“East Seventh is considered a gateway to our airport, if not the gateway,” said developer Perry Lorenz. “If you think of it as a gateway for first-time visitors, ‘sad’ is what comes to mind.”

Developers and businesses are already interested in the renovation in the area. Project managers from the two Austin firms who won the project (Capital Excavation and Cash Construction) say to expect the difference to be “like day and night,” with cracked pavement replaced by brick layers, and palm trees lining the streets.