Driving around Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hutto, the show of cranes, dirt being moved and businesses being built are all an indication the economy is alive and well in Central Texas. At the Round Rock Chamber economic forecast luncheon Feb. 26, Mark Sprague, director of information capital for Independence Title, confirmed the speculation. “Austin has always been the economic engine,” Sprague said at the event. Williamson County has seen a benefit from high prices in housing, office and retail space in Austin, Sprague said. In fact, per-foot office space prices are higher only in Manhattan and San Francisco, he said. Sprague predicts increased real estate sales of 2 to 3 percent in the Austin-Round Rock area, with home and commercial demands higher than expected but less robust than the last three years. Job growth, gross domestic product, population growth, consumer confidence, real estate and interest rates will be the top drivers of our economy in 2019. We look forward to covering the many stories of growth and opportunity in our cities.