AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 442

Jdawgboy · #**8821** Posted **May 7, 2011, 9:27 PM**

I am kind of sad that they are not going to built 7th and Rio, I liked that building as well and the renderings for it are very nice.

H2O · #**8822** Posted **May 7, 2011, 11:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

It also shows a 12-story "museum tower proposal" for Austin that I'm not familiar with.

http://rhodepartners.com/

Museum Tower is otherwise known as Gables Park Plaza Phase II. Brett Rhode was involved with early master planning back when the Children's Museum was going to be in the low rise portion of Phase II. (About 7 years ago)

KevinFromTexas · #**8823** Posted **May 8, 2011, 1:07 AM**

^I see. I had sort of thought it might be that project the way the two were oriented. Both designs are different from that one, though, and the 2nd tower is supposed to be a bit taller.

Somnio · #**8824** Posted **May 9, 2011, 6:11 PM**

Quote:

Austin condo sales up, price stable
Austin Business Journal
Date: Monday, May 9, 2011, 10:50am CDT

Austin downtown condominium resales increased from $4.4 million last April to $10.2 million the same time this year, while the average price per foot sold was stable month to month, according to multiple listing data reported on The Downtown Austin Blog.

....

Of the new development properties included in the report, the following closed deals in April:

Four Seasons Residences, six
Austonian, six
Spring Condos, seven
W Austin Hotel and Residences, six

....

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/05/09/austin-condo-sales-up-price-stable.html

Somnio · #**8825** Posted **May 9, 2011, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Austin airport traffic up 9 percent in March
Austin Business Journal
Date: Monday, May 9, 2011, 10:19am CDT

Air traffic through Austin increased another 9 percent in March compared year over year, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport reported on Monday.

A total 801,553 passengers traveled through Austin that month. Of that, about 399,305 were enplanements, which is up 10 percent from the same month last year.

....

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/05/09/austin-airport-traffic-up-9-percent-in.html

Somnio · #**8826** Posted **May 9, 2011, 6:32 PM**

Also, this from the Statesman article...

Quote:

....

Separately, the Standard & Poor’s credit rating firm raised its rating on the airport’s revenue bonds from A- to A. The higher rating will enable the airport to borrow money at lower cost, said airport Executive Director Jim Smith.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/s...ml?cxntfid=blogs_statesman_business_blog

This is great news, because the airport is going to begin some major improvements in the near future. They're almost done with the apron expansion, which will allow construction to begin on the new terminal expansion on the east side of the airport.

Also, a new parking garage will be constructed where Lot A currently stands.

Here are a couple of PDFs detailing what's happening at ABIA. Some of these improvements have already been completed.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/smbr/downloads/DSMBRCapitalDevelopmentatABIA.pdf

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/austinairport/downloads/aus_cip_report_pt1.pdf

ndirishdad · #**8827** Posted **May 10, 2011, 6:51 PM**

Any new rendering of S. Tracy towers?

wwmiv · #**8828** Posted **May 10, 2011, 7:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndirishdad

Any new rendering of S. Tracy towers?

T. Stacy. No.

KevinFromTexas · #**8829** Posted **May 10, 2011, 9:04 PM**

Obama in Austin.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1...316505654.551970.504905653&type=1&ref=nf

(@yaya_41)
http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/obama-austin-reader-photos-051011/#169196

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/s...05/10/obama_tells_austinites_change.html

Quote:

He repeatedly expressed a fondness for Austin, joking that he might run for mayor after his presidency.

JoninATX · #**8830** Posted **May 11, 2011, 5:20 PM**

I was there yesterday a friend of mine was taking pictures of everything going on in downtown, the first one is a police officer escorting a guy to the media. Btw I'm the person in the red t-shirt by the fire hydrant.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbi...58023701.37410.1597212843&type=1&theater

BevoLJ · #**8831** Posted **May 11, 2011, 11:06 PM**

Thanks for the pictures guys!

Obama's topic does seem a bit odd to me from what that little blog said that you linked Kevin. That the topic of his talk was a warning that "Change can be slow". I mean of all the places to give a talk like that perhaps Austin isn't the best choice of places for that. Change here seems to happen quite fast. Not just with the huge changes we have seen in the past decade but Austin has kinda always been that way. Might have been a better talk to save for a city in Cali or the midwest. I don't know. I would love to see a transcript of his speech.

Syndic · #**8832** Posted **May 12, 2011, 12:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Thanks for the pictures guys!

Obama's topic does seem a bit odd to me from what that little blog said that you linked Kevin. That the topic of his talk was a warning that "Change can be slow". I mean of all the places to give a talk like that perhaps Austin isn't the best choice of places for that. Change here seems to happen quite fast. Not just with the huge changes we have seen in the past decade but Austin has kinda always been that way. Might have been a better talk to save for a city in Cali or the midwest. I don't know. I would love to see a transcript of his speech.

Indeed. In fact, the whole thing seemed very disjointed and half-assed. He kept talking about how we were "rugged individualists" and we "love our oil". It's like he wasn't even talking to the people in the room. Neither of those things are really descriptive of the people of Austin. And there were other things. It just seemed painfully artificial. Was kinda surreal, actually.

BevoLJ · #**8833** Posted **May 12, 2011, 1:27 AM**

I found a transcript of the speech he gave at the W downtown if anyone was interested.

http://kut.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/president-obama-his-own-words

KevinFromTexas · #**8834** Posted **May 12, 2011, 2:31 AM**

http://www.statesman.com/business/health...youthworks-complex-downtown-1469791.html

Quote:

Health services company buys American Youthworks complex downtown

By Lori Hawkins
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 8:58 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Published: 8:52 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, 2011

An Austin-based health care services company beat out developers to purchase the former American Youthworks complex on a half block near the Austin Convention Center.

Hospital Housekeeping Systems Inc. will move its headquarters to 216 E. Fourth St., having outgrown its current home at 322 Congress Ave.

The company did not disclose how much it paid for the property, which includes a three-story building, two warehouses and parking. The property was listed for sale at $9.2 million.

KevinFromTexas · #**8835** Posted **May 12, 2011, 2:37 AM**

This isn't a huge boost to the core since they're only moving out of their building on East Avenue.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/s...5/11/texas_monthly_returning_to_dow.html

Quote:

Texas Monthly leases 21,610 square feet at 816 Congress

By Shonda Novak | Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 01:43 PM

Texas Monthly is moving back downtown, into 21,610 square feet on the 17th floor of 816 Congress.

“I could not be happier,” said Elynn Russell, president of the magazine, which has 80 employees.

816 Congress is owned by Thomas Properties Group, which owns five other downtown buildings.

WillPostPix · #**8836** Posted **May 12, 2011, 2:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

Indeed. In fact, the whole thing seemed very disjointed and half-assed. He kept talking about how we were "rugged individualists" and we "love our oil". It's like he wasn't even talking to the people in the room. Neither of those things are really descriptive of the people of Austin. And there were other things. It just seemed painfully artificial. Was kinda surreal, actually.

It was disjointed and surreal-sounding to me, also. Although, think of what a surreal time this must be for him. He takes office behind the support of all of these people knowing full well what a mess the country is and after that it's like everybody in the country forgets how hard that must be. "Good luck, man, you're on your own. Figure it out." I'm sure he was prepared for it, realizing that "you're great, Obama!" would almost immediately turn into "Here are all the things wrong with what Obama is doing," but I doubt he could have been prepared for the total roadblocking of virtually everything he's tried to do to put the country on a more positive path since taking office. Not to mention the fact that the popular supporters seem more interested in talking about what he's doing wrong rather than what he's done right and giving off dark warnings that he might not make it in the 2012 elections. So yeah, it probably was a bit artificial. I'm sure he cares as much about the American people as he did when he first took office, speeches are probably not exactly what he'd like to be doing. I doubt he even would be, given all the roadblocking, if it didn't seem like people want to be hearing something in the meantime. But what a weird position to be in. It's not like they give talking points. He probably doesn't even know what people in Austin want to hear about. He is probably painfully aware that "change can be slow" because the roadblocking he's been dealing with. He is probably mostly preoccupied with whether or not he can do anything with this country if he does stay in office, or if all of his attempts for progressive change will instead turn into months of seeming stasis and popular opinion seeming to drop and frustrating him from making further attempts. I would not like being in that position right now. I probably wouldn't handle it well at all.

KevinFromTexas · #**8837** Posted **May 12, 2011, 2:40 AM**

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/council-to-vote-on-changes-to-historic-landmark-1469806.html

Quote:

Council to vote on changes to historic landmark program

By Sarah Coppola
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 8:18 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, 2011

City staffers recently suggested big changes to Austin's historic preservation program to quell criticism that the program offers generous tax breaks to high-dollar homes.

City Council Members Bill Spelman and Laura Morrison want to enact most of those changes but would prefer a less dramatic cut to the tax break, according to a plan they've written that the full council will vote on today.

The two want to cap the annual city tax break at $2,500 per historic home, not $2,000, as city staffers urged; phase in the cap over five years, not two , for the nearly 270 homes designated as landmarks; and use an index to automatically increase or decrease the cap over time, based on changes in property values due to inflation or deflation.

KevinFromTexas · #**8838** Posted **May 12, 2011, 2:52 AM**

http://www.statesman.com/business/centra...ard-garriott-gaming-startup-1469731.html

Quote:

Central Texas Business Digest: Richard Garriott gaming startup adding jobs, moving downtown

COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: 7:58 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, 2011

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Garriott gaming startup moves, will add staff

Social gaming company Portalarium, which was started last year by legendary developer Richard Garriott and partners, has moved to a downtown office and is hiring additional staff.

The company recently moved from its previous home on Garriott's property along Lake Austin to a 1,400-square-foot loft at 704 Congress Ave.

WAustinResident · #**8839** Posted **May 12, 2011, 3:36 PM**

Here is the Obama motorcade coming and going from my patio.

http://youtu.be/gFAfBFqEG5I Coming

and going.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2rd5vwUCDA

Obama was in the 2nd black van.

priller · #**8840** Posted **May 12, 2011, 8:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

This isn't a huge boost to the core since they're only moving out of their building on East Avenue.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/s...5/11/texas_monthly_returning_to_dow.html

Not good for East Ave complex. Well, I say complex, but it's only that one building. Is there anyone else in office space at that building?