The Urban Developer
https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/urban-land-institute-2017-global-awards-for-excellence-finalist
July 3, 2017

Twenty-five extraordinary developments from around the world have been selected as finalists for the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) 2017 Global Awards for Excellence.

... “Each of these finalists demonstrates a thoughtful, innovative approach to urban development that is adding to the sustainability and liveability of the communities in which they are located,” Global Awards Jury Chairman Wendy Rowden said.

“The attention paid to project detail, flexible design, and neighbourhood context were among the factors making these entries stand out. They represent the type of development that will withstand the tests of time and change.”

Seaholm Power Plant Re-Development

Austin, Texas, United States
Developer: Seaholm Power Development, LLC
Designers: STG Design, Clayton and Little Architects, TBG Partners

https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/urban-land-institute-2017-global-awards-for-excellence-finalists

Architectural Digest
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/you-wont-believe-what-these-restaurants-used-to-be
by Elizabeth Stamp
June 26, 2017

While many restaurants open in traditional commercial buildings, some risk-taking restaurateurs are investing in nontraditional spaces, from old schools to former churches. With teams of architects and designers by their side, owners are reinventing these spaces into captivating locations to show off their cuisine. Giving old spaces new life is part of the architectural movement known as adaptive reuse, which helps preserve history and eliminate the waste that's created by demolishing a building and erecting new construction in its place.

... 2/10

Austin's Seaholm Power Plant was converted into a mixed-use development, with the plant itself housing office space and Boiler Nine, a four-level restaurant with a rooftop bar and underground cocktail lounge.

Photo: Casey Dunn
http://media.architecturaldigest.com/photos/59511def7a95c8191fcbd232/master/w_640,c_limit/What%2520These%2520Restaurants%2520Used%2520to%2520Be%25202.jpg

deBanked
http://debanked.com/2017/06/the-loan-star-state-texas-is-an-alternative-finance-nexus
by Paul Sweeney
June 15, 2017

We're at Able Lending in Austin, Texas, a financial technology company occupying three floors deep in the heart of the Seaholm power plant overlooking Lady Bird Lake. The fortress-like building anchors an inner-city complex of offices and residences, chic restaurants, boutique shops, and a Trader Joe's.

Once the main source of electricity for Texas's capital city, the natural gas-fired boilers have given way to a warren of glassed-in offices and meeting rooms connected by angular metallic stairways and a carpeted mezzanine.

It is here, in a tiny conference room, that Will Davis, a slim man of 35 and an alumnus of Harvard Business School, is drawing a bell curve on a whiteboard. Dressed for the balmy Texas weather in tan Bermuda shorts, a black tee-shirt and Nike running shoes, the company's chief executive and co-founder is explaining how Able's friends-and-family lending formula "widens" the risk curve.

http://debanked.com/2017/06/the-loan-star-state-texas-is-an-alternative-finance-nexus

URBANLAND
https://urbanland.uli.org/planning-design/uli-announces-finalists-global-awards-excellence
by Trisha Riggs
June 5, 2017

Twenty-five extraordinary developments from around the world have been selected as finalists for ULI's 2017 Global Awards for Excellence, widely recognized as one of the land use industry's most prestigious award programs.

A group of winners chosen from the finalists will be announced in October at the 2017 ULI Fall Meeting in Los Angeles. The finalists (with the names of the developers and designers in parentheses) are as follows:

Seaholm Power Plant Redevelopment, Austin, Texas, United States (developer: Seaholm Power Development LLC; designers: STG Design, Clayton and Little Architects, TBG Partners)

BISNOW
https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/mixed-use/power-plant-tbd-74441
May 15, 2017

Developers around the globe are making use of massive, obsolete power plants, using their prime locations and award-winning architecture for mixed-use development opportunities.

... "What made it worth redoing is that it's all concrete. What made it a challenge is that it's all concrete," Southwest Strategies Group principal John Rosato said. "It's a building built for engineers by engineers."

Southwest Strategies worked with a team that included State Street Properties, construction firm Capital Project Management, Centro Development and architecture firm STG Design to reactivate the seven-acre site. After being selected as the winning bid in a city request for proposals process that began in 2004, the team began to execute its vision of a Trader Joe's grocery store, a 275-unit condo tower and 215K SF of commercial space at the plant.

... "Eighty percent of the interest was from high-tech companies looking for a unique, open footprint," Rosato said. "[Many] talked of better retention and recruitment tied to the added value of being in a unique building."

Gas & Electricty
http://gaselectricity.in/green-buildings-renew-the-core-of-the-city-of-austin-_-engineering-_-national-geographic-national-geographic
May 5, 2017

This liberal-minded city likes to think of itself as unique in Texas, a blueberry in the tomato soup of red-state politics. Electricity deregulation The state capital, it is home to the University of Texas, and, on the outskirts, to the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, an obscure and quirkily-named nonprofit responsible for putting Austin on the map as a maverick of the green movement.

... A man lounges near repainted smokestacks, once part of the Seaholm power plant from which the Seaholm district takes its name. The three-story Art Deco main plant was refurbished into modern office space, but the massive stacks were preserved as historic icons.

"If cities continue to develop in a low-density, sprawling fashion, it becomes impossible to garner enough tax revenue to support and maintain all that infrastructure," she says.

The Seaholm EcoDistrict is an 85-acre development on the edge of downtown, facing the shoreline of Lady Bird Lake, some of the most sought-after real estate in the city. Electricity in homes Once dominated by the city-owned power plant and a water treatment facility, Seaholm today is a high-density, pedestrian-friendly enclave of shops, restaurants, new offices, and open spaces that invite gatherings such as the kind of music events Austin is known for.

... On a walking tour, Athens shows off Seaholm's perks: a small forest of trees, public art works, recharging posts for electric cars, a solar-powered park bench for recharging smart phones and laptops. Electricity water analogy The Art Deco power plant has been preserved and remodeled into office space, housing a healthcare company and Boiler Nine Bar + Grill, a new restaurant with plans for a roof garden to grow salad greens and other vegetables. Walking paths reconnect the site to the rest of downtown on one side and to a pedestrian bridge over the lake on the other.

Commercial Cafe
https://www.commercialcafe.com/blog/austin-adaptive-reuse
March 20, 2017

Penn Field - South Austin

The property at 3601 S Congress Ave. was originally built in 1918 as a U.S. Army air base, to be used by the University of Texas' School of Military Aeronautics. World War I ended before the airfield was completed, so it went on to function as a radio school instead of a flight training facility. By 1919, five brick buildings had been constructed, amounting to 168,000 square feet in improvements.

Penn Field airplane wings water feature (AntenoraArchitects.com)

... In late 2000, a group of investors purchased the 16-acre site and proceeded to transform the historic ensemble into a 230,000-square-foot retail, office and warehouse complex. Antenora Architects led the $13 million adaptive reuse project, for which they contracted Hinckley Construction Co. The renovation strategy sought to preserve as much of the original structures as possible and was carried out by select deconstruction of some elements, along with careful insertion of new, modern structures. The reinvented Penn Field is a vibrant mixed-use campus, home to tenants like Gibson Guitar, Sweet Leaf Tea Co., HomeAway and iHeartMedia, formerly known as Clear Channel Broadcasting.

Seaholm - Downtown Austin

One of Austin's highest profile adaptive-reuse projects, the Seaholm Power Plant, was built in the 1950s and produced energy up until 1989, when it was decommissioned. As part of an effort to revitalize the city-owned land along Lady Bird Lake, the City of Austin chose a redevelopment team in 2005 to repurpose the iconic property in a way that would include public and cultural uses.

... With this major hurdle out the way, the Seaholm Power redevelopment team got to work and transformed the municipal power plant into a hub of office, retail and restaurant space. Seaholm Power LLC members were project manager Capital Project Management with financial support from Los Angeles-based CIM Group and Southwest Strategies Group, Inc. as managing partner, residential partners Centro Development, LLC and State Street Properties and La Corsha Hospitality Group for restaurant development and event management.

Total Landscape Care
http://www.totallandscapecare.com/landscaping/brightview-landscape-awards
by Beth Hyatt
March 15, 2017

Recently, nine landscapes maintained by BrightView in San Diego were recognized as the 2016 Beautification Award winners by the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) San Diego chapter.

... BrightView's Texas Development team won Gold Awards for the green roof installation done at the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Medical School and for its work at the Seaholm Power Plant renovation.



BrightView Landscape Development was recognized for its work on the Seaholm Power Plant renovation in Austin, Texas, which was honored with a Gold Award from the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association. BrightView

Curbed Austin
http://austin.curbed.com/2016/12/14/13946216/austin-clarksville-best-neighborhood-2016-east-riverside-oltorf
by Cindy Widner
December 14, 2016

Extolling the virtues of Clarksville at this point is a rather fish-in-a-barrel situation. The Clarksville Historic District—bounded by Enfield Road on the north, North Lamar Boulevard on the east, West Sixth Street on the south, MoPac Expressway to the west—is a section of the larger Old West Austin neighborhood, but it has a distinctive, much funkier style than other parts of the area, one that has appealed to Austinites for quite a long time.

... As downtown advanced west, with older developments like the Whole Foods mothership and the Waterloo Records complex joined by much larger scale projects such as the redevelopment of the Seaholm Power Plant, a funny thing happened. Because of its historic designation and the general will of the neighborhood, many of its older, sometimes ramshackle homes and businesses remained, making it an intimate, neighborly, small-scale area that just happened to be on a hill with great views, within walking distance of the now-thriving entertainment, restaurant, and shopping districts in southwest downtown. For many Austinites, that combination is downright irresistible.

National Geograhic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/engineering/green-buildings-renew-austins-core.aspx
by Laura Parker
December 12, 2016

The jewels of Austin’s urban renewal are two entirely new districts that have risen from a pair of defunct industrial sites—a decommissioned, 1950s-era steam power plant and the outdated municipal airport, which closed in 1999.

Both are key to Austin’s efforts to lure 25,000 new residents and workers into the central city. Athens calls the two projects, which are distinctly different, Austin’s “bookends,” framing the kind of urban density the city needs.

“If cities continue to develop in a low-density, sprawling fashion, it becomes impossible to garner enough tax revenue to support and maintain all that infrastructure,” she says.

The Seaholm EcoDistrict is an 85-acre development on the edge of downtown, facing the shoreline of Lady Bird Lake, some of the most sought-after real estate in the city. Once dominated by the city-owned power plant and a water treatment facility, Seaholm today is a high-density, pedestrian-friendly enclave of shops, restaurants, new offices, and open spaces that invite gatherings such as the kind of music events Austin is known for. It is home to a new public library, set to open in May, and several residential high-rises, including one under construction that will be downtown Austin’s tallest building, The Independent, at 58 stories.

On a walking tour, Athens shows off Seaholm’s perks: a small forest of trees, public art works, recharging posts for electric cars, a solar-powered park bench for recharging smart phones and laptops. The Art Deco power plant has been preserved and remodeled into office space, housing a healthcare company and Boiler Nine Bar + Grill, a new restaurant with plans for a roof garden to grow salad greens and other vegetables. Walking paths reconnect the site to the rest of downtown on one side and to a pedestrian bridge over the lake on the other.

ImagineAustin
November 22, 2016

Spotlights: As part of its educational mission to inform staff and the public of work advancing the objectives of Imagine Austin, the Invest in Compact and Connected team recognizes private sector projects that are helping to activate Imagine Austin through an annual "Spotlights" initiative.

 

National Trust for Historic Preservation
https://savingplaces.org/stories/the-history-behind-one-of-austin-texas-hottest-development-properties-seaholm-power-plant#.WOAWQY61uup
by David Weible
November 3, 2016

At more than 65 years old, it’s no surprise that Austin’s Seaholm Power Plant is no longer producing electricity, but it is still helping to power the city as one of its hottest new development projects.

What is now more than 130,000 square feet of commercial space in downtown Austin was commissioned as the city’s new power source in 1948. At the time, post-war Austin had a population of roughly 130,000, and it was growing fast. In addition, new appliances like dishwashers and air conditioners were putting an added strain on the municipality’s already over-worked infrastructure.

... That’s when Seaholm Power, LLC stepped in, led by managing partner John Rosato. In April 2005, the team was selected to redevelop the full 7.8-acre site, including the power plant itself. Their approach balanced the construction of a new high-rise residential tower, a shorter commercial building, and a parking garage on the site with the restoration and preservation of the iconic Seaholm Power Plant.

... Today, thanks to some creative thinking, the Seaholm Power Plant remains a powerful symbol for the city of Austin and its history.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/austins-renovated-seaholm-project-gets-new-owner/nsYKn
by Shonda Novak
September 14, 2016

The Seaholm mixed-use project on downtown Austin’s west side has a new owner.

Los Angeles-based CIM Group and Austin-based Seaholm Power LLC said Wednesday that they have sold all of the retail, office and restaurant space in the newly redeveloped 7.8-acre Seaholm site along West Cesar Chavez Street. The sale includes the transfer of a 99-year lease on the 1950s renovated power plant building, where Athenahealth is the main tenant.

... “In the end, we regard this as a very successful project in that it achieved the goal of preserving the historic power plant for future generations at little or no cost to the city, while bringing new energy, jobs and economic development to a once derelict industrial district,” Johns said.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2016/09/14/seaholm-development-sold-sources-say-new-york.html
by Jan Buchholz
September 14, 2016

Seaholm, the redeveloped Art Deco power plant on the southwest fringe of downtown Austin, has new owners — though the identity is somewhat of a mystery.

The sellers, headed bySouthwest Strategies Group of Austin, announced the gigantic deal but declined to name the buyer in a three-page announcement confirming the sale.

... “We listened to the community and the market and together saved an historic icon,” said John Rosato, principal with Southwest Strategies, in a statement.

Southwest Strategies teamed with CIM Group of Los Angeles, which provided equity financing. Other participants in the project included Centro Development, State Street Properties, La Corsha Hospitality and Capital Project Management. STG Design in Austin played a pivotal role in the architecture and design of the project.

The development has won numerous awards for architecture, design and historic preservation.

Inhabitat
http://inhabitat.com/boiler-nine-bar-grill-breathes-new-life-into-downtown-austins-historic-art-deco-power-plant/
by Cat DiStasio
August 22, 2016

Austin's restaurant scene got a little hotter this year, with the July opening of Boiler Nine Bar + Grill, which occupies part of the historic Seaholm Power Plant. With the restaurant opening, the 1950 art deco power plant, in the heart of the downtown district, celebrated the first chapter of its new life. Occupying 11,000 square feet, Boiler Nine is the centerpiece of the renovated power plant, which operated until 1989 and was decommissioned in 1996. After three years of construction, the opening of Boiler Nine Bar + Grill is an event worth toasting.

... The restaurant opened to the public Jul. 5, after a careful renovation by La Corsha Hospitality Group which is opening several other restaurants and hotels in Texas this year. Boiler Nine's adaptive reuse of the Seaholm Power Plant space is unique, as Austin-based architecture firm STG Design worked to ensure the restaurant and bar were designed specifically to fit into the art deco atmosphere of the original structure. Other sections of the power plant in the redevelopment promise to maintain respect for the original architecture as well.

Deck Nine - click here to view slideshow

Publik Tennis
https://publiktennis.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/the-early-word-on-sizzling-boiler-nine-bar-grill/
August 9, 2016

Austin's restaurant scene got a little hotter this year, with the July opening of Boiler Nine Bar + Grill, which occupies part of the historic Seaholm Power Plant. With the restaurant opening, the 1950 art deco power plant, in the heart of the downtown district, celebrated the first chapter of its new life. Occupying 11,000 square feet, Boiler Nine is the centerpiece of the renovated power plant, which operated until 1989 and was decommissioned in 1996. After three years of construction, the opening of Boiler Nine Bar + Grill is an event worth toasting.

... The restaurant opened to the public Jul. 5, after a careful renovation by La Corsha Hospitality Group which is opening several other restaurants and hotels in Texas this year. Boiler Nine's adaptive reuse of the Seaholm Power Plant space is unique, as Austin-based architecture firm STG Design worked to ensure the restaurant and bar were designed specifically to fit into the art deco atmosphere of the original structure. Other sections of the power plant in the redevelopment promise to maintain respect for the original architecture as well.

photo: https://publiktennis.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/the-early-word-on-sizzling-boiler-nine-bar-grill

Austin Eater
http://austin.eater.com/2016/7/12/12159716/boiler-nine-bar-grill-photos-gallery-seaholm
by Nadia Chaudhury
July 12, 2016

It was fate when the developers behind the Seaholm project, Southwest Strategies, approached Boiler's parent company La Corsha Hospitality Group. The team was already toying with a concept based on wood-fired fare, which makes perfect sense to execute that vision in the defunct power plant. The name even stems from the location of the ninth of ten original working boilers.

...The space: Boiler Nine is sleek and industrial, both inside and out, and unlike any other structures in Austin. Vintage coin viewfinders on the observatory deck provide views of hill country on one side and the ghostly white network of power plant pipes and gridwork on the other. Grey, white and natural wood appear on both the rooftop and in the restaurant, which incorporates the power plant aesthetic while maintaining its delicacy with thin linear metalwork and round mod furniture. Both a chef's counter with bar stools and a long bar-level table provide the best view of the open kitchen, though the action is visible from all the tables on the main level, and seating on the smaller second level is best for a bird's eye view of the bar.

photo: http://austin.eater.com/2016/7/12/12159716/boiler-nine-bar-grill-photos-gallery-seaholm

Zagat
https://www.zagat.com/b/austin/boiler-nine-bar-grill-seaholm-power-plant
by Veronica Meewes
July 6, 2016

Boiler Nine Bar + Grill, La Corsha Hospitality Group's ambitious brainchild, made its debut last month in the revamped Seaholm Power Plant. Executive chef Jason Stude's menu centers on wood-fired fare from brisket to striped bass to root vegetables, with a more casual menu of American classics like Frito pie and burgers available on the rooftop. Read on for the early word on the four-story, three-concept (main restaurant and rooftop bar and cocktail den) hot spot.

... The environment — The contemporary makeover of the industrial space makes it a blend of new Austin style and old Austin history, according to KGSR's Chris Mosser. Enjoy multiple floors from the light-filled restaurant to the roof deck, which offers expansive views of Austin, to the subterranean cocktail lounge, which Mosser designated as a "perfect dark, private space for an intimate encounter."

Tribeza
http://tribeza.com/tribeza-talk-june-2016/
by Nicole Beckley
June, 2016

While the burgeoning Seaholm neighborhood continues to develop, a new piece of public art has blossomed there. With Golden Afternoon, 36 stainless steel flowers connected by fiber-optic cables adorn the wall to the parking garage just below Seaholm Plaza. Made by Urban Matter Inc., and inspired by Texas wildflowers, the piece utilizes five motion sensors to trigger different responses from the lights in and along the flowers. The result? An interactive experience from the plaza to the level below. Who knew parking could be so pretty?

photo: http://i0.wp.com/tribeza.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Gol_Urb_COM_staff_02.jpg

Community Impact Newspaper
https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/development-construction/2016/05/25/seaholm-redevelopment-project-nears-completion-spurs-activity/
by JJ Velasquez
May 25, 2016

It lay dormant for years, but a downtown Austin project on the grounds of a decommissioned power plant is beginning to come alive with retail and office locations operating and a residential tower starting to populate.

January saw fencing around the property come down at the Seaholm development nearly three years after shovels first hit the ground at the site.

... "It is really gratifying to see people coming through here," Rosato said. "It's all coming together."

... The redevelopment of Seaholm represents an opportunity to capture new tax revenue, and city officials said the project will stimulate growth in the southeastern corner of Austin's downtown.

Greg Kiloh, redevelopment project manager with the city of Austin's Economic Development Department, has worked on the Seaholm project for the past 15 years.

"To turn [the power plant] into a catalyst for the redevelopment district is very significant nationally," Kiloh said.

... Although it has taken longer than he imagined for the Seaholm development to be brought to life—factoring both the complexities of transforming an industrial property and the challenges of a slowing economy—Kiloh said "it is such a great feeling" being on the property now that is bustling with activity and features tall buildings that jut out overhead.

"It's really a pretty dramatic change," he said.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2016/05/2016-commercial-real-estate-awards-winners.html
by Will Anderson May 10, 2016

Seaholm wins Best Overall award from ABJ
The Austin Business Journal honored the redevelopment of the Seaholm Power Plant with its "Best Overall" award on May 10. The awards honor the best commercial real estate projects in the Austin area. More than 30 projects were nominated in various categories. A video featuringSeaholm Power LLC's John Rosato and athenahealth's Jack Nye discussed the major undertaking that's been 12 years in the making – a transformation that now ensures the historic power plant will be preserved for generations to com

Urban Matter, Inc.
http://urbanmatterinc.com/golden-afternoon/
April 22, 2016

Golden Afternoon is the first large scale permanent interactive installation in the City of Austin's Public Art Collection

...The parking lot below Trader Joe's and the Seaholm Redevelopment Project is a 3 storied underground structure. Like many parking structures it is functional and structural with gray exposed concrete as the main visible finish. A 40' x 40' concrete wall adjacent to the staircase that facilitates the passage of people from the underbelly of the parking lot to the Seaholm Plaza. This empty canvas was made available to us by the City create a project that could transform this place from purely functional to a joyful and delightful experience.

Project: Golden Afternoon on Urban Matter, Inc.

GlobeSt.com. Real Estate Forum
http://www.globest.com/sites/suleaygoren/2016/04/25/the-best-of-development/?channel=real-estate-forum&slreturn=20160504200402
by Natalie Dolce
April, 2016

The act of real estate development is seldom as simple as putting up four walls and a roof. Building properties—particularly large, commercial assets—involves as much art and finesse as it does science and skill, especially when taking into account all the moving parts and interested parties. A development project can stand out for several reasons, not simply sheer size and cost. Some projects garner attention for their design and architectural elements. Others can revitalize forgotten neighborhoods or provide a much-needed service. Still others can even create new neighborhoods, luring both residents and businesses alike. Yet bringing any project to fruition takes a great deal of coordination, from city planners and developers, to investors and lenders, to architects, engineers and legal counsel. The hands and minds involved in building a new asset are many.



PDF of the article

To learn more about the Seaholm Residences current availability

USGBC: U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/articles/top-10-states-2015-seaholm-power-plant-redevelopment/
by Amanda Sawit
March 24, 2016

The 2015 Top 10 States list honors transformative efforts at the state level to create healthier, more energy- and water-efficient places to live, learn, work and play. In 2015 alone, 1,633 projects were certified in the United States—equivalent to an incredible 275 million square feet.

#8 Texas

http://www.usgbc.org/articles/top-10-states-2015-seaholm-power-plant-redevelopment

The Seaholm Power Development, a historic landmark in Austin, Texas, was a former brownfield site that became an adaptive reuse project. After closing in 1989, the long-dormant power plant (originally built in the 1950s) offered a unique opportunity to preserve a key piece of Austin's past and unite it with its future.

The LEED Gold Seaholm Power Plant is envisioned as a future urban oasis on the Southwestern edge of downtown Austin. This $130 million mixed-use redevelopment includes a completed two-story, 67,000-square-foot retail and office building surrounding a one-acre public plaza. A 30-story, 615,000-square-foot residential tower containing 280 high-rise condos is expected to be completed this coming spring.

Despite the challenges of redeveloping a 60-year-old power plant, much of the original structure was reused or preserved. Over 10 percent of the building materials included recycled content, 20 percent of building materials were regionally sourced and energy use was reduced by nearly 20 percent. Additionally, rainwater harvesting was incorporated into the design.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/austins-seaholm-project-for-sale-renewing-debate-o/nqryq/
by Shonda Novak
March 24, 2016

"We're incredibly proud of the way we've redeveloped the entire site, and in particular the Seaholm Power Plant," said John Rosato, lead developer for the project. "It's been restored and redeveloped in a way that honors the past while ensuring its future.

Greg Kiloh, the city's project manager for Seaholm, said the project achieved its main goal: to preserve the structure, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

"That was the purpose of the project," Kiloh said. "It wasn't to make a lot of money. It was an expensive historical preservation project that used economic development (financing mechanisms) as a means of doing the project."

... Government-owned land has been transformed into billions of dollars of new tax base," McCracken said. "The sales proceeds of these properties have added significant sums to the community's affordable housing trust fund. Restoring the Seaholm power plant and converting it from an abandoned power plant to a place people could occupy was complex, hugely expensive and financially risky for the developer. The easiest and most profitable thing to have done with the power plant building was to tear it down."


Photo by Jay Janner, photographer at the Austin American-Statesman

Austin Foundation for Architecture
http://www.austinfa.org/honorees/
March 31, 2016

Each year, AFA honors one person from outside the field of architecture who believes in the relationship between a well-built environment and high quality of life. As an individual or through professional work, AFA Honorees demonstrate leadership consistent with the AFA mission, through the projects they initiate, lead or champion, through influential decision making, or financial contribution.

...At Form: Function, AFA honors one individual and one organization for extraordinary contributions to the built environment in Central Texas. This year AFA will honor architectural photographer, Patrick Wong of Atelier Wong and Southwest Strategies Group, developer of the Seaholm Project.

Texas Water Development Board
http://www.twdb.texas.gov/newsmedia/press_releases/2016/03/seaholm.asp
March 21, 2016

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced today the recipients of its annual Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. Seaholm Power Development LLC was recognized in the commercial category.

... The Seaholm Power Development rainwater harvesting system, located in Austin, TX, is an industrial scale project that uses repurposed power plant cooling infrastructure. The 325,000-gallon system provides all of the normal irrigation needs of the five-acre site and the surrounding streetscape planting. The system also doubles as a water quality control system for the site and the surrounding public streets.

austintexas.gov
http://austintexas.gov/news/city-austin-seaholm-redevelopment-receive-award-vibrant-downtown-transformation
February 25, 2016

The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA) has recognized the City of Austin Economic Development Department and Seaholm Power Development, LLC with a 2016 DANA Urban Light Award for the Seaholm Redevelopment.    

Each year DANA honors projects or initiatives that help create a vibrant urban environment for our city. The Urban Light Award recognizes an aspect of downtown that positively transforms the downtown area and points toward a bright future.  

“The Seaholm Redevelopment brings a palpable new energy, culturally and economically, to the southwest quadrant of downtown, honoring Austin's civic infrastructure of the past while driving progress toward a vibrant and dense mixed use environment, said Meredith Powell, President, Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association.  “For the City's and Seaholm LLC's public-private partnership and commitment to this transformation, we're proud to honor the Seaholm Redevelopment this year.”

... The awards were presented on February 21 at the DANA Annual Meeting in downtown Austin.

Pictured from left to right: Greg Kiloh – City of Austin Economic Development Department Redevelopment Division; Meredith Powell, DANA President; John Rosato, Seaholm Power Development, LLC Managing Partner

The New York Times
http://paidpost.nytimes.com/dell/future-ready-economies/austin-innovation-texas-style.html?WT.mc_id=2015-DecJan-TABOOLA-TB_Dell-1031-0129&sr_source=lift_Taboola&_r=0
by Jan Buchholz
Dec 24, 2015

TEXAS'S Thriving Capital is world-renowned for its bustling music scene, burgeoning tech industry and tasty food. But those are merely byproducts of a city that not only prizes innovation and openness but also free-spirited out-of-the-box thinking.

watch the video:
future ready economies

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2015/12/year-in-review-jans-picks-for-2015s-top-real.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article
by Jan Buchholz
Dec 24, 2015

Seaholm Power Plant retrofit opens after years of nearly-dashed hopes and dreams for its preservation. It was one of the most dramatic property makeovers in the country, not just in Austin, and has already become the home to several cool tech companies.

Preservation Austin
https://www.preservationaustin.org/blog/announcing-the-recipients-of-our-2015-preservation-merit-awards
Volume 19 No. 4
Fall 2015

SEAHOLM POWER PLANT, 800 West Cesar Chavez Street, Seaholm Power, LLC c/o Southwest Strategies Group, Inc for Rehabilitation

Jury comments: Such a large-scle rehabilitation of industrial buildings is rare in Austin, making this fantastic project's impact on downtown even greater. The project team is further commended for preserving the property's industrial components.
... It also marks the first time the City has entered into an agreement where the key goals is preserving an iconic structure.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/city-poised-to-pick-developer-for-prime-river-real/nnStP
by Lilly Rockwell
August 30, 2015

Shut down nearly three decades ago, the utilitarian Seaholm intake facility has remained on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake, like an architectural ghost of Austin’s past.

... The goal is to pick a developer by late September and take it to the City Council for approval by October. The two fims in the running to develop the site are Stratus Properties Inc. and Southwest Strategies Group.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/amid-boom-austins-downtown-condo-market-maturing/nnSHg/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium
by Lilly Rockwell
August 30, 2015

Austin developer Perry Lorenz remembers a time when, at the dawn of the 21st century, there was not a single high-rise residential condominium in downtown Austin

... Now the market is shifting again, with a new set of offerings that includes projects like Fifth & West and the 280-unit Seaholm Residences.

... Alan Holt, a real estate broker who owns Holt Residential, said the best might be yet to come for the market.

“The most exciting thing about downtown Austin is how much potential the market still holds,” Holt said. “And with all the new residents living downtown, this is driving not only more shopping, dining and entertainment options, but also things like wider sidewalks, landscaping, and more interesting and accommodating public spaces. Downtown Austin is developing a vibrant neighborhood feel, and that is inspiring to see.”

photo by: Michael Knox

iMaerial
https://vimeo.com/133053970
July 9, 2015

Check out this incredible video of Austin. (with a shot of Seaholm under construction at the end.) Amazing work iMaerial!

July 1, 2015

The Seaholm redevelopment team celebrates the project's tallest component, a condo tower, topping out. In lieu of the customary tree topping, team members signed a lightning bolt, which was raised to the 28th level.





Left to right: Bill McCann (head of engineering), John Rosato (managing principal), Peter Narvarte (head of construction), David Stauch (head of project management) and Danny Roth (principal).

Gary Dinges Twitter
https://twitter.com/gdinges?lang=en
July 1, 2015

MIT Technology Review
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/538896/supreme-court-decision-unlikely-to-stall-the-shift-away-from-coal-plants/
by Richard Martin
June 29, 2015

Perhaps the most well-known is the Seaholm project, in Austin, Texas. Located on the shore of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, the 100-megawatt Seaholm Power Plant was shut down in 1996. Beginning in the mid-2000s the city redeveloped the site as a $100 million retail, office, and residential complex centered around the Art Deco plant building. Developer Southwest Strategies Group welcomed the first major tenant for the space, medical software provider Athenahealth, in February.

built in austin
http://www.builtinaustin.com/2015/05/12/top-100-tech-companies-austin
by Elyse Kent
May 14, 2015

Austin is the third fastest growing city in the United States, and while this has taken a heavy toll on infrastructure and cost of living, the region has done a remarkable job adapting to its status as a global tech hub. New companies dot a 25-mile radius around the city center, undoubtedly adding to the city's notorious traffic woes. Massive corporate complexes, such as IBM's, are clearly visible as you travel north of the city.

But some new companies are moving in and setting up shop downtown, often renovating existing structures. athenahealth, for example, transformed the old Seaholm Power Plant into 113,000 square feet of modern office space.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/techflash/2015/05/under-armour-ceo-to-huddle-up-with-austin-tech.html
by Christopher Calnan
May 5, 2015

Under Armour Inc. CEO Kevin Plank is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at a May 28 Austin Technology Council event.

"... The appearance comes two months after Under Armour (NYSE: UA) moved workers into a huge downtown Austin office space as the base for a technology division called Connected Fitness. A company executive also disclosed plans to hire 100 more technical workers this year to staff the 35,000-square-foot office at the Seaholm development next to the city of Austin Power Plant.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/photo/lifestyles/food-cooking/as-downtown-trader-joes-opens-how-do-prices-compar/pCdXKg
by Addie Broyles
May 1, 2015

The newest Trader Joe's opened in the Seaholm development in downtown Austin last week, and Matthew McConaughey was there.

OK, not really, but a cutout of his character from "Dazed and Confused" greeted customers at the front door with a talking bubble that says, "Trader Joe's in downtown Austin? Alright. Alright. Alright."

kxan
http://kxan.com/2015/05/01/trader-joes-at-seaholm-is-open-for-business
by Calily Bien
May 1, 2015

People who live and work around Downtown now have a new option for grocery items. The Trader Joe's location at the Seaholm Power Plant is now open for business.

"In the Seaholm area where Trader Joe's is landing we have the highest residential density in town so while that area already has access to the flagship Whole Foods and the Royal Blues, it is really nice to add another option and another price point," said Fred Evins, Redevelopment Project Manager.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/at-the-watercooler/2015/04/austins-best-buildings-2015-commercial-real-estate.html?ana=e_aus_bn_exclusive&u=zSKD1aGgV4z237t8rokvJmw3YYZ&t=1431017327
by Colin Pope
April 29, 2015

Eleven new buildings and key real estate transactions were recognized Wednesday evening during the Austin Business Journal's 2015 Commercial Real Estate Awards gala at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/business/seaholm-areas-rebirth-to-include-austins-tallest-t/nksBg
by Shonda Novak & Lori Hawkins
April 13, 2015

... The tower would be the final piece in the high-profile redevelopment of the Seaholm District, a former industrial area that housed the Seaholm Power Plant and the Thomas C. Green Water Treatment Plant. Now, the area is rapidly transforming with new apartments, condos, shops, restaurants, offices, a hotel, a public library, a Trader Joe's grocery and more.

... At Seaholm, a new chapter began in February when Athenahealth, a Massachusetts-based health care information technology firm, moved into its research and development offices in the renovated turbine building. Nearby, Under Armour, which makes sports gear and fitness-tracking apps, opened new offices in a two-sotry building. Next up will be Trader Joe's, which is set to open May 1 on the buildings's ground floor. A new four-level restaurant, Boiler Nine Bar + Grille, is expected to open in May or June.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2015/04/trader-joes-to-open-soon-at-seaholm-in-downtown.html
by Jan Buckholz
April 28, 2015

The wait is nearly over for Trader Joe's to open in downtown Austin. The official grand opening is scheduled for Friday, May 1.

The 11,500-square-foot store — within walking distance of competitor Whole Foods Market Inc.'s headquarters and flagship store — will be in the new development around the retrofitted Seaholm Power Plant.

... The Seaholm project is one of the most notable new developments in the city because of the buzz created by the iconic former power plant — Athenahealth leased most of the space for its Austin operations, which you can see in a slideshow— and the rapid sell-out of the associated high-rise condo tower.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2015/04/by-a-whisker-austin-cat-cafe-reaches-kickstarter.html
by Michael Theis
April 13, 2015

Grab your catnip and spray bottles, because Austin is one step closer to getting a cat cafe.

Gray is working with Lawson Pedder at Austin-based Southwest Strategies Group to help find an appropriate place for the cafe. She says it needs to be a place that can house a large cattery as well as have sufficient space for food trucks to operate.

Austin Eater
http://austin.eater.com/2015/3/27/8295879/austin-restaurants-new-openings-spring
by Megan McCarron
March 27, 2015

... Here's Eater's seasonal guide to the biggest upcoming openings, including beloved Detroit-style pizza, an obscure New York burger shack, and four Italian restaurants.

Location: Seaholm
Major Players: Jason Stude, David Bull, La Corsha Hospitality
Projected Opening: Late Summer 2015

Jason Stude and David Bull of Second Bar + Kitchen and Congress will launch a meat and fire palace in the former Seaholm power plant this summer. Originally slated for June, David Bull recently told Eater the opening date is most likely closer to August.

austinmonthly.com
http://www.austinmonthly.com/AM/February-2015/Powering-Back-Up/
by Erin Quinn-Kong
February 2015

More than 25 years after Seaholm stopped generating energy for the city, it's being redeveloped into a multiuse complex complete with shops, restaurants, green space, condos and offices—all set to open over the next few months.

... In 2005, developer John Rosato, along with his team at Southwest Strategies Group, was brought in to head up the project in a public-private partnership with the City of Austin. "Seaholm Power Plant embodies the history of the city, and it seems to resonate with a lot of people," says Rosato, who also led the Penn Field project. "It's a very unique structure with strong architecture, and the stacks are iconic—everybody recognizes them. It's been fun to work on."

... "What I've found in dealing with historic restorations is that the building gives you lots of neat opportunities," says Jeff Trigger, president/owner of La Corsha Hospitality Group, which is opening the four-story Boiler Nine Bar + Grill at Seaholm in May or June. "This building told us that we needed to do multiple kitchens, multiple menus and multiple bars instead of one big area. You have to work with what you're given. In the end, what you have is something iconic."

... MapMyFitness, which will occupy the entire second floor of the new retail space, plans to move in this month. Trader Joe's is scheduled to open in March, while Optique hopes to open in March or April.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/seaholm-redevelopment-project-marks-a-milestone/nj7db/#adda7e75.3486828.735638
by Shonda Novak
February 9, 2015

After sitting dormant for nearly a quarter century, Seaholm is powering back up.

The former power plant site marked a milestone in its redevelopment on Monday, as health care technology company Athenahealth began moving into the downtown Austin facility.

The 1950s concrete structure — a landmark familiar to Austinites for more than 50 years — was an early industrial workhorse that once supplied electricity to the growing city. Athenahealth's move-in signals the completion of the first phase of Seaholm's transformation into a mixed-use project that will bring that site, as well other nearby former industrial land, back onto the tax rolls and generate millions in tax dollars for the city over time, according to city officials and John Rosato, lead developer forSeaholm Power LLC., the local team the city chose in 2005 to redevelop the site.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2015/02/first-look-austins-old-power-plant-downtownnow.html?ana=e_aus_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2015-02-03&u=zQSE8quuDYeJkshxgh557lcJrU4&t=1422977318
by Jan Buchholz
February 2, 2015

The massive Art Deco-inspired Seaholm Power Plant in downtown Austin has long captivated the imaginations of locals and visitors alike, and now after many years of dreaming and planning the retrofitted building is almost ready for its new occupants.

About 70 employees of Athenahealth — a software company — will move into the building near Cesar Chavez Street and Lamar Boulevard on Feb. 9.

... Numerous companies had shown interest in the redeveloped power plant, but it was Athenahealth of Watertown, Mass., that took the leap into the unknown and signed a lease with the development group, which was led by Austin-based Southwest Strategies Group.

... Currently, the Athenahealth offices will occupy 34,000 square feet in the former factory that's been transformed into a fortress of light. Two levels below ground — about 77,000 square feet — is available for expansion.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2015/01/16/seaholm-offices-downtown-near-completion-for.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2015-01-16&u=yH6Ev7SmfofTjNtjhWTihtvRmP9&t=1421445340
by Chad Swiatecki
January 16, 2015

Athenahealth Inc. is preparing to move into its high-profile office space downtown in the renovated Seaholm Power Plant, with an expected Feb. 2 move-in for the health care software company's 70 Austin employees.

..."The Seaholm move is hugely exciting because it's such an iconic building and the architects and developer worked very hard to keep it looking like Seaholm," he said. "Most developers would've added more floors in to get more tenants in there, but it's an open plan and it's nice that they resisted that urge to add floors."

kxan
http://kxan.com/2015/02/09/seaholm-tenant-moves-in-as-transformation-continues/
by Amanda Dugan
December 12, 2014

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.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2014/12/see-texas-boldest-construction-projects-in-our.html
by Heather Ladage, Tracy Merzi, John Beddow and Jimmy Holmes, Publishers of the Texas Business Journals
December 12, 2014

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

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/saving-austins-landmarks-one-image-at-a-time/njQxg/#7fdebc52.3563073.735611
By Shonda Novak
December 13, 2014

... 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.

picture gallery: http://www.mystatesman.com/gallery/business/public-works-photo-project-121414/gCP4p/#6529325

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/2014/10/healthy-fans-rejoice-true-food-kitchen-heads-to.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2014-10-09&u=zSKD1aGgV4z237t8rokvJmw3YYZ&t=1412888622&page=all
By Jan Buchholz
October 9, 2014

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.

The Wall Street Journal
http://m.wsj.com/articles/austin-office-space-more-supply-less-demand-guess-again-1411507470?mobile=y
By Matt Hudgins
September 23, 2014

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.

Austin Chronicle
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2014/09/05/uber-successful-seaholm-condo-fills-up-fast.html
By Jan Buchholz
September 5, 2014

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.

Austin Chronicle
http://blog.chron.com/beertx/2014/08/independence-brewing-debuts-newest-canned-beer-power-light
By Ronnie Crocker
August 6, 2014

Austin’s Independence Brewing continues the can renaissance, with a pale ale called Power & Light.

... Taking inspiration from the unique architecture of one of the city's most notable structures, the Seaholm Power Plant, into consideration for the design, the cans also refer to art deco design with the bold and stylized lines, Power & Light stands to be a representation of "old Austin" meeting the new.

Independence Brewing Co.
http://www.independencebrewing.com
August 5, 2014

Independence Brewing Co. announced today the second in its line of can releases: an updated version of its award-winning Pale Ale, Power & Light. Inspired by Austin's iconic Seaholm Power Plant, the new design represents the brewery's deep ties with and adoration for the city.

... "As a longtime Austinite, I have always loved the Seaholm plant," says co-founder Amy Cartwright. "When it was functional it was one of the most important places in Austin, almost acting as the 'heart of the city'. I believe that we should always find ways to embrace history without forgetting the past and make it our own, which is why we were so inspired by this iconic building."

statesman.com
http://www.statesman.com/news/business/mapmyfitness-joins-tenant-list-for-seaholm-project/ngKFx/
By Shonda Novak
June 12, 2014

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.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/creative/2014/06/urban-matter-likely-to-light-up-austins-seaholm.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2014-06-11&u=zQSE8quuDYeJkshxgh557lcJrU4&t=1402518334
By Robert Grattan
June 11, 2014

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.

kxan
http://kxan.com/2014/02/24/only-a-few-months-until-seaholm-reopens/
By Kate Weidaw
February 24, 2014

... "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."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvJlAFJ9DDw

culturemap
http://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/austin-food-news-david-bull-new-restaurant-hops-and-grain-supporter-delysia/?utm_source=dailydigest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cmpgn-2014-2-22
By Layne Lynch
February 21, 2014

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!

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2014/02/old-seaholm-power-plant-gets-first-restaurant-four.html
By Michael Theis
February 19, 2014

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.

Austin Eater
http://austin.eater.com/archives/2014/02/19/david-bull-to-open-massive-boiler-nine-bar-grill-in-seaholm.php
By Meghan McCarron
February 19, 2014

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.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/business/austin-developer-plans-37-story-condo-tower-downto/ndSLn
By Shonda Novak
February 19, 2014

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.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/entertainment-options-start-to-come-into-focus-for/ndSjZ/?icmp=statesman_internallink_textlink_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch
By Gary Dinges & Shonda Novak
February 18, 2014

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."

GlobeSt.com
http://www.globest.com/news/12_791/southwest/office/Athenahealth-Leases-Up-Seaholm-Power-Plant-Office-Redevelopment-342543.html?ET=globest:e42024:10291a:&st=email&s=&cmp=gst:Texas_AM_20140212:editorial
By Analee Bivins Micheletti
February 7, 2014

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.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/athenahealth-accepts-incentives-deal-picks-austin-/nc8f5/?icmp=statesman_internallink_textlink_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch
By Shonda Novak
January 31, 2014

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.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/techflash/2014/01/done-deal-athenahealth-to-bring-607-jobs-to-austin.html
By Nick Simonite
January 31, 2014

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."

Austin Monitor
http://www.infactdaily.com
By Chris Thomas
January 31, 2014

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."

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/austin-approves-incentives-for-athenahealthcompany/nc7z3/?icmp=statesman_internallink_textlink_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch
By Shonda Novak & Marty Toohey
January 30, 2014

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, 2013

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2014/01/24/cover-story-on-the-verge-of-a.html
By Colin Pope
January 24, 2014

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.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2014/01/24/how-athenahealth-built-up-a-medical.html
by Chad Swiatecki January 24, 2014

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.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2014/01/15/healthcare-company-to-bring-600-jobs.html
by Robert Grattan January 15, 2014

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.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/business/city-state-proposing-nearly-57-million-in-incentiv/ncqFB/
By Shonda Novak
January 15, 2014

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."

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2013/12/24/2013-austins-biggest-real-estate.html?s=image_gallery
December 26, 2013

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/business/after-apartment-surge-is-tide-shifting-to-condos/nbrjJ/
By Shonda Novak
November 17, 2013

"Seaholm Residences Nearly All Reserved," it proclaimed. "Market embraces Seaholm condos at a swift pace."

The project in question would be the 280 or so luxury condominium units that will be part of the redevelopment of the former 1950s-era Seaholm Power Plant on downtown's west side. Priced from about $300,000 to $1 million-plus, almost all the units were reserved in about a week's time — a record for a downtown condo project, local experts say.

"This response has been nothing short of phenomenal," said John Rosato, principal with Austin-based Southwest Strategies Group and managing partner for Seaholm Power LLC, the team that's redeveloping Seaholm into a mix of housing, offices, restaurants and stores, which will include downtown's first Trader Joe's. "This speaks to the strength of the downtown condo market, and merits of the site itself."

Rosato said the price points for the units "enables a wide diversity of future owners, and this is further evidenced by the mix of people that have secured reservations. We have attracted everyone from young professionals to empty-nesters."

... Kevin Burns, whose Urbanspace real estate firm was hired to market the condos, elaborates on the approach.

"Seaholm didn't play any games," Burns said. "Condos were priced to create excitement and avoid having vacant units for years after completion — which, unfortunately, many other downtown condos have experienced in the past. This approach avoids overhead costs, such as a traditional sales center, and those saving are passed on to buyers. To me, I'd say this strategy means the product was priced just right for serious buyers — and there's an excess supply of those for well-located downtown condos right now in the market."

Charles Heimsath, a veteran real estate consultant, said the Seaholm condos are addressing "a pent-up demand for a price point and location that hasn't existed in a new (condo) project in Austin in the last five years."

With a smaller average unit size and a slightly lower average price per square foot than the ultra-luxury units that were delivered in the last wave of condo projects downtown — where the entry-level price was $500,000 or above — "it makes it a much more affordable product" and thus draws a larger pool of prospective buyers, Heimsath said.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/at-the-watercooler/2013/11/seaholm-condo-reservations-deposit.html
By Robert Grattan
November 11, 2013

The Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment recently announced that all of its 280 condo units have been reserved – and while those reservations didn't come with a down payment, they did come with a refundable $5,000 reservation fee.

... Prices for the 280 units in the 30-story tower will range from $300,000 to $1 million. The price per square foot is an estimated $450 to $500 per square foot, the project's developer told us back in September. About 25 percent were allocated for investment buyers, Realtors said.

The price puts the condos at Seaholm within the market range for Austin but below top-of-the-market projects such as the Austonian, said John Rosato, managing partner of project developer Seaholm Power LLC. Condo units at the Austonian were priced in excess of $600 per square foot, Rosato said.

The tower has been under construction since April and the first occupants will move in during the first quarter of 2015.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2013/11/preliminary-interest-is-hot-for.html
By Jan Buchholz
November 7, 2013

If there was any concern about whether there are enough affluent folks to buy a new supply of luxury condominiums in Downtown Austin, those fears may abate now. The developer of the residences that will be built at the Seaholm Power Plant site announced today that all 280 units in the 30-story tower have been reserved.

"Truth be told, we were anticipating a positive response, but this response has been nothing short of phenomenal," said John Rosato, principal of Southwest Strategies Group and managing partner for Seaholm Power LLC, in a written statement.

September 18, 2013

YNN
http://austin.ynn.com/content/news/295464/seaholm-development-takes-shape--short-term-rental-terms-tweaked
By Jeff Stensland
September 27, 2013

The transformation of the Old Seaholm Power Plant into a residential and shopping district is downtown's first condominium project in five years.

Thursday, the community got a first look at renderings of the new development.

The Seaholm Residences will be a 30-story tower offering 280 luxury condos. The new tower will also feature a sky deck, a pool, and a dog walking and grooming area. The tower is going up at 222 West Avenue. Around the tower, developers are working on green space, retails and office spots. It will also be the home of a new Trader Joe's in downtown Austin.

Crews broke ground on the project in April and people should start moving in by the beginning of 2015.

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/at-the-watercooler/2013/09/seaholm-to-be-condos-priced-at-around.html
By Robert Grattan
September 26, 2013

The 280 condo units planned for the Seaholm development in downtown Austin are expected to hit the market at about $450 to $500 per square foot, according to the project's developer.

The price puts the condos at Seaholm within the market range for Austin but below top-of-the-market projects such as the Austonian, said John Rosato, managing partner of project developer Seaholm Power, LLC. Condo units at the Austonian were priced in excess of $600 per square foot, Rosato said.

Last week, the Austin Business Journal reported that developer Seaholm Power, LLC had switched the residential component of the project from more than 300 apartments to 280 condominium units. The condominiums are expected to be priced from about $300,000 to as much as $1.4 million.

Rosato declined to discuss specifics about how the financing would be structured with the switch to condos, though he did say that he had seen strong early interest in the condo units.

The Seaholm project is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2015, according to a press release sent out Thursday.

Texas Contractor
http://www.acppubs.com
By Rob Patterson
October 2013

In terms of scale, complexity and final impact when finished, downtown Austin, Texas' Seaholm Power project, which will cost at least $100 million, is a unique major public/private partnership and an undertaking with mulitiple challenges.

... The plant's five smokestakcs wil also be retained. "They are the single most iconic feature of hte site seen from the greatest distance," says Sussman. "They'll be at the heart of the plaza and will be kind of celebrated by what happens at the plaza level in terms of shadows."

"We've also got some accent lighting to throw colors off the stacks at night and fun ideas like that," says Stauch.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/business/seaholm-projects-evolution-shifts-to-condos-instea/nZ7dY/
By Shonda Novak
September 26, 2013

The vision for the redevelopment of Austin's former Seaholm Power Plant site has evolved several times over the past few years — and now developers are tweaking the plans again.

A planned 30-story apartment tower on the site will now house about 280 luxury condominiums instead, the developer told the American-Statesman on Wednesday.

Construction began in April on the parking garage for the tower, which has been named Seaholm Residences. It will be the first new major condo project to break ground downtown since the tower that included a W hotel and condominiums was launched in May 2008.

... "Our read is that there is strong market demand for condos, and a lack of supply," Rosato said. "The site offers a compelling case for people wanting to own a downtown home, yet live in an environment that's a true neighborhood."

... Evins said city officials are excited to see the vision taking shape for both Seaholm and other nearby projects that are expected to transform downtown's west side into a hub for shopping, dining, housing, entertainment and cultural offerings. At Seaholm, Rosato said his firm is in "active negotiations on over 60 percent of the office and retail spaces" on the site, with tenant announcements expected soon.

Urbanspace, an Austin real estate brokerage, will be marketing the condos. Kevin Burns, broker and CEO of Urbanspace, anticipates strong demand for the units, which will range in size from studios to three bedrooms. Amenities will include a sky deck, a pool with views of nearby Lady Bird Lake, a fitness center and a dog-walking and grooming area.

"I feel that there is extraordinary high demand" for condos at Seaholm's location and price points, Burns said.

"The location of the Seaholm Residences matched with its finishes and amenities will be one of Austin's most well-rounded addresses," Burns said. "I cannot wait to live there. ... To be able to access the trail, grocery store, restaurants and library from my front door will be as good as it gets."

Austin Business Journal
September 11-17, 2013

Community Impact Newspaper
http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/central-austin/transformation-of-seaholm-power-plant-begins
By Peter McCrady
June 27, 2013

... John Rosato, a real estate broker with Southwest Strategies Group and managing partner with the SRP, said the area was picked for redevelopment because of the power plant and its historical and architectural significance.

"The driving force, obviously, is saving the iconic building," Rosato said. "It's a historic structure. It's going to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Austin doesn't have a large stock of older industrial buildings. There are very few in town as opposed to San Antonio or Houston, so that's why [we're working] here. It's because of this building."

Fred Evins, redevelopment project manager with the city of Austin Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office, said the style of the power plant is unique and worth preserving.

"One of the things that caught my ear [was] when I was first being told about the building, I was reminded that this was kind of the end of an era of power production facilities being treated as architecture," Evins said. "It has a very nice art deco enclosure of public pride and public infrastructure that very, very soon after this was built, [industrial projects] started going to the very utilitarian [design]."

Jim Susman, principal architect with STG Design—the architecture firm working on the project—said there are four components to the SRP, including the renovation and preservation of the power plant facility, construction of an apartment complex tower with parking, a two-story building for retail and a three-level parking garage below the apartment tower.

The apartment complex will be a 30-story tower with 309 apartments for rent and will have about 400 parking spaces included in the building. The two-story, 66,000-square-foot building will have retail and office space that includes a Trader Joe's—a specialty grocery store—expected to open in 2014. The 112,000-square-foot power plant will have retail, office and event space, and the underground parking garage will be able to accommodate about 500 cars.v Redeveloping a building built in the 1950s that was never intended for commercial use comes with its share of challenges, according to Rosato. He said the redevelopment is a balance between saving enough of the building to keep its industrial feel while making sure it is safe and functional.

"The one thing that developers hate is that [redeveloping older buildings is] unpredictable because you've got this old building, and when you start taking it apart, you're really not sure what you're going to find," Rosato said. "In this particular case, we're finding some really cool things, but we may run across something that's not so cool and we didn't take into account. That's the downside to it."

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2013/05/24/biz-scene-photos-may-24-2013.html?s=image_gallery
May 24-30, 2013

The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/business/energy-environment/growing-supply-of-former-power-plants-offers-sites-for-renovation.html?_r=1&
By Jim Witkin
Apr 24, 2013

The work starts next month and, once it is complete in about two years, a revitalized 7.8-acre site at the edge of downtown Austin, Tex., will offer new office spaces, shops and a high-rise apartment complex along Lady Bird Lake.

Rising prominently from the center of the site will be the restored Seaholm Power Plant, a massive Art Deco-style structure built in the 1950s that once burned oil and gas to supply much of the city’s power. Retail and office tenants will occupy the former plant’s 117,000 square feet of interior space. Its cavernous four-story turbine room will be dotted with displays on the plant’s history and the new energy-efficient designs featured in its makeover.

The locations of old power plants make them attractive to developers and potential tenants, Mr. Staple said. Initially built away from population hubs, many are now close to city centers as urban boundaries have expanded and industrial areas have become gentrified. The plants were also typically built on riverfronts, for access to water to cool the generator units.

... The unusual size and shape of the buildings make them ideal for repurposing, said Rick Scadden, a principal engineer with Intera, an environmental engineering company that cleans up old power plant sites. “They were often constructed with large turbine-generator halls,” said Mr. Scadden, “so this presents opportunities for doing really unique things with the space on a grand scale.”

... Preserving older buildings has also become a standard component of urban renewal projects, he said. And while many of these old plants will close because they no longer meet environmental standards, they will come back to life in restoration as showcases of the latest green building designs and features.

For example, Seaholm, which was taken out of service in 1996, will use the pipes and tanks that once held water to cool its generators to capture rainwater and irrigate the grounds. A large solar panel array on the roof will generate part of the building’s power.

The trend, Mr. Whitman said, is a sign of things to come. “Repurposing these old power plants not only signals a shift in where people live and what they do,” he said, “but also how they think about the environment and how our energy mix is changing and evolving.”

The Daily Texan
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2013/04/21/seaholm-power-plant-site-to-be-developed-into-public-space-for-retail-apartments
By Hannah Jane Deciutiis
Apr 21, 2013

John Rosato, principal for Southwest Strategies Group, which is one of the organizations chosen to lead the redevelopment, said many factors slowed down the intricate process of securing the site, creating the development team and finalizing design plans.

“This project is unlike any other in Austin’s history, and it took an extraordinary amount of cooperation from the governing bodies and private sector to reach this point,” Rosato said. “Right of way and environmental issues slowed things down, not to mention the collapse of the capital markets. Getting all the moving pieces of this puzzle in alignment was a challenge that took a great deal of ingenuity and time to solve.”

Though the total costs for the development have not been made public, figures of more than $100 million have been estimated, according to public relations officials for the project. The city’s $27.5 million contribution will go into rehabilitation of the plant, street infrastructure, underground parking and the creation of the new Bowie Underpass, city spokeswoman Melissa Alvarado said.

... “There have been some very high-end national retailers looking at it,” Tisdale said. “There’s currently a very large user looking at the whole power plant building. They want to be in Austin because of the way Austin is — the entrepreneurial spirit and the creative energy here.”

Rosato said the location of the power plant is a feature of the site that will make a positive addition to Austin’s skyline.

“Being right along Lady Bird Lake, [the plant] offers the eye a more gradual way to build up to the other, taller structures,” Rosato said. “It also preserves an iconic architectural gemstone that helps keep some history along with the new development.”

As ground breaks this month for excavation of the parking garage area, Rosato said the whole team is ready to finally get started on the development.

“We’ve reached a historic point, and we’re really looking forward to transforming our vision into a reality,” Rosato said.

kvue.com
http://www.kvue.com/home/KVUE-Exclusive-An-inside-look-at-the-Seaholm-Intake-Facility-204002281.html
By Ashley Godeau
Apr 21, 2013

It just may be the most prime piece of real estate in the City of Austin; the Seaholm Intake Facility.

Built on Lady Bird Lake in 1950 and expanded in 1955, the facility was used to tunnel water to the Seaholm Power Plant across the street to generate electricity until the plant closed in 1989.

... The power plant is being converted into an office space with apartments and shops. The intake facility, including the land from the railroad tracks all the way to Shoal Creek, was given to the parks department to be used by the people of Austin.

"And we really want to hear the residents ideas about what they see, not only the facility, but how the surrounding site can be used," Estabrook.

... Each of the building's two stories is 5,000 square feet with 22-foot high ceilings and amazing views of the lake. The building itself is historic and has to be left intact. But the smaller building in front can be torn down or used. The possibilities are endless.

"You could even add a loft space in here, you can add a boardwalk, a deck on the outside, you can redesign the trail, separate it from pedestrians and bicycles," Estabrook added. 

The facility is the only property in the City of Austin that actually sits on the lake and because of current city code, no other buildings can be built on the water. So the chance to decide what will go here is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"I'm thinking it could be like a refreshment center and restaurant," said Austin resident Bill Vandersteel.

... All the ideas will be complied into a list and given to the teams working on designs. Suggestions to give new life to a piece of Austin history.

RECON, Real Estate Center Online News
http://recenter.tamu.edu/recon/reconSearch.asp?CID=7770
Apr 19, 2013

It just may be the most prime piece of real estate in the City of Austin; the Seaholm Intake Facility.

Built on Lady Bird Lake in 1950 and expanded in 1955, the facility was used to tunnel water to the Seaholm Power Plant across the street to generate electricity until the plant closed in 1989.

... The power plant is being converted into an office space with apartments and shops. The intake facility, including the land from the railroad tracks all the way to Shoal Creek, was given to the parks department to be used by the people of Austin.

"And we really want to hear the residents ideas about what they see, not only the facility, but how the surrounding site can be used," Estabrook.

... Each of the building's two stories is 5,000 square feet with 22-foot high ceilings and amazing views of the lake. The building itself is historic and has to be left intact. But the smaller building in front can be torn down or used. The possibilities are endless.

"You could even add a loft space in here, you can add a boardwalk, a deck on the outside, you can redesign the trail, separate it from pedestrians and bicycles," Estabrook added. 

The facility is the only property in the City of Austin that actually sits on the lake and because of current city code, no other buildings can be built on the water. So the chance to decide what will go here is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"I'm thinking it could be like a refreshment center and restaurant," said Austin resident Bill Vandersteel.

... All the ideas will be complied into a list and given to the teams working on designs. Suggestions to give new life to a piece of Austin history.

RECON, Real Estate Center Online News
http://recenter.tamu.edu/newstalk/newstalkSearch.asp?CID=63822
Apr 17, 2013

Development on the southwestern edge of downtown at the Seaholm Power Plant is a go. Construction will begin immediately on the $100 million project.

The five-acre site, now owned by Seaholm Power LLC, will include a 30-story, 309-unit apartment tower and a public open-air plaza.

It will also include 60,000 sf of office, retail and restaurant space and a parking garage. One future tenant, specialty grocer Trader Joe's, has already signed a lease.

The power plant will be retrofitted into office space and two towers are to be built nearby.

The 117,000-sf Seaholm Power Plant was built in the 1950s in a classic Art Deco style. The building ceased power generation operations in the 1990s.

The project is slated for completion in late 2015.

culturemap austin
http://www.kvue.com/news/Construction-to-begin-on-redevelopment-of-Seaholm-Power-Plant-203488331.html
By Ashley Godeau
Apr 17, 2013

But now it's time for the Seaholm Power Plant to get a 21st century makeover. Construction to convert the plant into a social hub begins next week.

"I am glad to see it go and get used for a better, upgraded use than just seeing an empty, dead building," said Austin resident Phil Capron.

The two lots around the plant won't be empty anymore either. On the north side will sit a two-story retail building with a parking garage underneath. Right now there's only one confirmed store, Trader Joe's.

On the other side of the plant will be a 30-story apartment building with 300 units.

The plant itself will become office space that will be open to the public with a plaza and green space in the middle.

The design team said their intent is to preserve the industrial feel and historical value of the power plant, so everything from the concrete structure to the crane that's at the top of the building will remain.

KVUE.com
http://www.kvue.com/news/Construction-to-begin-on-redevelopment-of-Seaholm-Power-Plant-203488331.htm
By Ashley Godeau
Apr 17, 2013

It is a beloved landmark.

"It's unique to Austin," said Austin resident Karley Maskavich. 

A symbol of old Austin and the 1950s.

"For those of us who have lived here three decades or more and passed it virtually everyday, there's a special place in our hearts for the building itself," said Jim Susman. 

... "The building is such a jewel and so iconic in Austin's fabric that to do anything to it really would have been violating the building itself," said Susman, the design architect of the Seaholm redevelopment.

"I think it makes the funky Austin just exactly what this town needs, more than brand new projects," Capron said.

The two-story retail building will be complete by next summer. The high-rise will take 30 months to construct. The contractor will also extend 2nd Street, West Street and Seaholm Drive into the development. The City will reimburse the company.

"Construction wise it's going to be a pain but I think in the end it will be more opportunities for more growth in the area," said Maskavich, who lives across the street.

The Seaholm project will be changing the perimeter of downtown, by rejuvenating an Austin treasure.

myFOXaustin
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/22005045/seaholm-power-plant-project-ready-to-begin
Apr 17, 2013

Construction is ready to begin on the Seaholm Power Plant Project.

The latest renderings released by the developer show how the power plant and the surrounding five acres will be transformed into a mixed-use site with retail and restaurant space.

This week the developer took control of the property from the city the historic power plant will be leased and used as office space.

There are plans for a 30-story apartment building, along with shops and restaurants.

Contractors are expected to begin work immediately. The project could take around two-and-a-half years to complete.

KVUE.com
http://www.kvue.com/news/City-closes-deal-with-Seaholm-developers-203364381.html
By Jessica Vess
Apr 17, 2013

The papers are signed and the work will soon begin at the iconic Seaholm Power Plant in downtown Austin. Crews are redeveloping the entire property. 

Artist's renderings were released Tuesday when the City of Austin closed the deal with developers. The project includes the plant itself and the surrounding five acres. Developers are incorporating a mixed-use complex with shops and housing.

There are plans for a 30-story, 309-unit apartment tower and another 60,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant space. Developers estimate the build-out will take about two and a half years to complete.

According to the developer, crews will begin work immediately on the power plant and the parking garage. Afterward they will begin putting up the retail and residential towers. One of the most anticipated projects in the complex is the new Trader Joe's grocery store.

“I think it's exciting, I think there is a big need for that and I think it will be a big hot spot in Austin,” said Austin shopper Tracy Johnson.

"I think it's a very good match for a market like Austin. They focus on high quality products at good prices. It's been shown here with Central Market and Whole Foods that Austin has a strong group of consumers interested in those products," Dr. Wayne Hoyer with the UT McCombs School of Business said.

The plant has been sitting unused since the 1990s when the city shut down power operations. However, residents didn't want to see the iconic building disappear from Austin’s skyline. Developers are working to maintain the structure. They say there will be changes, but the building should still have that open, industrial feel. Developers also agreed to make sure that the public will still have access to the main hall. 

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2013/04/seaholm-agreements-signed.html
Apr 16, 2013

As the Austin Business Journal reported last week, the developers of the Seaholm Power Plant finalized the necessary real estate transactions with the city of Austin and will begin construction immediately on the $100 million project.

The five-acre site, which includes the iconic Seaholm Power Plant in downtown Austin, is now in the hands of Seaholm Power LLC.

The power plant will be retrofitted into office space and two towers are to be built nearby. One will contain apartments and the other will offer retail and office space.

Seaholm Power LLC released new renderings of the project, which will be fully built-out in about two-and-a-half years.

“This marks an historic milestone for the city, for the power plant and for future generations of Austinites,” said Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “We’re glad this agreement has been reached, and that the redevelopment can begin.”

kxan.com
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/construction-begins-at-seaholm-plant
Apr 16, 2013

Development on the southwestern edge of downtown at the Seaholm Power Plant is a go.

The City of Austin and Seaholm Power announced Tuesday the completion of a lease and purchase of the property.

The historic 1950 art deco plant and the surrounding five acres will be transformed into a mixed-use site with residential and retail spaces.

“This marks a historic milestone for the city, for the power plant and for future generations of Austinites,” Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell said. “We’re glad this agreement has been reached, and that the redevelopment can begin. This is a key piece of the future of downtown Austin and I look forward to the transformation."

In June 2012, the Austin City Council authorized an amendment allowing to Seaholm Power to lease the plant as office space. The building ceased power generation operations in the 1990s.

“We appreciate how this public-private partnership will help bolster the continued revitalization of this significant community of Austin,” said John Rosato, principal with Southwest Strategies Group and managing partner of Seaholm Powerr. “We’re excited to find an adaptive use to this iconic property that is so much a part of Austin’s history.”

Contractors will begin work immediately on the power plant and a parking garage. Then, construction will start on an office and retail building and a residential tower.

The project is slated for completion in late 2015.

The five-acre area is bounded to the west by the planned Seaholm Drive from Third Street south to Cesar Chavez Street; on the south by Cesar Chavez Street from the planned West Avenue east to Seaholm Drive; on the east by West Avenue from Cesar Chavez Street north to Third Street; and on the north by Third Street between Seaholm Drive and West Avenue.

statesman.com
http://www.statesman.com/news/business/seaholm-redevelopment-ready-to-break-ground-at-las/nXMzM/
posted by Staff
Apr 16, 2013

The city of Austin and Seaholm Power LLC have closed on the lease and purchase of the site that houses the decommissioned Seaholm Power Plant, setting the stage for construction to immediately begin on an estimated $100 million mixed use project that will further the transformation of downtown’s southwestern edge.

The closing Tuesday turns over control of the prime waterfront block on West Cesar Chavez, including the 1950s power plant and surrounding 5 acres, to Seaholm Power LLC, the team the city selected in 2005 to redevelop the site. An agreement signed with the city details terms of the developer’s 99-year lease of the power plant building, as well as the purchase of surrounding land where a 30-story, 309-unit apartment tower will be built, along with a 2-story building that will have office, restaurant and retail space, including a Trader Joe’s. The 117,000-square-foot power plant structure will also be renovated for tenants.

Work will begin immediately on the power plant and the parking garage, with other components to follow, said John Rosato, lead developer for the project. The development will take about 2 ½ years to complete.

The city is a partner in the public-private venture, and is making a multimillion investment in the project. In conjunction with a new apartment project rising just west of Seaholm, the projects are expected to generate $53.3 million in additional property and sales taxes for the city over 30 years.

Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/business/seaholm-redevelopment-ready-to-break-ground-at-las/nXMzM/
By Shonda Nova
Apr 16, 2013

It’s been several years coming, but redevelopment work is set to begin on Austin’s former Seaholm Power Plant, with plans calling for a $100 million mixed-use project that will reinvigorate the area and add millions to the city’s tax base over coming decades.

The project on downtown’s western edge will include a 30-story tower with 309 apartments, a two-story building with a Trader Joe’s store, plus other retail, office and restaurant space.

This week, the city of Austin and the development team it chose for the project eight years ago are expected to sign the document that outlines terms of the public-private venture — a move that will trigger the official launch of construction.

... John Rosato, a principal with Austin-based Southwest Strategies Group, the lead developer on the project, said the imminent groundbreaking is a momentous occasion.

“I do think that what was done here was historic, in terms of working with the city and working through the economic downturn to keep the vision alive, and we’re ready to move forward now,” Rosato said. “The significance of it is keeping the vision alive through all the twists and turns.”

... Rosato said that when construction commences, the general contractor will begin work on the power plant renovation and a parking garage. After that, the apartment tower will begin rising, and construction will start on the 66,000-square foot low-rise building that will have office space and a Trader Joe’s store slated to open in early 2015.

The first apartments should be ready for tenants by early 2015, Rosato said. The tower will include 8,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Evins said Seaholm is part of a larger area on the west end of downtown that over the past decade represents $2 billion in both new and planned development, with the future development to include a new central library and the redevelopment of the former Green Water Treatment Plant site east of Seaholm.

A tax increment financing district created for the Seaholm area, which includes the Seaholm site and a new apartment tower Gables Residential is building to the west, will generate $53.3 million in additional property and sales taxes for the city over 30 years, Evins said. The Green Water site redevelopment is expected to add $44.9 million in sales and property taxes over 30 years, he said.

“We’re quite excited about all the pieces that are coming together,” Evins said. “This is our first major milestone, in the context of everything else about to kick off, and we’re very excited about moving our vision forward.”

Austin Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/real-estate/2013/04/seaholm-project-groundbreaking-is.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article
By Jan Buchholz
Apr 11, 2013

The long wait for the Seaholm Power Plant project to begin construction appears to be over. Developer Southwest Strategies Group Inc. — which formed Seaholm Power Development LLC to oversee the office-residential-retail project — confirmed Thursday afternoon that the associated real estate transactions with the city of Austin will close Friday or Monday at the latest.

General contractor FlintCo LLC is on site — the power plant is in the southwest portion of downtown near Cesar Chavez Street and North Lamar Boulevard — and prepared to start work immediately, said John Rosato, managing partner of Seaholm Power Development.

“It’s more gratifying than you know,” Rosato said of finally closing the deal. “It took much longer than anybody expected.”