Monthly Archives: May 2009

(Community Matters) Attended the Charles Moore Foundation annual Chuck Wagon dinner with Tim McCabe last night. Super to see so many friends including CMF exec director Kevin Keim, Quality Quinn, Miguel Rivera, Peter & Ryan Cooper, Eric Harslem, Ann Clark, Davis Niendorff, Thomas and, oh, I don’t know 80 or 90 others.

. . . followed by an art opening/introduction at Jeff & Deanna Serra’s home. They held a party for Edward Povey. Many friends there as well including Cookie Ruiz, Robert Faries, Michael Barnes, Janet Maykus, Mark Smith, Dana Friisen-Hansen and Mark Holzbach. Super visit with Jeff.

(Community Matters) Diana Holford of Jones Lang LaSalle hosted a breakfast for EF member company CEOs/CFOs this morning, explaining to us what opportunities today’s commercial rental market presents.

Not intending to recount her professional advice since I’m likely to forget to mention the nuances; nevertheless, some macro points she made which readers might find of interest:

• Austin is one of the few cities in the country that has not incurred negative job growth.

• Downtown space still scarce. Even the two new buildings drivers off MoPac notice on 5th are leased.

• A significant new lease at the Frost Bank Tower signed for $30psf plus $16psf in expenses plus parking and annual escalations

• Downtown class A space renting at triple net for $24 to $31 psf with annual escalations. Class B: $14 to $22psf

• Suburban class A space renting at triple nets of $14 to $22 psf, though there are some very sweet opportunities, more negotiating and more gross rental deals available in the suburbs – especially from sublease. Suburb class B: $9 – $15psh triple net

• For finish out, she estimates an experience construction manager will save you $2.00 for every $0.50 you spend on their service

(Community Matters) Breakfast with Bryan Jones today who helped me understand the article on the future of the social web. In fact, we’re already in phase 3 whereby the one’s social graph (their social network information) from Facebook or Myspace will be utilized in other platforms. He gave the example of watching an event on CNN, while being able to see who else in your Facebook social network is also watching and being able to communicate with them (for instance, IM).

As for #4 , Bryan explains:

An easy example is NetFlix…crowdsourced reviews are able to recommend movies that are pretty good – Amazon is like this too – where based on your history, and those of millions of other people, they can recommend items that you might also enjoy.

Compare that to integrating NetFlix – or Amazon – with Facebook Connect, where, if you wanted to broadcast your movie rental history to your friends you could, so that all of a sudden, NetFlix is customized for YOU – what your friends have rented, which movies they liked, which movies they would also like to see, etc. Something that would change for each individual based on their social graph.

Always time well spent with Moximity’s CEO – who btw, has recently been elected to the Texas Ex’s board of trustees.

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) Luke discovered her while we were away this weekend. She’s just arrived evidently as yesterday she was quite unmoved by my presence. Nagini I (at least after the niece and nephew visit) was quite easily spooked.

While she was lounging on the rocks between the second and third pond, I think she’s living up the brook in the first pond. Nice to have a friendly critter around again.

(Community Matters)

my dear friend Kevin Keim takes such better pics. His Marfa pics here

(Community Matters) Nice reentry to Austin – dinner at Julio’s with our flatmate, the very earnest and hard working Luke Hayes, very early to bed and now a day of good meetings.

PeopleFund board meeting this morning; final planning for Entrepreneurs Foundation’s Extreme Makeover of Andrew’s Elementary School on Friday when 350 people from 28 different companies will descend on the school to spoil the kids, teachers and premises; OFA lunch meeting; Entrepreneurs Foundation board meeting, then a Umlauf Sculpture Garden reception recognizing past board members for the Austin Community Foundation.

(Community Matters) Three sons of a working class family in Marfa. All three boys have won scholarships to Brown University. The oldest graduated and now taking preliminary courses prior to medical school. While attending Harvard and working in Boston, diagnosed with a virulent leukemia.

Our friends who own Cochineal want to organize a fundraiser. Evidently, he has no health insurance and Tom believes he is unable to afford recommended treatment.

On my way out of Marfa yesterday, I ran into Tim Crowley (just in from travels). Pleased to learn from Tim that the young man is receiving treatment at MD Anderson, not pleased to hear it is particularly virulent and from signs explained, evidently very far along.

Why do bad things happen to such good people? a mystery to us all.

(Community Matters) I must have driven slower than usual, and I did make a few short stops. Also, having received a speeding ticket last time and no real hurry, I know I kept to speed limits – which at 80 and 70, isn’t such a burden.

Tons of work & catching-up on telephone calls during the drive. And, though I’m not on Twitter, I suppose I somehow tweet on Facebook since I was posting status updates along the drive:

(Community Matters) Just pulled into the driveway or else would have been at the press conference.

Congrats to Mayor-elect Leffingwell and thanks to Mayor Pro Tem Brewster McCracken for giving the city his all these last six years.

The ideas of Lee’s & Brewster’s campaigns weren’t mutually exclusive – strong local businesses, neighborhoods, protecting the environment, jobs, economic development, recruiting major employers and promoting & protecting the arts – these are all complimentary and why Austin is such a great city. Lee has been a great council member and will make a terrific mayor. Brewster has been a terrific council member and will continue to be an important community leader – I hope still involved in economic development.

Brewster exhibited his usual class and put the city first in conceding the race without a runoff. Austinites are the winners.

(Community Matters) I don’t see it on their roster but friends say Lyle Lovett will be playing at Padre’s in two weeks in Marfa.

hmm, Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n Roll or Lyle Lovett’s?

Oh yeah, and I hear Lance has taken an apartment in Marfa.

(Community Matters) Evidently Marfa bed tax receipts highest in memorable history during 2009’s first quarter. Squares with reports from my friends at a retail outlet in the city.

While the increase in traffic from Americans driving on vacation rather than flying to other exotic locations may have driven hotel occupancy and retail, it evidently hasn’t translated into big ticket purchases such as art.