AUSTIN, Texas — Austin’s skyline continues to grow as more skyscrapers, hotels and mixed-use buildings are built in the area.
The Downtown Development Alliance has been closely following the growth of Downtown Austin and are currently tracking about 50 projects. Twenty are already under construction, and 30 are set for future development.
The projects range from high rises and hotels to mixed-use, including Sixth and Guadalupe, which is 67 stories high, and Waterline, a 74-story skyscraper that will become the tallest building in Texas.
“The buildings are reaching new heights and are packing in hundreds of square feet," said Jenell Moffett with the Downtown Austin Alliance.
Last year, there were 17 projects totaling over five million square feet.
“We've grown from being this small sleepy college town to this this international powerhouse, and what we are seeing is buildings are delivered," Moffett said. "There is residential space in these buildings, as well as retail, and I think that is a trend that will continue.”
Moffett said additions to the entertainment industry – like the Moody Center – are drawing people downtown, as well as jobs here in Central Texas.
Future developments include mixed use buildings and the Graduate Austin, an 18-story, 195-room development off 18th and Guadalupe streets that is slated to open in 2025. It will have rooftop bar, restaurant and views of the University of Texas at Austin.
Kevin Osterhaus, the president of Graduate Hotels, said the tech industry and UT are big draws to bring the hotel to Austin.
"Austin has been a dream market for us. The hospitality sector is exciting and we believe what we can do specific to universities and our ability as Graduate Hotels is to really develop a narrative that really tells the story of Austin,” Osterhaus said.