The first phase of the Austin Community College Highland Campus was built in the former J.C. Penney building that once anchored Highland Mall.[/caption]
Austin Community College board trustees opted to remain consistent in its Highland Mall redevelopment efforts by hiring the same architect team that designed the project's first phase.
Austin-based Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects was unanimously selected to redesign the 400,000 square feet central portion of the former mall, which closed April 30. BGKA also worked with ACC to renovate the former J.C. Penney building that once helped anchor the mall. The 200,000 square foot building opened last fall with higher-than-anticipated enrollment.
The success of that project helped spur ACC board trustees to support BGKA for a second go-around. Board chair Vic Villarreal complemented the social staircase in the center of the existing Highland Campus, and board vice-chair Allen Kaplan ultimately sided with an ACC staff recommendation to hire BGKA.
"In this case, I think it's very important we continue the look and feel and the ambiance" of the original redevelopment effort, Kaplan said, when redesigning the rest of the former Highland Mall.
BGKA principal Jay W. Barnes III pitched his firm during the May 4 ACC board meeting, touting a cohesive campus concept by building upon his design team's work from the project's first phase.
Board trustees selected BGKA over O'Connell Robertson, which crafted the ACC Highland Campus Master Plan—the document that outlines the needs and space demands of the campus—and Page Southerland Page.
Joe Lanane’s career is rooted in community journalism, having worked for a variety of Midwest-area publications before landing south of the Mason-Dixon line in 2011 as the Stillwater News-Press news editor. He arrived at Community Impact Newspaper in 2012, gaining experience as editor of the company’s second-oldest publication in Leander/Cedar Park. He eventually became Central Austin editor, covering City Hall and the urban core of the city.
Lanane leveraged that experience to become Austin managing editor in 2016. He managed eight Central Texas editions from Georgetown to San Marcos. Working from company headquarters, Lanane also became heavily involved in enacting corporate-wide editorial improvements. In 2017, Lanane was promoted to executive editor, overseeing editorial operations throughout the company. The Illinois native received his bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University and his journalism master’s degree from Ball State University.
The first phase of the Austin Community College Highland Campus was built in the former J.C. Penney building that once anchored Highland Mall.[/caption]
Austin Community College board trustees opted to remain consistent in its Highland Mall redevelopment efforts by hiring the same architect team that designed the project's first phase.
Austin-based Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects was unanimously selected to redesign the 400,000 square feet central portion of the former mall, which closed April 30. BGKA also worked with ACC to renovate the former J.C. Penney building that once helped anchor the mall. The 200,000 square foot building opened last fall with higher-than-anticipated enrollment.
The success of that project helped spur ACC board trustees to support BGKA for a second go-around. Board chair Vic Villarreal complemented the social staircase in the center of the existing Highland Campus, and board vice-chair Allen Kaplan ultimately sided with an ACC staff recommendation to hire BGKA.
"In this case, I think it's very important we continue the look and feel and the ambiance" of the original redevelopment effort, Kaplan said, when redesigning the rest of the former Highland Mall.
BGKA principal Jay W. Barnes III pitched his firm during the May 4 ACC board meeting, touting a cohesive campus concept by building upon his design team's work from the project's first phase.
Board trustees selected BGKA over O'Connell Robertson, which crafted the ACC Highland Campus Master Plan—the document that outlines the needs and space demands of the campus—and Page Southerland Page.
