Austin Approves Downtown Mixed-Use Project

Block 21 will be the first commercial development in downtown Austin to seek LEED accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council and includes plans for the second tallest building in downtown Austin.

Andersson-Wise, BOKA Powell Designing Block 21

Andersson-Wise Architects of Austin, in association with BOKA Powell of Dallas, is designing a 29-story, mixed-use development for the Block 21 project in downtown Austin.

Designs are under way for Austin's Block 21 project, in the heart of Austin's vibrant new 2nd Street District. The development includes plans for a 29-story destination W hotel and condominium tower with street level restaurants, retail space, a 1000-person recording studio for Austin City Limits and a 30,000 sq. ft. space for the Dell Discovery/Austin Children's Museum. The Austin City Council approved the overall plan for the project, which is being developed by Austin-based Stratus Properties. Andersson-Wise Architects of Austin in association with BOKA Powell of Dallas, are proceeding with final design, and construction is slated to begin in early 2007 with completion in 2009.

Block 21 will be the first commercial development in downtown Austin to achieve LEED accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council. Green roofs and a landscaped plaza on the mezzanine will make for a 70 percent green site with minimal "heat island" effect. Deep, recessed balconies and broad extrusions will shade the south and west-facing elevations of the tower.

Block 21's varied uses have been organized to make destinations along all four sides of the site. Entry to the W and its "living room," restaurant and bar are located on the plaza along Lavaca Street, creating an environment that will be active both night and day. The Dell Discovery/Austin Children's Museum lobby defines the northwest quadrant of the block, with adjacencies to the Austin Museum of Art site across the street and a broad exposure along Guadalupe street. The east and west corners of the site are occupied by large retail spaces. This adds up to a project that literally has no 'back door," but rather a commitment to defining an energetic pedestrian streetscape on each of the four sides of the block.

KDC Announces Plans For CentrePort Station

Dallas-based Koll Development Co. recently announced plans for CentrePort Station, a new mixed-use development located in KDC's Campus at CentrePort master-planned business community in Dallas.

The new mixed-use development will feature two new hotels, as well as national retailers and restaurants. The Campus at CentrePort is served by the Trinity Railway Express commuter rail, connecting CentrePort residents and visitors with downtown Fort Worth, downtown Dallas and DFW International Airport.

CentrePort Station will be located on Trinity Boulevard and SH 360, two miles south of D/FW Airport. It will be designed in the New Urbanism style, incorporating hotel, retail and commercial in a pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented setting, expanding on CentrePort's "live-work-play" environment.

"CentrePort Station will be an attractive addition to the existing master plan that caters to CentrePort's tenant base and will also provide a neighborhood unique to the mid-cities market." said Bill Guthrey, senior vice president of KDC. "Our goal is to have roads complete and the hotels and retail under construction by this summer so we can move forward with the next phase."

Plans to build a 142-room Holiday Inn and a 172-room Candlewood Suites were also announced. KDC has 10 acres under contract for development of retail and restaurants. Negotiations with national retailers and restaurants are under way.

The CentrePort development was built in 1980, and is a master-planned 1,300-acre office park with 2.35 million sq.-ft. of office space. It is home to 70 companies including American Airlines' world headquarters, as well as 1,500 apartment units and the 295-room Marriott DFW South Hotel.

Cadence McShane Completes TASB Headquarters

The Texas Association of School Boards has a new three-story facility in Austin's Riata Business Park. (Photo courtesy Cadence McShane.)

Dallas Cadence McShane Corp. recently announced the completion of the 148,161-sq.- ft. headquarters facility for the Texas Association of School Boards on behalf of developer, Trammell Crow Co. of Dallas. The three-story office facility is located in Austin's Riata Business Park. Austin-based Susman Tisdale Gayle Architects Inc. provided the architectural services.

The exterior of TASB's new headquarters is comprised of a composite aluminum panel system over a steel frame complemented by stone and masonry accents. Expansive storefront windows provide maximum ambient lighting throughout the facility. The building interior was designed to allow flexible workspace configurations to meet the needs of the association.

TASB plans to lease space on the first and second floors.

Opus West Announces New Space, Lease for Mustang Engineering

Opus West Corp., headquartered in Phoenix, has entered into a lease agreement with Mustang Engineering of Houston for a new five-story building to be constructed on a 6.2-acre site in the Barker Cypress at IH-10 West development. Ten West Corporate Center II, a 250,000-sq.-ft. building in Houston, will be located between Park Row on the north, IH-10 West on the south, Houston Chronicle Boulevard on the east and Barker Cypress on the west.

Mustang will occupy floors two through five by February 2007, leaving the 50,000-sq.-ft. ground floor available for lease.