Austin real estate investor Nate Paul gets 11th-hour reprieve from jail time "An appeals court granted an 11th-hour stay that will keep embattled Austin real estate investor Nate Paul from serving 10 days in the Travis County Jail. Paul has made headlines in recent years over a 2019 raid of his office and home by state and federal investigators, as well as his ties to state Attorney General Ken Paxton that became the subject of a whistleblower case by several of Paxton's former top deputies." (Shonda Novak, Austin American-Statesman)
Baker School Building Seeks National Historic Status in Hyde Park "A former public school building in the heart of Austin’s historic Hyde Park neighborhood is now seeking inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, with an application for the Baker School site at 3908 Avenue B on the agenda of the Texas Historical Commission’s next State Board of Review meeting on May 13." (James Rambin, Towers)
Buy a piece of Austin history at Nau’s estate sale "An estate sale will be held Friday through Sunday at Nau’s Enfield Drug where several antique collectibles from the store and diner will be available for purchase. ... According to the store’s owner, the place is still filled with soda fountains, countertops, cash registers, magazine racks, shelving units and more." (Julianna Russ, KXAN)
Elon Musk wants to build his own town in Bastrop, report says "Elon Musk could be looking to build out his own town in Bastrop County, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The billionaire, who moved to Texas in 2020 and has relocated or expanded a number of his companies into Central Texas, has a vision to build out a 'Texas utopia' along the Colorado River in Bastrop County where employees could live and work, the report said." (Kara Carlson, Austin American-Statesman)
Swede Hill condo, townhome project advances through Austin development code complications "A proposal to bring more than 200 residences to East Austin's Swede Hill neighborhood is moving forward after making it through a maze of zoning questions inspired by the city's land-use rules. The redevelopment of a 1.28-acre site off I-35 now home to a Denny's restaurant would include a 200-foot condominium tower and a row of townhomes facing East 16th Street. (Ben Thompson, Community Impact)
Texas Rent Relief to stop taking new applications after 70,000 people sign up on Day 1 "The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs announced Wednesday that it would stop taking applications for rental assistance at 11:59 a.m. on Thursday. Originally, the Texas Rent Relief program planned to take new applications for two weeks. But after more than 70,000 applications were submitted in the first 24 hours of reopening the application portal, the agency said in a statement that requests for assistance will likely outstrip the funds available." (Christopher Connelly, KERA)
New Riverside complex plots massive mixed-use development for East Austin "A 22-and-a-half-acre section of East Austin is getting a modern transformation. In a bid to bring office, retail, and residential space to tech workers and families, architecture firm Steinberg Hart has announced plans for a new seven-building, urban mixed-use complex at the corner of East Riverside Drive and Highway 71, called East Riverside Gateway." (Amber Heckler, CultureMap Austin)
Animal Advisory Commission asks for city bat biologist "The Animal Advisory Commission has approved a recommendation that the city hire a bat biologist to manage and provide expertise on the various bat populations in Austin, including the popular colony under the Congress Avenue Bridge." (Austin Monitor)
