Texas Historical Commission - THC

The Texas Historical Commission is renovating the second floor of the Lavaca Building at 1501 Lavaca Ave in Austin. The project involves an interior build-out within a newly constructed shell, adding 10,110 sq ft of open office spaces, private offices, and meeting rooms. The Texas Facilities Commission is the owner of record, and HOK is the design firm. The estimated cost is $1,000,000, which equates to $99 per square foot.

Project Scope and Registration

TDLR completed plan review in May 2025. The registered accessibility specialist for the project is Andrea P Lacour. Construction was scheduled to begin in February 2026 and finish in October 2026. The filing notes that the project involves public funds and public land. The Texas Facilities Commission has six other TDLR-registered projects in Austin, including the Bob Glaze Laboratory and the TFC Texas Insurance Building. HOK has six other registered projects, including Fountain Place in Dallas and a project in Denton County.

The Lavaca Building is located in the North Side neighborhood of Travis County. The ZIP code 78701 has a median household income of $154,867 and a median owner-occupied home value of $653,600, according to U.S. Census estimates. The Travis County unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in August 2026. City of Austin permit records show one electrical permit issued at this address in November 2024 for permanent power.

Status and Comparisons

The scheduled build window of 218 days is longer than the county median of 98 days for renovation and alteration filings. The estimated cost is above the county median for its type, placing it in the top quarter of similar projects. The cost per square foot is close to the county median of $103. TDLR has not yet recorded a final inspection, so the current state of the site is not confirmed in the public record.

Other registered projects in the same area include West Austin Park, REI, 501 Congress, 608 Blanco, and 500 West 2nd. These are all renovation or alteration projects. The Lavaca Building project is distinct in its specific scope of interior build-out on level 2.