especially given the line's expected (and now actual) negligible effect on highway and street traffic.


http://www.statesman.com/news/statesman-investigates/two-years-after-metrorails-start-stations-attract-little-2259617.html

CBRE is marketing the Estancia mixed use development for sale. Originally proposed by Stradford Co. who bought the old Heep Ranch and rebranded it Estancia, the project is designed to have up to 10 million square feet of development. It's located south of Southpark Meadows with IH-35 frontage. It looks like Straford has given up on developing the project themselves and has hired CBRE to sell the land. Below are some links if you want to read about it:

Original article from the Statesman (6/4/10) http://www.statesman.com/business/project-could-bring-apartments-offices-and-more-to-726453.html

Original Stratford Co. overview booklet (6/2010) http://www.transwestern.net/public/Austin/EstanciaBook6-2010.pdf

CBRE's flyer and website advertising it for sale (3/26/2012) http://www.cbre.us/o/austin/properties/estancia-hill-country/Pages/main.aspx

http://www.transwestern.net/public/Austin/EstanciaSitePlan.jpg

Leander City Council approves rezoning for Randalls

http://impactnews.com/downloads/8716/download/bitblt-620x304-4834657843191c23a8a1f9a129f7b3f534396143/Randalls-Crystal-Falls-Pkwy.jpg

On March 15, the Leander City Council rezoned 55 acres at the southwest intersection of Lakeline Boulevard and Crystal Falls Parkway, paving the way for grocery store chain Randalls to move forward with developing at the planned Town Center. Following a week of negotiations between the developer, The Lookout Group, and residents, council made minor changes to the zoning request approved by the planning and zoning commission on March 8. Plans for the property include a grocery store, town homes and local office space. Many residents who previously opposed the development spoke again at the council meeting, noting cooperation from The Lookout Group president Bill Hinckley, who added a park and a pond to the area after discussions with John Ford and other residents. “My hope was to create an alternate use in area behind our houses, like make it a park, and I was happy to find Mr. Hinckley was willing to consider it,” Ford said. “I don’t know if everyone will be happy with the proposed zoning change, but I think it should be recognized as a good compromise between the developer and the residents in the area.”

http://impactnews.com/articles/leander-city-council-approves-rezoning-for-randalls

Alamo Drafthouse plans new Lakeline Mall–area location

http://impactnews.com/downloads/8986/download/bitblt-620x447-057e9516f5693b51a92fdc05f70c07f104db7404/Alamo%20Lakeline%20site%20plan.png

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema announced plans March 26 to open its newest Austin theater in the Lakeline Market Shopping Center, adjacent to Lakeline Mall. Alamo Lakeline, to be located near Lakeline Boulevard and Pecan Park Boulevard, will be the largest of any Alamo theater to date and will feature 10 screens and a bar with a vast selection of beer on tap. This will be the sixth Austin location. Alamo Drafthouse publicist Brandy Fons said the company plans to keep the Alamo Lake Creek location at 13729 Research Blvd. open. She said the company does not yet have a timeline of when Alamo Lakeline will open. "Ever since opening the Alamo Lake Creek in 2003, we have had tremendous support from the neighborhood,” said Tim League, founder and CEO for Alamo Drafthouse, in a news release. “The New Alamo Lakeline will be the newest state-of-the-art Alamo design. We are so proud to bring it to our loyal fans in North Austin.” The theater will be part of the the new Lakeline Market Shopping Center, anchored by an H-E-B Plus scheduled to open in November.

http://impactnews.com/articles/alamo-drafthouse-plans-new-lakeline-mall%E2%80%93area-location

Webcam up and running for 2400 Nueces

http://oxblue.com/open/EDRTrust/2400Nueces

I know its controversial, but I like the new Green Water development plan. While not as Sims-clectic as the original renderings (from 2008) it has an appropriately Austin ambiance nonetheless, adding uniformity to the warehouse district as well as still offering the possibility of green roofs, urban H-E-B (I dont care who's design this was, you gotta do it), plus solid density. I think we have to give 2 thumbs up. :okay: :okay:

Yeah the newer rendering is okay but perferably like the older one best, either way I'm happy not only is it just abunch of tall buildings but it's adding a new district to Austin.

Old one was better but The new render is okay... But does anyone know the actual height? It looks a little tall for 30 floors.

Buyer to redevelop Freescale's former East Austin campus
By Shonda Novak AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Updated: 10:19 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2012

New life could be coming to an old campus that once housed Motorola Inc. and later its spinoff, Freescale Semiconductor Inc.

Manny Farahani, a local investor and developer, is buying a significant portion of the former Motorola/Freescale campus in East Austin, with plans to fill its 935,255 square feet of vacant office and manufacturing space with new companies and workers.

Farahani and Freescale would not disclose the price of the pending purchase, which is expected to close April 23. The campus encompasses nine buildings on about 109 acres at 3501 Ed Bluestein Blvd.

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01417/web033112Freescale_1417330c.jpg

NAI REOC Austin, a commercial real estate services firm that has been marketing the property for Freescale for several years, listed the property at $9 million. The property is valued by the Travis Central Appraisal District at $8.64 million.

Farahani said there will be a "tremendous amount of money invested in the property above the purchase price."

Just north of the campus, Freescale operates a semiconductor chip manufacturing plant with about 1 million square feet.

The sale won't affect operations at that plant, which is one of three Freescale facilities in the Austin area that together employ about 5,000 people, said Robert Hatley, a spokesman for Freescale.

The campus became part of Freescale as a result of the 2004 spinoff. The space sat empty for several years, and NAI began marketing it for the chipmaker in 2007. Hatley said Freescale is pleased an agreement was reached that will allow the site to be used "for other employers and opportunities in Austin."

With walking and running trails, a cafeteria and its location near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the campus "will be very attractive to large companies," said Helen Jobes, regional director of marketing and investment sales for Kennedy Wilson, a real estate investment and services company. Jobes is representing Farahani in the sale and will handle leasing for the campus.

Jobes said she hopes to attract new companies to Austin, as well as local companies looking to relocate, by offering "large blocks of space at a very reasonable cost."

"We are looking forward to working with the City of Austin, State of Texas and Austin Chamber of Commerce to use this campus to bring more jobs to Austin," Jobes said.

The purchase price will enable Farahani to charge gross rents of $10 a square foot per year for any tenant leasing more than 50,000 square feet of space and $12 a square foot for tenants leasing less than 50,000 square feet, Jobes said.

"It's way below market," considering that the least expensive office space in Austin has gross rents of about $15 to $16 a square foot, Jobes said.

Royce Lacey, senior vice president with NAI REOC Austin, said the campus could house "a very wide variety" of companies. Immediately south, Hewlett-Packard has a data center of about 400,000 square feet in a building it acquired from Freescale in 2006.

Jobes said much of the office space has cubicles already set up, so a company "could literally go in and put their phones and Internet in and start operating immediately."

Construction started on the campus in 1974, and the last building, which H-P occupies, was built in 1990, Jobes said.

Farahani has been buying and selling buildings in Austin since the 1980s. His niche is finding distressed or empty buildings, Jobes said, then renovating them and bringing in new tenants.

A signature project he partnered in was the restoration of Penn Field on South Congress Avenue. The former military airfield was transformed into a mixed-use property with office, restaurant and warehouse space.

http://www.statesman.com/business/buyer-to-redevelop-freescales-former-east-austin-campus-2273180.html

National homebuilder buys high-profile site in Dripping Springs area

As the local housing market continues to heat up, Arizona-based homebuilder Taylor Morrison has purchased most of the 524-acre Reunion Ranch, a high-profile site in the Dripping Springs area where the company plans to construct 436 houses.

Taylor Morrison closed Monday on the sale of 472 acres of the ranch, which is in Hays County, about 16 miles southwest of downtown Austin. The builder declined to disclose terms of the sale.

The asking price was $27.5 million, according to the sale offering by CASE Commercial Real Estate Partners Inc. CASE Managing Director Bruce Endendyk and Senior Director John Endendyk represented the seller, Frank Krasovec, who owns Norwood Investments, an Austin-based private investment firm.

"We're really excited about the project," Khoury said. "It provides a great opportunity for people looking for a new home in the Hill Country."

Taylor Morrison plans to start installing utilities and other infrastructure in the next 60 to 90 days, Khoury said. The first 60 lots are expected to be ready for building early next year. Home prices will start in the mid-$300,000s. The average lot size will be about three-fourths of an acre.

http://www.statesman.com/business/national-homebuilder-buys-high-profile-site-in-dripping-2283856.html

Construction starts on Asian American Resource Center

http://impactnews.com/downloads/9143/download/bitblt-600x388-3b99ad59f9e46595854402619cc952226307b9e0/2011%201121%20-%20AARC%20Entry%20Perspective1-1.jpg

A year from now, Phase 1 of the Asian American Resource Center, which will cater to Austin’s growing Asian-American community that now comprises 6.3 percent of the total population, will fill what is now low-cropped grass on Cameron Road just north of US 183. “This construction of the Asian American Resource Center, like the Carver Museum and Cultural Center and the Mexican American Cultural Center before it, is a reflection of our community values. And we have a lot to be proud of. We are keeping it weird, we are keeping it prosperous and we are keeping it diverse,” said Lesley Varghese, the recently appointed executive director of the center, at the ground breaking ceremony March 29. The idea for the project came about in the 1994, Varghese said. In 2001, council passed a resolution to find a site for the centering, and in 2006, voters approved $5 million in bonds to go toward building the center, which also received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Economic Development.

http://impactnews.com/articles/construction-starts-on-new-asian-american-resource-center

New renderings of Zach theatre which is near completion.

http://www.zachtheatre.org/press-downloads/new-topfer-theatre/topfer-plaza-entrance.jpg

http://www.zachtheatre.org/press-downloads/new-topfer-theatre/topfer-plaza-east.jpg

http://www.zachtheatre.org/press-downloads/new-topfer-theatre/topfer-north-lobby.jpg

http://www.zachtheatre.org/donate/topfer-theatre-images

Ground breaking set for higher ed center in Hutto

http://impactnews.com/downloads/9272/download/bitblt-620x472-aa3b2a10734439069683fc038b1545b7d161f5f5/30x42%20EXT%20RENDERING%201%20PS.jpg

A ground breaking ceremony for the first building of the Hutto campus for the East Williamson County Higher Education Center is scheduled for May 22. The more than 100,000-square-foot building is scheduled to open in fall 2013 near Toll 130 and CR 108, said Jan Osburn, director of marketing and communications with Texas State Technical College. Osburn said the ground breaking event is open to members of the community. Students began meeting at the school’s temporary location—Hutto ISD’s Veterans’ Hill Elementary—in fall 2011. The higher education center in Hutto is a collaboration that includes Temple College and TSTC.

http://impactnews.com/articles/groundbreaking-set-for-higher-ed-center-in-hutto

Downtown urban rail on track for November vote

http://impactnews.com/downloads/9070/download/bitblt-620x521-437662d92c8c701e102c6932c9bcece1877755de/NWA201203-01-2m1.jpg

Faced with a population that is growing faster than the city’s infrastructure can support, Austin City Council may ask voters in November to approve the first phase of a $1.3 billion urban rail network for downtown Austin. The electrified rail service would provide connectivity from the downtown business district to The University of Texas, and proponents say it would grease the wheels of the downtown economic engine, which provides employment for nearly 22 percent of Austin residents. “It [would] bring a real breath of new mobility, new capacity … that we otherwise don’t have the ability to bring into downtown,” said Robert Spillar, executive director of the Austin Transportation Department, which is helping develop the urban rail initiative. But Spillar and other transportation leaders say that just as importantly, the urban rail network would be part of a larger, interconnected, high-capacity transit system—composed of rapid-bus transit, commuter rail and regional rail—that would eventually give all Central Texans much-needed options. “The idea is not to just get rail for downtown Austin; it is to provide a core of rail that can help start to link all the [population] centers with one another,” said Glenn Gadbois, executive director of the newly formed nonprofit Movability Austin, which provides consultancy and policy advocacy services to its members. In the meantime, the trick for leaders is to convince constituents who live and work outside of Austin’s central core that investing in mobility improvements downtown will pay off for them down the road.

http://impactnews.com/articles/downtown-urban-rail-on-track-for-november-vote

Downtown urban rail on track for November vote

http://impactnews.com/downloads/9070/download/bitblt-620x521-437662d92c8c701e102c6932c9bcece1877755de/NWA201203-01-2m1.jpg


I have seen that map before and they always color the urban rail one color. It is confusing to the casual observer as to how the trains would run and in which/what direction. I would like to see a map with just he urban rail and the different rail lines and routes for each line.

For example, there is a rather short E/W line from Bowie St. to Trinity St. Is that a separate line or a part of one of the N/S lines? Is the line to UT and the line to the Mueller development two different lines...IIRC the two lines shown on Lavaca and Guadalupe is the same line with one way direction on each st. (IE, travel South on Lavaca and North on Guadalupe).

Steve

I have seen that map before and they always color the urban rail one color. It is confusing to the casual observer as to how the trains would run and in which/what direction. I would like to see a map with just he urban rail and the different rail lines and routes for each line.

For example, there is a rather short E/W line from Bowie St. to Trinity St. Is that a separate line or a part of one of the N/S lines? Is the line to UT and the line to the Mueller development two different lines...IIRC the two lines shown on Lavaca and Guadalupe is the same line with one way direction on each st. (IE, travel South on Lavaca and North on Guadalupe).

Steve

If im not mistaken its one line.

Any prediction on how the vote is likely to go ?

Any prediction on how the vote is likely to go ?

I hope it goes smoothly and passes.

Two projects in works on Lamar, near Whole Foods complex

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01434/041412_lamar_1434997c.jpg

y Gary Dinges and Shonda Novak AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 9:26 p.m. Friday, April 13, 2012

Austin-based Schlosser Development Corp. will soon begin work on two new buildings in high-profile spots on downtown's western edge with a combined price tag of more than $7 million.

The newest project, announced this week, calls for the former KVET radio studios at 705 N. Lamar Blvd. — adjacent to BookPeople, Anthropologie and REI — to be demolished and replaced with 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space topped by four levels of parking.

None of the retail space has been leased yet, said Rick Duggan, Schlosser's director of design and construction. The parking spaces, he said, will serve customers and employees of businesses near the West Sixth Street and North Lamar Boulevard intersection.

A site plan was filed in March for the KVET site, and Duggan said construction is expected to begin within the next six months, pending city approval.

Next week, Schlosser will start construction on a previously announced three-story building with a mix of retail and office space just south of the downtown Whole Foods Market location.

The 25,000-square-foot building at 405 N. Lamar Blvd. will have two stories of offices over street-level retail space that will face north and west, Duggan said. It will occupy the southwest portion of the parking lot for Schlosser's existing project at West Fifth Street and North Lamar Boulevard, which has a Starbucks, OfficeMax and the Pure Austin gym.

http://www.statesman.com/business/tw...e-2303489.html

Pilot art center proposed for historic fire station

http://impactnews.com/downloads/9404/download/bitblt-620x314-eaa32de923fe96da5f937c547ef0222a79e049ea/GEO201204-01-1f.jpg

The City of Georgetown is developing plans for an art center that could go into the historic fire station at 816 S. Main St. if the project is approved by City Council, which could vote on the issue in May, possibly at the May 22 meeting. Library Director Eric Lashley, who serves as the staff liaison for the Arts and Culture Board, said the ultimate goal for the art center is to take up residence in the police department building at 809 Martin Luther King Jr. St. after the building is vacated in 2014. In the meantime, the pilot program is designed to determine if an art center can thrive in Georgetown, Lashley said. It could start in late 2012 after the fire department administration relocates to Fire Station No. 5. “We want to show that we can do [an art center] in a small facility before we tackle something even bigger,” he said. Pilot program Around the same time that the political action committee was formed to support the bond election for the public safety operations and training facility in 2011, Lashley said the Arts and Culture Board began a feasibility study for an art center in Georgetown. The board looked at other nearby towns with similar venues such as Round Rock and Salado. The project gained momentum with the passing of the bond election in May 2011, and the board approved a business plan for the art center on Jan. 17. According to the pilot plan, the city would partner with a nonprofit arts organization that would manage the center for one year. The city would be responsible for paying for renovations to the building. At a March 27 City Council workshop, Deputy City Manager Laurie Brewer said preliminary estimates were $150,000 for interior improvements and $25,000 for signage.

http://impactnews.com/articles/pilot-art-center-proposed-for-historic-fire-station

Confidential Austin Master Plan

http://www.kirksey.com/files/project/images/project-image-1292953090.1937190936.jpg

http://www.kirksey.com/files/project/images/project-image-1292953069.280403543.jpg

http://www.kirksey.com/project/confidential_austin_master_plan

Not sure how old or new this project is, but it looks nice.

Lakeshore apartments Austin

http://www.bigreddog.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/mondeo_v2.0.3/framework/plugins/timthumb.php?src=http://www.bigreddog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Lakeshore-Apartments2.jpg&h=380&w=910&zc=1

http://www.bigreddog.com/

Developer planning two high-rises at downtown Austin's southeast edge

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01440/041812_rainey_1440262c.jpg

More high-rises could be headed to downtown Austin's southeastern edge, with a local developer envisioning two towers in the Rainey Street area that each could reach as tall as 50 stories.

The Sutton Co. wants to build the project on about two acres it has under contract bounded by Rainey and Driskill streets and East Avenue. The development would continue the transformation of a part of downtown where a new nightlife scene has emerged with the addition of numerous bars and restaurants.

Together, the towers could have as many as 800 to 1,000 apartment and condominium units, along with hotel rooms in the first tower to break ground, said Mac Pike, a principal — along with Wally Scott — in the Sutton Co. The first tower, which Pike estimated would cost $75 million to $100 million to build, is at least a year to 18 months from breaking ground and would require a number of city approvals, he said.

Pike said that financing has not yet been arranged for the project but that the Sutton Co. is talking to potential capital partners and hopes to select one "in the next 30 days or so." Pike said a private equity firm, Woodgen, is partnering with Sutton in the land sale, which is due to close this summer.

On Monday, the Sutton Co. will seek approval from the city's Historic Landmark Commission to demolish what are mostly older houses on the nine parcels it is purchasing from several owners. The approval is needed because the Rainey Street neighborhood is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/developer-planning-two-high-rises-at-downtown-austins-2311367.html

Trader Joe's coming to downtown Austin next year

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01440/041812_traderjoe_1440714c.jpg

By Brian Gaar

Published: 5:04 a.m. Wednesday, April 18, 2012

California-based specialty grocer Trader Joe's is coming to Austin next year with a new store at the Seaholm development downtown, company officials said.

The Austin store's planned site is just blocks from some stiff competition — Whole Foods' flagship store and headquarters at Sixth Street and Lamar Boulevard.

"We are thrilled to be coming to Austin and look forward to being part of this wonderful neighborhood," said Trader Joe's spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki. She declined to give a more specific opening date for the store.

The Austin Trader Joe's store will be part of the proposed mixed-use project at the former Seaholm Power Plant on a 7.8-acre site downtown. Plans for the project, which is scheduled to break ground in July, call for 298 apartments, 130,000 square feet of office space, 40,000 square feet of retail space and an acre of outdoor event space.

"Of all the nationally known retailers to land in Austin over the past decade, it's safe to say Trader Joe's is right up there in terms of the degree of enthusiasm in which they're welcomed," said John Rosato, managing partner for Seaholm Power LLC, the company overseeing the redevelopment project.

http://www.statesman.com/business/trader-joes-coming-to-downtown-austin-next-year-2311879.html

Proposed 30-story office tower could alter downtown skyline

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/shared-blogs/austin/theticker/upload/2012/04/proposed_30story_office_tower/Daytime%20View%20Update%2010.jpg

By Shonda Novak | Wednesday, April 18, 2012, 05:30 PM

Cousins Properties Inc. says it plans to build a 30-story office tower at Third and Colorado streets, a project that could become the first new high-rise office building built in downtown Austin since Cousins opened Frost Bank Tower eight years ago.

Cousins intends to break ground late this year on the new tower, which would have about 390,000 square feet of office space, said Tim Hendricks, senior vice president with Cousins. Twelve of the 30 stories would be for a parking garage with 900 spaces. The building would also have 6,000 square feet of street-level retail.

The project, which Cousins is calling Colorado & Third, would rise on what is now a parking lot across Colorado Street from Sullivan’s Restaurant.

San Antonio-based Hixon Properties Inc. formerly planned to build an upscale hotel on the site. Hendricks said Hixon and Silver Ventures, also based in San Antonio, would partner with Cousins in the project. The land is owned in a partnership between Hixon and Silver Ventures.

Hendricks declined to comment on the estimated cost of the project or potential financing options.

Cousins doesn’t have any tenants lined up yet, but is talking to prospects, Hendricks said. The goal would be to have commitments for about half of the space before breaking ground, Hendricks said.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/theticker/entries/2012/04/18/proposed_30story_office_tower.html

311 Bowie st. Austin

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eme1UN6uptM/T1p-aaAmR_I/AAAAAAAAAGw/i4fCVFXL_l0/s320/building.pdf+-+Adobe+Reader.BMP

http://blog.aquadesign.net/2012/03/3...ks-to-hks.html

Downtown urban rail on track for November vote

http://impactnews.com/downloads/9070/download/bitblt-620x521-437662d92c8c701e102c6932c9bcece1877755de/NWA201203-01-2m1.jpg



http://impactnews.com/articles/downtown-urban-rail-on-track-for-november-vote

I want to see this happen and up and running as soon as possible. :cheers:

The best example I've seen of this working was in Nice, France. They only have one line but I was able to use it extensively.

I want to see this happen and up and running as soon as possible. :cheers:

The best example I've seen of this working was in Nice, France. They only have one line but I was able to use it extensively.

I feel the same.

Willie Nelson statue unveiled downtown

http://img.vrvm.com/media/render.htm?m=408773217&width=320&height=213

By Benjamin Wermund 04/20/2012 6:59 PM

There was something in the air Friday afternoon as the Red-Headed Stranger took the stage at the bottom of the steps to ACL Live. He was standing next to an 8-foot bronze likeness of himself — unveiled just moments before.

“What time is it?” Nelson asked the crowd of hundreds that had gathered at the intersection of Willie Nelson Boulevard and Lavaca Street. Mayor Lee Leffingwell, City Manager Marc Ott and the Austin City Council sat in the front row. “I can feel it getting close to something.”

It was just after 4:20 p.m. on April 20, a sort of counter-culture holiday. That was when the non-profit Capital Area Statues Inc. had decided to present its latest statue to the city, and the timing was lost on nobody.

“Who knew it would be on 4/20,” Austin-based journalist Lawrence Wright, who is also the president of Capital Area Statues, said before the unveiling, insisting it was a “complete and utter coincidence.”

The statue — at the bottom of the steps leading to the home of Austin City Limits — the 1974 pilot of which featured Nelson — is the third given to the city by the group. The statue, created by Philadelphia-based artist Clete Shields, shows Nelson leaning over his guitar, smiling.

http://m.statesman.com/statesman/pm_22411/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=XyWKh3DR

Dirt moving on the 3 story Schlosser project.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb250/austintexs/break.jpg
Photo taken by Ahealy on SSP.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb250/austintexs/11-Schlosser-Develo_889204c.jpg

311 Bowie st. Austin

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eme1UN6uptM/T1p-aaAmR_I/AAAAAAAAAGw/i4fCVFXL_l0/s320/building.pdf+-+Adobe+Reader.BMP

http://blog.aquadesign.net/2012/03/3...ks-to-hks.html

The link says "Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist.", is this tower under construction.


I can't wait for Austin to get its first supertall. I'd love to see a simple sleek glass 1100 ft box go up on Congress ave. That would be cool.

The link says "Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist.", is this tower under construction.


I can't wait for Austin to get its first supertall. I'd love to see a simple sleek glass 1100 ft box go up on Congress ave. That would be cool.


Sadly the Austin city council shot this project down due to a 75ft. Live oak tree being in the way and didn't want to remove it due to the fact it is one of the oldest trees in Austin and the underground powerlines also made this an obstacle as well.:ohno:

Riverview Apartments progress.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/524078_3716562789742_1145904752_5202084_880835643_n.jpg

New 17st. Hyatt hotel rising in center with the 17st 3rd & Brazos apartment tower rising in the far left.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/535528_3716677992622_1145904752_5202089_1933089010_n.jpg

Another unknown project rising in the UT area.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/156573_3716679472659_1145904752_5202090_178060382_n.jpg

Financing secured, 'all systems are go' for downtown Austin convention hotel

White Lodging Services Corp. has financing in place for its $275 million, 33-story upscale convention hotel planned along Congress Avenue and is preparing for a June launch for the project.

A top company executive provided new details about the project — one of largest developments in downtown Austin's history — in an exclusive interview with the American-Statesman.

On June 15, crews are expected to start work to relocate underground utilities at the site on Congress Avenue between Second and Third streets, said Deno Yiankes, president and CEO of investments and development for White Lodging, a hotel development, ownership and management company based in Merrillville, Ind.

White Lodging is aiming for an Aug. 1 start for construction on a three-story underground parking garage with 458 spaces that will take nine to 10 months to build, followed by construction of the hotel, a JW Marriott with 1,012 rooms, up from 1,003 previously planned. The project's cost could go as high as $300 million, Yiankes said.

"We're going to go as fast as the city can give us permits," Yiankes said. "All systems are go."

The hotel will be the largest hotel White Lodging has built and its most "dramatic architecturally," he said.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/financing-secured-all-systems-are-go-for-downtown-2325601.html

Financing secured, 'all systems are go' for downtown Austin convention hotel

.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/financing-secured-all-systems-are-go-for-downtown-2325601.html

Love it! Parking lots downtown are so boring.

Sadly the Austin city council shot this project down due to a 75ft. Live oak tree being in the way and didn't want to remove it due to the fact it is one of the oldest trees in Austin and the underground powerlines also made this an obstacle as well.:ohno:

I agree with that decision. Large trees make the area more beautiful. Maybe a tall skinnier tower could be build in place of previously proposed project.

Austin's own version of Gruene Hall part of downtown redevelopment project

A project in the works downtown could bring new life to two dilapidated warehouse buildings including converting one of them into Austin's version of the famed Gruene Hall music venue in New Braunfels.

The old warehouse buildings at Fourth and Brazos streets — along with a newer building at the site — were purchased in May 2011 by Austin-based Hospital Housekeeping Systems, one of the nation's largest privately owned hospital support services firms.

Craig Holmes, the firm's chairman, is part of a partnership, Brazos Hall LLC, that is redeveloping one of the warehouses into Brazos Hall, an entertainment venue.

Hospital Housekeeping Systems moved its headquarters into the newest structure on the site, a three-story, 17,000-square-foot building that American Youth Works had occupied since about 2002. American Youth Works had been marketing the buildings, which encompass half a city block, for several years.

The buildings received offers from developers who wanted to demolish them and build high-rise apartment projects, said Scott Young, a real estate broker and developer working with Hospital Housekeeping Systems.

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/austins-own-version-of-gruene-hall-part-of-2323588.html



I'm glad someone is going to do something useful with this building. I always felt weird walking by it.

MUELLER BURSTING WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT
H-E-B, hotel, children's museum among projects

Updated: Thursday, 26 Apr 2012, 10:24 AM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 25 Apr 2012, 1:08 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - By the end of 2013, the Mueller development in Central Austin should be bursting with activity from at least 11 freshly opened projects – from a new H-E-B to the new Austin Children’s Museum.

http://media2.kxan.com//photo/2012/04/25/mueller4_20120425151929_640_480.JPG

The following projects are slated for the development, most breaking ground in 2012 and opening sometime in 2013:

Next section of homes

Bordered by Philomena, Mattie and Simond streets along Berkman Drive

Residence Inn by Marriott

Southwest corner of 51st Street and Lancaster
112 rooms, four stories
Features one- and two-bedroom suites and studios
Projected to be the first Texas LEED-gold-certified hotel
Built for longer stays, able to serve families at nearby Dell Children’s Medical Center
Will have about 3,000 square feet of separately accessible ground-floor retail space

Austin ISD Performing Arts Center

Western side of Mueller Boulevard between 51st Street and Barbara Jordan Boulevard
59,000 square feet, with open plaza area and parking garage
Includes 1,200-seat auditorium and 225-seat black box theater
Facility offices for AISD’s Fine Arts Department

Pecan Street Demonstration Lab

Southwest corner of Berkman Drive and Antone Street (across the street from the former control tower)
Scientists to study the connection between human behavior and energy use
Tests how homes interact with a new smart grid electrical system
More than 200 volunteer residents in and around Mueller already participate in this research
Expected to open this summer

New apartments by Simmons Vedder

Mueller Boulevard and Philomena Street (next to Mosaic at Mueller apartments)
Four stories, offering one-, two- and three-bedroom residences and five two-story live-work unites
301 apartments, 275,000 square feet, two courtyards, a pool
Residences will have 10-foot ceilings, granite countertops, wood floors and stainless steel appliances
Ten percent will be part of the Mueller Affordable Homes Program for families making 60 percent of less of Austin’s median family income

New patient wing at Dell Children’s Medical Center

Philomena Street near the Seton Administrative Offices
Third patient tower now under construction
72 new beds
Increased critical care capacity and expanded medical capacity in areas like inpatient rehabilitation and the cardiology department
Expansion happening earlier than expected due to an increased demand and support
Adds and expands other programs like orthopedics and sports medicine, craniofacial and reconstructive plastic surgery and the neurosciences department

Austin Children’s Museum

Simond Avenue generally across from the playscape at Mueller Lake Park
28,000-square-foot building, 0.64-acre tract
Current downtown location is leased, not owned
Nonprofit is running a capital campaign to fund the new building

Austin Playhouse

Simond Avenue next to Austin Children’s Museum across from Mueller Lake Park
Includes 200+ seat main stage and 99 seat flexible second stage
Gallery, public spaces, classrooms, and support facilities like a scene shop, costume shop and administrative offices
Planned arrangement with Artspace to build four stories of artists’ lofts on top of the theatre, pending funding
Moves group from current Penn Field location

Mueller Market District

Southeast corner of 51st Street at Berkman Drive (Berkman will be built from 51st Street to Simond Avenue)
Located on a 16-acre tract
110,000-square-foot shopping center, featuring stores (including anchor H-E-B) and restaurants

H-E-B

Bordered by 51st Street and the future extensions of Berkman Drive and Marbara Jordan Bouelvard
Anchor in the Mueller Market District
75,000-square-foot H-E-B grocery store
Will be the company’s most sustainable store to date
Will be used as a testing ground for sustainable design strategies with a focus on energy and water reduction, plus recycling programs
Hancock Center and Springdale locations will remain open after Mueller store opens

Mueller Trailer Eats

Along Airport Boulevard next to the Browning Hanger and near the Mueller Central Information Center
Currently in use at the historic Browning Hangar
Features a variety of trailer park eateries open seven days a week
Upon completion of the entire Mueller development, officials estimate there will be more than 10,000 new residents and 10,000 permanent jobs.


http://media2.kxan.com//photo/2012/04/26/MAP222_Mueller_Development_2_20120426093247_640_480.JPG

Timeline of the Mueller area:

1928 – Voters approve bonds to build Austin’s first airport
1936 – Robert Mueller Municipal Airport opens for commercial service
1971 – Increasingly landlocked, city leaders consider a new site for Austin’s airport
1993 – Voters approve bonds to build the new airport by a 2-1 margin
1999 – Robert Mueller Municipal Airport officially closes, and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport opens
2003 – Seton and the City commit to building a new Children’s Medical Center at Mueller
2007 – First commercial entities open in Mueller
2007 – Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas opens
2007 – Construction begins on the first single-family homes
2008 – Lake Park, Southwest Greenway and Ella Wooten Park open
2009 – Mosaic at Mueller opens as the first multifamily community in Mueller
2009 – Dell Pedicatic Research Institute opens as the first building on the UT Campus in Mueller

Catellus and H-E-B will give an overview presentation about the development of the Market District and the H-E-B store followed by a breakout discussion tonight at 6 p.m. at Our Lady’s Maronite Church on East 51st Street.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/investigations/mueller-bursts-with-major-developments

Mexic-Arte seeking $10 million from city for new downtown building

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01452/043012_Mexicarte_1452482c.jpg

By Jeanne Claire van Ryzin AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 10:30 p.m. Sunday, April 29, 2012

Saying that they want to bring a $30 million iconic building to a prominent downtown corner, backers of Mexic-Arte Museum are asking the City of Austin for $10 million in bond money to be included in the November bond election.

"We could build a plain box, but we have the chance to build an iconic structure that will drive tourism and be a landmark for the city," said John Hogg, president of the museum board.

Mexic-Arte occupies a three-story building on the southeast corner of Congress Avenue and Fifth Street.

Conceptual plans by Mexican architect Fernando Romero show a cylindrically shaped six-story building clad in translucent material. Hogg said that the building's unusual shape is a reference to the Aztec calendar. "It's representative of Mexico and Mexican culture," he said.

At a proposed 54,000 square feet, about half of the building would be commercial office space that the museum would lease to generate income, Hogg said.

Mexic-Arte Museum already has $5 million in city money from a 2006 voter-approved bond package.

That money had originally been earmarked for a new building on the campus of the Mexican American Cultural Center, but museum leaders decided to remain on Congress Avenue.

Hogg said that the new $30 million project would be paid for with $15 million in city bond money, $6 million in federal New Market Tax Credits for under-served communities, $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration and a $6.5 million capital campaign.

http://m.statesman.com/statesman/pm_...tguid=OpQ7mrWk

New downtown hotel brings hopes of luring more and larger conventions to Austin

http://impactnews.com/downloads/9987/download/bitblt-620x310-2c9826cbece988954a956faa40073f77982e0521/v2-edit.jpg

Several projects in downtown Austin have announced steps forward this week, and one of the larger projects—the JW Marriott Austin hotel planned for the block of Second and Third streets and Brazos Street and Congress Avenue—was announced to have 19,000 rooms booked three years ahead of the project's completion. Steve Genovesi, senior vice president of sales for the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the additional 1,200 rooms the hotel will bring to the urban core in Austin make a huge difference in the CVB's ability to sell Austin to large groups and conventions. "Many times there was a lot of positive perception about the city, and many times it just came down to this core element of having another large hotel," Genovesi said. "We have had a pretty strong list of clients for quite some time now who have eagerly expressed interest if we were ever able to secure another large hotel ... Now we’re able to go back and engage with those clients." Jay Spurr, director of sales and marketing for JW Marriott Austin, agreed. “The addition of a 1,000-room hotel to downtown Austin is a game-changer for the city,” Spurr said in a news release. “Having this number of hotel rooms under one roof will allow the city to land large, national conventions and meetings for which it could otherwise not compete.” Genovesi said it is unusual for a project three years away from completion to have 19,000 rooms already spoken for. "I think that’s very impressive," he said. "For a hotel that is basically three years from opening, that’s a very impressive number of hotel rooms already confirmed."

http://impactnews.com/articles/jw-marriott-moving

Seton offers $250M for new Austin hospital

Austin Business Journal Date: Monday, April 23, 2012, 7:02am

Seton Healthcare Family has pledged $250 million to build a new teaching hospital in Austin, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

The new hospital would replace the aging University Medical Center Brackenridge. Funds from Seton, its parent, Ascension Health, and donor contributions would pay for the new medical center. Building the new facility would take three years to complete, officials said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/morning_call/2012/04/seton-offers-250m-for-new-austin.html

Austin train stop lures developers

Austin Business Journal by Sandra Zaragoza, Staff Writer Date: Friday, April 27, 2012, 5:00

The MLK transit-oriented development is attracting interest from developers and the community at large as an up-and-coming area that will see more than $22 million in projects break ground in the next 18 months.

The Meredith family, local philanthropists, has worked more than five years on Chestnut Plaza, where the next phase includes two nonprofit headquarters and a community garden. Sustainable Food Center is breaking ground on its approximately $4 million, 7,000-square-foot headquarters and 2.4-acre community garden at the end of May.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2012/04/27/austin-train-stop-lures-developers.html

A new crane being installed at the Gables Park Plaza tower
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb250/austintexs/crane-2.jpg
Photo taken by Ahealy on SSP.

Rendering of the project.
http://downtownaustinblog.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/gables-park-plaza-rendering-600x419.jpg

More cranes over Austin! :cheers:

Another picture from Ahealy looking SW.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb250/austintexs/photo-60.jpg

I wish that old Seaholm power plant could be removed...or at least repurposed with new development surrounding the Art Deco bits worth preserving.

I wish that old Seaholm power plant could be removed...or at least repurposed with new development surrounding the Art Deco bits worth preserving.Construction on the Seaholm development is starting in June.

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01440/041812_traderjoe_1440714c.jpg
http://www.statesman.com/business/trader-joes-coming-to-downtown-austin-next-year-2311879.html

I wish that old Seaholm power plant could be removed...or at least repurposed with new development surrounding the Art Deco bits worth preserving.

Why remove it? I think the powerplant looks great. Nice to have something unique and historical in the area.

Edit, posted an old(March 2010) article by mistake, leaving it here for those who'd still like to see it.


Jets to get more places to park at Austin-Bergstrom

from statesman.com:

http://www.statesman.com/business/jets-to-get-more-places-to-park-at-458011.html

A $30 million project is under way at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to create more spots for jets to park overnight near the terminal, which will speed up on-time morning departures.

The project, on land east of the eastern end of the Barbara Jordan Passenger Terminal, will add 13 spots to the 26 now available for jets to park after they make their final stop for the day.

There's already more demand than capacity for the overnight parking, airport spokesman Jim Halbrook said.

Jets that can't get an overnight spot near the terminal must park on the other side of the airport and be towed to their gates for the next morning's flight.

The new spaces also will help the airport accommodate more flights or carriers in the future.

The expanded parking will replace a former go-kart racing track, as well as some airport facilities.

The project will be complete in 2012. Federal money is covering about a third of the cost.

Why remove it? I think the powerplant looks great. Nice to have something unique and historical in the area.

Well, the plant is cool and as I said, could be repurposed to preserve the more interesting portions. And as the above post indicates, there's a redevelopment plan afoot so chances are it will survive. My gut feeling about these things is that you don't have to preserve everything provided a replacement development is worthy of the sacrifice. If someone had wanted to knock it down for a parking lot, I would be as outraged as everyone else.

There was never any chance of it ever being taken down. Even after the plant shut down it has been in use as one of the most popular entertainment venues in the city until a few months ago when they started the prep-work for the redevelopment this summer. If the redevelopment had been postponed further due to the recession it would have just remained as a entertainment venue.

Edit: Opps! I should have added NSFW! lol. Sorry. :(

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DCMC April 17

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/6941660036_e9f34b5bf5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/setonfamily/6941660036/)
DCMC Construction April 17 2012 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/setonfamily/6941660036/) by seton healthcare family (http://www.flickr.com/people/setonfamily/), on Flickr

I really hope they put the new UT Med School next to there.

You can also see in that picture where that patch of land is in the center is currently being developed by a 4 story apartment building, which broke ground last week.

Well, the plant is cool and as I said, could be repurposed to preserve the more interesting portions. And as the above post indicates, there's a redevelopment plan afoot so chances are it will survive. My gut feeling about these things is that you don't have to preserve everything provided a replacement development is worthy of the sacrifice. If someone had wanted to knock it down for a parking lot, I would be as outraged as everyone else.

If the developers are going to redevelop the Seaholm Power Plant a good example of a similar project would be the Pratt Street Power Plant, in Baltimore in which they kept the exterior of the structure intact (which incidently used to be a power plant as well), while retooling the interior of the building to suit it's new function as an entertainment/retail center.

http://static.travel.usnews.com/images/destinations/50/power_plant.jpg

Hopefully if the Seaholm Power Plant were to be redeveloped the developers would use that same exact model.

If the developers are going to redevelop the Seaholm Power Plant a good example of a similar project would be the Pratt Street Power Plant, in Baltimore in which they kept the exterior of the structure intact (which incidently used to be a power plant as well), while retooling the interior of the building to suit it's new function as an entertainment/retail center.

[IMG]http://static.travel.usnews.com/images/destinations/50/power_plant.jpg[/MG]

Hopefully if the Seaholm Power Plant were to be redeveloped the developers would use that same exact model.

That would be perfect! :cheers:

Austin adds 10 miles to proposed urban rail system

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-adds-10-miles-to-proposed-urban-rail-2350833.html

http://i50.tinypic.com/zvy3c2.jpg

Austin's urban rail plan is growing tentacles.

With a potential November public vote on a first segment of a downtown-centric, electric-powered rail system, City of Austin transportation planners have added about 10 miles to the 16.5-mile, $1.3 billion proposed system that has long been public.

The newest map shows rail lines reaching Southpark Meadows shopping center in far south Austin, MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) near West Fifth Street and at West 35th Street, the Triangle on Guadalupe Street and MetroRail's Crestview Station on North Lamar Boulevard.

Construction of any part of such a system is far from certain, and decisions by officials or the public on the newly proposed sections likely would be many years away. Nonetheless, retired political consultant Peck Young said city officials are making a politically savvy move.

"The only way you can get citywide support for those kinds of things is to have a citywide plan," said Young, executive director of Austin Community College's Center for Public Policy and Political Studies. "And that looks like what they're trying to do. I'm glad in particular that we decided to remember that South Austin is part of the city too."

...

$147 million Waller Creek Tunnel Project beneath downtown on time, budget

http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/01473/052012gm_wallerb1__1473491c.jpg

By Ciara O'Rourke AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Updated: 7:58 a.m. Sunday, May 20, 2012

Nearly a century after swollen Austin creeks swept 35 people to their death, construction is under way 70 feet underground to prevent floodwaters from again destroying life and property downtown.

Workers are burrowing through the city's chalky, limestone crust, building a tunnel that, when finished, is supposed to stop storm water from flooding Waller Creek.

An inlet at Waterloo Park will catch floodwater and funnel it under Sabine Street before the tunnel spits it into Lady Bird Lake.

Standing inside the gaping tunnel Saturday, Joseph Pantalion, the city's watershed protection deputy director, said 3.7 million gallons of water will rush through the passage during what's known as a 100-year storm, when 10 inches of rain falls within 24 hours.

There's only a 1 percent chance each year that the city will endure such a deluge, but the risk of flooding remains, Pantalion said.

"Even in a drought like this, we're not safe," he said.

Now dry, the tunnel will always be full when complete, Pantalion said, pumping lake water into the creek when its not raining to maintain a gentle flow of water year-round, a boon to the species that live there.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/147-million-waller-creek-tunnel-project-beneath-downtown-2365543.html

Leander welcomes geographic growth

http://impactnews.com/downloads/10463/download/bitblt-620x586-e70bd7819a2c07161a322a2e219c5361c19bfcd4/LCP201205-01-1m1.jpg

Emilie Boenig

May 18, 2012

Annexation increases city’s land mass by 12 percent In the largest land annexation in the city’s history and the first since 2010, the Leander City Council agreed May 3 to add 1,831 acres of land to its tax roll. The annexation—near FM 1431 and Nameless Road—increases Leander’s reach by about 2.86 square miles, making a total of 25.84 square miles within city limits. The annexation could nearly double the city’s property value, City Manager Kent Cagle said. Adding land to Leander increases property and sales tax revenues, and as the city grows through gradual annexations over time, new areas receive tax-funded city services. Cagle said growing in size is an important goal for the city and comes with benefits to residents. “Short term, the developments will help current residents pay for the cost of our water supply and treatment facilities,” he said. “Long term, they will add to the tax base and create the demographics necessary to attract more restaurant and retail developments.”

http://impactnews.com/articles/leander-welcomes-geographic-growth

$147 million Waller Creek Tunnel Project beneath downtown on time, budget






I like how it will also add flowing water to the creek. :cheers:

I like how it will also add flowing water to the creek. :cheers:

Me to. :)