Austin, TX
Texas & Louisiana Owner of the Year: Big Time Challenges Push Texas Capital City
If any dictionary needed a contemporary example of a boomtown, Austin would surely fit the bill.
Fueled by a low cost of living as well as a thriving, diverse economy that in recent years has seem major technology companies complement the existing strength of state government and the University of Texas, Austin has seen its population grow by nearly 25% during the past decade. Last year, Austin passed rival technology hub San Jose, Calif., to become the 10th largest U.S. city, with a population of just under 975,000.
Austin’s growth extends to its metropolitan suburbs. The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area remains the 26th most populous metro area in the country with the seventh-largest numeric increase in population between 2022 and 2023. The Milken Institute says Austin–Round Rock tops its list of the best performing large U.S. cities for 2024. There’s another, equally important index of economic vitality, says interim city manager Jesús Garza. “We know we must invest in quality infrastructure if we are to continue to be able to accommodate that growth and improve our resiliency,” he says, adding the city has a number of generational or transformational projects underway equating to nearly $20 billion worth of future capital expenditures.”
Three major programs evidence how Austin is responding to this rapid growth. Austin-Bergstrom Airport (AUS), with the highest percentage increase of airline tickets for sale between 2019 and 2022, recorded 22 million passengers last year. To meet the demand, Austin announced in 2021 its multiyear Airport Expansion and Development Program, which incorporated post-pandemic considerations into AUS’s 2040 master plan. The program includes more than 60 near- and long-term facility and infrastructure improvements.
The first major element got underway in late 2022 and is expected to complete this year, with a $241.5-million upgrade to the outbound baggage system, led by prime contractor Whiting-Turner. The new system’s 1.5 miles of conveyor will process 4,000 bags per hour and increase system reliability.
September 2023 saw the groundbreaking of a $164-million West Gate Expansion, which will add nearly 85,000 sq ft over three levels of apron, concourse and mezzanine. Hensel Phelps is general contractor for the three-year project, which will feature a third-level outdoor public patio with a view of Austin’s skyline. It is slated to open in 2026.
Two other key components of Journey With AUS got a funding boost in February, with a $39-million grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. More than half of the funding will be applied toward a 13,000-sq-ft infill expansion of the Barbara Jordan Terminal. Currently in design, the estimated $120-million project includes an elevated slab in the terminal atrium to provide space for security screening, baggage check and passenger processing. Terminal building systems will also be upgraded as part of the project.
“We know we must invest in quality infrastructure if we are to continue to be able to accommodate that growth…”
—Jesus Garza, Interim City Manager, City of Austin
On the airfield side, AUS is nearing completion of a $70-million airplane fuel facility to accommodate expected demand increases over the next 10 years. Austin’s other major municipal mobility effort is the Project Connect transit expansion. Endorsed by Austin voters in November 2020, the original $5.8-billion, 20-mile plan of multiple light rail and bus rapid transit lines twice has been scaled back in the face of rising costs. The latest iteration, approved by the Austin City Council last year following an extensive public engagement process, limits the program to a $7.1-billion initial phase that will include a 9.8-mile, 15-station light rail line. Ultimately, the line will handle an estimated 28,500 passengers daily.
The approval enables Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), an independent corporation formed by the city and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to implement the Project Connect program and begin the permitting process and issue the first $150 million in bonds to be paid backed by revenue from the 2020 voter-approved property tax increase. The agency also has applied for Federal Transit Administration New Starts funding with an eye toward getting construction underway by 2027 and launching service six years later.
That schedule is contingent on the outcome of legislative and legal obstacles that have been thrown in Project Connect’s path almost from the outset. Along with several legislative attempts to halt ATP’s bonding authority, state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in May 2023 issued a legal opinion questioning the financing strategy. A lawsuit filed the following November claims that the changes to Project Connect are significant enough to require another pubic vote. A trial is scheduled for late May.
Along with attracting more residents and businesses, Austin has also become a high-profile competitor for large meetings, trade shows and other events, including the annual multifaceted SXSW conference and festival.
Eager to enhance its competitive edge while also preserving the vibrancy of its eclectic downtown area, the city is embarking on a $1.6-billion redevelopment and expansion of the existing Austin Convention Center. Funded by Convention Center and hotel occupancy tax revenue, the vertical expansion aims to double the facility’s existing 376,000 sq ft of rentable space within the same footprint while also enhancing neighborhood connections by measures such as reopening street grids.
The JE Dunn/Turner joint venture of J.E. Dunn Construction Group and Turner Construction Co. is serving as construction manager at-risk for the project, which will be designed by the A/E team of Seattle-based LMN Architects and Austin’s Page Southerland Page. According to the Austin Convention Center Dept., plans for the single-phase construction effort call for closure, demolition and construction activities to begin in 2025, with the new, larger facility opening in late 2028.
Garza says the city’s Capital Delivery Services department is efficiently carrying out more than 500 active infrastructure projects worth about $7 billion.
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This week on Texas Eats:
Ramen Tatsu-Ya
1600 E 6th St., Austin, Texas 78702
Ramen Tatsu-ya is an Austin staple known for serious Japanese ramen, crafted by chefs Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto. Their broths are slow-cooked, complex, and authentic, and their noodle bowls are rich, comforting, and widely praised by locals and critics alike.
Otto’s Ice House
111 Newell Ave., San Antonio, Texas 78212
Otto’s Ice House, located in the Pearl District, mixes the chill vibes of a Texas ice house with upscale touches. From street tacos and bratwurst to creative cocktails and live music, it’s a place to kick back with friends outdoors or by the river. The menu is casual but well-executed, and the owner Levi Goode brings in a reputation for quality and storytelling.
Texas Bistro
1932 S Seguin Avenue #209, New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Texas Bistro is a New American restaurant in New Braunfels that focuses on fresh, thoughtfully prepared dishes in a relaxed but refined environment. It draws praise as one of the area’s standout places for dinner.
Goode Co. BBQ
5109 Kirby Drive, Houston, Texas 77098
Goode Co. Barbeque is a long-standing Houston institution (since 1977) specializing in Texas-style barbecue slow-smoked over mesquite wood. They serve tender brisket, ribs, sausage, and classic sides, often paired with their signature pecan pie. The vibe is down-home, rustic, and welcoming — a place built around tradition, smoked meats, and a sense of genuine Texas BBQ hospitality.
Canje
1914 E 6th St. Ste C, Austin, Texas 78702
Canje is a vibrant Caribbean-inspired restaurant founded by Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph. Located in East Austin, it blends Caribbean and Guyanese traditions with modern techniques, emphasizing fresh, regionally-sourced ingredients and sustainable practices. The atmosphere is lively and colorful, with bold flavors and inventive dishes that reflect the broader diaspora of island cuisines.
Best Quality Daughter
602 Avenue A, San Antonio, Texas 78215
Best Quality Daughter is an Asian-American restaurant in the Pearl, founded by Chef Jennifer Dobbertin. It showcases flavors from her heritage and her travels, offering dishes that blend comfort with creativity in a welcoming space. It’s earned acclaim locally and has become a key part of San Antonio’s emerging food scene.
McAdoo’s Seafood
196 N Castell Ave., New Braunfels, Texas 78130
McAdoo’s is an upscale seafood restaurant in downtown New Braunfels housed in the old post office building. They offer a mix of fresh seafood, authentic Cajun-Creole dishes, and Texas Creole favorites. The setting includes a courtyard and intimate bar, and the menu combines fine dining touches with hearty, flavor-forward preparations.
La Tequila Mexican Restauarnt
90 Crossroads Blvd., Balcones Heights, Texas 78201
La Tequila Jalisco offers auténtica comida mexicana in Balcones Heights with a menu full of Jalisco-style dishes like enchiladas, fried shrimp, and classic tacos. Its warm, family-friendly setting makes it a go-to for locals craving hearty, approachable Mexican food.
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AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) — The records in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce case have been unsealed.
Judge Robert Brotherton, who is presiding over the case, signed an order Friday morning allowing the records to be made public. The decision came after Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, announced that they had come to an agreement late Thursday to unseal the documents.
Tyler Bexley, an attorney for a group of media organizations fighting for the records to be released, celebrated the decision as a win for transparency.
“We’re certainly pleased with the result,” Bexley said after the hearing.
The move was an abrupt about-face for the couple, who had fought to keep the records secret. It’s unclear exactly what brought on the change.
The records were released before noon. They show the Paxtons have entered mediation, and their blind trust had doled out $20,000 to each of them to pay for their attorneys. The documents also show that earlier this month, Angela Paxton asked her husband to produce records pertinent to the case. They also show multiple judges recused themselves from the case before it was given to Brotherton, a visiting judge based in Wichita Falls.
The Texas Newsroom previously published copies of several records — including Paxton’s general denial of his wife’s divorce petition — before they were sealed.
The records did not shed more light on the couple’s financial situation, division of assets or the alleged affair that led to the divorce — but additional filings will be made as the case continues. Bexley said the media organizations agreed to redactions only of personal information like Social Security numbers and home addresses.
State Sen. Angela Paxton filed for divorce in July alleging adultery. Soon after, she asked for the court record to be sealed. A previous judge handling the case agreed and put all of the records under seal. Ken Paxton initially supported the decision, filing a court document that accused the press of attempting to unfairly invade his personal life.
Eight media organizations and a nonpartisan nonprofit opposed the sealing. The media group argued Paxton’s divorce records should be public because he is an elected official running for office who has faced repeated allegations of corruption. The attorney general’s finances, which are a subject of the divorce case, have been central to the misconduct allegations against him. While he has been charged with multiple crimes during his decade in statewide office, Paxton has never been convicted.
Paxton is now challenging John Cornyn in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
Laura Roach, one of Ken Paxton’s lawyers, said after the Friday hearing that the attorney general had always wanted the record to be unsealed.
“Mr. Paxton has always wanted us to actually unseal it,” she said. “Attorneys get on a path and we think that that’s the right way to go and we were finally able to get everybody on the same page.”
When asked why he initially opposed it so strongly, she added, “that’s just legal stuff. … His attorneys said that.”
Angela Paxton had asked the records be sealed because doing so would “not have an adverse affect on the public health or safety.” Her representatives declined to respond on Friday.
Michael Clauw, the communications director for the nonprofit Campaign for Accountability that also sought the release of the records, said he does not believe Ken Paxton actually wanted them to be made public.
“It’s ridiculous to believe that Ken Paxton ‘always wanted’ his divorce record to be unsealed,” he said. “Only when it became apparent he likely would lose in court did he change his tune.”
Roach said she expects the case to be resolved amicably soon. Neither Ken Paxton nor Angela Paxton appeared at the court.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans – and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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