RECA Weekly NewsWire

Real Estate Council of Austin®

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The Texas Department of Transportation announced Jan. 27 it plans to spend $1.3 billion on the state’s most congested roadways, including I-35 in Travis County.
About $158.6 million will go toward projects in TxDOT’s Austin District, including at 51st Street, Oltorf Street and between Rundberg Lane and Hwy. 290 E. The congestion relief plan still needs approval from TxDOT’s governing board, the Texas Transportation Commission, which likely will take a vote at its Feb 25 meeting.

Visit http://communityimpact.com/austin/news/2016/01/28/txdot-targets-i-35-in-austin-for-158-6-million-in-congestion-relief-funding/ to view the full article online.

 
A spate of rare winter tornadoes across Texas and the Southeast has rekindled long-standing concerns about construction quality and building code enforcement, particularly in areas that appear increasingly vulnerable to severe weather.

Visit http://www.enr.com/articles/38719-texas-tornadoes-raise-questions-about-construction-quality-and-building-code-enforcement?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202016-01-29%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter&utm_term=Construction%20Div to view the full article online.

 
With 700,000 new office jobs added in 2015, absorption of office space last year totaled 81.7M SF. Meanwhile rents pushed higher, rising 4.2% to end the year at $28.15 per SF.

Visit https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/office/us-office-vacancies-fell-to-a-7-year-low-in-2015-55288?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=tue-02-feb-2016-000000-0600_association--nonprofit&be=aarnold%40naylor.com&utm_medium=email to view the full article online.

 
MobilityATX, the online transportation forum that ran for three months in 2015, is re-launching its platform to open up dialogue about mobility in Austin. Those weighing in on the forum should have no shortage of topics to hash out – from transportation network companies (TNCs) to the conversation around transit, mobility continues to weigh heavily on the minds of Austinites.

Visit http://buildingatx.com/2016/02/mobilityatx-relaunches-online-transportation-forum/ to view the full article online.

 
Local News
Today, the owners of the property announced they were soliciting mixed-use redevelopment proposals from qualified developers for the 18.9-acre South Congress Avenue site on the southern shore of Lady Bird Lake.

Visit http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2016/02/08/redevelopers-wanted-for-high-profile-downtown-site.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2016-02-08&u=QQstFqthh1Uzawg11yYSEw06e9dd6a&t=1454968746 to view the full article online.

 
Hoping to tap into an unmet need on an emerging side of town, a California-based developer is planning a mixed-use development with a first-phase calling for 640 multi-family residential units.

Visit http://buildingatx.com/2016/01/mixed-use-development-planned-near-abia-renderings/ to view the full article online.

 
One of downtown Austin's largest office towers has quietly been sold. Prudential Real Estate Investors, affiliated with Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE: PRU), purchased 301 Congress Ave. from an entity managed by Commonwealth Partners — NOP 301 Congress LP — in late December, documents show.

Visit http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2016/02/one-of-austins-largest-office-towers-sold-in.html?ana=e_aus_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2016-02-08&u=QQstFqthh1Uzawg11yYSEw06e9dd6a&t=1454941470 to view the full article online.

 
More than two dozen Texas bankruptcy attorneys expect a 30 percent increase in corporate restructurings and bankruptcy filings in the state this year, according to a sampling of bankruptcy attorneys by Houston consultancy HSSK.

That means 800 more of the state’s businesses than last year could be forced into drastic action in 2016, with the financial stress concentrated in the Eagle Ford Shale and the Permian Basin, spreading to wastewater treatment plant operators and laundromats in remote oil towns and ultimately affecting things like legal services and commercial real estate in Houston.

Visit http://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/02/01/banks-finally-found-religion-at-30-oil-lawyers-see-wave-of-bankruptcies/ to view the full article online.

 
National News
Data centers are now key economic drivers for metros around the country, which has caused a construction spurt triggered by generous tax incentives.

Visit http://www.bdcnetwork.com/top-10-markets-data-center-construction?eid=328250481&bid=1295137 to view the full article online.

 
Understanding equity sources, balancing costs, and involving legal departments early in the process can help health systems maintain leverage during the RFP process.

Visit http://www.bdcnetwork.com/cbre-heres-what-healthcare-owners-need-know-when-selecting-real-estate-developer to view the full article online.

 
USGBC has just released the 2015 Top 10 States for LEED, which names the U.S. states leading the nation in 2015 in sustainable building design, construction and transformation.

Visit http://www.usgbc.org/articles/delve-usgbc%E2%80%99s-2015-top-10-states-leed to view the full article online.

 
Taking a page from Jules Verne, researchers at Microsoft believe the future of data centers may be under the sea.
Microsoft has tested a prototype of a self-contained data center that can operate hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean, eliminating one of the technology industry’s most expensive problems: the air-conditioning bill.

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/technology/microsoft-plumbs-oceans-depths-to-test-underwater-data-center.html?_r=2&referer= to view the full article online.

 
Events
Thursday, March 10
7:30 am - 9:00 am

The Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Blvd.

Visit http://recaonline.site-ym.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=760998 to view the full article online.

 
RECA Real Estate Council of Austin®
98 San Jancinto Blvd. Suite 510 - Austin, Texas 78701
info@reca.org | www.reca.org