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01/26/2012

developers to break ground on first hotel at mueller

01/26/2012

Developers are set to break ground on a 112-room Marriott next month at Mueller, the first hotel for the mixed-use development northeast of downtown. The four-story Residence Inn by Marriott will be built at the southwest corner of Lancaster Drive and 51st street, an ideal location to serve the nearby Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas at Mueller, said Greg Weaver, executive vice president of Catellus Development Corp., the master developer of Mueller. The hospital is adding a third wing as it grows even faster than originally planned, Weaver said. Read more...

why austin, texas wants to be an autos city (yes, austin)

01/26/2012

When you think of Austin, Texas, the first things that come to mind are probably the University of Texas, food, music, and the South by Southwest festival. But now, Austin wants you to think of it as an automotive capital. Isn't Austin too deep in the heart of Texas? How can it compete with Detroit, let alone other established cities like Lexington, KY, Nashville, Tenn., Jackson and Tupelo, Miss.? And isn't an auto industry focus at odds with Austin's hip reputation? Austin's tactic is to home in on companies that are developing advanced technology, explains Adrianna Cruz, vice president of global corporate recruitment for the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Read more...

stricter rules could hit rainey street

01/25/2012

At a commission meeting Tuesday night, the City of Austin's Planning Commission discussed initiating a code amendment that could require new cocktail lounges on Rainey Street to apply for a conditional use permit. Currently cocktail lounges, or bars, that are in the area downtown zoned as Central Business District, or CBD, do not have to be reviewed by the Planning Commission or the Austin City Council before they can be established. This proposal would change that, but just for the Rainey Street District. Read more...

deep eddy pool getting a new bottom, decking and expanded beach entry

01/23/2012

Tractors are rumbling through the oldest concrete swimming pool in Texas, and machines are slicing its cement bottom into 4-foot chunks and lifting them out like square slices of cake. But swimmers who peer over the fence at what now looks like a muddy strip mine shouldn't be too alarmed. City officials say they'll be leaping into a spruced-up, water-tight Deep Eddy Pool come March. Designers consulted old photographs of the swimming hole, which features a deep end for lane swimming and a large shallow section for waders and children, before planning the improvements. They wanted to retain the historical integrity of the nearly 100-year-old pool while improving its circulation and making it more user-friendly. Read more...

new atx festival will focus on tv industry

01/21/2012

Austin's getting yet another festival - and this one will focus exclusively on television. The three-day ATX Festival, set to kick off June 1, will include screenings of shows already on the air, programs that are still in development and an assortment of cult favorites. Special attention will also be paid to unaired pilots and series that were "canceled before their time," the event's founders say. And, like many festivals, panels and question-and-answer sessions featuring industry executives are planned, according to co-founders Emily Gipson and Caitlin McFarland. Read more...