Building for Art Institute of Austin in Bastrop nears completion

After a change in developer, a new design and a $1.1 million cost increase, the finish line is finally in sight for the Downtown Bastrop building under construction on the empty lot at 921 Main St.

Bastrop Economic Development Corporation CEO Cameron Cox and project manager Jimmy Crouch both confirmed construction is set to be completed by Oct. 24, well in advance of the building’s sole tenant, the Art Institute of Austin, moving in.

The institute pushed back the beginning of its 10-year lease in the building to January due to coronavirus concerns.

“COVID didn’t cause any delays, workers didn’t cause any delays, weather didn’t cause any delays,” Cox said. “We’ve had zero delays in this project.”

Still, speed bumps have slowed the project and pushed back its original targeted completion date to October from mid-June.

The most notable speed bump was a switch in design plan. The December death of Tyson Womble, one of the developers from the project’s original contractor, Stone Development, led to a change in contractor from Stone to Sabre Commercial.

A new building design, with a focus on waterproofing and the building’s perimeter structure, was chosen by Sabre. This was mainly due to the 150-year old brick walls on the adjoining businesses, Relics Jewelry & Gifts and 602 Brewing Company.

“Basically, the building is now a 9,000-square-foot refrigerator that doesn’t touch it’s neighbors’ walls,” Cox said, noting the 4-inch, 40-foot steel insulated panels with standalone walls that were set in place last week by a crane for the proposed two-story building.

Read the full article at Statesman.com.