Downtown Austin Gets All-Clear After Suspicious Package Secured [UPDATED]

AUSTIN, TX -- Police won't say what was in the package -- an "envelope-sized" parcel with powder that prompted the evacuation of entire downtown buildings-- but quietly acknowledge it was ultimately found to be harmless.

Police responded to 804 South Congress Avenue at about 4 p.m. after an employee at the building called 911 to report a suspicious package -- suffused with potential danger given a white, powdery substance on it.

Several buildings were emptied as a result, with the focal point of investigation on Congress Avenue between Eighth and Ninth streets.

Some three hours later, explosive ordnance disposal specialists secured the package safely, the Austin American-Statesman reported. People were let back into the building after the package was secured.

Police declined to say what was inside the mysterious package.

Almost concurrently, Austin police were assisting Cedar Park Police officers and Texas Department of Public Safety bomb squads in investigating another suspicious package there.

Residents of several Cedar Park homes were evacuated as police secured the black box with a cell phone inside that was left on someone's front yard. A resident called 911 to report that package to police.

That package, too, resulted benign. It was a box containing a cell phone and laser survey equipment. By about 9 p.m., people were let back into their homes when the package ended up being harmless.

**************************************************************************************************From earlier:

AUSTIN, TX -- People who work downtown have sent out tweets saying at least one downtown building has been evacuated by hazmat crews, although police haven't released details.

One person said 804 Congress Ave. was evacuated as a result of a suspicious package being delivered to the 5th floor. KVUE-TV is reporting that both Austin Police Department and Austin Fire Department crews are on the scene.

KXAN-TV has a more amplified report from the scene, saying a bomb squad is on site at 816 Congress between Eighth and Ninth streets after reports of a package with suspicious white, powdery substance on it. The station reports emergency crews were first called to the scene at 4 p.m.

The news station reports the entire building has been evacuated. Both northbound and southbound lanes of Congress Avenue downtown have been blocked as a result.

A Twitter site dubbed AFD Incidents (ostensibly a log of Austin Fire Department calls) places the possible hazmat incident at 804 Congress Ave., with a response time of 4:50 p.m.

Austin police, however, have yet to release details. Patch will provide more information as official details are made available.