Those are really difficult statistics to accurately come by. I wouldn't expect much...

IMO the biggest difference between the cores is mixed vs single use. Austin just has a much higher proportion of mixed use distributed across the core. This is what drives more lively street life. That includes the park system in the core which activates thousands daily. Also significant is that Austin’s core is not surrounded by grid stopping freeways. The bones are better for true urbanity.

YesX1,000!! The lack of urbanity-killing interstates crisscrossing is the secret ingredient. We're so lucky to have missed that bullet though motor-heads may disagree. The walkability is magnificent and should only get better as we allow more housing and commercial development.

Build up not out!

It's ok to have an interstate, but it's needed to be upgraded for a long time. It's basically the same as when it was built more than 60 years ago. Imagine if we didn't make upgrades to other pieces of our infrastructure such as the airport, mass transit or even our utilities. It's crazy that we could neglect such an important piece of our infrastructure. Like it or not, there will always be a need for highways. I don't like them either, but they are essential. The interstate system was originally planned as a way for the military to move around the country for national security. Of course, after the war and the deescalation of conflict, it became suburbanized as the country boomed after the war. There will always be a need for an interstate, even if we only have one.

Ok. I know that the corona virus has cancelled SXSW in Austin as well as events across the country but has it made developers hesitant to build as far as any of you can tell?

I think it is far too early to tell. Developing real estate is a long term play. Nobody is going to reverse course in a couple weeks. If the situation takes a while to get under control, and the economy continues to take a hit from it and the oil war, we probably will see a slow down and moth balling of some projects, but I think we are several months away from knowing for sure how it plays out.

That makes sense. I've always loved the fact that it's not encircled by freeways like Dallas or Houston - or San Antonio, for that matter. Fort Worth is interesting in that is has freeways on three sides, and while the Trinity River creates a fourth boundary, it's crossing over with proposed/planned developments. It'll be interesting to see how that develops.

Back to Austin - I agree also on the mixed-use aspect. It'll be fun to see more of that pop up. When my wife and I were downtown recently for a date, we were surprised to see how much has gone in at street level in the past 10+ years. While I've come back for work a few times, it was her first time down there in years.

Austin construction seems to be trucking along during the crisis. Let’s see how things progress over the next few weeks.

It will continue to move right along for a couple years based on what's financed and already started. But there will not be any more large hotels or speculative office towers starting any time soon anywhere.

Yup I agree! I think Austin is in a good place and did pretty good during 2008 also in comparison to other cities, right?

Yup. But the 2008 recession was different, and Austin along with the other major Texas metros weathered the storm quite well. The storm knows no boundaries this time.

I'm guessing The Republic among those put on indefinite hold? We can be thankful for the Roaring 10's at least.

Yeah I feel like tech cities are in a pretty good place right now. Austin is still gonna need office space after all this is over. We should do alright. Until then thank you guys for my contact with the outside world.

Assuming lending doesn’t completely collapse, which it shouldn’t, why would these projects go on hold? Now will be delivered for years. No reason to stop.

Agree!

With the elevations being released for 3rd & Brazos yesterday, we got our 18th 500' + tower in the pipeline. It's really the 21st 500'+ tower with the two ATX towers and Block 190 include. Now we must kill the virus.

If those buildings actually get built, we'll pass Dallas for the number of 500+ foot tall buildings. They have 20 at the moment, including AMLI Fountain Place.

How can we do this? Can we eradicate all of them?

Wow!

Despite the Pandemic, Ryan Companies said today that they are moving forward on both of their biggest Austin projects and plan to start construction on both in January 2021.

658' Tower 5C:
https://i.imgur.com/cYSPki4.png
https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n..._news_headline


773' BBVA Bank Tower which is mostly residential despite the name:
https://i.imgur.com/DQPKKHE.png
https://pagethink.com/v/project-deta...6th-Street/fc/

That's good to hear. I was looking at my Google Earth model yesterday, and both of those, along with The Republic and 6 X Guadalupe will be visible from my neighborhood. Tower 5C will be visible from a few blocks from our house.

The Frost Bank Tower was labeled the nose hair trimmer, so I guess this one is the clipper/razor.

https://i.imgur.com/WueeBZe.jpg