BG Reads | News - September 29, 2022
[BINGHAM GROUP]
Recently, Bingham Group Associate Wendy Rodriguez represented the firm at the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s annual InterCity Trip, this year to Salt Lake City. 107 regional business leaders and elected officials traveled to the Beehive State to learn best practices from Salt Lake City leaders.
[AUSTIN METRO]
Feedback fueling progress on redevelopment of blocks 16 and 18 downtown (Austin Monitor)
An ongoing survey and virtual community feedback session on Friday are two of the ways the Austin Economic Development Corporation is gathering ideas for how best to use the East 11th Street blocks that straddle Curve and Waller streets. Through the years, the mostly vacant parcels, which are owned by the city’s Urban Renewal Board, have been identified as a preferred location for creative space, affordable housing and retail including a grocery store.
The limited acreage of the two blocks will limit what can be built there using private financing as as well as a variety of tax credits or other public money.
Anne Gatling Haynes, chief transaction officer for the EDC, said the feedback sessions are intended mostly to confirm the neighborhood needs that residents have expressed for years of scuttled redevelopment talks… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin City Council set to vote on federal I-35 ‘cap and stitch’ funding (KXAN)
Austin City Council is expected to vote on a resolution to submit the “Our Future 35: Connecting Equitably Study” for a federal pilot program Thursday. It would kickstart planning on the city’s I-35 cap and stitch program… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
UFCU names next chief executive (Austin Business Journal)
University Federal Credit Union President Michael Crowl continues to climb the leadership ranks at the Austin-based credit union.
Austin Business Journal has learned he will be the next chief executive officer of the largest credit union in Central Texas, which serves more than 355,000 members and manages more than $4.4 billion in assets.
Crowl, who has been president since August 2021, will become co-CEO on Oct. 1, alongside longtime Chief Executive Officer Tony Budet. Crowl will take over sole leadership as president and CEO when Budet retires on March 10, 2023… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Here's a breakdown of Travis County's budget for 2023 (KUT)
Travis County commissioners approved a $1.52 billion 2023 budget Tuesday that reduces the average homeowner's property taxes by about $18 a year, and adds funding for gun violence prevention programs, higher wages for county employees and housing initiatives… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Prime South Congress real estate finally changes hands (Austin Business Journal)
The Related Companies LP is the new owner of 500 S. Congress Ave.
A bankruptcy judge on Sept. 15 approved Related's bid to purchase the site once owned by World Class Holdings, Nate Paul’s embattled Austin real estate investment firm, for $65 million, provided it closed on the deal by Sept. 30 — and Related pulled through.
The New York-based company closed on the purchase on the morning of Sept. 28, according to a report of sale closing.
The six-acre site along South Congress is home to two commercial buildings with more than 70,000 square feet of office space, along with apartments, according to bankruptcy documents. It also houses a longtime bar called Ego's… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin Trail of Lights tickets go on sale Thursday (KXAN)
Tickets to this season’s Trail of Lights will go on sale later Thursday morning. The trail is open to the public and admission is free on seven out of the 14 nights. For those other nights, guests can look at the 2022 Austin Trail of Lights calendar for ticket options and prices. A link to the event calendar will be available at 10 a.m. Thursday.
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The trail will be available starting Dec. 8 through Dec. 23… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
State agencies push for better worker pay as critical staffing crunch hits Texas government (Texas Tribune)
The stories from the great state workforce crunch have been pouring in for months.
The single parent who qualifies for the same state welfare benefits she’s hired to administer. Texas juvenile officers who can find safer jobs at the local Buc-ee’s for better pay. The state agency managers who can easily double their salaries in the private sector.
They are all the result, according to advocates and agency officials, of a critically understaffed workforce in many of Texas’ 112 state agencies, a situation made worse by the fact that there’s been no statewide pay raise in nearly a decade… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Texas students are becoming 'majority-minority.' Data shows how teaching staffs lag behind (Houston Chronicle)
Though the majority of Texas public school students are Latino, most teachers and principals in the state are white. While 53 percent of the state's 5.4 million students enrolled during the 2021-22 school year were Latino, data from the Texas Education Agency shows, just 29 percent of teachers and 25 percent of principals were Latino. White students accounted for 26 percent of the student population, but white teachers account for 56 percent of teachers and 57 percent of principals… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Mayor Parker calls for business leader support in education crisis (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker called for the support of business leaders to help solve Texas’ education crisis during Tuesday morning’s Education for a Strong Workforce breakfast at Texas Wesleyan University. “We are in a crisis when it comes to education in this state,” Parker said. “We just are, and I’m so disappointed that not enough people are talking about it. When you only have 23% of your students making it to a two-year or four-year credential within six years of high school graduation, you are in crisis.” The event highlighted work-based learning in students as critical to the future economic strength of Fort Worth… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
San Antonio Councilman Mario Bravo’s actions are being investigated. Here’s what could happen. (San Antonio Express-News)
An independent investigation into Councilman Mario Bravo’s personal outburst against his former romantic partner Councilwoman Ana Sandoval could wrap up in about six weeks, with multiple possible repercussions for Bravo on the table. Mayor Ron Nirenberg removed Bravo from his City Council committee assignments Friday. The suspension is temporary, pending the investigation, which will give Nirenberg and city officials a better idea of what — and if — further punishment for Bravo may be appropriate. The mayor could choose to strip Bravo permanently from his four committees — transportation and mobility; community health, environment and culture; planning and community development; and municipal utilities. Sandoval serves on all but the planning and community development committee… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[HEARINGS AND MEETINGS]
Today
[BG PODCAST]
Today's episode (166) is a continued discussion of the CHIPS and Science Act and its impact on Central Texas, with a lens on the region's semiconductor ecosystem.
Joining us is returning guest, Tyson Tuttle.
Tyson served as CEO of Austin-based Silicon Labs from 2012 to 2021, with leadership roles at the company including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer.
We last had Tyson on for Ep. 52 where we discussed the Internet of Things, of which he led Silicon Labs transformation to a pure-play leader in.
-> EPISODE LINK <-
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