New Co-Op Marketplace set to revitalize downtown New Braunfels "A nearly 2.5-acre multiuse development adapted out of the former New Braunfels Producers Co-Op in downtown New Braunfels will feature restaurants, bars, coffee shops, shopping, a stage for live music and more. Co-Op Marketplace is anticipated to open in fall 2024 with construction starting in 2023. Co-Op Marketplace will adapt the agricultural buildings on-site to fit the requirements of the space, and the 65-foot-tall grain silo will be made into the market’s west entrance." (Sierra Martin, Community Impact)
Austin hospitality team takes over East Riverside space with massive nightclub "NoCo Hospitality is revitalizing another Austin building. Taking over the former home of LaBare male strip club, Superstition is slated to open later this year. The space at 110 E. Riverside Dr. has long stood empty, but the new tenants will turn the 12,000-square-foot building into an elite nightclub. A November announcement says the club will channel '1970s energy.'" (Hannah Fries, CultureMap Austin)
Planning Commission weighs in on Palm District Plan "The Planning Commission heard a presentation Tuesday on the Palm District Plan, an initiative that aims to guide growth and preserve cultural heritage in a rapidly changing part of downtown. The historically Mexican American district includes Rainey Street and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, Waterloo Greenway, the Red River Cultural District, and the Austin Convention Center." (Jonathan Lee, Austin Monitor)
State review finds Texas regulators 'woefully under-resourced' to ensure grid reliability "A state-mandated review of the Public Utility Commission of Texas found the agency 'cannot truly fulfill expectations for ensuring a reliable electric grid' without increased funding and an improved 'decision making process.'” (Mose Buchele, KUT 90.5)
NXP Semiconductor's proposed tax break deal with Austin district running out of time "A vote by the Austin school board on a proposed tax break for NXP Semiconductors appears to be running out of time as the proposal remains stuck in the Texas comptroller's office waiting for clearance from the state agency before the school board can accept or reject the deal." (Keri Heath, Austin American-Statesman)
The Verge apartment complex rising in Kyle "Dallas-based real estate company Kalterra Capital Partners is bringing another apartment complex to the Austin metro area with The Verge apartment complex in Kyle. The Verge is located on a 15.5-acre parcel of land at the corner of I-35 and Kohlers Crossing that has been rezoned for multifamily residential and commercial construction, adding to the docket of mixed-use projects throughout the city. The complex will have 263 units that are slated to start leasing in February along with a handful of restaurants planned for the retail portion of the development." (Zara Flores, Community Impact)
Bills targeting Austin start trickling at Legislature. But how far will they go? "Bill filing is underway in the Texas Legislature ahead of the 88th session, and some lawmakers are laying the groundwork for their priorities while others take aim at Austin. Two anti-Austin bills are in the pipeline, the most fractious coming in a long-shot proposal to abolish the capital city and fold it into a planned district under the lieutenant governor's and House speaker's authority. ... The second bill would prohibit cities from giving out taxpayer money to struggling residents under a program, already underway as a pilot in Austin, known as guaranteed income." (Ryan Autullo, Austin American-Statesman)
