ATX PULSE 7/30/24: Nate Paul Fraud Case Set for Feb. '25 // License Plate Readers Catching Criminals // RIP Chris Riley // AFA Calls for More AFD Cadets // AA Cuts 5 More Direct Flights

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TOP NEWS

~ “Judge grants delay in Austin real estate investor’s fraud case to February 2025,” via CBS Austin – “P

The federal trial for Austin real estate investor Nate Paul is now set for Feb. 19, 2025, according to court documents.

U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra granted a motion to continue the trial, which was previously scheduled for November. Paul's attorneys requested additional time to review discovery materials provided by the prosecution.

Paul, who was at the center of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial last year, faces multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is accused of providing false statements to obtain $172 million in loans.

In the court order, Judge Ezra stated that the delay from November 2024 to February 2025 is "a reasonable period of necessary delay to allow counsel to negotiate a plea; and/or to review discovery and the record to date, and to prepare for trial."

According to previous reporting, each count of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and fines of $250,000 per count. Paul also faces eight counts of making false statements to lenders, each carrying a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Paul previously pleaded not guilty to all charges in November 2023.” CBS Austin

THE BLOTTER

~ “Two men charged with capital murder in north Austin beating death,” via CBS Austin – “Two Austin men are facing capital murder charges in connection with the December beating death of Hector Diaz-Esparza in north Austin, according to court documents.

Johnathan Matthew Silguero, 21, and Treyvon Rondale James Vance, 28, allegedly lured Diaz-Esparza to an alley off West Braker Lane under the pretense of selling him a gun, then robbed and fatally beat him.

According to arrest affidavits, Diaz-Esparza, 28, arranged via Facebook Messenger to meet Silguero around 4:30 a.m. on December 26 to purchase a handgun for $400. Surveillance video and cell phone records indicate Diaz-Esparza arrived at the meeting location, where he was allegedly attacked.

Police found Diaz-Esparza's body in the alley around 5:16 a.m. with severe head trauma. The Travis County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt force injuries.

Investigators say text messages between Silguero and Vance in the hours before the murder show the two planning to rob Diaz-Esparza. Surveillance footage captured a vehicle matching the description of one owned by Vance's girlfriend at the scene shortly after the estimated time of death.

Both suspects remain in Travis County jail. Silguero faces charges including capital murder, burglary of a building, four counts of aggravated robbery, and an application to revoke probation. Vance faces charges including capital murder, five counts of aggravated robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, credit card abuse, firearm discharge, and an out-of-county misdemeanor.” CBS Austin

~ “Austin massage parlor owner arrested for human trafficking,” via CBS Austin – “The owner of a southwest Austin massage parlor was arrested last week on charges of human trafficking after police rescued two women who allege they were forced into prostitution.

Lu Juqing, 48, faces two counts of second-degree felony charge of trafficking of persons for allegedly coercing women to provide sexual services at RS Foot Massage, located at Hwy 290 & Parkwood Drive.

According to an arrest affidavit, police executed a search warrant at the business on Monday, July 22, following an email tip from one of the victims. The women, identified only as Victim 1 and Victim 2, told investigators they were recruited from China through a job posting and expected to perform only massages.

The victims reported being confined to the business 24 hours a day and paying Lu $30 daily to stay there. They alleged Lu took their passports and threatened deportation if they didn't comply with her demands.

Police say Lu instructed the women to offer sexual services to clients. Victim 1 told investigators she earned $900 in one day from massages and sexual services, of which Lu allegedly took $500.

Lu is being held in Travis County Jail under a combined bond of $200,000.” CBS Austin

CITY HALL

~ “License plate readers helping Austin police catch criminals,” Fox 7 Austin’s Meredith Aldis – “License plate readers are back, and the Austin Police Department is using the technology, located throughout the city, to catch criminals. 

Just this week, they said the city’s camera systems helped officers arrest men accused of violent crimes.

"The ability for individuals, any of us, to truly remain hidden, is difficult these days," Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock said.

APD utilized two different camera systems this week to help identify two violent suspects.

City of Austin moving forward with license plate reader pilot program

Austin City Council passed two resolutions yesterday, one related to the contract and the other related to timelines, for data retention and the program itself. This comes after the program was brought to a halt in 2020.

"There are cameras all over the place," Bullock said.

On Monday, July 22, at around 2:30 a.m., an APD officer was flagged down in Downtown Austin by a witness who said a man pointed a gun at a woman. Investigators utilized some of the 76 HALO cameras in Austin to see what happened in its entirety.

"HALO cameras are an incredible source of intelligence for police. Like any security camera in a private business, these cameras allow investigators to observe a crime taking place on video in a public area. This allows police to corroborate statements given to them by citizens, or they can be utilized to help police locate a suspect who fled the scene after committing a violent crime. The video evidence can then be stored in our evidence database and used by the District Attorney’s office at a trial. Video helps the public see what happened and usually does a better job explaining what happened rather than reading words on paper," APD Aggravated Assault Unit Detective Christopher Van Buren said.

"The eye in the sky that gives us the ability to have a greater policing presence right in public areas that would otherwise require more officers to do so," Bullock said.

Video showed the verbal fight, then two men and a woman were punched, and the suspect pulled a loaded gun out of his waistband.

Twenty-nine-year-old Eric Walker is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The next day, at around 1 p.m., an 80-year-old man was followed home from a bank in East Austin. Police said when the elderly man got to his front door, the suspect came up to him, said ,"I saw you at the bank, give me your money," punched him multiple times in the face, stole the money, and damaged the ring doorbell camera.

This incident is what’s considered jugging.

"It's something that is becoming more common," Bullock said.

"Jugging cases are difficult due to the frequency, lack of information from the affected persons/witnesses (because most of the time they do not observe the offense), and the way the suspects operate. Most are using rental vehicles, covering up their appearances, and taking advantage of areas with no surveillance/far away surveillance," APD Robbery Sergeant Jennifer Taylor said.

In this case, detectives said they searched for the victim’s vehicle on the License Plate Reader camera system.

"Through their knowledge of how jugging suspects operate, they knew the suspect's vehicle would be observed near the victim’s vehicle. They located the silver SUV described as traveling behind the victim’s vehicle, and they were able to get a current plate, which provided leads," Sergeant Taylor said.

Within hours, APD’s Violent Crimes Task Force located the car in East Austin and arrested 22-year-old Christopher Phillips. He’s charged with aggravated robbery by assault. He’s eligible for an enhanced habitual offender indictment and sentencing because he’s already been convicted of robbery four times.

Sergeant Taylor said there is an average of about 12.5 reported jugging crimes per month, varying between robberies, burglaries, and thefts, with the majority being burglary of vehicle jugging crimes. 

"You can avoid becoming a jugging victim by being very aware of your surroundings, not making it obvious you’re carrying cash, don’t leave your cash in the vehicle, have someone with you if withdrawing large amounts of cash, and keeping an eye out for any vehicles following you from your banking institution," Sergeant Taylor said.

Detectives said technology is necessary in investigations.

"Technology is constantly evolving, and law enforcement must evolve with it. When I started at the Austin Police Department over 11 years ago, we did not have body cameras. This is an example of a new technology that Austin Police adopted; it has been an incredible investigation asset. Technology also helps cut down on the amount of labor that goes into some investigations, which, in turn, allows more cases to be investigated efficiently," Detective Van Buren said.

"Physical evidence is not always available (ie:  DNA, prints); however, it is virtually impossible to not leave a digital footprint via our modern devices. Digital data is heavily relied upon for investigative leads, whether it is to include a suspect or exclude them from an investigation and moving with that technology as a police department will better serve our community," Sergeant Taylor said.

Bullock said while technology is incredibly useful, it’s not everything.

"We can still rely on witness statements, on investigations and on physical evidence, even if we don't have cameras, even if we don't utilize technology, we don't have the ability to utilize it in certain investigations," Bullock said.

The use of License Plate Readers was halted by the Austin City Council in 2020, but in 2022, they were reinstated. In March 2024, they were installed. There are currently 40 city-owned License Plate Reader cameras. 

Sergeant Taylor said they are utilized daily to assist in providing investigative leads.” Fox 7 Austin

~ “Firefighters call for more cadets to address safety, mental health needs,,” Austin Monitor’s Chad Swiatecki – “The Austin Firefighters Association is seeking more attention to the safety issues facing its membership, which were discussed in part last week during City Council budget sessions.

The AFA had planned to hold a press conference Monday to publicize issues such as increasing injury rates and mental health concerns highlighted by a recent death by suicide of one of its members, marking the fourth such death for the organization since 2017.

The press conference was postponed because of President Joe Biden’s visit to the LBJ Presidential Library on Monday. Association President Bob Nicks told the Austin Monitor he and other advocates for Austin firefighters are pushing the city to add another annual cadet class to begin adding the 25 new positions needed to accommodate a planned one-hour reduction to the typical firefighter’s workweek.

Nicks said that reducing the workweek to 52 hours will reduce some of the mental strain and psychological effects of the demanding and dangerous job.

“It’s an emerging problem across the nation where firefighters are suffering more from post-incident stress. But it seems to be really a big problem in Austin. We’re having more and more people treated for it through conventional, non-conventional means,” Nicks said. “The reason we’re trying to get a workweek reduction is so we can put more time between shifts where firefighters can rest and kind of reset and be rested and ready when they come back to work. Their current schedule doesn’t seem to allow that.”

During last week’s budget hearing, Council members discussed with financial and fire staff how to pay for the $1.7 million cost of adding a third cadet class to the next budget year. An area of concern was how to account for the Fire Department’s rising workers’ compensation costs due to abnormally high absences and overtime costs due to injuries.

“It seems to me that having more (full-time employees) might be a more cost-efficient and better for the mental health and well-being of our firefighters,” Council Member Alison Alter said. “I wanted to understand if we had had done the math to figure out whether we would be better off adding, say, another 10 or 15 or 20 firefighters, rather than paying an extra $4 million in overtime in terms of how we’re budgeting moving forward … as well as reduce the workload burden on our firefighters.”

Nicks said part of the increase in overtime costs could be attributed to firefighters becoming more willing to acknowledge their mental health issues or physical ailments that require rest and medical intervention. He said the workweek restructuring, which is scheduled to go into effect in September 2025, would help to alleviate some of those problems.

“The fire services has had kind of a stigma that you’re afraid to talk about (mental health). Or somebody may relieve you of your duty, and you couldn’t be a firefighter anymore. For many, many years, it was something that people did not talk about at all,” he said. “We’re starting to have more and more people going off duty, basically on injury leave or for post-traumatic stress syndrome. The management has turned a corner and they’re starting to recognize it more and they’re actually very good about helping in that treatment.”

Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said she’d had extensive conversations with Fire Department managers and friends after the news of the most recent suicide and said she strongly supports the shift to a shortened workweek. Her main concern with the expenses for an extra cadet class is where staff would find that money. Kelly highlighted assorted classes and programs in the Parks and Recreation Department that could be cut.

“The way that the firefighters currently work, it’s 24 (hours) on, 48 (hours) off. Their shift change is at noon. So you go from noon one day to noon the next day,” she said. “By the time the firefighters get home, if they have families or kids are getting home from school in the afternoon, they don’t have a lot of time to really decompress before their at-home life has to begin.”” Austin Monitor

~ “Former Austin City Council member, urbanist champion Chris Riley, 60, dies,” Austin American-Statesman’s Skye Seipp, Ella McCarthy and Bridget Grumet – “Chris Riley, a former Austin City Council member and champion of Austin's urbanist movement, died Sunday of complications with cancer, his family confirmed to the American-Statesman. He was 60.

Friends and family remembered Riley as passionate, dedicated, ethical, intelligent and a visionary. Michael Riley, his younger brother, said Chris Riley's final moments were spent with close friends and family gathered around him. Riley died peacefully later Sunday night with his wife, Denise Brady, next to him.

He served as an at-large City Council member from June 2009 through January 2015, when Austin moved to a 10-1 council with each member representing a different geographic district. 

During his tenure, Riley advocated for urbanist policies to make downtown living more attractive, especially for people walking or cycling. Riley lived downtown and got rid of his car years ago, relying on a bicycle.  

He was at peace in his final weeks, telling the American-Statesman on July 13: “It's time, and I'm ready to go. It's been such a wonderful, blessed life."

Riley was born and raised in Austin, spending much of his time in Tarrytown. Michael Riley said his brother “had his own rhythm and way of doing things, and it was fun to watch.”

He was a middle child among four, and his father was a physicist at the University of Texas, while his mother worked from home and at times with her husband in the physics department. Michael Riley recalled fond memories of the whole family and their dog loading up in the car and traveling to New Mexico each summer for his father's research trips. 

Even in high school, Riley’s ambitions led him down a different path. He left Austin High and moved to Washington at 16 to be a page for U.S. Rep. Jake Pickle. He then attended Harvard University, where he earned his undergraduate degree. 

But Austin was Riley’s home and the place he loved. He moved back and attended UT Law School.

Friends and family regarded him as the life of the party, the person getting everyone together to soak in Austin’s vibrant live music scene or explore the dive bars, of which he had an “encyclopedic knowledge," his brother said.

Not only did he love listening to music, but he was an “elegant dancer,” Michael Riley said, practicing everything from swing to the jitterbug at venues such as the Continental Club.  

Carolyn Ostrom, an attorney, met Riley on their first day of law school, and they remained good friends. Even in those early days of law school, Ostrom said, Riley was always passionate and determined.

“He just had a clear vision of what he wanted to do,” she said. “He's incredibly thoughtful and ethical. And he really puts his money where his mouth is. … He has beliefs, and then he lives his life according to those beliefs.”

Chris Riley's impact at City Hall

Riley returned to his old stomping grounds in May. Sitting at the front of a packed City Council chamber at City Hall, Riley was honored with an ordinance naming a section of the Shoal Creek Trail between West Avenue and Fifth Street “Chris Riley Bend."

"We owe its current state to his work before, during and after his time on City Council," Council Member Ryan Alter said at the meeting. "After being washed out in the 1981 Memorial Day flood, it stood derelict for years. Chris' tireless advocacy ultimately led to reconnecting downtown with the rest of the historic Shoal Creek greenbelt.

"In the future, this bend will connect future generations of Austinites to the life and work of Chris Riley," Alter said.

Former colleagues, council members and friends gave Riley a standing ovation.

Riley, wearing a gray suit jacket and soft purple dress shirt, said he was "moved and touched" by the dedication. He drew laughter when he said, "I wish I'd had some of that support" while on the council.

Riley was an "early adopter" of several urbanist policies, Leah Bojo, who worked as a policy aide for Riley while he was on the council, told the Statesman. But his policy ideas weren't always met with the same level of support they have now.

"People thought we were nuts and thought there's no way these things were going to happen," Bojo said.

But Riley knew it was possible, Bojo said, and he continued to advocate for parking reform and biking and transit infrastructure.

"There's no way we would be where we are today if he hadn't been so dedicated to those priorities of his," said Bojo, who now works at the Drenner Group.

Nearly a decade after Riley ended his tenure, the City Council voted to eliminate parking requirements citywide and supported reducing minimum lot sizes, allowing more housing to be built. He was an early proponent of making it easier for people to build accessory dwelling units, better known as garage apartments or granny flats, to provide more housing options. And he welcomed the arrival of Uber and Lyft at a time when City Hall was fighting over the rules for transportation apps that many residents now use.

Ben Leffler, who served as a policy adviser for Riley and now works in Alter's office, described his former boss as a "thought leader."

Many in Austin were apprehensive about change and growth in 2014, Leffler said, but Riley was the "absolute opposite."

"He's like, 'We're so lucky to be in this vibrant city, and we should be welcoming all these people that are coming here, because they're making it more vibrant and more interesting,’ ” Leffler said. "It was just a completely fresh take ... and it really struck me, and it was optimistic."

In the 2014 election, Riley faced off against then-fellow Council Member Kathie Tovo and Erin McGann. With no one winning a majority of the vote, Tovo (49.1%) and Riley (40.4%) were headed toward a runoff.

But Riley decided to leave the race, saying he remained dedicated to the policies he championed but also felt "that, as we begin this new era with a new council, a contest that creates negativity and division is not how we should set the tone for Austin going forward."“ AAS ($)

BUSINESS NEWS

~ “American Airlines cutting 5 nonstop flights from Austin after cutting 21 flights in 2023,” Austin American-Statesman’s Beck Andrew Salgado – “Texas-based American Airlines has identified five flights that it will no longer service from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The cuts continue a reduction of service from the state capital that began last year and led to the elimination of 21 routes.

The new flight cuts will start as early as October and will target year-round nonstop routes to Las Vegas, New Orleans and Orlando, Fla. The airline will also end seasonal service to Palm Springs, Calif., and Reno, Nev. 

“American will continue to offer customers access to our comprehensive global network of more than 350 destinations with one-stop connections. We’re proactively reaching out to impacted customers and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” the company said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the airline said the reduction in routes was made in an attempt to increase seat capacity to several hubs from Austin this winter. Moreover, airline representatives say the one-stop connections to destinations across American’s vast network will help ease the burden for passengers.

More detail about why route cancellations were being made was found in American’s second-quarter earnings call, where, in line with other airlines, executives felt making structural adjustments to seating could boost profits.

American Airlines already eliminated 21 routes from Austin-Bergstrom

In November 2023, American Airlines outlined plans to alter various departures that ultimately eliminated 15 domestic routes and six international routes from its Austin-Bergstrom offerings.

The airline again said the changes allowed it to offer 53% more seats per day and 19 additional daily departures compared with 2019.

Some of the most popular nonstop destinations that the airline cut last year were Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico as well as Albuquerque, N.M., and Oklahoma City. 

American Airlines revenue soaring despite canceled routes 

American Airlines’ second-quarter earnings call outlined some significant wins for the company despite continuing route eliminations. The company posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue at $14.3 billion and reduced its total debt approximately $850 million during the quarter. 

Moreover, the second quarter generated a net income of $717 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, and the company saw an operating cash flow of approximately $1.1 billion. However, the airline still has a long way to go as it has been battered in the stock market this year and still had a debt of $40 billion as of March.” AAS ($)

~ “Virginia-based global data center operator eyes construction of $1.4B campus in Bastrop County,” Austin Business Journal’s Justin Sayers – “A Virginia-based global data center operator is considering Bastrop County east of Austin for a $1.4 billion data center campus.

EdgeConneX Inc. — a subsidiary of Swedish global investment firm EQT AB — on July 26 was approved by the Bastrop County Commissioners Court for a tax increment reinvestment zone to allow for a property tax abatement. The project is tied to two parcels totaling about 112 acres at the northeast corner of Farm to Market Road 535 and Wolf Lane in Cedar Creek.

Not much else is publicly known about the project. But it was described in a public hearing notice as a "four-building data center campus facility," with costs of improvements estimated at $1.4 billion. County commissioners on July 20 established guidelines and criteria to participate in tax abatements under the state's Chapter 312 program.

Founded in 2009, EdgeConneX boasts that it constructs custom build-to-suit data centers across the globe and has headquarters in Northern Virginia, Singapore and Amsterdam. The company has built over 80 data centers across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and South America since 2013. It was acquired by EQT AB in 2020.

Bastrop County economic development officials declined to provide additional details. Company representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Data centers are massive hubs for computer processing power — commonly called "the cloud" — that are used by many companies and industries. While they don't create many long-term jobs, they do add value to a city's tax rolls because of the large amount of investment at the sites. But the U.S. data center boom has drawn criticism based on a variety of factors, such as the amount of power and water the facilities use.

Regardless, Central Texas has become a target for the industry. Earlier this year, Caldwell County approved a $1.3 billion data center campus from Prime Data Centers, while Skybox Datacenters LLC and Prologis Inc. revealed they were planning another one in the Hutto Megasite to complement a billion-dollar data center they already are building. That adds to growing data center hubs in Pflugerville, Southeast Austin and in Round Rock.

The projects could help fill a demand for new data centers projects. CBRE found that the nationwide vacancy rate among primary data center markets was 3.7% in the second half of 2023, near an all-time low.

The Austin-San Antonio region's total inventory ranked No. 2 among secondary data markets across the country, trailing just Central Washington and ahead of regions like Southern California, Seattle, Houston, Denver and Minneapolis, according to the data. The Central Texas vacancy rate was 1.8% in the second half of last year.

Hundreds, and potentially thousands, of megawatts of data center space could come online in the Austin area in the next few years. For example, Skybox and Prologis alone are slated to bring 600 megawatts — about as much as what 114,000 homes would consume — online at the PowerCampus in Hutto.

Skybox CEO Rob Morris previously described the current demand for data centers as "insatiable," saying the company has built 640 megawatts of total capacity in its history and already has double that under development. He said Hutto and Central Texas will play a key role in that growth, citing the region's favorable development environment, electric grid and infrastructure.

The bulk of the data center growth in the Austin-San Antonio market is centered on the Oncor Electric Delivery map, which includes areas primarily north of Austin. Chris Herrmann, senior vice president with CBRE, previously said those suburbs served by Oncor provide large chunks of land with abundant power infrastructure — and it's usually less expensive than what Austin Energy offers.

Herrmann said the Austin market also benefits from a business-friendly environment and a central location in the country. "Austin is quickly becoming considered one of the major data center markets in the United States," he said.

"Based on the lack of data center availability across the country, which is the result of recent hyperscaler and AI demand ... Austin (area) should continue to grow significantly as developers not currently in the market compete for attractive land sites," he said.” ABJ ($)

OTHER NEWS

~ “Report: Austin-area retail market healthiest in Texas due to high demand, low new supply,” Austin American-Statesman’s Shonda Novak – “Hearing real estate brokers talk about the strong demand for retail space in the Austin area is like listening to real estate agents talk about the bidding wars during the frenzy of the pandemic-era housing market.

"With so much demand for retail, every space that comes available is extremely competitive, therefore driving rents to places we have never seen before," said Nick Naumann, director of brokerage in Austin for Weitzman. "Tenants are still extremely active, and you almost have to know a premier space is going to become available before it hits the market, specifically restaurants and single-tenant buildings.” 

Weitzman, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage firm, recently released its midyear retail market report for the Austin region, a five-county area extending from Georgetown to San Marcos.

Not surprisingly, the Austin area's retail market "proved its ability to maintain high occupancy" as tenants continued to backfill vacancies and new retail construction projects hit the market essentially full, Weitzman reported.

As a result, Austin maintained its long-held position as the healthiest major retail market in Texas in terms of occupancy and balanced supply and demand," according to Weitzman's report.

Austin posted an occupancy level of approximately 96.8%, based on Weitzman’s review of retail market conditions at midyear 2024. The basically full occupancy percentage is based on a market inventory of about 52.6 million square feet.

"The market is experiencing high levels of retail demand, especially for second-generation space as demand focuses on existing retail centers due to exceptionally low new construction," Weitzman said. "The market’s yearslong trend of limited new construction also contributed to the tight market."

The retail market’s health reflects the strength of the overall Austin-area economy, which ranks as one of the strongest in the country, the report notes. The Austin area, with a population of about 2.5 million, ranks as the state’s fastest-growing metro area with 7.2% growth between 2020 and January 2023, according to the Texas Demographic Center.

Space at a premium

Weitzman said examples of backfilled retail spaces this year include:

• Floor & Décor, which in the third quarter of 2024 is set to open its first Georgetown location in a 67,000-square-foot former H-E-B grocery store off Interstate 35. H-E-B moved to a new 121,000-square-foot store in Georgetown in 2023.

• Hobby Lobby, which is taking a 58,000-square-foot former Randalls grocery store space at 10900 Research Boulevard after that Randalls closed this year.

• Five Below, which is taking part of the former Stein Mart space at Round Rock Crossing. A fitness concept plans to take the rest of the vacant space.

• Crunch Fitness, which plans a midyear 2024 opening for a new 40,000-square-foot location in 1890 Ranch in Cedar Park. The location was formerly a Gold’s Gym.

• Austin Pickle Ranch, a pickleball concept, which backfilled a 50,000-square-foot former Golfsmith space on Braker Lane.

• Nike Training Studio, a new fitness concept from Nike that is opening in about 3,000 square feet of space in the Triangle at North Lamar Boulevard and Guadalupe Street.

• Desi Brothers, a specialty grocery store, plans to open next year in about 48,000 square feet of space in Round Rock Crossing at the southeastern corner of Texas 45 and Interstate 35.

• Copenhagen Imports, a contemporary furniture retailer, plans to open in about 31,000 square feet formerly occupied by an office supplies superstore in Braker Lane Crossing, a retail center at 4607 W. Braker Lane.

• Tesla will open a car showroom later this year or early next in a redeveloped 65,000-square-foot former H-E-B anchor space in the Center of the Hills near the "Y" at Oak Hill.

• H Mart, a grocery chain offering Asian specialties, is due to open next year in 23,0000 square feet at a former Savers Thrift store at 5222 Burnet Road.

• IKEA opened its first small-format location in June in the mixed-use Domain development in North Austin.

• Painted Tree Boutiques opened this spring in a 42,000-square-foot former Bed Bath & Beyond space on Brodie Lane Marketfair in Sunset Valley.

• Daiso, the Japan-based dollar store concept, backfilled the 10,000-square-foot David’s Bridal vacancy at Sunset Valley Marketfair and the 8,500-square-foot former Kirkland’s vacancy at Stone Hill Town Center in Pflugerville.

Restaurant openings

• New York-based the Dead Rabbit Bar has opened at 204 E. Sixth St.

• The Boiling Crab, a Cajun seafood concept, opened in early 2024 at the Linc, at 6406 I-35 in North Austin.

• The Guest House Social Dining & Wine Garden opened in February on the ground floor of the Northshore apartments at 110 San Antonio Street in downtown Austin.

• Modern Mexican concept Mexta opened during the first half of 2024 at 106 E. Sixth St. at Congress Avenue.

• Nando’s Peri-Peri opened this year at 1825 McBee St. in the Mueller neighborhood.

• Los Angeles-based BOA Steakhouse opened at 300 W. Sixth St. in downtown Austin.

• Doris Metropolitan, a high-end steakhouse, will be opening in a new mixed-use building at 1111 W. Sixth St.

• Tancho Japanese Restaurant plans to open in the Grove mixed-use development in Central Austin.

H-E-B dominates construction pipeline

Based on projects opening or announced for completion this year, the market is on track to see about 572,000 square feet of construction in new or expanded retail projects, Weitzman reports. San Antonio-based grocer H-E-B dominates the forecasted construction total with nearly half of the new space.

In Pflugerville, a new 127,000-square-foot store, the third H-E-B in Pflugerville, is set to open in the second half of this year. In Austin, H-E-B's two-story, 1450,000-square-foot store that's under construction at South Congress Avenue and Oltorf Street is due to open in late fall.

The 2024 deliveries continue the trend of limited construction that began in 2017, when the market added about 640,000 square feet of new space. New deliveries have not reached or exceeded the 1-million-square-foot point since 2016, when the market added 1.1 million square feet; the high point for new deliveries was 2007, when developers added 4.2 million square feet of retail space.

"The low deliveries forecast for 2024 are especially remarkable in a tight retail market like Austin’s, with high demand, low availabilities and a vibrant economy," Weitzman's report said.

Market outlook healthy

The retail market’s strength is boosted by strong economic, population, job and residential activity, Weitzman's report said.

The Austin metro area added more than 50,000 new residents during the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent 12-month measurement, for a growth rate that topped 2%. The current unemployment rate for the area, an exceptionally low 3%, is considered “full employment” by economists.

And thanks to fast-growing suburban areas like Georgetown, Buda and Leander, the Austin region reported more than 15,500 single-family housing starts in 2023, and it is on track for about 20,000 new apartment units this year.

"As a result, we expect to see the area’s healthy retail performance carry though the remainder of 2024 and into 2025, especially as inflation stabilizes and the Fed forecasts an interest rate cut in the second half of 2024," Weitzman's report said.

'Lucky to be in Texas'

Weitzman's Naumann said that with strong demand and low supply, demand for retail space is highly competitive, which is driving up rents. The lack of new supply is due in part to increases in construction costs, among other factors.

"We have not seen any change in demand," Naumann said. "Austin has stayed steady and even on an upward trajectory for demand and activity. We're still one of the most competitive markets in the nation. and one of the most desirable. We're lucky to be in Texas."“ AAS ($)

SPORTS

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL / BASEBALL: “Texas baseball player Nik Sanders joins the Longhorns’ football program,” KXAN’s Danny Davis — “T

This upcoming fall, Texas catcher Nik Sanders won't just be focused on baseball.

Sanders has been added to the roster of the Texas football team. He is currently listed as a 6-foot-2, 215-pound running back on the team's website. He has been assigned the No. 31 jersey.

Earlier on Monday, Sanders tweeted out a picture of his new locker and wrote "Let’s get it @TexasFootball." Sanders played football in high school at Waco's University High and La Vega High.

This past baseball season, Sanders was the designated hitter in UT's season opener. However, the freshman later found playing time hard to find. He appeared in just nine games and hit .056 over 18 at-bats.

Texas is set to open practices for the 2024 football season on Wednesday. Sanders will be one of eight running backs on the roster.” AAS ($)

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL: “What are the key position battles for Texas Longhorns football as summer practices begin?” Austin American-Statesman’s Thomas Jones — “For perhaps the first time since he took over the Texas football program prior to the 2021 season, head coach Steve Sarkisian has a big issue befitting a top-10 program.

What blue-chip, highly talented players will have to watch from the sideline as someone else starts in his spot?

It’s an enviable problem, sure. But it’s also one that will have to be solved before the Longhorns kick off the season Aug. 31 against visiting Colorado State. Texas had 11 players drafted by the NFL in April, the most for the Longhorns in a single draft since the NFL cut the draft to seven rounds in 1994. That means competition looks stiff in the summer at certain spots, especially with several proven veterans arriving in the portal.

“For us to sit here and say this is the deepest team we've had, probably the most talented team we've had in my four years here, I can unequivocally say that,” Sarkisian said. “We lost some really good players from a year ago, but we've got a very deep football team, one that we're excited about. (We) are looking forward to watching them compete this fall.”

That competition within the team itself begins with the first practice Wednesday. Let’s take a look at five key position battles.

Left guard: Is Hayden Conner still the starter?

Hayden Conner, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound senior, gives the Longhorns one of the most proven interior linemen in the nation who has started all 27 games over the past two seasons. But former four-star recruit Neto Umeozulu should get a chance to win the starting spot at left guard. The 6-foot-4, 334-pound redshirt sophomore from the Class 6A high school powerhouse of Allen garnered some snaps with the first team this spring. Expect Conner to enter the season as the starter, but the emergence of Umeozulu could add to the options up front for Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood.

Wide receiver: Lots of options for revamped position

Sarkisian certainly has options after a complete overhaul at receiver. Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington all joined the NFL after hauling in 172 of the 182 catches by a wide receiver last season. Texas responded by signing three wideouts — Alabama’s Isaiah Bond, Houston’s Matthew Golden and Oregon State’s Silas Bolden — in the portal as well as a five-star freshman in Ryan Wingo. Oh, and second-year players Johntay Cook II, DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ryan Niblett are all eager to shine in what Sarkisian calls “far and away our deepest receiver corps that we've had in four years.” Bond seems a lock to start, considering the bona fides he earned in two years with the Tide. But how will the other snaps be carved up?

Edge rusher: How does Trey Moore fit in?

Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke both return as starters at defensive end, and both excel against the run. But the pair combined for just 9½ sacks a year ago, which helped prompt the Longhorns to lure Trey Moore from UTSA. Moore proved a pass-rushing specialist last season with 14 sacks to go along with 45 tackles and 17½ tackles for a loss. But will he be an every-down end for the Longhorns despite the presence of Burke and Sorrell? And where will five-star freshman sensation Colin Simmons fit in? If Moore proves himself capable against the run, his ability to make plays in the backfield could make him a three-down player.

Cornerback: Questions beyond Malik Muhammad

Texas regularly rotated in four players at cornerback a year ago, but Ryan Watts left for the NFL and Terrance Brooks entered the portal. That leaves sophomore Malik Muhammad, returning senior Gavin Holmes and San Jose State transfer Jay’Vion Cole as the top candidates to start on the outside. Muhammad, a 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore, flashed star power as a freshman and boasts the length and play-making ability craved by defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. But who will start on the other side? Holmes had some issues last season but boasts plenty of experience with 42 career games while the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Cole showed that he plays bigger than his size in his first two seasons.

Safety: Who joins Andrew Mukuba?

Another position that underwent an offseason overhaul, the safety spots could spring a surprise or two in fall camp. Senior Andrew Mukuba, an Austin native and LBJ graduate, started for three seasons at Clemson and has seemingly slid right into the starting role at free safety in what will be his first season at Texas. The strong safety spot could get interesting if sophomore Jelani McDonald keeps pushing classmate Derek Williams Jr., who played in 13 games as a freshman. And don’t forget about Michael Taffe, the former walk-on from Westlake who started nine games last season and helped stabilize a position that had its struggles.” AAS ($)

~ OLYMPICS / TEXAS SWIMMING: “Luke Hobson, Texas Longhorns senior, captures bronze in 200-meter freeystyle in Paris,” KXAN’s Billy Gates — “Texas Longhorns senior Luke Hobson claimed the bronze medal in the 200-meter freestyle in a crowded finish Monday at the Paris Olympics.

Just 0.17 seconds separated the gold medal winner from the fourth-place finisher, and thankfully for Hobson, he found his way onto the podium despite having the worst start of the eight finalists.

Hobson finished third with a time of 1 minute, 44.79 seconds, 0.05 seconds behind silver medalist Matthew Richards of Great Britain and 0.07 seconds away from gold medal winner David Popovicit of Romania. Hobson did just enough in the final 50 meters of the race to beat Great Britain’s Duncan Scott to capture his first-ever Olympic medal.

With a reaction time of 0.75 seconds off the starting platform, the slowest in the field, Hobson was in last place after the first 50 meters. He stayed with the race, however, improving one spot after 100 meters and then jumped three spots into fourth heading into the home stretch. The two-time NCAA champion in the event held off Scott, who charged from fifth place over the last 50, and nearly caught Richards for silver.

Hobson joins Carson Foster as Longhorns who have won bronze at the 2024 Games. Foster, who turned professional after his junior season with Texas in 2022-23, finished third in the 400 IM.” KXAN

~ AUSTIN GAMBLERS: “Getting back on the bull: Austin Gamblers take 9th place in PBR World Camping Team Series,” CBS Austin’s Allison Miller — “The Austin Gamblers faced a challenging stretch in the recent PBR Camping World Team Series over the weekend in Duluth, Georgia.

The undefeated Carolina Cowboys are now in the top spot in the league. The Gamblers currently hold a 1-3 record, placing them ninth in the league standings.

This weekend, they will compete against the Arizona Ridge Riders in Florida. Then, you can watch them here in Austin at Gamblers Days at the Moody Center from August 23rd - 25th. Click here for tickets.” CBS Austin

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ AUSTIN FC AT HOME: Austin FC hosts Monterrey in their Second Leagues Cup match at 8pm at Q2 Stadium. Info here. Tickets here. Game also airs on FS1. KXAN preview.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Two Ton Tuesday: Two Tons on Steel (Gruene Hall, Gruene, TX). Show 8:30pm. $12 at the door. Info here.

~ FOOD: “The Best Things Eater Austin Editors Ate Last Week: Brothy Beans and Greens and Fluffy Parker House Rolls”. Eater Austin

~ FOOD: “Austin Chef Ling Wu Opens Her Fifth Chinese Restaurant in Rosedale”. Eater Austin

~ FOOD: “Worldly Dallas bakery travels to Austin’s Loren Hotel for August pop-up”. Culture Map Austin

COOL JOB ALERT

~HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECT REVIEWER, FEDERAL & STATE PROGRAM: Texas Historical Commission (Austin, TX). Salary (Pay Basis): $4,500.00 - $5,800.00 (Monthly). Apply / info here.