AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 443

KevinFromTexas · #**8841** Posted **May 13, 2011, 6:04 AM**

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/aust...-down-1471977.html?viewAsSinglePage=true

Quote:

Austin City Council picks firm to tear down Holly Power Plant

By Marty Toohey
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 8:37 p.m. Thursday, May 12, 2011

After months of delay, a unanimous Austin City Council chose the company Thursday it will pay to dismantle the Holly Power Plant, a hulking, shuttered mass of pipes, beams and boilers on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake.

The council settled on TRC Environmental Corp. for the environmentally sensitive task. The $11.5 million job should start in July and take about 18 months, according to the city.

JoninATX · #**8842** Posted **May 13, 2011, 7:06 PM**

Samsung hiring as it moves, expands Austin chip design center

Quote:

ByKirk Ladendorf
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Published: 8:15 p.m. Thursday, May 12, 2011

Samsung Austin Semiconductor, which started its Austin chip engineering design operations just a year ago, is moving that center to Northwest Austin to give it room to grow.

Samsung signed a lease to move its Samsung Austin Research Center from the company's Northeast Austin manufacturing complex to the Ladera Bend office complex at RM 2222 and Jester Boulevard.

Samsung Austin Research Center employs 80 engineers, and it expects to hire an additional 30 this year, Vice President Keith Hawkins said Thursday. The center is expected to move into its new quarters by early July.

Samsung said it is looking for both new college graduates and experienced engineers with a master's degree in electrical or computer engineering to fill openings at the center .

http://www.statesman.com/business/samsung-hiring-as-it-moves-expands-austin-chip-1471942.html

priller · #**8843** Posted **May 13, 2011, 8:36 PM**

Here are a few pics I've taken of the "hulking, shuttered mass of pipes, beams, and boilers". I always thought it was kind of photogenic.

BevoLJ · #**8844** Posted **May 13, 2011, 10:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoninATX

Samsung hiring as it moves, expands Austin chip design center

http://www.statesman.com/business/samsung-hiring-as-it-moves-expands-austin-chip-1471942.html

I saw this yesterday as was very surprised. I mean they are just finishing building a $9.6 billion plant here in Austin (half of which is already online I think) and they are still looking for places to lease out due to lack of space.

cvillehorn · #**8845** Posted **May 14, 2011, 8:12 PM**

Greetings skyscraper gents and dames. I'm a born-and-raised Austinite and current Charlottesville, VA refugee in grad school. Gratuitous kudos for this masterful Austin real estate/development database. It's easy to see y'all are some of the most passionate and proactive constituents for the betterment of our glorious Texas oasis, the city of Austin. I just wanted to preface my actual comments with that gratuity, so thank you to all for your time, work, and enthusiasm.

Regarding future development and areas for property arbitrage, can anyone weigh in on the 1100 block of West 5th St downtown? This area is a primed location along Lady Bird Lake just behind the ball fields where you can see development is exploding all around it, however, the locale itself is confined to dilapidated-looking warehouse buildings and a junk yard. A quick google maps satellite view of this will likely tell you all you need to know. Any body plugged in who can offer insight as to what the status of this area is? I'm sure some developers have eyed this area while licking their chops for mixed-used development or at the very least, a roadway connection to 1st street where otherwise, none exists from Lamar all the way to Mopac. Thanks.

BevoLJ · #**8846** Posted **May 14, 2011, 10:22 PM**

That area right behind the YMCA and up 5th & 6th closer to Mopac has seen a lot of new building but I think most all of it is covered by the Capitol View Corridor to Zilker Park. It would likely be a fantastic spot for some apartments or design offices or something like that. The only problem I can think of is that the Amtrak station is right there. And there are lot of other plans for expanding that station and using it for the Lone Star Rail that will be be a commuter train line from Austin to San Antonio making it possibly quite noisy for fancy apartments.

cvillehorn · #**8847** Posted **May 14, 2011, 11:54 PM**

Good insights. Thanks Bevo. I'm sure there are still some developments that could be made in conjunction with a union station headquarters if that is what they're indeed planning. I just hate to see the beauty of development all around that area and then have that eyesore and real estate waste laying right in the heart of urban activity. Warehouses and storage facilities may have made sense there 20 years ago in what used to be outside of the downtown corridor, but they simply do not make a good use of valuable real estate at present.

If Austin is serious about fully utilizing all of the natural beauty and proximity to the lake, hike-n-bike trail, etc with their development (and they have shown that nothing but that up to this point) I hope they continue to effectively (and fairly) take advantage of areas like this which are traffic hubs to the city as well.

KevinFromTexas · #**8848** Posted **May 17, 2011, 5:48 AM**

http://www.statesman.com/business/downtown-austin-condo-sales-update-1479390.html

Quote:

Downtown Austin condo sales update

By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 11:09 p.m. Monday, May 16, 2011
Published: 8:49 p.m. Monday, May 16, 2011

After a surge of construction a few years ago, no new major downtown-area condominium projects are on the horizon. We asked developers of five major projects for updates on how sales are going.

Combined, the projects have more than 1,000 units.

hismasterplan · #**8849** Posted **May 19, 2011, 2:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

Here are a few pics I've taken of the "hulking, shuttered mass of pipes, beams, and boilers". I always thought it was kind of photogenic.

I was happy to use it in a small film project of mine, making it forever immortal!

jeremyz · #**8850** Posted **May 19, 2011, 5:04 PM**

If you do this fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish foundation, you can rappel down One American Center
http://www.austinovertheedge.com/index.cfm

KevinFromTexas · #**8851** Posted **May 26, 2011, 7:29 PM**

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/company-proposes-hydropower-plant-at-longhorn-dam-1498593.html

Quote:

Company proposes hydropower plant at Longhorn Dam
The facility would be mostly submerged in Lady Bird Lake, according to proposal.

By Marty Toohey
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 6:26 a.m. Thursday, May 26, 2011
Published: 9:16 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Austin plans to harness wind, sunshine, landfill gas and wood waste as part of an ambitious 10-year plan to use more green energy. Now Austin Energy is examining a proposal to add water.

Houston-based Hydro Green Energy wants to add three underwater turbines to East Austin's Longhorn Dam, then sell electricity to the city created by the flow of Lady Bird Lake through the turbines.

Hydro Green has filed preliminary paperwork with the federal government for the project, which would be capable of generating 2 kilowatts when running full tilt, or enough to power about 2,000 homes.

KevinFromTexas · #**8852** Posted **May 27, 2011, 5:16 PM**

This will go up right next to Spring.

http://www.statesman.com/business/schlos...tail-project-near-fifth-and-1501264.html

Quote:

Schlosser plans another retail project near Fifth and Lamar

By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:52 p.m. Thursday, May 26, 2011

More office and retail space could soon be headed for the busy area near West Fifth Street and Lamar Boulevard because Schlosser Development Co. is planning to build a three-story building near its retail project there.

Rick Duggan, a partner with Austin-based Schlosser, said the company hopes to obtain a building permit from the city by late summer and start construction soon after. The 25,000-square-foot building would have about 8,500 square feet of street-level retail space facing north and west, as well as about 16,000 square feet of office space.

Schlosser wants to have the building 50 percent leased before starting construction. The city is reviewing some minor adjustments Schlosser is making to its site plan for the building.

KevinFromTexas · #**8853** Posted **May 27, 2011, 6:19 PM**

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-...uture-of-prime-hancock-site-unknown.html

Quote:

Future of prime Hancock site unknown
School shuffle: two leave site, one enters
Austin Business Journal - by Sandra Zaragoza , ABJ Staff
Date: Friday, May 27, 2011, 5:00am CDT - Last Modified: Thursday, May 26, 2011, 3:22pm CDT

The new owner of the hilly, picturesque Perry Estate in the Hancock neighborhood is making plans for the high-profile land as two private schools on the grounds — one moving and one closing — prepare to leave their school houses behind.

This rural-looking site in Central Austin will likely be redeveloped by the new owner. A hotel and restaurant have been mentioned.

MichaelB · #**8854** Posted **May 28, 2011, 7:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-...uture-of-prime-hancock-site-unknown.html

The central house on that property was on the recent tour of historical homes. It is absolutely wonderful. The new owner was there. Folks on the tour said he was looking at least the house being a boutique hotel. They are trying to gather an many artifacts from the house as possible in the restoration process. It is amazing how much of the house is original , and at least in the interior, intact.

ahealy · #**8855** Posted **May 29, 2011, 9:04 AM**

I'm always stoked for new retail projects. Hopefully this brings something totally new & interesting to Downtown....no more stick figure dress shops.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

This will go up right next to Spring.

http://www.statesman.com/business/schlos...tail-project-near-fifth-and-1501264.html

Somnio · #**8856** Posted **May 29, 2011, 5:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

I'm always stoked for new retail projects. Hopefully this brings something totally new & interesting to Downtown....no more stick figure dress shops.

Hopefully, but this project is primarily office space. 8,500 sq. feet of retail space isn't a very substantial amount. I suspect a restaurant will fill the space.

In the short term I think the AMOA and Spaghetti Warehouse spots are where we'll see something really different and exciting.

I sure wish Target would put in a store downtown like they were in the late 90s or early 2000s. I can't imagine that it was an attractive location for them then, and not now.