2014
december 12
Seaholm tenant moves in as transformation continues
By Amanda Dugan
The transformation of Austin's Seaholm Power Plant hit a new milestone this week. Renovations at the plant have been underway for several years, and on Monday, athenahealth moved in to the facility.
One of the first things you notice about the building is how large the space feels. Looking up towards the ceiling reveals a piece of Austin history. The original gantry crane is still in place. It has a 75-ton capacity and is still operational.
... Athenahealth will start out with about 70 employees, but grow to workforce of 600. When those employees just need a Zen moment, they are encouraged to come into the on-site wellness center where workers can rest, until they are back to 100 percent.
December 12
See Texas' boldest construction projects in our inaugural Super Structures publication
By Heather Ladage, Tracy Merzi, John Beddow and Jimmy Holmes, Publishers of the Texas Business Journals
Texas is growing — more business, more people, more opportunity — and that means a lot more construction.
There's so much commercial construction, in fact, it's hard to keep track of, which is why the Texas Business Journals came together to create this inaugural edition of Super Structures. Profiled in this special subscriber content publication are the biggest or most significant construction projects underway in each of Texas' largest cities.
... You'll see updates on major projects, like the Seaholm mixed-use development and the Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, as well as key business intelligence on the billions of dollars worth of construction occurring across the Lone State State.
Click on the link below and it is image 32 of 78
december 13
Novak: Saving Austin's landmarks, one image at a time
By Shonda Novak
... Though these historical public buildings have met their physical demise, they will be digitally preserved into the future, thanks to Bob Wynn and John Langmore, two Austin photographers who made it their mission to take extensive photographs of the structures before they became part of Austin's past.
... Like Green, Seaholm also had been decommissioned and was slated for a major transformation.Wynn and Langmore photographed Seaholm in four or five visits during 2011 and 2012. At Holly, they were given just a single morning – March 31, 2011.
october 9
Healthy fans rejoice: True Food Kitchen heads to Seaholm in downtown Austin
By Jan Buchholz
The Seaholm project downtown has snagged another trendy restaurant — True Food Kitchen, which started as a collaboration between natural foods guru Dr. Andrew Weil and Arizona restaurateur Sam Fox. The ultra health conscious eatery is taking 7,000 square feet on the ground floor of the Seaholm residences and is expected to be open in mid-2015.
It joins a line-up that currently includes Boiler 9 Bar + Grill. We shined the spotlight on that new restaurant concept from Austin's La Corsha Hospitality Group in this article. The company led by President Jeff Trigger and Chef David Bull — the Austin Business Journal has profiled Bull and other local celebrity chefs previously— operates Second Bar + Kitchen and Bar Congress at the Austonian residential tower in downtown Austin.
October 2
Oasis slideshow: Design Lab opens, more retail and office on tap
By Jan Buchholz
Fashion designer and retail guru Linda Asaf has turned her attention in large part to a new store at the Oasis Texas, a retail and office development with one of the most quintessential views of Lake Travis.
... The 3,000-square-foot space includes an open area for hosting special events, including product launches, fashion camps and shows, concerts and private parties. Click on the image to see photos of the development.
... Her life now is a buzz of activity — opening the retail store at Oasis Texas, operating a design studio on West Sixth Street downtown and brokering retail space in affiliation with Southwest Strategies Group. She is the official listing broker for the Oasis Texas.
september 23
Austin Office Space: More Supply, Less Demand? Guess Again
By Matt Hudgins
Even with nearly 750,000 square feet of office space under construction in downtown Austin, the area's occupancy rate is poised to increase under intense demand from tenants in a variety of industries.
"When all the buildings that are under construction deliver, the occupancy rate will actually go up, because of the preleasing in the buildings," said Charles Heimsath, president of Austin-based Capitol Market Research. "That may be an unprecedented situation and shows the tremendous strength of the downtown market."
... Just north of the Colorado River, a joint venture called Seaholm Poweris working with the City of Austin to redevelop the 1950s-era Seaholm Power Plant into a massive mixed-use downtown complex that includes two preleased office projects: Health-record-services provider Athenahealth plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from Watertown, Mass., to a 110,000-square-foot building there; and MapMyFitness, an Austin fitness-technology firm acquired by Under Armour, has preleased the second floor of a two-story, 66,000-square-foot building that will have Trader Joe's on the first floor.
stptember5 5
'Uber-successful' Seaholm condo fills up fast
By Jan Buchholz
More than 80 percent of the square footage in the condominium tower at the Seaholm LLC development in downtown Austin now is under contract.
Exclusive listing broker Kevin Burns, CEO of Urbanspace, categorizes the 280-unit Seaholm Residences as the city's "third uber-successful" downtown condominium project of the past decade.
... "The high Seaholm conversion rate just goes to show how highly sought-after this project is," Burns said. "This is the location that will be the center of downtown living."
Seaholm LLC includes the repurposing of the original Seaholm Power Plant on Cesar Chavez Street into the corporate headquarters for technology company Athenaheath Inc.
In addition to the 30-story residential tower, a low-rise building will include office and retail space — a third Austin Trader Joe's is scheduled to open this fall — and an outdoor plaza, along with parking.
... "We've seen a wide range of financial buying power. This has been so successful because it's not about one particular demographic," Burns said..
July 11
A Development Project with a Silver Lining
By Amy Smith
A lone residential tower that stands alongside I-35 just east of Downtown is about to be part of an ambitious master-planned community for Austin seniors.
... "The No. 1 priority was to take care of our residents and our seniors, and that continues to remain a priority," said board Vice Chair Paul Saldaña, adding that a representative of the residents' council as well as members of the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Planning Team have been actively involved in the master-planning process.
Once completed, the campus will feature 500 units of senior housing – 250 of them for low-income seniors – plus 340 units of mixed-income apartments and condos, and 25,000 square feet of commercial space. Additionally, the new development will feature indoor and outdoor gathering spaces with new connective pathways to the Edward Rendon Sr. Park at Festival Beach. The board recently selected a team of local developers to redevelop the site; they include Southwest Strategies Group, Momark Development, and DMA Development Co. LLC.
July 4
RBJ Center expansion one small step toward addressing silver tsunami
For years, Central Texas experts have warned of the “silver tsunami,” referring to our growing aging population.
... The planned expansion of the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center in Central East Austin, a independent living center for seniors and people with disabilities, is one small step in addressing the needs of the more than 34,000 seniors ages 65 to 69 in Travis County.
... “Austin is home to one of the fastest growing populations of seniors in the country, and their impact in our community cannot be underestimated,” Mayor Lee Leffingwell told us. “When I started the Mayor’s Task Force on Aging last year, the group set out to make recommendations that ensure our seniors live active, healthy and independent lives. The redevelopment plans for the RBJ tower are an exciting step toward doing just that.”4
july 3
Wondering what's going on behind the construction fences on Cesar Chavez?
By Jan Buckholz
More than half the tower cranes in downtown Austin hover over the Seaholm District, that gigantic patchwork of construction projects north of Cesar Chavez Street between San Antonio Street and Lamar Boulevard.
... The redevelopment of the Seaholm Power Plant is in full construction mode with the renovation of the original Art Deco-style utility structure close to incorporating the tenant improvements for the main tenant — Athenahealth. The company is expected to move into its 113,000 square feet corporate headquarters before the end of the year.
The midrise building on the site, which will include office and retail space, also is making headway with tenant improvements scheduled to begin this month for Trader Joe’s. The popular California-based grocer is expected to open sooner rather than later — as early at Oct. 15.
july 2
Austin developers to create new campus at RBJ Center near downtown
By Jan Buckholz
It’s been a long time in the making, but redevelopment plans finally are moving forward for the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center in Central East Austin along the northern shore of Lady Bird Lake.
... Southwest Strategies Group, Momark Development and DMA Development Co. LLC will rehab the existing 16-story RBJ Center and will add another affordable senior housing component, mixed-income apartments, privately owned condominiums and 25,000 square feet of commercial space.
“It’s my dream to see on a Sunday afternoon all ages and types of people enjoying the common areas,” said Terry Mitchell, principal of Momark Development.
July 1
Capital City Senior Living Being Redeveloped
By Shonda Novak
Private nonprofit Austin Geriatric Center Inc. has selected three firms to redevelop the 16-story Rebekah Baines Johnson Center, which sits on 18 acres along Lady Bird Lake. The plan will double the amount of affordable senior housing available there and add mixed-income housing for all ages.
Southwest Strategies Group, Momark Development and DMA Development Company LLC will form a development entity called Cesar Chavez Lakeview Village LLC.
July 1
$200 Million Seniors Project Coming to Lady Bird Lake Site in Austin
A development team has been chosen to undertake a $200 million redevelopment and expansion of the Rebekah Baines Johnson seniors housing project on Lady Bird Lake in Austin.
... The Austin-based developers working on the project are:
Southwest Strategies Group serves as managing partner in the mixed-use redevelopment of the Seaholm Power Plant in downtown Austin and renovated the award-winning Penn Field mixed-use project in South Austin.
Momark Development was a principal development consultant on the luxury downtown condominium high-rise the Austonian and has developed numerous high-quality projects in South Austin including Chestnut Commons, MacMora Cottages, Edgewick Condominiums and Denizen Condominiums.
DMA Development developed Wildflower Terrace, the only high-density, vertical mixed-use, mixed-income senior housing community in Austin, located in the Mueller development. In addition to providing development consulting on more than 12,000 nonprofit-owned affordable units nationally, DMA has developed 25 properties and currently has a portfolio of more than 1,850 units.
The freestanding building will triple the size of the current KMFA studios and will allow for new amenities including performance and recording spaces, according to an announcement Thursday. The radio station will be part of a yet-to-be-named, 18-acre mixed-use development on the RBJ Center property just east of Interstate 35 on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake.
June 30
$200 million project planned for RBJ Center site
A new future is about to unfold for a prime waterfront site that for 42 years has been home to the 16-story RBJ Center, an affordable housing development for senior citizens.
A team of local developers has been chosen to transform the nearly 18-acre site just east of downtown with 250 new units of affordable senior housing, 250 units of renovated senior housing in the existing building, about 340 units of market-rent apartments and condominiums for a mix of ages and incomes, and 25,000 square feet of commercial space.
June 12
MapMyFitness joins tenant list for Seaholm project
By Shonda Novak
MapMyFitness, a growing Austin-based fitness technology firm, is the latest tenant to sign on for the mixed-use project at the former Seaholm Power Plant spanning nearly 8 acres on downtown Austin's southwestern edge.
"We're thrilled Under Armour is on-board for all of the office space in our low-rise structure, as they're a brand that will complement the vision and culture of the project. They're such a great fit in every way," said John Rosato, principal with Southwest Strategies Group and managing partner for Seaholm Power LLC, the company leading the redevelopment.
June 1
Urban Matter likely to light up Austin's Seaholm with art installation
By Robert Grattan
Urban Matter Inc. is the city's first choice for an up to $88,000 contract for an art installation at the Seaholm redevelopment project. If the contract is approved by City Council and a deal is inked, Urban Matter would design and install a three-story piece in the entrance to the underground parking structure for the public Seaholm plaza. The project is turning Austin's old downtown power plant into a place where people can live, work and play.
april 23
Office real estate: Who leased the most space in Austin in Q1?
By Jan Buchholz
... The biggest lease this year thus far is Athenahealth Inc.’s prelease of 103,000 square feet at Seaholm Power LLC project, the redevelopment of the Seaholm Power Plant in downtown Austin. Southwest Strategies Group Inc. is the major development partner.
march 21
The Coolest Space of Them All?
March 19
'Enchanted Forest' on the market in South Austin
By Kate Weidaw
A well-known piece of property in South Austin that’s referred to as the Austin Enchanted Forest is up for sale.
... The property has been on the market for about a month, and is listed at $3.3 million.
“There is no other property like it,” said Michael Bullard, Southwest Strategies Group realtor.
Southwest Strategies Group, the development firm behind the Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment, is the listing agent. Since the property is zoned for commercial, Bullard said a potential developer has lots of options.
“They could put retail, office, or anything else within the zoning rights,” said Bullard.
A creek runs through the back half of the property, making only 1.56 acres of the 3.1 acres available for development. Deloach just hopes whomever acquires the land keeps its essence.
february 24
Only a few months until Seaholm reopens
By Kate Weidaw
... "We tried really hard to maintain the essence of the building," said John Rosato, Managing Partner for the Seaholm Development.
That essence is the industrial feel of when the plant was built in the 1950′s and housed the offices for Austin Energy.
... "A lot of people come in here and say put in more floors and you have more floor space you can rent but then we lose the actual feeling of the space," said Rosato.
Three of the five boilers were also removed and more windows were installed to allow more natural light to come in.
And one of those boilers is the center piece of the plant's main restaurant called Boiler 9.
"He's adding in a mezzanine level to make it four stories," said Rosato. "Which is going to be phenomenal."
february 21
David Bull has a new restaurant on the way
By Layne Lynch
The upcoming Seaholm Power Plant development already has an exciting new tenant. According to a press release, recently named James Beard Award Semifinalist David Bull and Jeff Trigger of the La Corsha Hospitality Group — who also helped open Congress/Second Bar + Kitchen/Bar Congress — will work alongside each other to bring the new Boiler Nine Bar + Grill to life. With 11,000 square feet of space, the restaurant will span over four floors, featuring three bustling kitchens and a bar on every floor. Sure sounds super fancy!
february 19
Old Seaholm Power Plant gets first restaurant — four stories, full of boilersAustin Business Journal
By Michael Theis
That's because the Seaholm Power Plant, currently undergoing redevelopment, has its first restaurant: the Boiler Nine Bar + Grill.
The 11,000-square-foot, four-story restaurant from Austin-based La Corsha Hospitality Group draws its name from the massive boilers which once stood where the restaurant will be located.
... And here's one architectural feature that promises to be unique to Seaholm: patrons will be able to access the restaurant's third level by ascending a set of stairs that take them through the old boiler itself.
february 1
David Bull to Open Boiler Nine Bar + Grill in Seaholm
By Meghan McCarron
The Statesman reports that chef David Bull and partner Jeff Trigger of La Corsha Hospitality Group will open Boiler Nine Bar + Grill in the new Seaholm development. The massive project will span "11,000 feet over four floors." More details:
Diners will have views from an observation deck and bar at the highest level, as well as an intimate lounge and dining experience in the lowest level underground by the original boiler room. The concept will feature three kitchens – including one with a wood-fire grill that will be open, allowing diners to watch chefs at work preparing food – and a bar on every floor.
february 19
How Cheer up Charlie's found a home on Austin's Red River Street
By Chad Swiatecki
Cheer Up Charlie’s co-owners Tamara Hoover and Maggie Lea had already started looking at possible locations to open a second bar and concert venue when they got word in December that the East Austin location they’d occupied since 2010 had been sold. That news meant their would-be second location was instead going to become the new home of the popular watering hole. So they had to think big.
The Red River Street property that was the longtime home to Club De Ville until that bar’s closure in October quickly became the couple’s top choice, and they had to act fast to get the jump on a crowded field of more than a dozen applicants. The pair worked with Realtor Mike Bullard of Southwest Strategies Group to negotiate the five-year lease.
february 19
37-story condo tower offered for downtown
Project procedding under city's density bonus program
By Shonda Novak
More high-rise housing could be headed to downtown Austin, with a local developer planning a 37-story tower at West Fifth Street and West Avenue that would bring 163 upscale condominiums to market.
... The tower would be the sec- ond condominium project to break ground following a hiatus of residential projects during the economic downturn. While several apartment towers are being built downtown, the only other condo project currently under construction is a 30-story tower being built as part of the Seaholm development along West Cesar Chavez Street. The 280 condos in that project went under reservation within a week’s time, a record for a downtown residential project.
february 18
Entertainment options start to come into focus for Seaholm project
By Gary Dinges & Shonda Novak
The long-anticipated entertainment options are starting to come into focus for the Seaholm development in downtown Austin.
The first restaurant bound for the development will be a new concept from Jeff Trigger and chef David Bull, creators of Congress and Second Bar + Kitchen, two trendy restaurants in the Austonian high-rise.
... Diners will have views from an observation deck and bar at the highest level, as well as an intimate lounge and dining experience in the lowest level underground by the original boiler room. The concept will feature three kitchens – including one with a wood-fire grill that will be open, allowing diners to watch chefs at work preparing food – and a bar on every floor.
"Boiler Nine will launch with everything in its favor, from its creators to a prominent place in the most iconic Austin building," said John Rosato, principal with Southwest Strategies Group and managing partner for Seaholm Power LLC, the company leading the redevelopment. "We're thrilled about everything we're hearing that they intend to do, as it helps to enhance the vision and vibrancy we've set out to create sitewide."
february 7
Athenahealth Leases Up Seaholm Power Plant Office Redevelopment
By Analee Bivins Micheletti
CIM Group and Seaholm Power LLC announced athenahealth leased the entirety of the 103,000-square-foot office space at Seaholm Power Plant in Austin, Texas.
... The redevelopment of the 1950 art deco Seaholm Power Plant will feature a ground floor restaurant and coffee shop and four floors of open, creative office space “designed to meet the needs of athenahealth’s office, research, and development operations,” said CIM in a statement.
The five acres surrounding the plant are being developed into a “urban oasis” touting 1.5 acres of public open space, a 30-story residential tower, Seaholm Residences, and a two-story, 66,000-square-foot retail and office building which will include a Trader Joe’s market. The 280-unit Seaholm Residences is fully reserved and will deliver in the second quarter of 2015.
january 31
Athenahealth accepts incentives deal, picks Austin for expansion
By Shonda Novak
Athenahealth Inc. said Friday it has chosen Austin for an expansion of its research and development operations, and plans to create more than 600 jobs at the former Seaholm Power Plant building on West Cesar Chavez downtown.
"We're thrilled to be growing our presence in Austin, a city with a culture and vibe that perfectly aligns with our own," said Jonathan Bush, chairman and CEO of Athenahealth. "Athenahealth is growing all across the country as we work to fulfill our vision of becoming a national information backbone to make health care work as it should… Austin's dynamic talent pool, combined with the fantastic support from Gov. Rick Perry and his team, as well as from the City of Austin, has made us already feel at home. We're inspired to make Austin a hub for the important work we do to advance connectivity in health care."
Athenahealth has said the jobs — most of them to be hired locally and many of them high-paying software developer jobs — will pay an average annual wage of $132,085. The city said its incentive package — which is equal to $250 per new full-time job, per year — will result in a total net benefit to the city of $1.67 million.
Athenahealth said it will make a total capital investment of $13 million in its new R&D center, which will be a 110,000-square-foot facility at the Seaholm redevelopment project. The company plans to hire 607 employees over the next 10 years, in addition to relocating its existing 36 Austin employees at Seaholm.
January 31
Done deal: Athenahealth to bring 607 jobs to Austin
by Nick Simonite
Athenahealth has chosen to locate its new research and development center in Austin after City Council signed off on an incentives package.
The new center will bring 607 employees and a major health care technology company to Austin over the next 10 years. The company will be the major office tenant for the downtown Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment.
Athenahealth is set to occupy a 110,000-square-foot facility at Seaholm and make a total capital investment of $13 million in Austin. The lease for the space is expected to be signed soon, a spokeswoman for the company said.
In a statement within a Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce announcement Friday morning, Athenahealth Chairman and CEO Jonathan Bush said his company is expanding across the country, and he's excited to tap into Austin's "dynamic talent pool" and "make Austin a hub for the important work we do to advance connectivity in health care."
january 31
Split Council passes economic incentive deal for Athenahealth
by Chris Thomas
City Council members approved on a 5-2 vote an incentives package aimed at bringing Massachusetts- based Athenahealth to the city.
... In the deal, Athenahealth will get almost $5 million in concessions over a 10-year period. In return, it will create 607 jobs that will pay an average of $132,000 a year.
For his part, Mayor Lee Leffingwell continued his robust support of economic incentive agreements. "This may come across as corny but we've powered this jet to 35,000 feet and if we cut off the engines now, we're not going to stay there."
january 31
Austin approves incentives for Athenahealth
by Shonda Novak & Marty Toohey
Despite objections of some residents and two of its members, the Austin City Council approved $679,500 in incentives Thursday to entice Massachusetts-based Athenahealth Inc. to open a research-and-development office here.
A council majority decided that, ultimately, the amount of money the city was putting up over a 10-year period was trivial compared with the $5 million the state is offering to put up and the benefits the company would provide for the city.
"We offer a relatively token amount to leverage … that entire five million" that the state is offering, Mayor Lee Leffingwell said, noting the company could choose a neighboring city like Round Rock instead. "We have to rise to the occasion."
... In addition to the net $1.67 million benefit, landing the R&D facility at Seaholm would add about $200,000 in property tax revenue over 10 years that would help pay down debt service at former power plant site, which the city and a private developer currently are transforming into a mixed-use project that will feature condos, offices, restaurants and shops.
Athenahealth has told the city it expects to spend at least $13 million to renovate the space it is considering in the iconic 1950s-era power plant building.
january 29
january 24
An Icon is Engergized
By Colin Pope
During the past two-and-a-half months the project has found its footing, after having previously scored one of the most desirable retail tenants: Trader Joe's, whose 11,500-square-foot store will eat up about one-fourth of the retail space planned.
... "We're excited about the prospect of having Athenahealth select Austin and the Seaholm Power Plant for its expansion and hope the City Council acts favorably towards the incentive request,: Rosato said in a statement after Gov. Rick Perry's office was the first to unveil the news.
january 24
How Athenahealth built up a medical software empire
By Chad Swiatecki
When you first see the name Athenahealth, you might not realize the Watertown, Mass., company is really more of a software development firm than a health care provider, albeit one focused solely on the medical industry.
But if the publicly traded company completes a deal to bring 607 employees into the former Seaholm Power Plant on Cesar Chavez Street, it may ultimately become one of the biggest players in the Austin tech scene.
january 15
Massachusetts health care company to bring 607 jobs, $13M investment to Austin
By Robert Grattan
Athenahealth Inc. (Nasdaq: ATHN) has plans to bring 607 jobs and a multimillion dollar investment to Austin's downtown Seaholm power plant redevelopment.
... The Seaholm power plant redevelopment is a $130 million development on 8 acres at Cesar Chavez and San Antonio streets that includes 143,151 square feet of office space, 280 high-rise condos, 48,363 square feet of retail shops and restaurants and meeting space.
"We are excited about the prospect of having Athenahealth select Austin and the Seaholm Power Plant for its expansion, and hope the City Council acts favorably towards the incentive request," said John Rosato, a principal at Austin's Southwest Strategies Group, the project's developer, in a statement.
january 15
City, state proposing nearly $5.7 million in incentives to lure 600-plus tech jobs to Austin
by Shonda Novak
State and city officials have proposed more than $5.6 million in incentives to persuade a Massachusetts-based tech company to bring a research and development center — and more than 600 jobs — to downtown Austin.
The incentives would go to Athenahealth Inc., a fast-growing provider of cloud-based health information technology services, in exchange for the company locating its new facility at the site of the former Seaholm Power Plant building on West Cesar Chavez Street and creating 607 new full-time jobs in Austin by the end of 2023.
... "We're pleased that Athenahealth is considering an expansion in the Seaholm District," said Kevin Johns, director of the city's Economic Development Department, noting that the company "would serve as a great return on investment" at Seaholm, which is being transformed into a mixed-use project.
Jonathan Bush, Athenahealth's chairman and CEO, said the company was "thrilled at the prospect of growing our presence in Austin, a city with a culture and vibe that perfectly aligns with our own."
"Athenahealth is growing all across the country as we work to fulfill our vision of becoming a national information backbone to make health care work as it should," Bush said in a written statement. "Austin offers a strong talent pool to aid in the important work we do at Athenahealth to advance connectivity in health care."
If the company were to expand at Seaholm, it would be a boon for the $100 million redevelopment of the 7.8-acre site on West Cesar Chavez Street, which is being transformed into a mix of housing, offices, restaurants and retailers, including downtown's first Trader Joe's grocery store. The redevelopment is expected add millions of dollars to the city's tax base over coming decades.
The City Council in 2005 selected a team led by John Rosato of Austin-based Southwest Strategies Group to partner with the city in transforming the Seaholm site.
"We are excited about the prospect of having Athenahealth select Austin and the Seaholm Power Plant for its expansion, and hope the City Council acts favorably towards the incentive request," Rosato said. "We also greatly appreciate the governor's Enterprise Fund grant offer, which is contingent on the local incentive."