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Development News: Austin’s skyline continues to grow as more skyscrapers, hotels, and mixed-use buildings are built in the area. The Downtown Development Alliance has been closely following the growth of Downtown Austin and is currently tracking about 50 projects. Twenty are already under construction, and 30 are set for future development.

https://www.kvue.com/article/money/economy/boomtown-2040/downtown-austin-continues-to-grow-with-developments/269-e34b0037-5daa-47d8-94ef-d0ca8e0ad8e0

Downtown Austin continues to grow with new developments Future developments include the Graduate Austin, an 18-story, 195-room complex off of 18th and Guadalupe streets.

Transportation News: The Austin Transit Partnership has revealed revised plans for a light rail network that will run through the center of the Live Music Capital of the World. The new train route, announced May 23, is planned as the biggest component of the city's expanded public transit network. It will run from 38th Street south, past the University of Texas at Austin campus to downtown, then across Lady Bird Lake on a new bridge at Trinity Street. The route will extend and split into two lines: one at Oltorf Street and another terminating at Yellow Jacket Lane along Riverside Drive. This expansion will have a junction at Cesar Chavez where the proposed Green Line connects, connecting our campus with the greater Austin area.

New Austin train route revealed; reaction pours in - Austin Business Journal The new vision for a second train in Austin has been revealed. What do you think?

Transportation News: Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is bringing improvements on and off the roadway in Northwest Austin.

Progress on track with 183 North Mobility Project in Central Texas - Austin Business Journal The 183 North Mobility Project will focus on alleviating traffic congestion along U.S. 183 in Northwest Austin by adding two tolled express lanes in each direction in the middle of U.S. 183, while the existing roadway will be expanded to four non-tolled general-purpose lanes in each direction.

Development News: Development agreement amended for Bastrop 552 movie studio east of Austin; the owner hopes construction will start this year.

The owners of the Bastrop 552 project — which could eventually have 486,000 square feet of studio space, 300,000 square feet of warehouse/mill space and 200,000 square feet of office space — on May 9 secured unanimous approval for tweaks to a 2021 development agreement that they and city officials said moves groundbreaking closer to reality.



https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2023/05/11/bastrop-552-movie-studio-austin-film-incentives.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_21&cx_artPos=0

Science & Technology News: Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin has invested $250,000 in ClearCam Inc., a UT-affiliated startup that has launched a technology cleared by the Food and Drug Administration that drastically improves visualization and safety in laparoscopic procedures. This is the second investment made by UT Austin’s $10 million Seed Fund. The UT Austin Seed Fund is managed by Discovery to Impact, the newly named group leading the university’s research commercialization efforts. The fund invests in the most promising new startups built on university-owned intellectual property emerging from UT Austin’s $845 million research enterprise.

UT Austin Seed Fund Invests in Austin Startup ClearCam - UT News AUSTIN, Texas — Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin has invested $250,000 in ClearCam Inc., a UT-affiliated startup that has launched

Business News: From a civilian workforce of more than 14 million, to unrivaled investment in accessible infrastructure, to one of the nation’s largest deal-closing funds — Texas is proud to offer the most advantageous business climate for expanding and relocating companies. It’s why Toyota and Charles Schwab have moved their corporate headquarters from California to Texas; Apple has broken ground on a new Austin campus that will initially house 5,000 employees with the ability to grow to 15,000; Tesla relocated their headquarters to Texas and SpaceX has continued to invest throughout the state in office, development and space launch facilities.

Why Texas is the Best State for Business | Why Texas is the Best | TxEDC Wonder why Texas is the best and why companies are moving to Texas? Get answers from TxEDC, the experts in economic development in the Lone Star State.

Real-Estate News: According to a recent Zillow report, Austin is the most pet-friendly city for renters looking to move, with more than 4 out of 5 rental listings allowing pets.



https://zillow.mediaroom.com/2023-03-06-Zillow-names-Austin-the-top-pet-friendly-city-for-renters-looking-to-move

Transportation News: Waterloo Greenway and the City of Austin break ground on Phase II: The Confluence. Waterloo Greenway Conservancy and the City of Austin broke ground this morning on The Confluence, the second phase of Waterloo Greenway’s comprehensive plan to revitalize Waller Creek and create a 1.5-mile greenway stretching from Waterloo Park at its north, all the way to Lady Bird Lake. The $91.5-million project will greatly improve the accessibility and ecological health of the most environmentally diverse section of Waller Creek, while also adding new public greenspace and much-needed bike and pedestrian connections among downtown, the Rainey Street District and East Austin.

Waterloo Greenway and the City of Austin Break Ground on Phase II: The Confluence - Waterloo Greenway Conservancy 13-Acre Project to Increase Connectivity, Revitalize Creek Around Central Business District AUSTIN, TEXAS – May 3, 2023 – Waterloo Greenway Conservancy and the City of Austin broke ground this morning on The Confluence, the second phase of Waterloo Greenway’s comprehensive plan to revitalize ...

Transit News: A bill at the Texas Capitol takes aim at funding for Austin's Project Connect transit expansion. Proponents of the effort say they're closing a loophole to ensure fiscal responsibility. Critics call it an attempt to overturn the will of Austin voters.

Austin's Project Connect funding questioned by Texas lawmakers - Austin Business Journal Texas lawmakers are considering a bill that would require another public vote for Austin to move forward with adding more trains and buses.

Development News: Tesla’s Giga Texas factory has swollen to more than 12K employees. About a month ago, Dell Technologies Inc. — which has held the title as the largest local tech employer for decades — reported it had 13,000 employees in the Austin area. Elon Musk’s crew took about one year to reach the size of Michael Dell’s team, which was founded in 1984.

Report: Tesla’s Giga Texas factory has swollen to more than 12K employees After one year Elon Musk is neck-and-neck with Michael Dell, the longtime local king of tech employers.

Employment News: Texas became the leading state in the country for adding tech workers last year, with net tech employment growing by 5.5% and 45K new workers joining the industry, according to a recent report from CompTIA.



https://www.cyberstates.org/pdf/CompTIA_State_of_the_tech_workforce_2023.pdf

Life Science News: NSF awards graduate research fellowships to 23 UT Natural Sciences students. Dozens of College of Natural Sciences students at The University of Texas at Austin have received notification from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that they are recipients this year of awards or honorable mentions in the competition for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. NSF-GRFs are given to students pursuing or planning to pursue a research-based graduate degree program in a STEM-related field. The fellowship is awarded to exceptional individuals to support furthering their research and professional advancement, as promising emerging scientific leaders.

NSF Awards Graduate Research Fellowships to 23 UT Natural Sciences Students Dozens of graduate and undergraduate students of UT Austin's College of Natural Sciences were honored by the National Science Foundation.