AUSTIN Metro Update Thread

[jbjjbjbb]

Within Austin ETJ:

[StoOgE]

The area around St. David's training center is getting pretty nice. I think its called like Palmer Lake or something. They are building a little soccer theme-parky thing.

I'm planning on heading to the Austin FC academy game up there later this week. I assume this is where our MLSNext team will play in 2023.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by jbjjbjbb

Within Austin ETJ:

Yeah, looks like a chunk of it fronting the rail RoW is even full purpose annexed, with more fronting the highway limited.

Be interesting to see if the rest of it is annexed to provide consistent development rules.

[drummer]

I think the Pearson Ranch is a taste of things to come for the whole of the open land in that area. South of 45 would easily support an additional rail stop if the density is there for it, and a pedestrian bridge from Pearson Ranch to that wouldn't be uncalled for in that case either.

On a side note, the Texas Children's hospital (45 and Lake Creek) is getting pretty prominent, as is the Dell Children's hospital at Avery Ranch Blvd. Drove by those yesterday.

[Mopacs]

Found this proposed mixed-use development in Cedar Park, just west of the HEB Center and the planned Nebraska Furniture Mart.

https://www.regerholdings.com/reger-...ies/cedar-park

[AustinYIMBY]

I wonder if the "Metro Station" on those drawings is just wishful thinking/marketing or if there are actual plans. Seem to remember hearing about a potential future Cedat Park station, but this is the first time I can remember actually seeing a potential specific location. Also dont remember them mentioning anything when this project was first announced, which was only a month or so ago...

[We vs us]

oh hai proposed metro station

[StoOgE]

This may be why they are building the double track to Leander anyway

[drummer]

Originally Posted by AustinYIMBY

I wonder if the "Metro Station" on those drawings is just wishful thinking/marketing or if there are actual plans. Seem to remember hearing about a potential future Cedat Park station, but this is the first time I can remember actually seeing a potential specific location. Also dont remember them mentioning anything when this project was first announced, which was only a month or so ago...

I used to live in that area and a similar project in the same place was in the works (less Nebraska Furniture Mart) for many years. Every visual I saw mentioned a metro station, but I never heard anything that suggested it was more than projecting possibilities.

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by drummer

I used to live in that area and a similar project in the same place was in the works (less Nebraska Furniture Mart) for many years. Every visual I saw mentioned a metro station, but I never heard anything that suggested it was more than projecting possibilities.

Hard to imagine a project so important that Cedar Park would move to join Cap Metro or to elect to pay for train service there a la carte. Still, if I were a developer I'd be putting a pretty train stop in all of my materials too.

[AustinYIMBY]

It also looks like this site is relatively close to the current Leander station. I would think a Cedar Park station would be better utilized if it were a little further south, closer to the center of town. But... if Leander pulls out of CapMetro, this location would actually be perfect.

[drummer]

I've always thought that a Cedar Park station, at least geographically, would go well just north of 1431/Whitestone (just north of the HEB on Bell). However, if there is a development with decent density such as this, I think it would be preferable to an older suburban shopping area that doesn't have great drivability anyway.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by AustinYIMBY

It also looks like this site is relatively close to the current Leander station. I would think a Cedar Park station would be better utilized if it were a little further south, closer to the center of town. But... if Leander pulls out of CapMetro, this location would actually be perfect.

The Leander station is close to 4 miles (as the crow flies) from the approximate location of the station appearing in the rendering.



This development is about a mile north of 1431 and a mile south of the Leander city limits.

EDIT: The Lakeline station is just over 4 miles to the south from here (also as crow files).

[AustinYIMBY]

Good point. I should have noticed it was the same distance to Lakeline.
So... I retract everything I said about the location. It is actually the perfect location based on distance to the existing closest stations and, as was also pointed out, ability to be in a new, walkable area.

EDIT: Wow, I don't know what I was thinking before... Another plus for this location is the possibility of taking the train from Austin and being able to walk to HEB Center for a show/game.

[H2O]

Yet Another Morning History Lesson: The neighborhood on the east side of the tracks south of New Hope was originally supposed to serve as Cedar Park's downtown and was thought to be an ideal location for a future rail stop. The commercial area along 183a between Whitestone and New Hope was going to be a walkable town center including a civic center. Instead, they gave up and let it go big box retail. Now Cedar Park is investing big on creating a mixed-use town center including a new library a little further south along Bell Boulevard. I would think if they wanted a station, they would prefer it to be there, but I don't think they are all that interested if it costs them 1% of their sales tax that is devoted to economic development (like paying for the new town center).

[Lobotomizer]

It definitely seems like the future of our suburban cities is not in joining Cap Metro.

Instead of allocating 1% of their sales tax to transit, they will pick routes and frequencies they want, and just pay Capital Metro for the cost of providing that service.

[kingkirbythe....]

‘This will change Buda forever’: 2,500-home project pits Austin developer against the city of 18,000

https://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...y-16842092.php

Despite overwhelming opposition from Buda city leaders and residents, an Austin-based developer is moving forward with a massive subdivision.

The project’s critics in the small Hays County city say it would increase traffic and strain schools and infrastructure.

MileStone Community Builders is planning a 775-acre residential community for two adjacent plots of land that cover both Buda’s and Austin’s extra-territorial jurisdictions. The project has become known as the Bailey/Armbruster development due to the plots of land being named the Bailey and Armbruster tracts, although MileStone plans to call the project Persimmon.

About 475 acres, or 61 percent, of the project is in the city of Buda or its extra-territorial jurisdiction, or ETJ. The remaining acreage is in the Austin ETJ.

[drummer]

If any suburb in the Austin area isn't prepared for or actively planning for insane growth in the near- and mid-term, they're only hurting themselves. Growth is coming whether folks like it or not. Being able to capture and guide the growth in positive ways is key. To add to that, communities considering growth regionally is more important than locally is also key because we're becoming a lot more connected as a metro area a lot faster these days as well, especially with these mega-employers making announcements that they're coming to town seemingly every week.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

‘This will change Buda forever’: 2,500-home project pits Austin developer against the city of 18,000

https://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...y-16842092.php

Despite overwhelming opposition from Buda city leaders and residents, an Austin-based developer is moving forward with a massive subdivision.

The project’s critics in the small Hays County city say it would increase traffic and strain schools and infrastructure.

MileStone Community Builders is planning a 775-acre residential community for two adjacent plots of land that cover both Buda’s and Austin’s extra-territorial jurisdictions. The project has become known as the Bailey/Armbruster development due to the plots of land being named the Bailey and Armbruster tracts, although MileStone plans to call the project Persimmon.

About 475 acres, or 61 percent, of the project is in the city of Buda or its extra-territorial jurisdiction, or ETJ. The remaining acreage is in the Austin ETJ.

Let's see, Buda had 1,800 people in 1990, 2,400 people in 2000, 7,300 in 2010, and 18,000 or so today. It seems to me that Buda has a lot of practice dealing with increased traffic, strained schools, and lack of infrastructure. There was barely any there there 20 or 30 years ago. We are not talking about trying to preserve Ye Olde Quaint Hill Country Village. Sounds like NIMBYs are out there in the new suburbs doing what NIMBYs do. Damn, they are everywhere.

[ATX2030]

1,700-plus homes to spring up in new subdivision called Trinity Ranch

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...nch-elgin.html

Michelle Pitcher – Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal

Two builders — one longtime area player and a newcomer to Central Texas — are partnering on a new massive subdivision just south of the small city of Elgin with the help of a local developer.

...."The project represents another large injection of housing on Austin's periphery as the entire metro struggles with a shortage of housing. Metro-wide home inventory stood at 0.6 months in December, according to the Austin Board of Realtors. Many experts say inventory may reach more balanced levels perhaps in 2024 or beyond, but it will take major projects like this to get there — and they are emerging."

..."In just the past couple of weeks, Austin Business Journal has reported on several big, new neighborhoods in the pipeline. They include a 2,200-home subdivision in Buda, a 2,500-home neighborhood near Tesla's new factory and hundreds of million-dollar homes near the famous barbecue eatery The Salt Lick."