Yes, the 800-room hotel is an important ingredient and one that complements the expansion of the Austin Convention Center next door. Construction is to begin Wednesday after the city of Austin sold $262.5 million in bonds for the project.While the area's development is continuing, it still has a way to go to match Sixth Street and the Warehouse District...but there is progress.

Three restaurants--PF Chang's, Fleming's Steakhouse and Roy's--have renovated warehouse space just west of the convention center on Second Street and are nearly ready to open. A bit further north, on Fifth Street, Eddie V's restaurant, located in a former tire store, has opened in recent months. Anytime you can restaurants like that in the area, "that's a favorable development," says Charles Betts, executive director of the Downtown Austin Alliance.

A 16-story, 222-room Hampton's Inns hotel is ready to start construction at Second and San Jacinto Streets. That's a far cry from what the area looked like a few years ago. Populated by industrial and warehouse buildings, it was a place to park your car while you walked the Sixth Street scene.

The development of restaurants and hotels, however, brings a measure of nightlife to the area for conventioneers and Austin residents alike. And bigger conventions and the Hilton could spur more retail development in the area.

But the area has had its disappointments too. Earlier this year, Vignette Corp. had decided not to build its corporate headquarters across Caesar Chavez Street from the convention center.

Instant Insights /

Convention Center Area Picking Up Speed

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