The Brink Report

Austin Real Estate News & Advice

What Project Connect and CapMetro Actually Mean for Northwest Austin Commutes

What Project Connect and CapMetro Actually Mean for Northwest Austin Commutes

James Brinkman
Published on: 15/09/2026

Austin's light rail does not reach the Northwest Austin core. What Project Connect and CapMetro actually change for 78750, 78759, and 78726: the Red Line at Lakeline and Howard, coming Red Line upgrades, and why not to overpay for transit.

Project ConnectCapMetroRed LineNorthwest Austincommutetransit787507875978726
What the I-35 Capital Express Project Means for Northwest Austin Commutes, ZIP by ZIP

What the I-35 Capital Express Project Means for Northwest Austin Commutes, ZIP by ZIP

James Brinkman
Published on: 14/09/2026

For Northwest Austin's core (78750, 78759, 78726) the I-35 Capital Express rebuild mostly misses your commute, which runs on MoPac, 183, 620, and 360. A ZIP-by-ZIP broker's read on who actually feels the construction and who does not.

I-35 Capital ExpressNorthwest Austin commuteMoPactech corridorWells BranchTxDOT
Qualcomm Is More Than Doubling Its Space at Parmer 4.1, and the Address Matters More Than the Headline

Qualcomm Is More Than Doubling Its Space at Parmer 4.1, and the Address Matters More Than the Headline

James Brinkman
Published on: 07/09/2026

Qualcomm has roughly doubled its footprint at Parmer 4.1 on Center Lake Drive with a $16.2 million buildout running from October 2026 through August 2027. Where the building actually sits, what the state filing shows, and what a research expansion with no announced job number means for buyers and sellers on that side of North Austin.

UT Dell Medical Center at MoPac and Braker: Budget, Timeline, and What Gets Built First

UT Dell Medical Center at MoPac and Braker: Budget, Timeline, and What Gets Built First

James Brinkman
Published on: 04/09/2026

The UT System Board of Regents authorized the first $1 billion phase of the $5 billion UT Dell Medical Center on August 12, 2026. Here is the full budget breakdown, the construction schedule through December 2030, the exact site at MoPac and Braker, and the numbers that have not been announced yet.

UT Dell Medical CenterMD AndersonNorth AustinNorth Burnet Gatewaydevelopment