Practice Makes Perfect: The Capitol Complex Project Phase II team uses sophisticated mock-ups to aid the curtain wall installation.
Left: Two-story, visual curtain wall mock-up. Right: Performance curtain wallmock-up at material testing facility. The design of the new State office buildings on 15th Street in downtown Austin includes an intricately patterned curtain wall system that combines Sunset Red granite, Mesabi Black granite, metal, and glass curtain wall. The merging of these materials will visually connect the […]
Construction Project Updates | March 2026
1501 Lavaca State Office Building The building is almost fully enclosed with curtain wall. Once the service elevator is completed in May, the materials hoist elevator will be removed, and crews will use the interior service elevators. The tower crane is scheduled for removal in April. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical ductwork and cabling installation continues. Dry […]
Project Statistics | March 2026
Mike Novak, TFC Executive Director Retires
All photos in this article are courtesy of the Texas Facilities Commission. TFC “Tour of duty” in public service is complete. After serving seven years as Executive Director of the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), and six years as a TFC Commissioner, Mike Novak is retiring from his ‘tour of duty’ and public service to Texas. During […]
Construction Progress Report – 2025 Year in Review
As we close out 2026, we reflect on the amazing construction effort happening on 15th Street in the Capitol Complex. Please enjoy the photo gallery of progress made by the Capitol Complex Project Phase II Team over the past year. Thank you to everyone working on this project. March 2025 – Deck pours on the 1500 […]
Project Statistics | December 2025
Construction Traffic and Pedestrian Updates | December 2025
Pedestrian Updates All sidewalks and crosswalks adjacent to the construction zone are closed. Please heed all safety warnings and follow the alternative safe sidewalk routes around the construction zone. CLOSED: North Side of 15th Street (next to the construction site). Use the crosswalks and sidewalk on the State Capitol side (south side of 15th Street). […]
Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project Tops Out
Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project Tops Out Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project looking southwest. All photos in this article are courtesy of the Texas Facilities Commission. On Friday, August 22, the last steel beam was placed at the highest point on the 1501 Lavaca State Office Building construction. Both the 1500 […]
Capitol Complex Phase II Achieves Temporary Power
Pictured above: Overview of Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project looking east. Photo courtesy of the Texas Facilities Commission. Bringing power to a construction site as large as Phase II of the Capitol Complex Project is not as easy as flipping a switch. There are three phases to powering the project‒generator power, temporary power, […]
Construction Progress Report | May 2025
As we head into the summer months, the Phase II Capitol Complex team is focused on completing each successive level of the two state office buildings and the elevator shafts for the underground parking below the Texas Capitol Mall Extension. Temperatures are starting to rise, so the team has activated heat exhaustion prevention and monitoring […]