AUSTIN | Economic Development

[Cottonwood]

I'm not sure if this is the best thread to post this in, but I thought that those of you in Austin might find this article interesting.


Is Boise like Austin 20 years ago? Lessons from Texas’ capital city provide clues to Boise’s possible future

https://boisedev.com/news/2021/03/17...e-as-it-grows/

The Lone Star State’s capital may be 1,600 miles away, but Austin and Boise share many similarities. They’re both blue cities in red states, host a research university, lack a strong public transportation system, and are experiencing rapid growth due to quality of life and a strong economy.

Twenty-five years ago Austin’s metro area was the same size as the Treasure Valley is now. Looking at Austin gives Boiseans an idea of what challenges could be in store for our city’s future and how Austinites wish they prepared for their current moment. It’s not perfect, but it allows Idahoans a little glimpse ahead in time.

Steven Pedigo, a professor at University of Texas Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, said the city’s weak public transit system hobbled the city’s growth and helped push working-class residents to the outskirts. He said once a city hits 2 million residents and it doesn’t have an efficient transit system, the city’s growth stalls as congestion eats up workers’ time and cuts into what made the city livable in the first place.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Cottonwood

I'm not sure if this is the best thread to post this in, but I thought that those of you in Austin might find this article interesting.


Is Boise like Austin 20 years ago? Lessons from Texas’ capital city provide clues to Boise’s possible future

https://boisedev.com/news/2021/03/17...e-as-it-grows/

Not a very well researched article, and I find the analogy somewhat lacking.

I don't know where they got their "Austin’s metro area had 720,000 people in 1996" number. The link they provide shows that as the '95 value, but more importantly, just Travis + Williamson had 716k in _1990_ (so their source seems to be wrong).

but just as critically, at that point in 1990, Travis had just gone through a decade of 37% growth, and was about to enter a decade of 40% growth.

Boise's metro is about to finish a decade of <25% growth. While the city itself is sitting in the low teens, after another decade in the 2000s of 10% growth.

I don't see any indication that Boise is seeing growth anywhere comparable to what Austin was seeing in the 90s (or even now).


The article also uses "CodeNext" in 2019 and only interviews Tovo from the council, which just rubs me the wrong way.


" He said once a city hits 2 million residents and it doesn’t have an efficient transit system, the city’s growth stalls "

Luckily Austin didn't hit this quite yet, and hopefully won't until the PC rail can finish up.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Not a very well researched article, and I find the analogy somewhat lacking.

I don't know where they got their "Austin’s metro area had 720,000 people in 1996" number. The link they provide shows that as the '95 value, but more importantly, just Travis + Williamson had 716k in _1990_ (so their source seems to be wrong).

but just as critically, at that point in 1990, Travis had just gone through a decade of 37% growth, and was about to enter a decade of 40% growth.

Boise's metro is about to finish a decade of <25% growth. While the city itself is sitting in the low teens, after another decade in the 2000s of 10% growth.

I don't see any indication that Boise is seeing growth anywhere comparable to what Austin was seeing in the 90s (or even now).


The article also uses "CodeNext" in 2019 and only interviews Tovo from the council, which just rubs me the wrong way.


" He said once a city hits 2 million residents and it doesn’t have an efficient transit system, the city’s growth stalls "

Luckily Austin didn't hit this quite yet, and hopefully won't until the PC rail can finish up.

Austin's metro surpassed the 1 million mark during the summer of 1995.

Austin's population in the 1990 census was 826,227 (if my memory serves me correctly).

I believe the latest estimate for Boise's metro population is a hair under 750,000. So, Austin (31 years ago) was still bigger than Boise is today.

[GoldenBoot]

^^^Plausible. However, I think the angle of 111 Congress (the building itself) is too acute to bounce that reflection onto The Molar.

Are not the windows on 111 Congress triangular? Maybe it was a reflection from the interior of 111 (from where the photo was taken) which projected said reflection?!?

[KevinFromTexas]

Yeah, I think it is being reflected through one of the southwest facing windows in One Congress Plaza onto the inside of one of the windows on the northeast facing windows.

If you look at the photo, the reflection isn't just wrapping around 405 Colorado, part of the reflection also appears on the garage area of 405 Colorado - an area of the building that isn't reflective. So it must be coming from inside One Congress Plaza's windows. And you can tell that it's a reflection rather than being photoshopped since 422 on the Lake appears on the left side of the Catherine in the reflection. That blank wall on 422 on the Lake is actually on the right side of the Catherine when looking south.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021...y=90&auto=webp

[kingkirbythe....]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Yeah, I think it is being reflected through one of the southwest facing windows in One Congress Plaza onto the inside of one of the windows on the northeast facing windows.

If you look at the photo, the reflection isn't just wrapping around 405 Colorado, part of the reflection also appears on the garage area of 405 Colorado - an area of the building that isn't reflective. So it must be coming from inside One Congress Plaza's windows. And you can tell that it's a reflection rather than being photoshopped since 422 on the Lake appears on the left side of the Catherine in the reflection. That blank wall on 422 on the Lake is actually on the right side of the Catherine when looking south.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021...y=90&auto=webp

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

WE HAVE A WINNER!



You can even see the Long Center a little bit and its parking garage.

[StoOgE]

There was a second shooter from the grassy knoll that looked like the Catherine.

[We vs us]

Joe Rogan wants to open a new comedy club here; he’s trying to buy the One World Theater out in Bee Caves Road.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/lo...5-ef8ec663b576

[N90]

Surprised they haven't added Drew Houston in Austin's list yet.

On April 6, Forbes released its 2021 list of the world’s billionaires. Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, landed at No. 2 globally with a net worth of $151 billion. He sat at No. 31 in last year’s ranking.

Now at No. 2 in Texas is Walton, whose net worth is $61.8 billion. That puts her at No. 17 on the global list.

Walton is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton; as of December 2020, the Walton family still reigned as the richest family in the U.S., with Alice Walton's wealth accounting for a little over one-fourth of the family fortune.

The only other Texan who comes close to Musk and Walton in the Forbes ranking is Michael Dell. The chairman and CEO of Round Rock-based Dell Technologies boasts a net worth of $45.1 billion. That places him at No. 30 on the global list and No. 3 in Texas.

In all, the Forbes list features 64 Texas billionaires collectively worth $460.1 billion. (What pandemic?) Among the state’s metro areas, Dallas-Fort Worth leads with 27 billionaires, followed by Houston (17), Austin (10), and San Antonio (3).

https://fortworth.culturemap.com/new...bes-elon-musk/

[ATX2030]

Silicon Valley Is Flooding Into a Reluctant Austin

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ey-transplants

[ATX2030]

6 VCs talk the future of Austin's exploding startup ecosystem

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-vcs...133643226.html

[undergroundman]

Austin-based Oracle considering $1.2 billion expansion in Nashville

https://www.statesman.com/story/busi...on/7222597002/

It's interesting that at one point, Elison said the Austin campus will eventually employ up to 10k people. It currently only employs 2,500 people, with an announcement to open a campus in Nashville that will employ up to 8,500. Added together, it's 11,000 employees. Were those 8,500 initially meant for Austin?

I wonder if Oracle is having second thoughts about Austin. Shots rang out at Fiesta Gardens, across the river from the campus, earlier in the month during a car club meet while families celebrated Easter at the park. Kxan reported that residents at a nearby high end condo had been complaining about the car club meetings for some time. And then add to that, the homeless mess on Riverside. There have been shootings and assaults that have occurred within that homeless camp.

Ultimately, Oracle has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for its employees. Kxan also did a piece on employees working at local shops on Riverside and how the homeless camps have impacted them. One female Sally Beauty employee said she's constantly dealing with shoplifting and felt unsafe walking to her car without an escort every night. If Oracle wants their employees to live and work late around their campus, it's got to be a safe environment. The southeast area has always been a crime center in Austin. I kinda think Oracle thought their presence would turn that around a lot sooner than it has.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by undergroundman

Austin-based Oracle considering $1.2 billion expansion in Nashville

https://www.statesman.com/story/busi...on/7222597002/

It's interesting that at one point, Elison said the Austin campus will eventually employ up to 10k people. It currently only employs 2,500 people, with an announcement to open a campus in Nashville that will employ up to 8,500. Added together, it's 11,000 employees. Were those 8,500 initially meant for Austin?

I wonder if Oracle is having second thoughts about Austin. Shots rang out at Fiesta Gardens, across the river from the campus, earlier in the month during a car club meet while families celebrated Easter at the park. Kxan reported that residents at a nearby high end condo had been complaining about the car club meetings for some time. And then add to that, the homeless mess on Riverside. There have been shootings and assaults that have occurred within that homeless camp.

Ultimately, Oracle has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for its employees. Kxan also did a piece on employees working at local shops on Riverside and how the homeless camps have impacted them. One female Sally Beauty employee said she's constantly dealing with shoplifting and felt unsafe walking to her car without an escort every night. If Oracle wants their employees to live and work late around their campus, it's got to be a safe environment. The southeast area has always been a crime center in Austin. I kinda think Oracle thought their presence would turn that around a lot sooner than it has.

Nashville has way higher violent crime rates than Austin. We live in the US, and unfortunately, violent crime is present everywhere. As are homeless people. I don't think anything you referenced would have impacted a decision to expand or not expand in Austin.

If I had to guess, it may be related to the insanely high cost of housing here due to people like those in the luxury condos you mentioned built in historically low-income areas.

[WesternSon]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

If I had to guess, it may be related to the insanely high cost of housing here due to people like those in the luxury condos you mentioned built in historically low-income areas.

THIS. Austin is probably 15-20% higher costs for housing than Nashville. Also, they will have way less competition for talent in Nashville than here.

Good riddance - we are bursting at the seems and don't need to win any and everything.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by undergroundman

Austin-based Oracle considering $1.2 billion expansion in Nashville

https://www.statesman.com/story/busi...on/7222597002/

It's interesting that at one point, Elison said the Austin campus will eventually employ up to 10k people. It currently only employs 2,500 people, with an announcement to open a campus in Nashville that will employ up to 8,500. Added together, it's 11,000 employees. Were those 8,500 initially meant for Austin?

I wonder if Oracle is having second thoughts about Austin. Shots rang out at Fiesta Gardens, across the river from the campus, earlier in the month during a car club meet while families celebrated Easter at the park. Kxan reported that residents at a nearby high end condo had been complaining about the car club meetings for some time. And then add to that, the homeless mess on Riverside. There have been shootings and assaults that have occurred within that homeless camp.

Ultimately, Oracle has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for its employees. Kxan also did a piece on employees working at local shops on Riverside and how the homeless camps have impacted them. One female Sally Beauty employee said she's constantly dealing with shoplifting and felt unsafe walking to her car without an escort every night. If Oracle wants their employees to live and work late around their campus, it's got to be a safe environment. The southeast area has always been a crime center in Austin. I kinda think Oracle thought their presence would turn that around a lot sooner than it has.

1) Employees are still in the dark with regard to their "new" flexible work policy (i.e., remote). Nothing has changed at their Redwood Shores campus. And nobody there has been asked to relocate - yet. How is this going to affect the population of a corporate campus? Who knows!?!

2) The Nashville campus, according to Oracle documents, is to employ 2,500 people by 2027 and "up to" 8,500 by 2041. Oracle has a number of "major" hubs throughout the world. This is a new one and has no affect on the vision for its Austin campus.

3) One doesn't wake up one morning and haphazardly decide to relocate a Fortune 500 company from one locale to another. Oracle made the HQ move through much deliberation and thought. Nashville's hub announcement is not Oracle rethinking the HQ move.

4) The citizens of Austin are about to decide what to do with the homeless camps - in May (I believe).

[JAM]

Originally Posted by undergroundman

Austin-based Oracle considering $1.2 billion expansion in Nashville

https://www.statesman.com/story/busi...on/7222597002/

It's interesting that at one point, Elison said the Austin campus will eventually employ up to 10k people. It currently only employs 2,500 people, with an announcement to open a campus in Nashville that will employ up to 8,500. Added together, it's 11,000 employees. Were those 8,500 initially meant for Austin?

I wonder if Oracle is having second thoughts about Austin. Shots rang out at Fiesta Gardens, across the river from the campus, earlier in the month during a car club meet while families celebrated Easter at the park. Kxan reported that residents at a nearby high end condo had been complaining about the car club meetings for some time. And then add to that, the homeless mess on Riverside. There have been shootings and assaults that have occurred within that homeless camp.

Ultimately, Oracle has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for its employees. Kxan also did a piece on employees working at local shops on Riverside and how the homeless camps have impacted them. One female Sally Beauty employee said she's constantly dealing with shoplifting and felt unsafe walking to her car without an escort every night. If Oracle wants their employees to live and work late around their campus, it's got to be a safe environment. The southeast area has always been a crime center in Austin. I kinda think Oracle thought their presence would turn that around a lot sooner than it has.

Thanks for the update. I'd guess Oracle is just spreading the wealth. Some folks like Nashville region of the world, others Austin. Need both to keep attracting talent.

As far as the KXAN story, yep, if you live and work down town, especially in a ground floor retail store open to the public, you see all of this in a totally different light. Especially the ladies.

[StoOgE]

The idea that Nashville feels safer than Austin tells me some of y'all haven't been to Nashville.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

The idea that Nashville feels safer than Austin tells me some of y'all haven't been to Nashville.

^^^Ding! Ding! Winner winner hot chicken dinner!

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

The idea that Nashville feels safer than Austin tells me some of y'all haven't been to Nashville.

Yep. Austin had 48 murders in 2020 - the highest since 1991 when we had 49. There were 35 in 2019 and 2018. Nashville had 109 murders in 2020. That's up from the 84 they had in 2019 and 88 in 2018. So, yeah.

Austin - 950,807 city population - 2019 - 319 square miles - 48 murders in 2020.

Nashville - 694,144 city population - 2019 - 504 square miles - 109 murders in 2020.

Even adjusting for Nashville's larger city proper area and adding the metro numbers for Austin in a 5 county area that covers 4,280 square miles, we still only had 68 in the metro.

[AusTxDevelopment]

Originally Posted by undergroundman

Ultimately, Oracle has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for its employees. Kxan also did a piece on employees working at local shops on Riverside and how the homeless camps have impacted them. One female Sally Beauty employee said she's constantly dealing with shoplifting and felt unsafe walking to her car without an escort every night. If Oracle wants their employees to live and work late around their campus, it's got to be a safe environment. The southeast area has always been a crime center in Austin. I kinda think Oracle thought their presence would turn that around a lot sooner than it has.

While this is all 100% true, Oracle's campus in SE Austin is kind of a closed ecosystem. SE Austin isn't very walkable. Oracle's campus is private space with private security and surrounded by apartments that are either owned directly by Oracle for employee housing, or that are 90% leased to Oracle employees. They have multiple on-campus cafes, outdoor spaces and a big fitness center so employees don't have to venture off-campus if they don't want to. Unless they walk across the street to the Town Lake hike and bike trail employees are not among the campsites like downtown workers are. The retail strip centers around SE Austin get the brunt of the vagrancy and theft.