Villa Muse

As we reported back in January, the Villa Muse "studio city" project planned for construction east of Austin has requested that the City of Austin release it from the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Villa Muse has repeatedly asserted that such release from Austin's taxing and development regulation is a necessary condition for the project's construction in our city. Last night, Austin's City Council voted 4-3 to deny Villa Muse's request.

As everyone knows, Austin has a fundamental lack of entertainment industry infrastructure. Villa Muse hoped to remedy this by providing a massive set of recording studios, soundstages and film production and post-production facilities, which would have, according to the project's leaders, resulted in a major economic boon for the Central Texas economy. While the City agreed that such a project would indeed greatly benefit the Austin economy, council-members -- Mayor Wynn in particular -- had a hard time agreeing to release Villa Muse from the City's ETJ, which would rule out the possibility of later annexing the area that Villa Muse would occupy.

Villa Muse has stated that if the project is not built in Austin, it will be built somewhere else in Texas. And while Villa Muse is certainly not dead for our city, yesterday's council decision doesn't, as Villa Muse Vice President Paul Alvarado-Dykstra stated, "'help the odds for Austin."

What do you think, Austin? Are the City's annexation concerns valid here, or should Villa Muse be released from the City's ETJ and allowed to proceed as planned?

Thanks to the Statesman for this one.