The Apple in Austin's Eye

There was a little disappointment when it became clear that there wouldn't be an Apple pop-up store at SXSW this year. However, the House that Steve Jobs Built is more than making up for it with today's announcement: A new $304 million campus, bringing 3,600 more jobs.

The announcement came this morning when the state confirmed that it has offered Apple $21 million in incentives over the next ten years to locate its Americas Operations Center here. However, that cash will come from the controversial Texas Enterprise Fund, so it will not be too surprising if the deal receives some legislative scrutiny as it goes forward.

Apple already has a big presence in Texas, but this will radically increase the number of employees here as the firm adds call center, support and accounting staff. However, Apple Insider reports that there are still contracts to be finalized, and the city and Travis County must also sign of on the incentives. Mayor Lee Leffingwell said he was "thrilled that Apple has decided to more than double their workforce here in Austin." Americas Operations Center, which will have thousands of good jobs available and will grow our economy even more.”