Only four months have gone by since my last construction update, but there’s plenty of progress to report.

Across from the new Northshore apartments, windows continue to be installed at 500 West 2nd Street. That’s quite a catchy name for an office building.

Some type of base is being built for The Independent. Usually massive excavations mark the beginning of tower constructions here, so I’m not sure why this project is starting differently. It’s hard to believe that a 58-story condo tower can fit on this site.

There’s absolutely nothing happening with the Hotel ZaZa. The entire block on Fourth Street is fenced in, including the adjacent sidewalks. Why couldn’t the developers leave the sidewalks open until work actually starts?

Not to worry about a potential lack of downtown hotel rooms, though—the Aloft and Element hotels are rising up on the corner of Congress and Seventh.

UT System Administration Building on Seventh Street (between Colorado and Lavaca) continues to grow taller and soon should be topped out at 19 stories.

An additional floor is being added to the old 219 restaurant location on West Fourth Street. This project has been slow-going, but will become an event space called The Riley.

Even the Texas State Capitol is surrounded by scaffolding. Over 700 exterior windows are being repaired and stabilized.

Built on the old RunTex location south of Lady Bird Lake, the 422 at the Lake apartments are now pre-leasing.

Also south of the lake on Riverside Drive, a seven-story apartment complex is going up next to the Austin American-Statesman property.

We are anxiously awaiting the opening of our new Central Library on Cesar Chavez. The site has been buzzing with activity. According to their website, Substantial Completion (owner acceptance) is scheduled for June 16. The Grand Opening is still on target for November.

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