AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[lzppjb]

From poster named bluto on shaggy:

not exactly downtown, but anybody have a word on what happened in Tech Ridge area with a 300k sq ft building being sold this week?... costar says that CBRE is witholding information until they have an official press release announcement. I've heard it's an expansion of a company that already has a presence here but the listing says it's going to be converted into office which is a shit ton of space.

just pulled up deed records and the grantee is general motors llc

Any ideas? Thoughts?

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

From poster named bluto on shaggy:






Any ideas? Thoughts?

This was announced a couple years ago. It will be one of about four GM IT centers across the country. The one in Austin was supposed to create 500 jobs. I think they have been using office space somewhere along 183.

ABJ article from 2012:
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...rmer-dell.html

[lzppjb]

Thanks. Good memory!

[drummer]

I see the points that you guys make. I just think it'd be cool to link up the two developing areas. Any ideas for another thoroughfare (other than Oltorf) that could potentially serve that purpose - create a walkable/pedestrian-friendly link between S. Lamar and S. Congress? I'll confess that I'm not as familiar with that part of town.

[smith_atx]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

This was announced a couple years ago. It will be one of about four GM IT centers across the country. The one in Austin was supposed to create 500 jobs. I think they have been using office space somewhere along 183.

ABJ article from 2012:
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...rmer-dell.html

I remember seeing a GM sign up on one of the buildings that faces Parmer for over a year. Maybe they are hiring more now?

[airwx]

GM is in one of the old Dell buildings. I work in the area and constantly see new GM cars with Manufacturer license plates driving around. There's also a lot of development going on in the Parmer/Tech Ridge area. Here are the two big ones: Tech Ridge Center and PARMER.

[The ATX]

A site plan was filed for a hotel and art gallery called The Zilker at 1210 Barton Springs:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11329864

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

A site plan was filed for a hotel and art gallery called The Zilker at 1210 Barton Springs:

https://www.austintexas.gov/devrevie...erRSN=11329864

What a great use for that parcel! That would help fill in the arts district and create more connectedness along that side of BSR.

[lzppjb]

So, that bicycle shop closed? I seem to remember a shop closing being mentioned on here awhile back.

[KevinFromTexas]

It seemed odd to have another shop there. There's already Bicycle Sport Shop at Lamar & Barton Springs, and there's another one farther west on Barton Springs (east bound side). I could see having another one on East Riverside being a good thing with the boardwalk and hike & bike trail over there as well.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

So, that bicycle shop closed? I seem to remember a shop closing being mentioned on here awhile back.

That would be Jack & Adams Bicycles. They didn't really close, they just moved into the ground floor retail of The Cole on S. Lamar. I even posted a photo of the building at 1210 Barton Springs back in February in the Transformation of S. Lamar thread.

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

1210 Barton Springs Rd. This used to be a KFC, then Jack & Adam's bicycles, now a pet store. It was slated to become 80 hotel rooms, 30 residences and an art gallery, but it's no longer on the emerging projects website.

That hotel/art gallery project was on the emerging projects website forever. The last time was on the February 2014 emerging projects, and then in the May 2014 one, it totally disappeared. I'm surprised it has come back.

Does anyone know anything about Ron Thrower Designs? He was the contact person shown when this project was on the emerging projects site. I don't know if you guys remember, but a few years ago there was another project proposed and he was the contact person for that one, too. It was for 701-711 W. 7th Street

The proposal seeks to redevelop a half-acre block to build a
200-unit residential tower with 8,000 square feet of retail and 6,000
square feet of restaurant space.

If you look at the June 2012 emerging projects list - it's listed as R83 - just west of R60 which was 7 Rio. It never got got built. Seems like I've seen his name on a few other proposals that never seem to get built.

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

Does anyone know anything about Ron Thrower Designs? He was the contact person shown when this project was on the emerging projects site. I don't know if you guys remember, but a few years ago there was another project proposed and he was the contact person for that one, too. It was for 701-711 W. 7th Street

Don't know anything about him or his company, but the name sounded familiar. He's also associated with redevelopment of the Korean Presbyterian Church on Justin Lane in Crestview.

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

Korean Presbyterian Church

Now THERE's a phrase I never anticipated encountering in my lifetime! Now, I challenge you to find Austin's secretive Argentine Coptic Christian Petting Zoo and Sports Memorabilia Warehouse.

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

This was announced a couple years ago. It will be one of about four GM IT centers across the country. The one in Austin was supposed to create 500 jobs. I think they have been using office space somewhere along 183.

ABJ article from 2012:
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...rmer-dell.html

I work at GM now (since January 2014) managing a team of software developers in Atlanta and Austin. It's closer to 1500 than 500 here in Austin. New building has been rumored for a long time. Not sure if this is it or not (I've seen hints myself internally but nobody's saying anything for sure). On corner of Tech Ridge and Parmer, nowhere near 183.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Tech House

Now THERE's a phrase I never anticipated encountering in my lifetime! Now, I challenge you to find Austin's secretive Argentine Coptic Christian Petting Zoo and Sports Memorabilia Warehouse.

There's a Korean Catholic church in our neighborhood as well.

[Syndic]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

There's a Korean Catholic church in our neighborhood as well.

There's a Korean Presbyterian Church by my house, too, in Round Rock.

[hookem]

It should not be a surprise. Christianity is a very fast growing religion in certain Asian countries (the ones we Americans associate as "Asian", anyway); and it's been common in Asian communities within the US for at least 20 years. Back when I lived in Dallas, more than 20 years ago, you'd see Asian Christian churches pop up as the Asian community grew.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-15-years.html

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by M1EK

I work at GM now (since January 2014) managing a team of software developers in Atlanta and Austin. It's closer to 1500 than 500 here in Austin. New building has been rumored for a long time. Not sure if this is it or not (I've seen hints myself internally but nobody's saying anything for sure). On corner of Tech Ridge and Parmer, nowhere near 183.

That's great news that 1,500 jobs have been created. How does that compare to what was supposed to be their biggest IT Innovation Center outside of Detroit?

[sammyk]

I think there is also a GM facility on Metro Center Drive. Not sure what they do at that location.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by sammyk

I think there is also a GM facility on Metro Center Drive. Not sure what they do at that location.

They've had a call center here since sometime around 2000, but I don't know if that is the location.