After serving in economic development and project management roles in Round Rock, Rowlett and Greenville, Ben White is now working for the city of Cedar Park, working on advancing the city’s employment opportunities. White stepped in after the former economic development director, Phil Brewer, retired in May 2018. Just before taking on his role in Cedar Park, White served as the vice president of economic development for the Round Rock Chamber for eight years. He also worked previously as the director of economic development for the city of Rowlett and as a projects manager and executive director for the Greenville board of development, according to the city of Cedar Park. He began serving as the economic development director for Cedar Park on Oct. 15. Click to read more at www.communityimpact.com.

Austin will revive its attempt to rewrite its land-use rules March 26 in a move long deemed necessary as a means to manage the city’s continued population growth and widening housing affordability crisis. The rules around what can be built in the city and where have not been comprehensively revised since 1984. Austin’s most recent attempt to this—a five-year, $8.5 million effort known as CodeNEXT—failed as it came down the homestretch last year. City Council voted to pull the plug on the effort after the rhetoric surrounding some of the more polarizing land use issues became “poisoned” and filled with hyperbole, as described by Mayor Steve Adler. Click to read more at www.communityimpact.com.

The first permitted, 3D-printed home created specifically for the developing world was unveiled today in Austin, Texas by New Story, the non-profit working to create a world where no human being lives in survival mode, and ICON, the newly launched construction technologies company leading the way into the future of homebuilding by using 3D printing to make major advancements in affordability, building performance, sustainability and customizability.

The 3D-printed home serves as proof-of-concept for sustainable homebuilding that will allow for safer, more affordable homes for more families, faster than ever. The printer, called the Vulcan, is designed to work under the constraints that are common in places like Haiti and rural El Salvador where power can be unpredictable, potable water is not a guarantee and technical assistance is sparse. It’s designed to tackle housing shortages for vulnerable populations instead of building with profit motivation.

Click to red more at www.businesswire.com

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Independent School District voted to sell roughly five acres just south of Hemisfair for $14.5 million.

The property was sold to Broadway SA Investors, the real estate arm of Silver Ventures, which redeveloped the Pearl Brewery.

The four tracts being sold are located at 620 Matagorda St., 211 Lavaca St., 215 Lavaca St., and 141 Lavaca St., and are grouped into two lots with two different zoning designations. 

The first lot contains 0.79 acres and is zoned for residential-mixed use; the second contains 3.95 acres and is zoned for office use.

Read more at Real Estate Center