When the city of Austin renovated the Congress Street Bridge in the 80s, they unwittingly created the single most popular urban bat-cave in the country. The bridge is now home to over 1.5 million Mexican Free Tail bats at the peak of the season. The colony also ropes an additional 10 million dollars every year for Austin's burgeoning tourist industry. Though the bats were once maligned, after more than two decades, environmental groups, farmers, tourists, local business owners and even real estate developers are all showing an overwhelming interest in making their furry flying friends feel at home in Austin.



THE NIGHTLY FLIGHT

Every summer night, hundreds of people witness one of the most spectacular wildlife displays in any major urban center. Rising like a black cloud of birds at sunset, the colony of mother bats and their pups take off over Ladybird Lake (Town Lake) and into Texas hill country in search of food. This is great news for farmers, as the bats consume about 15 tons of insects and crop pests in a single night. It's also great news for the city and local businesses as the bat show continues to draw attention from tourists around the world. Popular boat tours and a city sponsored festival are other signs that Austin is eager to roll out the red carpet for the free tails. This year marked the third annual Austin BatFest - a public celebration in early September that includes more than 150 artisans and vendors, musical performances, educational displays and of course - bat watching. But if there ever was a sign that the welcome was official it could be coming from local condominium developers.

LUXURY FOR NATURE LOVERS

While tourists flock to the city, the burgeoning condominium market in Austin is making room for the bats and the residents who love them. The latest wave of downtown development has got condo developments going up all around Ladybird Lake in the heart of the city, some of them with perfect views of Austin's most novel tourist attraction. And while a room with a view is nothing to be sneezed at, what about a sixth floor terrace with resort-sized pool, fire-pits, dining tables and a completely unobstructed view of the Congress Street Bridge? The Shore condos at the corner of Davis and Red River Streets will luxuriously offer just that. From the comfort of the terrace, lucky residents can easily host poolside barbecue parties while their guests are entertained by Austin's latest natural phenomenon.

The two-tower project will include 192 luxury condominiums linked to a new upscale hotel. A perfect roost for the most urban environmentalists, the development also meets the requirements of Austin's Green Building Program. Developers have ensured that the condos meet program requirements for energy efficiency, natural resource conservation, recycling and environmentally-friendly building materials.