Archive for Austin Information
Standard Pacific to Buy 163 Lots at Avana
From Statesman.com
With predictions that the Central Texas region could experience shortages of lots, many homebuilders buying up what they can. Standard Pacific is no exception. They are scheduled later this month to close 163 lots of the 111 acre Avana developement. “We’re looking to grow and gain market share within Austin, and we’re positioning ourselves for an upturn in the future,” SP’s vice president of land, John Bohnen said, commenting that SW Austin is “a great submarket” due to lot scarcity.
For more information, read the whole article.
Austin – Third Most Recession-Resistant City
Brookings Institute published the top 10 stable cities in the US and Austin ranked 3rd:
1. Albany, NY
2. Augusta, GA
3. Austin, TX
4. Baton Rouge, LA
5. Buffalo, NY
6. Columbia, SC
7. Dallas, TX
8. Des Moines, IA
9. El Paso, TX
10. Honolulu, HI
The Brookings Institute examines trends in metropolitan-level employment, output, and housing conditions to look “beneath the hood” of national economic statistics to portray the diverse metropolitan trajectories of recession and recovery across the country.
Read the Full Report: http://www.brookings.edu/metro/MetroMonitor.aspx
CNN: Austin Leads Economic Recovery
Just saw this video on CNN about how Austin is leading the economy recovery. Check it out: CNN Video – Austin Leads Economic Recovery
Austin Ranks 5th in Best Places to Retire
Austin continues to get noticed! This time on topretirements.com who compiles a list annually of the 100 best places to retire. The 2010 results are in, and Austin has moved from the #9 to the #5 spot! A complete list as well as an in depth look at why each town achieved the rank it did can be found at: www.topretirements.com/Home.html
Domain Phase II Opens Friday
So what will phase II of the Domain include? According to Simon Property Group:
* Dick’s Sporting Goods
* Gold Class Cinema
* Dillard’s
* American Eagle Outfitters
* Aeropostale
* Bath & Body Works
* Buckle
* Bui-yah-kah
* Charming Charlie
* Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
* Express
* Finish Line
* The Limited
* Maggiano’s
* Payless Shoes
* Shasa Collections
* Stride Rite
* Sushi Zushi
* VANS
* Yogurt Planet
* Zumiez
Plus a 340-room Westin with 14,000 sqft of meeting space will begin accepting reservations March 11th. Simon Property Group will celebrate the opening of phase II with a fashion show on March 26-27th and an Easter egg hunt on April 3rd.
Final phase of the Domain? Coming 2012 or 2013 and includes a Whole Foods and Nordstroms. For more, read the Austin Business Journal article, or visit the Domain website.
200-Person Facebook Office Coming to Austin?
Although nothing is definite, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, said “Facebook continues to grow and Austin, with its deep talent pool, would allow us to hire the high-caliber employees we need to properly serve the people, advertisers and developers that rely on our service”. Headquarted out of Palo Alto, CA, Facebook currently employs 1,200 people with outsiders estimating their annual revenue at $500 million. Besides Austin’s talented work force, Facebook may also be attracted to $1.3 million in incentives from the state of Texas. Governor Rick Perry’s office has indicated that Facebook would be investing $3.1 million for this expansion into to Texas, an expansion that would create 200 jobs over the next four years. Sounds like a win-win to us! We’ll continue to watch how this develops. Read the Austin Business Journal article.
Census Bureau Jobs – Austin
Census Bureau expects to hire up to 3,000 temporary workers for Travis County. Work schedules are flexible and pay ranges from $8-$24 per hour. To apply, call 1-866-861-2010 to schedule a basic employment test. For more information visit: www.2010censusjobs.gov
Schlitterbahn, Austin-Cedar Park
New Braunfels-based Schlitterbahn owners together with Volente Beach Waterpark owner are bringing a 96-acre water resort to Cedar Park located near Parmer and 1431. That is twice the size of the New Braunfels Schlitterbahn and is estimated to cost $360 million. Phase 1 which includes a 16-acre water park and skydiving simulator is set to open May 2012. Phases 2 & 3 include a tree house inspired 230-room hotel, 35,000 sqft of retail space, 30,000 sqft conference center, and a river walk – shops and dining built along a man-made river. This work is set to start within 2 years of phase 1 opening. The final phase includes an additional 125,000 sqft of retail space and expansion of one or more attractions and is set to open within 2 years of the completion of phases 2 & 3. The Schlitterbahn water resort is expected to create 1,200 permanent jobs and bring $2.5 billion to the city of Cedar Park over 30 years. Increased traffic and noise were signficant factors in the planning of the project. For renderings, map, and more information, read the article in the Statesman.
Austin Energy Ranks 2nd in the Nation
IDC Energy Insights and Intelligent Utility magazine published the top 25 intelligent utilities based on productivity, renewable energy, smart initiatives, energy efficiency, and Information Technology investment. Austin Energy came in second in the nation. The top five are as follows:
1. Sempra Energy of San Diego, CA
2. Austin Energy of Austin, TX
3. Edison International of Rosemead, CA
4. Oncor of Dallas, TX
5. Pacific Gas & Electric of San Francisco, CA
