"Because of current economic conditions we've been unable to make a decision on where we'll be going with the building," Jeanne Forbis, an Intel spokeswoman, says. "Right now it just remains on hold and we're still evaluating all options."

Earlier this year, Intel had said it would decide what to do with the skeletal structure before the end of the year. Construction of the 400,000-sf building began in September and was to have delivered this fall. The company halted work in February to the consternation of many Austinites. The building was to house Intel's Austin operations, including a chip design center.

Earlier in December, Intel said its fourth-quarter sales trended toward the high end of its previously given forecasted range of $6.2 billion to $6.8 billion and could exceed the higher figure. That, however, isn't enough to warrant a decision. "Until economic conditions dictate it's difficult for us to make a decision," Forbis says.