Texas Agency Shapes $423M HQ In Austin

The Texas Division of Emergency Management is planning a new operations center and headquarters in southeast Austin that will give the agency a pricey, cutting-edge home.

The project, overseen by the Texas A&M University System, will span 48 acres east of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, at 4125 South Farm-to-Market Road 973, the Austin Business Journal reported. Construction is slated to begin in May.

The A&M System Board of Regents in November greenlit the project with a budget of $360 million. However, development plans have expanded, now reaching a total estimated cost of $423 million.

TDEM, responsible for coordinating emergency response efforts across the state, will see significant improvements in its operational capacity with the new facility. TDEM is currently housed within the Texas Department of Public Safety premises, at 313 Anderson Lane in North Austin, where limited meeting space necessitates the leasing of additional rooms at a nearby hotel.

The original plan in November called for a 296,000-square-foot facility, comprising a five-story office building and the state emergency operations center, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

However, the increased budget has allowed several enhancements, including a 38,000-square-foot sixth floor addition to the office building, a 15,400-square-foot warehouse and a 900-space parking garage. In addition, the project will yield a 1,200-square-foot secure facility for processing sensitive information, the outlet reported.

The new emergency operations center will dwarf its current setup, with the new facility capable of accommodating up to 300 employees, compared to the existing capacity of 144 people.

Notably, the development will incorporate modern and sustainable building techniques, blending traditional steel-framed construction with mass timber.

—Quinn Donoghue