A Democratic state senator wants to do away with rich companies getting unfair tax breaks.

In a bill introduced Tuesday, Sen. Rodney Ellis proposes closing a legal loophole used by business property owners to drive down the appraised value of their Texas property. That allows them to pay lower property taxes.

To developers, architects, and engineers, the message of the recently-released Zucker Report draft came as no surprise: the development and review process in Austin is anything but smooth.

Austin City Manager Marc Ott is restructuring the city's Planning and Development Review Department after a scathing report was released recently depicting the bureaucratic red tape within the department as a convoluted mess.

I took some time looking over the 2015 Integra Realty Resources Real Estate Values Trends report. It's chock full of data about a wide range of commercial real estate sectors, including office, industrial, multifamily, retail, lodging and self storage.

Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, has proposed eliminating an occupational tax for a dozen professions that now fall under the Texas franchise tax.

The Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday voted to approve $1.7 billion in new road projects approved by voters last November.

Here is a roundup of deals and announcements in the Austin-area real estate market recently that weren't included in other Austin Business Journal real estate online coverage.

Baltimore, MD-based Under Armour has Austin game.

The footwear, apparel and equipment brand, which purchased Austin-based MapMyFitness in 2013, has made further inroads into the capital city with the opening of its Connected Fitness digital headquarters in downtown Austin.

Morgan broke ground on Pearl Lantana, a 444-unit luxury apartment project in southwest Austin. It’ll be particularly attractive to tech employees working just down the road for AMD, Solar Winds and Freescale, and has easy access into Downtown.

After months of speculation, Google Inc. confirmed Friday that it is taking a major portion of the new office building under construction at the Green Water Treatment Plant — some 200,000 square feet.

Having had a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Charles Hodges knows the importance of receiving care in a dedicated treatment facility.

That’s the reason behind the Dallas architect and Tribute Senior Living partner’s decision to construct an advanced memory care and senior living community in Prosper this spring. Upon completion next year, the 60,000-square-foot community will be home to 100 residents. Tribute plans to build nine more across the country.

The U.S. has overtaken China to become the world's largest real estate investment market, according to research published by Cushman & Wakefield.

Consumer protection laws, such as those that cover accurate appraisals and truth in lending, are common in residential real estate. But when it comes to buying or leasing commercial property, those regulations rarely apply. Commercial real estate operates with a policy of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware). That’s why it is essential that buyers and lessees take time to examine, inspect and assess all aspects of their properties before taking ownership.

This week, 21,000 property professionals from across the world will gather at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, on France’s Cote d’Azur. At MIPIM, the world’s largest property event, the message echoing through the exhibition halls will be positive: property is back.

It used to be restaurants had to convince a landlord to rent to them...odors and traffic, ya know. But the tables have turned, as the 225 guests at Bisnow's first Boston Restaurant Summit learned. What can building owners offer to entice a foodie?

Date: 3/25/2015

Time: 11:15 am - 1:00 pm

JW Marriott
110 E. Second Street

Newly elected Austin Mayor Steve Adler will share his insights on the city's direction and take questions from the audience in this unique town-hall style event.

Date: 4/21/2015

Time: 11:15 am - 1:00 pm

The Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Blvd.

Come hear the inside story about how one of Austin’s biggest and newest private/public partnerships came together.