[KevinFromTexas]

I'd forgotten we had a thread on this, so I moved some posts from the Austin update thread to here.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/...f-2438451.html

ACC acquisition clears way to plan future of Highland Mall

By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz
Published: 9:13 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012

As president and CEO of Austin Community College, Richard Rhodes oversees eight campuses, two more under construction, 11 satellite education centers, 42,000 students and 4,500 faculty and staff members.

Now comes the task of planning a "new urbanism" development to replace Austin's first regional mall, which has been in decline for years.

The latest transaction clears the way for potential commercial development in the next 18 to 36 months, said Matt Whelan, RedLeaf's principal. He said apartments are likely to be a major component of the first phase in light of high demand, with that sector's occupancy rate at nearly 98 percent in Austin.

"We see a mixed-use environment that includes multifamily residential uses as well as retail, commercial office use and potentially hospitality or hotel use, in a pedestrian-oriented environment," Whelan said. "Obviously all those things need to be planned and integrated with the college's uses so they work together in the best extent possible."

"I know of no other community college that has undertaken something like this," Rhodes said in an interview last week at his office in ACC's Highland Business Center, adjacent to the mall. "It's exciting."