#NEWS // BG Reads | November 18, 2022
[AUSTIN METRO]
Brodie Oaks PUD gets Planning Commission approval (Austin Monitor)
The Planning Commission recommended a proposal Tuesday to transform the Brodie Oaks Shopping Center at South Lamar and Loop 360 into a huge mixed-use development, paving the way for a City Council vote in the coming weeks.
The project would turn the 36.7-acre shopping center, with its expansive parking lots and partially vacant retail spaces, into 1.2 million square feet of office space, a 200-room hotel, 1,700 residential units, and 140,000 square feet of retail, including some for artists and local businesses. Around 200 of the residential units would be priced below market, at least 100 of those in a building developed by nonprofit Foundation Communities… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Builders talk pros/cons of city’s push for environmentally friendly construction (Austin Monitor)
As Austin moves closer toward its net-zero energy goals, the city’s building and development community will play a major role in making new buildings environmentally sound and gradually retrofitting existing buildings to be more energy efficient. How to manage those costs and responsibilities was the topic for a recent Urban Land Institute panel held in anticipation of a forthcoming report from the group about the city’s Climate Equity Plan that was adopted last year… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin-bashing commences at the Texas Legislature (AXIOS Austin)
A suburban Dallas lawmaker wants to cordon off Austin as a stand-alone district under the thumb of the Texas Legislature.
Driving the news: State lawmakers started filing bills for next year's legislative session this week.
Lawmakers eager to show their conservative bona fides have begun filing so-called Austin-bashing bills that aim to limit the clout of the liberal-minded local government… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Successful Afrotech convention brings in 20,000; some say Austin not welcoming enough (CBS Austin)
Afrotech is the largest Black technology conference -- bringing together 20,000 Black professionals in an industry where they are underrepresented. While many were excited about how well it went, there is still criticism that Austin was not as welcoming as it could have been… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Austin's housing market keeps cooling off, tilts more in favor of buyers (Austin American-Statesman)
Amid its ongoing cooldown, the Central Texas housing market continued to tip in buyers' favor last month, inching closer toward a more balanced market, according to the latest data from the Austin Board of Realtors.
Home sales plunged by double-digits in October and buyers had more homes from which to choose, the board said in its monthly housing report for the five-county Austin region, which extends from Georgetown to San Marcos.
As it has for much of this year, the housing market has slowed dramatically in recent months as higher mortgage interest rates have taken effect, making it more expensive to buy homes… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Eviction rates are skyrocketing in Travis County, says HHS (Austin Monitor)
Eviction rates have shot up more than 250 percent of the average in the Austin area, according to Travis County Health and Human Services.
“We have been absolutely inundated with crisis applications,” Kirsten Siegfried, HHS chief deputy, told the?Travis County Commissioners Court… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS]
UT System approves commitment to free speech, even if most students find that speech “offensive” or “immoral” (Texas Tribune)
The University of Texas System Board of Regents adopted a formal policy Thursday expressing its commitment to free speech on its campuses.
The board unanimously approved adopting the Chicago Statement, a declaration of commitment to free speech that was penned for the University of Chicago in 2014… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
领英推荐
What Greg Abbott’s decisive win over Beto O’Rourke portends for his future (Texas Tribune)
An unprecedented pandemic that shut down the state economy and killed thousands of Texans. A power-grid failure that left millions freezing in the dark. The deadliest school shooting in the state’s history. The end of a 50-year constitutional right to get an abortion. A restless right flank. And then Beto O’Rourke.
Gov. Greg Abbott is emerging from the most tumultuous two years of his governorship with a decisive reelection victory in hand. His win was among the brightest spots for Republicans nationwide on election night, as the party underperformed expectations of a “red wave.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Few Texas Republicans step forward to embrace Trump following 2024 announcement (Houston Chronicle)
In the wake of Donald Trump’s announcement that he’s seeking the White House again in 2024, most prominent Texas Republicans have stayed mum on their social media channels, declining to endorse the former president as he comes under fire for the party’s underwhelming midterm performance last week. More than 12 hours after Trump’s Tuesday night announcement, only one statewide official and three sitting Congress members from Texas had declared their unequivocal support for the former president. Among them was Attorney General Ken Paxton, one of Trump’s closest political allies and the architect of a last-ditch lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 election in states carried by Joe Biden. Paxton rolled out his endorsement Wednesday morning. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has chaired both of Trump’s Texas campaigns, also voiced support for Trump after the announcement, though he stopped short of making a formal endorsement… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[NATION]
Twitter employees quit in droves after Elon Musk's ultimatum passes (NPR)
Twitter saw a fresh exodus of employees on Thursday as the company hit a deadline set by billionaire owner Elon Musk for remaining staff to commit to being "extremely hardcore" or leave the company.
Departing employees posted on Twitter under the hashtag #LoveWhereYouWorked, announcing it was their last day at the social network. Twitter has been convulsed with chaos since Musk finalized his $44 billion purchase in late October. Many accompanied their posts with a saluting emoji, which has become a symbol inside Twitter of respect for those who are leaving… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Dems set to mostly avoid leadership battles as Pelosi departs (Politico)
House Democrats are increasingly likely to elect their troika of top leaders for the next Congress without any major confrontation, ensuring a show of unity as they enter the minority.
And it didn’t happen without some work: The caucus has quietly defused several potential conflicts that could have divided its members. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who’d been eyeing a shot for the No. 2 slot, is expected to run for reelection as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus instead of mounting a caucus-wide leadership bid, according to four people familiar with the situation… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[HEARINGS AND MEETINGS]
[BG PODCAST]
Bingham Group Associate Hannah Garcia and CEO A.J. recap and discuss the 2022 Austin City Council election night results.
Today's episode (169) features Larry Smith, Chairman of Austin-based Tokyo Electron US Holdings Inc.
Part of an ongoing series on the CHIPS and Science Act passed in August, Larry and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss its impact on the Austin and Central Texas.
The bipartisan bill includes more than $50 billion in incentives for manufacturers of semiconductors, or chips, to build domestic semiconductor plants.
Enjoyed this episode? Please like, share, and comment! Follow Bingham Group on LinkedIn!