New Life For Congress Ave Store Fronts

More tenant changes are on tap in the shadow of the Capitol on on Congress Avenue.

Middle Eastern restaurant Marakesh Cafe & Grill, at 9th and Congress, closed its doors and has a sign indicating its looking for a new location, but its fate is questionable.

Going in place is a new addition to the Austin market, a health food eatery called Muscle Maker, according to Cody Lyon, a reporter at the Austin Business Journal.

FastCasual.com reports it will open in October.

Meanwhile, Capital One Bank is taking over the long-empty first floor of the historic Littlefield Building, at the northeast corner of Sixth and Congress, this fall.

I walk up and down Congress Avenue several times a week during the day, and the Capital One Bank signage on the windows now visible is something new.

That’s a bonus for Tom Stacy, who also owns the Scarbrough building across the street. The first floor of Scarbrough was also long vacant — barring SXSW when it was invaded by Apple marketing wizards — but now has Brooks Brothers posh menswear moving in.

I wonder if he dropped his lease rate or the market is heating up?

Regardless, more store fronts along Congress Avenue is a great addition and the corridor has long been the target of economic development efforts.