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Norwegian defender Ruben Gabrielsen has signed as Austin FC's latest signee. (Molde Fotballklubb/Twitter)
The Verde smoke cleared once again for a new signing Monday as Norwegian defender Ruben Gabrielson looks to answer the club's quest for a new central defender on Monday.
Gabrielsen signed a two-year contract with an option to stay for the 2024 season. Financial details for the signing were not disclosed..
Gabrielsen comes as a 29-year-old defender with experience in Norway and France's top leagues. At 17, Gabrielsen became the youngest-ever player to debut for Norwegian team Lillestrøm in 2009, shifting to Molde FK in 2014 as he helped lead the team to win the Norwegian league and cup that year. Named Molde captain three years later, Gabrielsen won another Norwegian league championship in 2019 before leaving for French side Toulouse FC, totaling 171 appearances, eight goals and eight assists with Molde.
With Toulouse FC, Gabrielsen made 50 appearances in 2020 before going on loan to Danish club FC Copenhagen in 2021. Gabrielsen has also made two appearances with the Norwegian men's national team, earning the captain's armband in a draw against Austria in a match in November 2020.
An experienced center back, Gabrielsen's signing appears to plug the biggest hole in Austin FC's projected starting lineup after veteran Matt Besler retired at the end of the 2021 season. Gabrielsen is the second center back signed this offseason after the club signed No. 1 SuperDraft defender Kipp Keller as its first pick in the 2022 draft on January 11.
Gabrielsen joins the club as a member of the club's international roster, which allows only a limited number of international players to be in a club at one time. In order to free up some spots for Gabrielsen, Austin FC's Jhohan Romana, Zan Kolmanic and Rodney Redes were cleared from the international roster Monday morning after receiving green cards. International spots are also tradeable, and the club opted to sell one of its slots to MLS Club Inter Miami CF for $225,000 to add to its signing budget.
In total, Austin FC has signed three midfielders, three defenders and a striker as it nears the end of its first offseason. While the club has lost prospects like native Austinite McKinze Gaines, new signees include veteran midfielder Ethan Finlay, Colombian midfielder Jhojan Valencia and former Houston Dynamo striker Maxi Urruti.
The club is currently training and will hit the pitch once more when preseason begins with a scrimmage against Toronto FC at Austin's practice field, St. David's Performance Center, on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Austin FC's four-match preseason schedule will include an international friendly against current Liga MX champions Atlas FC on Feb. 16 before the club's second season begins with a home opener against FC Cincinnati at Q2 Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 26.
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Popular
(Project Connect)
Designs for stations along Project Connect’s Blue Line were presented this week, giving a detailed look at what part of the rail system extending from downtown to the airport could look like.
The planned stations that have gotten the latest focus include Waterfront, Travis Heights and Lakeshore stations past Lady Bird Lake.
At the Waterfront station, the preliminary design aims to prevent visual obstructions and save on costs. This is accomplished by a transit guideway that will lower from the bridge to a level station.
Heading onto East Riverside Drive, the light rail faces a curve requiring a slow down to about 10 miles per hour.
The Travis Heights station could involve relocating a pedestrian crosswalk zone at Alameda Drive to Blunn Creek. Since light rails can't effectively operate on a steep grade, this allows the transit guideway to avoid that.
From there, the rail will extend to the Norwood Park area, and though it will reach along the right-of-way zone, the park will be able to remain open.
A view of the Blue Line by Lady Bird Lake. (Project Connect)
The line involves some coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation. That's because the department is working on an intersection that will have to be built before the phasing of the section of the Blue Line involving an I-35 crossing.
When it comes to the safety of cyclists and walkers, design ideas include a pedestrian hybrid beacon by East Bouldin Creek that would provide a protected signal to cross. And for the intersection TxDOT is carrying out, Project Connect is working with them on pedestrian access across the intersection. It could involve shared use paths along the street and crossings beneath it.
This summer, the public can expect 30% of design and cost estimates to be released. Though the project was $7.1 billion when voters approved it in November 2020, the latest estimates factoring in inflation and supply chain constraints show it could ultimately be upwards of $10 billion.
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(Amazon/Facebook)
Plans for an Amazon warehouse in Round Rock—a $250 million project slated to be a large distribution center—are on hold.
This comes just after the tech giant had its worst financial quarter in seven years.
The details:
- Late last year, it announced an expansion at the Domain adding 2,000 more corporate and tech jobs.
- Amazon still owns the site in Round Rock. Plans for it are unclear.
- Early this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon is aiming to scrap warehouse space as it faces a slowdown in its e-commerce operations.
Part of that effort involves exploring the possibility of ending or renegotiating leases with outside warehouse owners. Another aspect is a plan to sublease warehouse space.
“It allows us to relieve the financial obligations associated with an existing building that no longer meets our needs,” an Amazon spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal. “Subleasing is something many established corporations do to help manage their real estate portfolio.”
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