A proposition, a permit and a pipeline: 5 stories affecting the Austin metro

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2. Austin extends permit protecting 32,000 acres of wildland, endangered species

A 15-year permit to fast-track development while protecting endangered species was renewed by Austin and Travis County officials in September.

Known as the Balcones Canyonland Preservation Plan, the permit extends to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, a roughly 32,000-acre network of protected land throughout West and Northwest Austin. The plan was created in 1996 in response to several species being listed as endangered due to development-driven habitat loss in Austin.

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3. 20-mile pipeline would transport jet fuel from Bastrop to ABIA

Flint Hill Resources announced plans to build a pipeline from the Bastrop terminal to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The 20-mile pipeline will directly supply the growing airport with jet fuel.

The Bastrop-Austin Texas Pipeline will address reliability issues due to increased demand and traffic congestion. According to Andy Saenz, Flint Hills Resources public affairs regional manager, pipelines are a safer and more reliable method of delivering fuel.

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4. Study: 10,000 more infrastructure, mobility jobs needed per year in Austin through 2040

Austin will need to fill 10,000 more infrastructure and mobility jobs per year through 2040, an October study from Austin-based consulting firm CivicSol found.

Industry leaders are anticipating the job opening boom over the next two decades as the city gears up for several main capital projects, including the I-35 widening plan, the Austin-Bergstrom Airport expansion and Project Connect.

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5. $1.27B in Austin convention center expansion contracts awaiting council green light

More than $1.2 billion in design and construction contracts for the Austin Convention Center's expansion is slated to advance this month as the downtown facility's multiyear closure and redevelopment draws closer.

On Oct. 19, City Council will vote to move forward a pair of expansive contracts with firms that would plan and build the new civic convention center complex.

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