For third year in a row, Nate Paul is Travis County's most delinquent taxpayer "Paul — a former Austin real estate developer inextricably linked to the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — owes more than $3 million on eight properties listed under three limited liability corporations tied to his name, according to a Monday news release from the county's Tax Office." (Ella McCarthy and Hogan Gore, Austin American-Statesman)
Zydeco plans further growth of MetCenter business park in SE Austin "Zydeco Development Corp. is planning a 56-acre addition to its sprawling MetCenter development in Southeast Austin. The development would include hundreds of thousands of square feet of new space in the longstanding business park" (Cody Baird, Austin Business Journal)
Can Austin's outdoor music venues survive a warming world? "By the end of the century in Austin, it's possible that half of the days in a given year would have triple-digit temperatures. The city's outdoor music venues said hotter summers are already affecting business." (Jeff McCord, KUT 90.5)
As Austin office vacancies rise, city officials explore potential for residential reuse "One-fifth of Austin’s office space sat empty as of early 2024, leaving the market’s prospects uncertain with millions more square feet coming in the near future. Given those vacancies, shifting workforce trends and a large amount of new space being developed in a time of lowered activity, some consideration is also being given to the potential for vacant offices to be used for other purposes, such as housing." (Ben Thompson, Community Impact)
Suburbanites Vote to Leave City of Austin "Along with Lost Creek and River Place, voters living along Blue Goose Road in Northeast Austin also voted to disannex. Two disannexation propositions (one covering 104 acres in far Northeast Austin and one covering 4 acres in South Austin) failed because no one voted for or against. People living in the Lennar Malone neighborhood in South Austin were the lone exception – they voted overwhelmingly against leaving Austin." (Austin Sanders, Austin Chronicle)
Changes to the city’s Corridor Program raise ‘serious transparency concerns’ for transportation commissioners "A massive shortfall in the city’s Corridor Program has caused work to be paused or cut back in some areas of the city. At their most recent meeting, Urban Transportation commissioners questioned the lack of public engagement on the changes." (Elizabeth Pagano, Austin Monitor)
