The Kleinfelder Blog

The Texas Capitol Complex Expansion and Highland Mall Expansion projects were winners of ABJ’s 2024 Commercial Real Estate Awards.

The Texas Capitol Complex Expansion and Highland Mall Expansion projects won recognition at the Austin Business Journal’s 2024 Commercial Real Estate Awards dinner. The event recognizes projects – and the people and companies behind them – that exemplify best practices in building and development and have significant impact within the community.

The Texas Capitol Complex Expansion, which received the Public Sector Award, transformed the Capitol Complex into a destination that celebrates the Capitol with grand civic spaces, shaded pedestrian-friendly streets, and connections to the surrounding community. Kleinfelder’s work on Phase I of this project began from the ground up – from providing special inspections and testing for Austin’s own “big dig” beneath the complex to the topping out of the Barbara Jordan (State) Building. Kleinfelder also provided inspection services on the Central Utility Plant, the 18th Steet TRUSS structure over the Complex’s excavation site, and environmental services for materials discovered over the course of the excavation and development.

The Highland Campus Expansion, which received the Community Impact Award, redeveloped the former 1970s-era Highland Mall into an innovative learning center and transformed the surrounding surface parking lots into a vibrant, urban mixed-use district. Kleinfelder provided materials testing and special inspections for Austin Community College’s new 114,000 square-foot (750,000 GSF), seven-floor parking garage at the Highland Campus. The new parking garage provides 2,385 parking spaces for vehicles and 200 bicycle parking spaces. A central plant was built adjacent to the parking garage as well as chilled water lines to feed other portions of the campus.  Due to the expedited schedule, the project required around-the-clock resources. Quick turnaround times with field reports and laboratory testing were essential to maintaining the fast-track schedule. Kleinfelder staff performed required testing and inspection services on multiple structures and phases simultaneously while meeting the schedule requirements.

“We are honored to have contributed to these award-winning projects,” commented Austin/Killeen Operations Manager Kelly Daniel.  “Both projects demonstrate our Austin team’s ability to successfully support multiple large-scale historic developments that redefine the city’s urban landscape.”