ATX-SCA: Impact 10/24/2025

Austin ISD’s former Rosedale School campus in North Austin could be developed into a six-story apartment complex.

Representatives of OHT Partners presented their plans for the development at a meeting with Rosedale neighborhood residents Oct. 20. Residents living near the property shared concerns about the apartment building disrupting their neighborhood and causing safety and traffic hazards.

What’s happening: OHT Partners has proposed building a 435-unit, market rate apartment complex spanning six stories with a parking garage at 2117 W. 49th St., said David Hartman, an attorney representing OHT Partners. In August, AISD officials executed a contract to sell the former Rosedale School property to OHT Partners after receiving approval from the board of trustees in March.

Some context: AISD anticipates receiving $26 million from selling the Rosedale site. The sale of the property is one of several ways AISD is aiming to lower a projected $127 million budget shortfall to $19.7 million.

Next steps: AISD must receive zoning approval and a declaratory action regarding the deed restriction to close the sale of the property.

As the Austin metro area continues to see expansion in the technology sector, industry leaders are highlighting key critical area of interest: power delivery. 

What you need to know: In an Oct. 22 meeting of Opportunity Austin's Economic Development Council, panelists representing a variety of arms of the local technology industry shared insights regarding technology industry expansion in the area. 

What they're saying: The technology sector in Austin has experienced rapid growth, panelists said, and one of the first questions being asked by companies seeking to locate here are about power supply. 

"So much of our current project was defined by how much power we could bring into the building," said Eric Van Hensbergen, a fellow and member of the leadership team of the architecture and technology group at semiconductor and software design company Arm. "In speaking with a lot of our partners, that's the No. 1 thing that they're looking for in regions that they're expanding into."

These considerations are especially relevant for data centers, he said.

Community members looking to receive eye care can now find services at Austin Retina Associates' South location which recently relocated.

The details: The practice’s South office was previously located at 4207 James Casey St., Ste. 301, Austin. Patients can find a range of services at the location including treatments for macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

The office is one of the business’s 12 locations which span Austin, Lakeway, Georgetown, Round Rock, Waco and more.

Quote of note: “At our South Austin retina center, patients receive expert care for the full spectrum of retinal and macular conditions,” the clinic stated in an email exchange. “The clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging and offers advanced retinal treatments delivered by our team of board-certified retinal surgeons.”

4544 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 645, Austin

Two constitutional amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot would impact the operation and oversight of Texas’ judicial system if approved by voters.

The details: State Proposition 3 seeks to require judges to deny bail for certain felony offenses, keeping more defendants in jail as they await trial. Proponents of the measure, which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, said in June that it would improve public safety by keeping violent offenders behind bars.

Proposition 12 would rework the 13-member State Commission on Judicial Conduct, allowing the governor to appoint a majority of the commissioners and requiring most sanctions for judges accused of misconduct to be issued publicly. The bipartisan proposition faced pushback from some House Democrats who expressed concerns that allowing the governor to appoint a majority of commissioners would politicize the nonpartisan judicial conduct commission and give Abbott more power to remove from office judges whom he does not agree with.

Zooming out: The measures are among 17 state propositions being considered by Texas voters in the Nov. 4 election.