BG Reads | News You Need to Know (December 17, 2021)
Downtown Austin
[BINGHAM GROUP]
The BG Podcast is back! EP. 148 features Jose "Chito" Vela III a candidate for Austin's Council District 4.
The immigration and defense attorney declared in early November, following Council Member Greg Casar announcing his candidacy for Congress (triggering an automatic resignation).
Bingham Group CEO A.J. and Associate Wendy Rodriguez discuss Chito's campaign and what he hopes to achieve if elected.
[MEETING/HEARINGS]
[AUSTIN METRO NEWS]
Why this Williamson County highway may be 'new center of gravity' for critical tech in US (Austin Business Journal)
It is the 17-mile expanse of U.S. Highway 79 from Round Rock to Taylor, which in recent years has courted the likes of the $550 million Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Round Rock. Just last month, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced it would build a $17 billion next-generation chipmaking plant on 1,200 acres just south of U.S. 79 in Taylor. Those are just two examples of the manufacturers, restaurants, mixed-use developments, housing subdivisions and more zeroing in on the corridor.While interest in the area, which also includes Hutto, was already high amid the Austin metro's rapid economic growth, one expert said it now stands out as "the most prized industrial real estate in the entire U.S.," due to the availability and cheap costs of land, plus low utilities and other expenses; proximity to a strong workforce and other large-scale projects, including Tesla Inc.'s new headquarters farther south on State Highway 130; and the general business-friendly climate in Williamson County.
"That real estate has been identified by some of the nation's premier site-seeking companies and other commercial real estate advisers," said John Boyd Jr., principal at Boca Raton, Florida-based site selection firm The Boyd Company Inc. "Clearly with the Samsung project, we expect that area to really be a new center of gravity for the types of industries that rely upon chips today, from household appliances to consumer electronic products to the booming [electric vehicle] sector."
Economic development leaders said they have already seen an uptick in interest since the Samsung announcement just a few weeks ago — from companies of widely varying sizes and industries.
"I don't know that really we can quantify what that future impact is going to be, but it's going to be big. I don't know how to quantify it any better than that. I guess you can use words like 'generational,'" said Mark Thomas, president and CEO of the Taylor Economic Development Corp.
"It was going to develop, there's no doubt in my mind. I think now with this announcement, it's just accelerated all of that."… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Casar announces who he wants to succeed him on Austin City Council (KXAN)
Greg Casar made it known Thursday which candidate he’d like to succeed him on the Austin City Council.
Casar formally endorsed immigration attorney Jose “Chito” Vela in the upcoming special election to decide who represents District 4 on City Council. Vela announced in November he would seek the seat after Casar said he would run for U.S. Congress in the newly-redrawn District 35.
“District 4 deserves a leader who will fight for our communities, and Chito is that candidate,” Casar said in a news release. “I know that Chito will be a champion for increasing affordable housing, investing in public transportation, and protecting our environment. He’ll show up for working families, and that’s why he has my vote.”
Vela shared his reaction to the endorsement, too, saying, “I look forward to continuing the good work that [Casar] has done representing the people of District 4.”
Thursday is the deadline for candidates to file to run in the council election. So far seven candidates, including Vela, have filed paperwork with the city denoting a campaign treasurer, a step indicating their intent to run… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
Jaqueline Yaft is one of six candidates being considered for the role, with a finalist set to be chosen next month. (KVUE)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport CEO Jaqueline Yaft is in the running to be selected as the next head officer of the Orlando International Airport.
Yaft is one of six people being considered for the position, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) announced in a release Wednesday.
The GOAA Board reviewed the candidates for selection for the next phase of the search process after a recruitment firm presented their shortlist, including Yaft, following interviews with 60 applicants.
However, in a statement to KVUE, ABIA said Yaft if committed to serving the city and community. Here is the statement:
Jacqueline Yaft is honored to be included among the diverse and talented recruited candidate pool for Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. As always, she remains committed to serving our city and community as Chief Executive Officer of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Yaft stepped into her role as ABIA CEO back in mid-2019 with more than 25 years of experience leading airports, including some of the largest in the United States.
Among those being considered are other airport CEOs from around the U.S., the Florida Secretary of Transportation and a Florida county manager.
Finalists will be selected by the GOAA Board at a meeting on Jan. 7, 2022. A second meeting for presentations and interviews will be held on Jan. 19, followed by the board's selection for the next CEO.
According to the release, the board is looking to have a new CEO in place by the end of January as current Orlando airport CEO, Phil Brown, is set to retire on Jan. 31.
Among those being considered are other airport CEOs from around the U.S., the Florida Secretary of Transportation and a Florida county manager.
Finalists will be selected by the GOAA Board at a meeting on Jan. 7, 2022. A second meeting for presentations and interviews will be held on Jan. 19, followed by the board's selection for the next CEO.
According to the release, the board is looking to have a new CEO in place by the end of January as current Orlando airport CEO, Phil Brown, is set to retire on Jan. 31… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
[TEXAS NEWS]
Harris County can spend public money to counter Texas’ strict new abortion law, analysts say (Houston Chronicle)
Three months after Democrats on Harris County Commissioners Court sought advice on how to counter Texas’ new abortion ban, policy analysts for the court on Tuesday advised County Judge Lina Hidalgo the county could spend public money to support groups that aid those seeking abortions — and perhaps even to directly fund abortion care. The memo to Hidalgo and her top aides detailing the county’s options came in response to a resolution passed by Commissioners Court in September, two weeks after the abortion law took effect, that directed their policy analysis office to investigate how the county could “support individuals impacted by” the ban or “otherwise mitigate the law’s negative effects.” The county is free, the analysts wrote, to send local and federal funds to groups that provide support services — including transportation, lodging and child care — to those seeking abortions outside the state.
Austin officials have approved funding for similar usage, the memo noted, to get around a 2019 state law that bars local governments from sending taxpayer funds to abortion providers — a move that has withstood legal opposition. The policy analysts said that while the 2019 law, known as Senate Bill 22, prevents Harris County from spending local taxpayer funds on abortion services, the county’s expected $915 million allotment of federal COVID-19 relief money may be eligible for that purpose. The memo sparked immediate backlash from the two Republicans on Commissioners Court and a number of conservative activists — including state Rep. Briscoe Cain of Deer Park — who attended Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting to weigh in against the idea of using public funds for ancillary abortion services. "This is naked political posturing, and we ask that you reject it," said Jonathan Covey, the policy director for the religious advocacy group Texas Values… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
CBRE launches $7.25 million community impact initiative (Dallas Business Journal)
CBRE is launching a $7.25 million community impact initiative to help support 14 nonprofit organizations.
CBRE chief responsibility officer Tim Dismond said the company was focused on three key issues: combating climate change, preparing racial minorities and underrepresented populations for careers in commercial real estate and supporting community betterment efforts in Dallas. The company did not disclose the specific donation amount each organization received.
The firm partnered with its employee business resource groups to select the grant recipients. Dismond said some of the chosen organizations such as Project Destined, Girls Inc., National and Hiring Our Heroes had existing relationships with CBRE (NYSE: CBRE), while others were new to the company.
“The new were in various stages,” Dismond said. “We would have an executive or someone who was familiar with the organization and created a path for us to ultimately make a financial commitment to them.”
Dismond said supporting DEI initiatives are important to CBRE as they focus on sourcing talent from a diverse population.
“We’re a very global company and focusing on top talent is a big component of it,” Dismond said. “Part of what we’re trying to achieve is increasing the diversity of our workforce.”
Besides providing a financial contribution, CBRE wants to continue supporting the grant recipients through volunteer work and mentorship programs.
“For instance, Project Destined has a presence in most major metropolitans, and they host job fairs and workshops,” Dismond said. “We look forward to participating in those. We hired almost 300 summer interns last year, and we’ll have another robust internship program for 2022. We're hopeful that through our relationships with these organizations that we will create a compelling opportunity for them to consider joining us for some of those internships. We like to stay very actively engaged.”… (LINK TO FULL STORY)
SA lands more nonstop flights to Mexico (San Antonio Business Journal)
Southwest Airlines is adding another nonstop flight in San Antonio headed south of the border.
The Dallas-based carrier, which already offered Saturday-only flights from San Antonio to Cancun, said on Thursday it will begin offering daily service between the two cities in June. San Antonio International Airport already offers nonstop flights through Mexican-based carriers to Guadalajara, Leon, Mexico City and Monterrey.
Local leaders have warned for years that San Antonio needs to protect and grow its economic ties to Mexico. Air access is key to those efforts. Through October, more than 628,000 international passengers had flown into or out of San Antonio International. All of that traffic was tied to Mexico.
“Mexico connectivity is very important to San Antonio,” said Marco Barros, the former longtime president and CEO of what was the San Antonio Tourism Council.
That presence in Mexico, he notes, allows travelers from San Antonio access to many Central and South American destinations as well… (LINK TO FULL STORY)