Echelon Building nearly repaired

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The work to heal the Echelon building off U.S. Highway 183 in North Austin is moving along.

The exterior of the building should be complete by the end of this year. All the exterior glass on the four-story building is being replaced. The new glass panes are a quarter-inch thick, insulated and up to standard with current building codes.

Work on the interior of the four story, 60,000-square-foot building happens after the exterior is complete, and should be ready for a first tenant to move in by the first quarter of 2012.

• Click here to see a photo gallery of the interior.

The project is managed by KVA, Inc ., the asset management company that also was the caretaker at the time the plane crashed into it.

On Feb. 18, 2010, a suicidal Joseph Stack flew his Piper Dakota plane into the building, shattering the peaceful, sunny day in an act of terror. It was later learned Stack had a grudge against the Internal Revenue Service, which had offices in the building.

Stack and IRS manager Vernon Hunter were killed in the incident, two others seriously hurt, and 13 others treated for minor injuries.

At the time of the attack, the IRS occupied the top three floors of the Echelon, two other companies occupied the main, first floor. The IRS has since moved on to another location and won't be coming back.

The memories of that day remain, but the wounds to the Echelon are healing.