Austin Metro Development Updates

[KevinFromTexas]

Georgetown is planning a 200 room conference/convention hotel at I-35 and Rivery Boulevard. The project may also have separate residential buildings with retail on the ground floor. It looks like the hotel is 7 to 9 floors tall.


http://impactnews.com/articles/conference-center%2C-hotel-in-the-works

Conference center, hotel in the works

by Samantha Bryant
June 8, 2012

County, city amend tax reinvestment zone

Five years after plans were first announced for The Summit at Rivery Park, developers say they may be ready this summer to announce the name of the hotel developer and management company that will run a hotel and conference center.

The conference center will anchor the mixed-used development planned at Rivery Boulevard and I-35.

“This can truly be a destination conference center, not just to service Georgetown, but all of Williamson County, and bring people here from Travis County and everywhere else,” said Jeff Novak, a principal of Brae Group LTD, the developer of The Summit at Rivery Park.

http://www.thesummitatriverypark.com/

Renderings:
http://www.thesummitatriverypark.com/rendering-gallery.php

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Creating new sub-forums isn't really one of my duties on the forum. And also we usually add new sections to the forum based on how much traffic a city or region produces. One good way to encourage that would be to post content that has to do with Waco, and post it in the main Texas section and create a projects and construction thread for it there. That could act as a way of attracting some people from Waco or Temple, etc, to visit the forum.

Ok, I will create a thread sometime later this week or so, I know Waco has that new Baylor stadium going on and Temple, Killeen and Belton are growing quickly.

[JoninATX]

http://www.thesummitatriverypark.com/rendering-gallery.php

Looks nice...

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/business/indoor-sports-complex-coming-to-leander-2402060.html

Indoor sports complex coming to Leander

By Gary DingesIt's a facility like nothing else in Central Texas.

At least that's what the developers say of the Premier Athletic Complex, an indoor sports and recreation center under construction on the 183‑A toll road in Leander, projecting 260,000 visitors per year. They say that's more than attend University of Texas men's or women's basketball games each year.

The 40,000-square-foot building is expected to open this fall near Cedar Park Center and the Leander school district's Rouse High School.

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:37 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, 2012

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/plans-brewing-for-round-rocks-first-food-trailer-2402888.html

Plans brewing for Round Rock's first food trailer park

By Benjamin Wermund
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:58 p.m. Friday, June 22, 2012

ROUND ROCK — The food trailer trend in Austin has cooked up an appetite among business owners for mobile eateries a little further north.

Flyers have cropped up advertising a "Wilco Food Trailer Park" coming soon to downtown Round Rock. It's a venture that supporters say will be a boon for business in the downtown area — but the trailers are currently not allowed in the city, so officials are working to draft standards to regulate them.

[BevoLJ]

OMG! OMG! OMG!!!!

This is the biggest news for Austin since F1. Including the huge new Hotels!! LOL!

They are widely considered the best BBQ in the world by many (including me). So... Ya'aaaaay!

Lockhart barbecue family buries the hatchet with new restaurant near Austin
Addie Broyles, Relish Austin

One of the greatest families in Texas barbecue is starting a new chapter in its storied history.

In 1999, descendents of longtime Kreuz Market owner Edgar Schmidt watched a family quarrel become national news — a "barbefeud" that ended with Kreuz moving to a new location and Smitty's opening in Kreuz's original home off the square in Lockhart. The family long ago made up, and now three of Schmidt's grandchildren have decided to publicly reunite by opening a new barbecue restaurant together.

But instead of doing so in the Barbecue Capital of Texas, cousins Keith Schmidt, who now owns Kreuz, John Fullilove, who is pitmaster at Smitty's, and Susie Schmidt-Franks, who hasn't been involved in the restaurants since she cleaned tables at Kreuz as a teenager, decided to open Schmidt Family Barbecue just outside Austin in Bee Cave.

"People seem to only remember the feud," says Keith Schmidt. "We want to show that it was just a disagreement in the family, not the Hatfields and the McCoys."

The argument centered on the original building, which Edgar Schmidt had left in his will to daughter Nina Sells before he died in 1990. Rick Schmidt, who along with brother Don bought the business but not the building in the '80s, and Sells couldn't agree on rent and renovations, so he moved Kreuz to a space out on U.S. 183, which cuts through the middle of town. (Don, Susie's dad, was part-owner of Kreuz until he retired in 1997.)

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Read More: http://www.austin360.com/food-drink/lock...404586.html?page=2&viewAsSinglePage=true

[KevinFromTexas]

http://impactnews.com/articles/officials-break-ground-on-acc-hays-campus

Officials break ground on ACC Hays campus

by Meagan Olson
June 28, 2012

Officials at the ground breaking for the Austin Community College Hays Campus on June 27 promised Hays residents the chance to “Start Here, Get There.” The 10th fully serviced campus for ACC, the Hays location is scheduled to open its doors in spring 2014.

Barbara Mink, a board of trustees chairwoman for the ACC District, spoke of the November 2010 date when Buda and Kyle residents voted to allow the annexation of Hays CISD into the ACC district. The annexation also made Hays CISD residents eligible for in-district tuition at all ACC campuses from the day of approval.

ACC's Hays Campus is in Kyle near the intersection of Kyle Parkway and Kohler’s Crossing on 96 acres. The first phase of the facility will accommodate a maximum of 2,000 students, with future phases planned to increase enrollment and types of programs offered.

[KevinFromTexas]

The one complaint that Round Rock residents have is the one major one we've always talked about on the forum about the car oriented development that Round Rock has adopted and even embraced.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/round-rock-survey-shows-most-residents-satisfied-2407417.html

Round Rock survey shows most residents satisfied

By Benjamin Wermund
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 6:36 p.m. Saturday, June 30, 2012

ROUND ROCK — Even as Round Rock grows at the second-fastest rate in the nation for cities with populations larger than 100,000, a new survey shows its residents are largely happy with city services. The city beat benchmarks in everything from perceived safety to parks and recreation, but residents did have one complaint: traffic.

"We're always concerned as we continue to grow as fast as we're growing that things will start to slip away from us, and we're very pleased that citizens are by-and-large still happy with their city," Mayor Alan McGraw said of the survey results presented to the City Council Thursday.

Transportation planning in the city earned the lowest marks, with 45 percent of respondents saying they were satisfied. More than half — 59 percent — of residents felt traffic flow in the city was getting worse compared with two years ago, and only 15 percent felt it was getting better. Most respondents — 62 percent — said traffic flow was "good" or "excellent" in and around neighborhoods, whereas 28 percent of respondents felt that way about traffic on state roads and highways. The city has a five-year plan aimed at improving transportation and is working on 27 projects.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2012/07/13/suburbs-shopping-for-retailers.html

Suburbs shopping for retailers

Now’s the time to lure them in, experts say
Austin Business Journal by Vicky Garza, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, July 13, 2012, 5:00am CDT

Economic development officials in Austin’s suburbs have again hung the proverbial “open for business” sign for retailers and restaurants.

With the economy picking up and the Austin area deemed one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., suburban cities are getting to work — some even hiring outside consultants and offering incentives or assistance — to help stem the flow of sales tax leakage caused by residents having to go elsewhere for more shopping and dining options.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_storie...es-ahead-for-downtown-san-marcos-parking

07/14/2012 03:59 PM
Potential changes ahead for Downtown San Marcos parking
By: Russell Wilde

Where and how you park your car in downtown San Marcos could be changing soon.
The city is working on implementing its downtown master plan, and part of that plan deals with the area's limited parking. Right now, parking on the street is free, but limited to 2 hours during the business day.

Some business owners say the rules aren't being enforced and available parking is being filled by people leaving their cars for extended periods of time.

One possible change could bring parking meters downtown.

[KevinFromTexas]

I would so live in San Marcos before I ever considered Round Rock.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/san-marcos-looks-at-adding-bike-lanes-to-2416960.html

San Marcos looks at adding bike lanes to Thorpe Lane and on Mill Street

By Ciara O'Rourke
Published: 8:47 p.m. Sunday, July 15, 2012

SAN MARCOS — Thorpe Lane could go on a diet, as the city's assistant director of public services puts it.

The roadway is one of two that the City of San Marcos recently proposed installing bike lanes by reducing Thorpe from four to three lanes, thereby granting bicyclists easy passage from Springtown Way to Warden Lane.

The current proposal would also extend the bike lane on Mill Street — which would remain at two lanes — from Uhland Road to Aquarena Springs Drive.

[the Genral]

[QUOTE=KevinFromTexas;5766451]I would so live in San Marcos before I ever considered Round Rock.

Hey!....

[BevoLJ]

Lol. I'd have to agree with Kevin on that one.

Very beautiful area, many nice small hill country towns with their own personalities around there with tons of fun things to do between there, NB and Gruene and the other towns. Close to both Austin and SA, fun college atmosphere, and I generally love all the people in the area I meet. Rarely will I meet someone and think to myself "wow, what an 🞵🞵🞵..." lol.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Lol. I'd have to agree with Kevin on that one.

Very beautiful area, many nice small hill country towns with their own personalities around there with tons of fun things to do between there, NB and Gruene and the other towns. Close to both Austin and SA, fun college atmosphere, and I generally love all the people in the area I meet. Rarely will I meet someone and think to myself "wow, what an 🞵🞵🞵..." lol.

I've lived in both cities. Round Rock is the better choice if you like low crime, consistently rising property values, good schools, a horrific commute into Austin and speed traps.

San Marcos is the better choice if you like a slightly lower cost of living, quicker commutes to both Austin and S.A. and a transient (students) and lower income demographic more prone to taking your stuff or not caring about people who take your stuff.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by the Genral

It's not totally a comment about Round Rock's built environment (although, that's a really big one), or the political thing, it's also that San Marcos' natural environment, which is beautiful, is celebrated.

Anyway, like a day after I posted that article about the bike lanes in San Marcos, a guy was hit and killed by a car while riding his bicycle in San Marcos.

[the Genral]

I worked in San Marcos for a year while living in RR. It was a 112 mile round trip commute from my house, and well worth it. I really like SM for many reasons, but the commute around town was bad when I worked there in 2001, and I imagine its much worse now. But it is surrounded by beautiful country, the largest crape murtles I have ever seen, lots of water, nearby beautiful Dripping Springs, lots of antique shops, hill country views, ect... so I probably wouldn't mind living there. But they do have their share of poverty issues especially on the east side of 35, train traffic that cuts through major streets in several parts of DT that can snarl traffic many times per day, and just like anywhere many pros and cons. I live in RR because of its proximity to my job. It's really one of the most boring and indiscernible cities I've ever lived in. However, and I think I said this before, RR and SM do have a lot in common... car dealerships, outlet malls, I35, motels and hotels, shopping centers, higher education, and smaller towns between them and Austin. But RR will never have a proper DT city center due to the lack of a proper dt street grid, and SM will never have quite the urban sprawl by virtue of its surrounding topography. All that being said, SM is more beautiful, has a nice city core, and incredible surroundings, but I think I'll stay in RR.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I worked in San Marcos for a year while living in RR. It was a 112 mile round trip commute from my house, and well worth it.

Wow. That is a hell of a commute. When I was stationed in San Diego I lived up in the mountains in a town called Ramona for a while between deployments. It was a hell of a commute but sooooo worth it! 45 miles each way. But I had to be on base by 6am every morning so I always beat traffic. It was wonderful.

I think the only way I could ever put up with such a long commute is in that sort of situation. Going from 2,500 feet altitude up in the mountains down to base every morning I just loved the drive. When I was in LA I had a hour commute for a little while and I hated it! Snooooore. lol

Sadly I heard a few years after I moved back to Austin pretty much all of the town was destroyed in a massive forest fire. Including my friends house.

[the Genral]

I had a company car and free gas and service. I caught rush hour traffic in both directions. Plus there was major road construction from Kyle to San Marcus. But it was my first assignment managing a business where I was the boss so that was worth the drive by itself. I also got to know the Chief of Police, some of the coaches at SWT including the basketball coach, Coach Nutt, and was able to move about the University and facilities rather easily. I also made friends with many business owners by bringing them Round Rock Donuts. You learn to accept the drive time as unwind time or me time and then you get through it. The worst part of the drive was from 183 to RR on 35.

[Mopacs]

As posted in the main Austin development thread, here are some shots of ongoing construction at The Domain in North Austin. All taken this past Friday (7/20):



Parking garage structure and future apartments, at the intersection of Esperanza Crossing and Domain Drive. Possibly some retail/offices on the ground floor.





Esperanza Crossing

[KevinFromTexas]

Rarely do you hear about a small town in Texas fighting AGAINST a suburban development with a golf course, but Wimberley is.

The worry is that the golf course and additional homes would create the need for more water being taken out of Cypress Creek and Jacob's Well.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-...an-for-golf-course-homes-challenged.html

Plan for golf course, homes challenged

Wimberley residents worried about water
Austin Business Journal by Vicky Garza, Staff Writer
Date: Friday, July 20, 2012, 5:00am CDT - Last Modified: Thursday, July 19, 2012, 8:16pm CDT

Residents in the small town of Wimberley, south of Austin, are trying to derail a plan to build another golf course and about 1,000 homes in the Woodcreek subdivision.