Current Monday Morning Report - August 23, 2010

Internal

Envision Central Texas’ next regional forum (“Innovate or Stagnate: Can New Approaches to Infrastructure Development Transform our Region?”) will be held Friday, Sept. 10, 9 am – 1:00 pm at the Seton administrative offices auditorium at the Mueller Development in Austin. For more information click here. 

Another Austin-San Antonio ‘Corridor Growth Summit,’ sponsored by the Austin and San Antonio Business Journals, is set for the following Friday, Sept. 17, 11:30 am at the New Braunfels Convention Center at 345 S. Castell Ave. Corridor Council founder Henry Cisneros keynotes. Registration/Details.

The Corridor Council survey on local attitudes toward changes to US 281 in the San Antonio-to-Hico corridor has been distributed to area elected officials and is now up on the web. We’re collecting information about traffic increases and projects for proposed improvements. You can take the survey here.

Infrastructure

Just how hot is it? So hot the Electric Reliability Council of Texas reported a new high for electricity demand last week, the third time this month that the record has been broken. Demand on Monday (8/16), was a record 64,805 megawatts (MW), exceeding the week before all-time record of 63,830 MW. Prior to this year, the all-time peak demand record was 63,400 MW, set last July (2009).  Details.

It's taken more court cases than a whole season of Law And Order, but Hays County voted for a $2 million loan earlier this month (8/5) for infrastructure that will bring US Foodservices, an Illinois-based company, new roads for their regional distribution center in Buda. Quite a saga here.

Capital Metro announced big changes last week (8/18) as part of their ServicePlan2020 — a 10-year plan aimed at improving efficiency in their system, which includes more than 3,000 bus stops. A new route schedule and maps can be found at H-E-B stores, the Capital Metro Transit Store, and online. Story here.

Making the new frontage road in Seguin on Interstate 10 between Highway 46 and FM 464 one-way westbound has drawn opposition from the owners of businesses along the existing frontage road, which carries traffic in both directions. The objections were raised last week at a public hearing. Story.

Austin Community College will open its largest campus next week in Round Rock with a grand opening ceremony at 10 am Friday (8/28) at 4400 College Park Drive. The first day of classes at the 90-acre campus, ACC's eighth, is Aug. 23. Programs for up to 5000 students will include associate degree nursing, automotive technology, biotechnology, electronics, medical laboratory technology, surgical technology and welding technology. Details.

At last week's San Antonio Mobility Coalition luncheon (8/20), TxDOT Executive Director Amadeo Saenz painted a grim picture - though nothing new - of the state's transportation funding future. Saenz says by 2012 his agency will have only enough money to do maintenance (no new project funding) and that just to keep pace with current congestion levels would require $315 billion between now and 2030. Details.

Economic Development (and ‘Other News’)

Gov. Rick Perry announced the state is investing $1.56 million through the Texas Enterprise Fund in BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) - a leading global medical technology company - for the creation of its professional services headquarters in San Antonio. Officials said the move will create 296 jobs and generate an estimated $6.35 million in other capital investment.  Details.

Seguin’s Economic Development Corp. has won a Community Economic Development Award for landing the $170 million Caterpillar Engine Assembly, Test and Paint Facility.  Seguin competed among cities with a population of 15,001 to 40,000. The Caterpillar project created 1,400 jobs in the city. Details.

Harris Corp., a Florida-based communications and information technology company, has opened a new office at Port San Antonio to serve the company’s military and intelligence customers. The center plans hiring about 20 engineering and technical support staff. Details.

Officials with Ernest Health Inc., an Albuquerque-based company says it plans to construct and operate a 40-bed acute-care hospital in New Braunfels.  The 49,488-square-foot hospital will be the first facility of its kind in the area.  Details.

Hutto officials had Austin-based Antenora Architects LLP draft a conversion plan for the town’s non-operative grain co-op into an 18-acre mixed-use development. The plan incorporates its old silos and cotton gin buildings into a civic complex with a new city hall, amphitheater, city offices, and residential, retail and office buildings.  Story.

Sometimes referred to as Air Force ‘One Half’ - a 13-passenger Lockheed plane that flew in and out of Lyndon Johnson's ranch when he was vice president and president - is going on permanent exhibit at the LBJ ranch near Stonewall.  There’s a dedication ceremony scheduled for August 27. Story.

Thought for the week:

“Vision without execution is hallucination.”