City Grill

Crystal Smith 
President and CEO
Associated Builders and Contractors of Central Texas

Last year’s overall project start increase in Austin was driven by manufacturing facilities, with Tesla and Samsung steering the way. Smith says that the Texas capital saw construction “pick up after seeing supply chain and COVID-19 restrictions impact the industry.” By far, she says, the big construction news for the next few years is Samsung’s investment of $17 billion for a series of offices, warehouses and manufacturing facilities in Austin and Tyler, Texas.

Last year, Tesla continued construction of its Gigafactory Texas, which has 10 million sq ft, according to the company. While Tesla and Samsung were key to the area’s growth, Smith says support company’ construction projects also added to the 2022 increase in project starts.

Smith adds that Austin also saw an increase in multifamily dwellings, mainly condominiums and apartment complexes. “We are seeing new residential construction as more people are moving to the area,” she explains. Between 2021 and 2022, Austin had a nearly 8% population increase.