Why the Canadians behind a Rainey skyscraper are bullish about building even more in Austin.
Austin reminds Joe Houssian a lot of Vancouver 20 years ago — but “with a much better music scene.”
He’s the owner of Intracorp Projects Ltd., the Canada-based urban home developer that wants to build a 50-story condo tower in downtown Austin’s Rainey Street Historic District.
Houssian launched Intracorp in the 1970s to develop urban housing and helped Vancouver grow into a mature condo market. The company moved on to developing in Seattle in the early ‘80s and in California beginning in the early ‘90s.
“Austin is the next frontier,” said Tony Kaleel, Intracorp’s executive vice president for business development.