Site work and paving for a road / highway in Austin, Texas. Design plans call for site work for a road / highway; and for paving for a road / highway.

Construction for the central I-35 expansion project in downtown Austin will begin this summer; however, impacted property owners still have time to seek guidance from attorneys through the final phases of condemnation. The $4.9 billion project, spanning eight miles from U.S. 290 East and SH 71/Ben White Boulevard, is taking over 100 homes and businesses to accommodate the road widening. The project is estimated to take eight years to complete. The Texas Constitution mandates that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) provide just compensation to impacted property owners. TxDOT’s offers oftentimes do not adequately value the property being taken or the impact to the remainder property. Property owners have the right to receive adequate compensation for the land acquired and any diminished value to the rest of the property, plus any hard costs incurred to restore the impacted property to its pre-taking condition. Under Texas law, it is up to the landowner to ensure that these critical factors are fully considered. TxDOT does not always account for the full value of costs incurred from the taking. Property owners should assess and document all of the lost value and expenses associated with the taking, which could include: A reduction in rentable square footage A loss of parking spaces The removal or relocation of building signage Drive aisle changes to meet emergency vehicle turning radius minimums Diminished wastewater and stormwater drainage infrastructure Critical utility access Cost of increased rent or housing assistance In addition to the above compensation items, some impacted property owners, known as “displacees” are eligible to recover moving costs, which can include moving services for personal or business items, equipment used during this process, and reestablishment expenses in a new location, such as print materials listing the new address. An experienced eminent domain and condemnation attorney can provide counsel throughout the process to ensure relocation benefits are not left on the table. An expert attorney can guide landowners through the final phases of condemnation. Experiencing condemnation can be challenging, and it takes a lot of patience to navigate the process from start to finish. It is imperative that landowners are properly protected and fully understand their rights. If your home or business is being taken to construct the central I-35 project, there is still time to contact an eminent domain and condemnation lawyer to help you get all the compensation you are fairly owed. Opinion:$25 billion for Austin transit projects: Good business and good for business. Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC has represented clients on eminent issues related to many major road-development projects across Texas, including I-35, I-10, I-45, US 290, US 183, US 59, SH 130, SH 45, SH 121, SH 195, SH 29, SH 6 and Loop 363. If your property may be affected by the I-35 Capital Express project, speak to an experienced eminent domain or condemnation attorney at Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo’s Austin office to learn more about the impact on your property, determine fair value and navigate the condemnation process. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2024/02/01/atx-ahead-austin-poised-for-healthy-growth-in-2024.html Feb 01, 2024 Austin's economy will be firing on all cylinders in 2024. Economic development leaders continue to market Central Texas for corporate investments -- a new incentives program is also ready to go -- and $25 billion in infrastructure projects are underway in Austin that are expected to improve connectivity and boost quality of life. Plus, the housing market continues to stabilize from the high-flying days of the pandemic, and initiatives from Austin City Hall may help move the needle on affordability issues. Overall, local leaders are positive about what's in store this year, which was a central point of discussion at the recent ATX Ahead Economic Outlook event on Jan. 18. "It is easier to sell Austin (and) it's easier to sell Texas" to companies looking to expand than it ever has been, Aaron Demerson, president and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corp., said during a panel discussion. He's at the tip of the state's spear when it comes to encouraging corporations like Tesla Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. to make major investments in the state, and he hinted at some potential wins on the horizon. "Austin's going to have some announcements down the line," Demerson said. "The pipeline has not stopped in the Central Texas region." Economic Outlook Event 2024 4048expand Austin Board of Realtors Economist Clare Losey speaks at the 2024 ATX Ahead Economic Outlook event. ARNOLD WELLS / ABJ But Demerson also joked that he would lose his job if he revealed specific details. Still, he said Central Texas representatives will be joining state officials on overseas trips to court businesses this year. "The rubber meets the road at the local level," he said. "If we don't have things happening at the local level ... folks will go elsewhere." And as Austin catches new corporate fish, jobs and people will follow. Over the last few years, that's put a strain on the region's housing market, which experienced sky-rocketing prices and dwindling supply. The market began normalizing in 2023, and that's expected to continue this year, said Clare Losey, a housing economist with the Austin Board of Realtors. Losey said it's unlikely there will be meaningful change to housing prices and inventory over the next year. But, she said the moderation of home prices in 2023 is positive for the economy over the long term and should keep the gap between home prices and income from widening. To afford Austin's $450,000 median home price, households must earn annual incomes of nearly $150,000, according to ABOR data. That leaves about 40% of households priced out of the city, which is also why people continue to flock to the more affordable counties surrounding the city, she said. Housing advocates are hopeful that pro-density initiatives coming from Austin City Hall, such as the first phase of the HOME Initiative, will help move the needle for affordability. The initiative, which allows up to three homes to be built on a single-family lot, represents another step in the city's ongoing effort to establish more "missing middle" housing options. But the roll-out of the initiative may not have an immediate impact on the city's need for more affordable housing, Losey said. She said it's likely developers will use the new tool in more desirable neighborhoods, which could lead to higher-priced homes. "We may not necessarily be adding supply, potentially to the lower-income brackets," she said. "But overall, it should begin to ease a little bit of the (upward) pressure on home prices in general, over the long term." The second phase of the HOME Initiative, which aims to decrease the city's minimum lot requirements, could help move the needle more, she said. City Council plans to consider the change this year. "It will allow for a little bit more room for prices to come down over the long run," Losey said. "It's a long-term game." Infrastructure to fuel economic activity A slew of infrastructure investments are also expected to create tens of thousands of jobs annually and create opportunities for developers and businesses. Work is underway to implement a new 15-stop light rail system through the center of the city, extending from near 38th Street to south of Lady Bird Lake. The exact route and station locations haven't been solidified. A future extension to the airport is possible with additional funding. What's on the books could cost up to $4.8 billion and will create opportunities for the real estate crowd to develop near the transit stops. It is also expected to slow the rate of traffic growth and boost quality of life even for those who don't use the transit system. Economic Outlook Event 2024expand Greg Canally ARNOLD WELLS / ABJ "When you have a transit stop, economic development happens around that," said Greg Canally, executive director of the Austin Transit Partnership. "We want to make sure that we can leverage that and partner those opportunities where we can with the local business community. We think there are really great upsides there when it comes to housing, jobs and office as well." He said appropriate land use along the light rail line is key to ensuring federal funding for the transit project. "Attracting those investments require us to look at our land use policies, and we feel confident that conversation will be positive this year," he said. Plans are also underway to expand I-35 through the center of Austin, along with the long-anticipated redevelopment of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Both projects are emphasized in economic development circles as key to sustaining Austin's growth. _________________________________________ https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/article/i35-expansion-lawsuit-18634776.php As the seemingly never-ending construction continues on I-35, several Central Texas organizations are taking a stand against it. Rethink35 and other Austin organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation over its I-35 Capital Express Central project, KXAN reports. TxDOT responded to the lawsuit in a recent news release, saying it plans to "vigorously defend the much-needed project" which will reportedly widen eight miles of the interstate from U.S. 290 East to Ben White Boulevard and SH 71. Rethink35 and several other organizations argue that the project will bring more drivers into Austin, worsen traffic and carbon emissions, and displace dozens of homes and businesses. Additionally, the group says the project will cause 10 years of disruptive construction and that communities of color will be mainly impacted. Rethink35, along with Save Our Springs Alliance, PODER, Mueller Neighborhood Association, East Town Lake Citizens Neighborhood Association, Austin Justice Coalition, AURA, and east Austin resident Bertha Rendon Delgado, filed the lawsuit and federal complaint after the federal government gave environmental clearance for the I-35 Capital Express Central Project last year. The TxDOT release also says the project would lower I-35 main lanes from Oltorf Street to Airport Boulevard, add two non-tolled high occupancy (HOV) lanes and boulevard-style roads downtown, incorporate deck plazas, and construct new bicycle and pedestrian crossings. "This is a project designed with the community and for the community," said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams in the release. "We have carefully followed and even exceeded the environmental and legal requirements to advance this project. We don't believe that the actions of these opponents have merit. TxDOT intends to continue to press forward to deliver the I-35 Capital Express Central project." Rethink35 has spoken out against the project and believes it won't work because it forces businesses and homes to move, hurting the environment. The group is proposing that TxDOT invest in more public transportation to help relieve traffic as an alternative and "free Austin from car dependency," according to its website. TxDOT said action is crucial now since Austin is growing and traffic will only get worse if they don't do anything. They also claimed in the release to have received more than 18,000 community members comments and found the expansion plan to be the best solution to accommodate the ever-growing Capital city. "The traffic demand is here and will continue to grow as more people move to the Austin area to take advantage of the booming job market and quality of life that Central Texas offers," Williams said. "It's our duty to mitigate congestion and work to advance these needed safety and mobility improvements on this critical corridor." _______________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2024/01/29/local-groups-file-lawsuit-over-i-35-expansion.html Jan 29, 2024 A lawsuit has been filed against the Texas Department of Transportation over its I-35 Capital Express Central project, which will widen eight miles of the interstate from U.S. 290 East to Ben White Boulevard and State Highway 71. Rethink35, Save Our Springs Alliance, PODER, Mueller Neighborhood Association, East Town Lake Citizens Neighborhood Association, Austin Justice Coalition, AURA and East Austin resident Bertha Rendon Delgado filed the lawsuit. The groups alleged the project will bring thousands of more vehicles into Austin daily, worsen traffic and carbon emissions, negatively impact air and water quality, displace dozens of homes and businesses as well as cause 10 years of disruptive construction. They added that communities of color will bear the brunt of these impacts, the groups said in an announcement. In addition to the lawsuit, the coalition filed a federal civil rights complaint to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other federal officials. Our partners at KXAN News have more here _________________________________________ Plans call for an improvement plan for I-35 from U.S. Route 290 East to U.S. 290 West/State Highway 71 that will lower and widen the double-decker highway. As of June 6, 2023, the project is in design and divided in multiple contracts for letting. Letting expected to start spring/summer 2024. However, the firm timeline has not been released.