[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...in-worlds.html

Austin ranks in world’s fastest-growing economies report
Austin Business Journal by Sarah Drake, Web Editor
Date: Friday, November 30, 2012, 1:33pm CST

Sarah Drake
Web Editor- Austin Business Journal

Austin is one of only five metropolitan areas in all of North America to rank in the top 70 of the 300 fastest-growing metropolitan economies worldwide, according to a Friday report.

Austin ranks No. 61 after experiencing a major recession and partial economic recovery, according to the report by the Metropolitan Policy Program at the D.C.-based Brookings Institution.

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http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/pr...-not-much.html

Need space in downtown Austin for your company? Good luck in this market
Austin Business Journal by Jan Buchholz, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, November 30, 2012, 5:00am CST - Last Modified: Thursday, November 29, 2012, 10:01pm CST

For many companies, especially those with more than 100 people under one roof, there may as well be a gigantic “no vacancy” sign over downtown Austin.

With a new mix of companies clamoring for space in the Central Business District, vacancy rates have plummeted to about 10.9 percent for Class A office properties, said Kim Gatley, senior vice president and director of research for NAI REOC brokerage in Austin. The squeeze is so tight that some commercial real estate brokers are wondering whether there are enough large blocks of space to accommodate new companies to the market.