Austin Projects & Construction

[Mopacs]

Update on the Mueller airport redevelopment in Austin...

Earlier this week, the retail portion of the redevelopment along I-35 was officially anounced (includes Best Buy, Bed Bath Beyond, Marshall's, etc). Today comes news of the first urban apartment complex in the works. A very attractive 4-story development... see article below:

http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/realestate/08/23mueller.html


MUELLER AIRPORT

Developer chosen for first apartments at Mueller

Simmons Vedder will build the first residential component in former airport's transformation.




By M.B. Taboada
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, August 23, 2006

After years of planning, the transformation of the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport is ready for takeoff. Major components are under construction, including the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, offices and the first stores.

Simmons Vedder & Co. will start work early next year on Mueller's first residential component, an apartment complex on Aldrich Street at Airport Boulevard, at the entrance to the 711-acre site.

The Texas-based company will break ground on a four-story, 422,000-square-foot complex.

The apartments, which will include two swimming pools, a fitness and business center and a covered parking garage, will be available for tenants during the first quarter of 2008.

Rents will range from $925 a month for one-bedroom units to $2,100 for three-bedroom units with 1,361 square feet. However, 10 percent of the units will be priced lower and reserved for people who make up to 60 percent of Austin's median income to match master developer Catellus Development Corp.'s commitment to providing affordable housing.
The first home builders will be named later this year. There's already a list of people who want to live at Mueller, where apartments, townhouses, condominiums and single-family houses must meet strict green building and community design standards.

For example, the apartments will have heat-reflecting metal roofs and energy-saving features, and half of the construction debris will be salvaged or recycled.

Simmons Vedder develops commercial and residential projects across the country. In Austin, its highest-profile project is the apartment complex at the Triangle, a 22-acre residential/retail project in Central Austin. It's also a developer of two large mixed-use projects in Williamson County.

"It's exciting to add the first residential component to the Mueller redevelopment," said John Burnham, development manager for Simmons Vedder. "It's a critical step in the redevelopment process."
The rental units will be designed as one building but will have the appearance of four distinct buildings because of varying architectural designs.

The residential development comes on the heels of the announcement of plans for the first three anchor retailers: Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and Marshalls expect to open stores in April at the northwest quadrant, at East 51st Street and Interstate 35.

"These are two huge milestones," said Matt Whelan, who is the senior vice president of the project for Catellus. "We are very happy with the pace of the project, and it will likely just pick up from here."

The mixed-use development is the largest public-private venture in Austin's history and will transform the former airport into an urban village of homes, stores and offices. The Mueller project is expected to add $1 billion to the city's tax base and house up to 10,000 residents and generate thousands of jobs.

The Mueller project has been 20 years in the making, starting with visionaries from the surrounding neighborhoods who began discussions on the potential for the land once the airport closed, which it did in 1999.
Jim Walker, a spokesman for Mueller-area neighborhood groups, said he's not as concerned about which builders sign on as long as they adhere to the master plan and vision of providing affordable housing and work for area residents.

"If any company is serious about committing to all those things, they can be a part of Mueller," he said.

Walker said when the city and Catellus signed the deal in December 2004, it marked only the halfway point for the neighborhoods. The recent announcements might equate to the completion of a contract, but it means something more to the neighborhood, he said.
"It's the beginning of the relationship with the master plan and the surrounding community," Walker said.

Much of the site is still largely open space, home to the occasional jack rabbit that darts across the parched fields. But there's plenty of activity at the western edge of the site.

What looks like a huge crater near the Aldrich Street entrance will become a 30-acre lake, the centerpiece of the first of several parks.
Major medical facilities are under way, including the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, which is scheduled to open next year, and Strictly Pediatrics Ambulatory Surgical Center, a children's specialty medical facility.

Work also has started on Austin's second Ronald McDonald House, which will house families of patients at the hospital.
As the project develops, other tenants will move into the development. The University of Texas will begin in November the first phase of the Dell Pediatric Research Institute. The educational nonprofit Southwest Educational Development Laboratory will move its headquarters from downtown to Mueller during fall 2007.
[email protected]; 249-7053


ON THE WEB: If you're interested in housing at Mueller, sign up for updates at www.muelleraustin.com/register.html.




1. Retail: Work has started on major retail at Interstate 35 and East 51st Street.
2. Strictly Pediatrics Ambulatory Surgical Center: Work has started on a four-story building housing children's medical services.
3. Ronald McDonald House: Work has started on a 15-room facility for families of patients at the hospital that will open early next year.
4. University of Texas: Work starts in November on the first phase of the Dell Pediatric Research Institute.
5. Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas: The hospital is scheduled to open in early 2007.
6. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory: The headquarters of the educational nonprofit will move next fall from downtown to Mueller.
7. Apartments: Simmons Vedder will start work next year on 442 apartments.
8. Visitors center: The former executive terminal is being converted into a visitors center and offices for Catellus Development Corp.
9. Lake park: Work has started on a lake that will be part of a 30-acre park.


New Lake...

--------------------------------
Retail press release from Muelleraustin.com

http://www.muelleraustin.com/news/BB_BBB_MarRetail_Release.pdf

REGIONAL RETAIL LANDS AT MUELLER
–––––––––––
Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshalls Become First Tenants at I-35 Regional Retail

AUSTIN, Texas – Aug. 21, 2006 – Mueller continues to take shape as its first three anchor retailtenants, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond® and Marshalls, become a part of the first phase ofregional retail along I-35. The opening of the regional retail center is planned for Spring 2007.


“We’re thrilled to have these national brands as partners helping us create this unique and exciting new retail destination,” said David Ross, director of development of CatellusDevelopment Group, the master developer of the Mueller community. “The quality of products and services provided by our retail tenants will be an added convenience for the people who will work and live in the community and throughout the region.”

The regional retail component of Mueller is approximately 366,000 square feet on 36 acres along the frontage of I-35 between the 51st Street and Airport Boulevard exits. These first three tenants are the start of the first phase of regional retail that will accommodate seven to
10 major anchor stores, plus a number of smaller shops and restaurants.

“We look forward to giving our Austin customers another exciting Bed Bath & Beyond,”
said Bari Fagin, Director of Public Relations of Bed Bath & Beyond. “We are proud to be aretailer in the Mueller development and are eager to see the progression of this site.”
“We are delighted to be a part of this important and visible development in Austin,” said Amy Cafazzo of Marshalls. “This will be our third location in the Austin area and will significantly reduce the travel time to our store for those who live in central Austin.”

-----------------

Site plans were released some time back, indicating the tenancy of the aforementioned stores... The Kohl's on this site plan is not yet confirmed:

[Kropotkin]

Given Austin's theme these days, Mueller is too low density. Even moreso now that there are may be a trolley running through the area which connects through UT and Downtown. They really need to push up the heights to the 5-8 story range and have more rowhouses and condos, and reduce the number of detached single family homes.

The trolley is a nice idea in principle but unless it's routed correctly and unless there are zoning and other changes to encourage high-density construction along it, it'll never live up to its potential as a tax-surplus infrastructure improvement (20-30 years from now). The current proposed route has many flaws, such as going, potentially, through UT on San Jacinto and then continuing through the NE "deadzone" of Downtown, where the state owns almost all the land and has nothing but parking garages. Running the trolley through 14 blocks of undeveloped and undevelopable land (26th st -> 11th st) is a major mistake.

[StoOgE]

A gigantic plot of land right in the heart of a major metro area opens up.. and we fill it with big box retail. Great, thats keeping Austin wierd if anything is!

[eburress]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

A gigantic plot of land right in the heart of a major metro area opens up.. and we fill it with big box retail. Great, thats keeping Austin wierd if anything is!

hahahaha...that's just what I was thinking.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

A gigantic plot of land right in the heart of a major metro area opens up.. and we fill it with big box retail. Great, thats keeping Austin wierd if anything is!

I agree, seems like a big waste... thats a lost opportunity right there. Hopefully the remaining tracts of adjacent land near the hospital (and the UT medical school) will make up for this. Also keep in mind that a 'town center' retail/commercial district is in the works to the south of the hospital, closer to Airport Blvd... this could take any number of forms.

[AustinBob]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

A gigantic plot of land right in the heart of a major metro area opens up.. and we fill it with big box retail. Great, thats keeping Austin wierd if anything is!

I think it makes sense given the location right next to IH-35. Residential wouldn't work well there and village style retail probably wouldn't work very well there either. I agree thought that anywhere else in the project would be nuts and a wasted opportunity for something interesting and unique.

[tildahat]

Originally Posted by AustinBob

I think it makes sense given the location right next to IH-35. Residential wouldn't work well there and village style retail probably wouldn't work very well there either. I agree thought that anywhere else in the project would be nuts and a wasted opportunity for something interesting and unique.

I think that's a good point - the big box section is a fairly small part of the Mueller site. I don't think it was anyone's *goal* to get big box at Mueller, but politically Mueller needed to have a cash cow to jump start the process and originally it was going to be offices, but then the dot com crash destroyed the office market. I think it's best to think of it as a necessary evil to get the rest of Mueller.

Some of the things they're doing - like the public art on the frontage road - strike me as putting lipstick on a pig, but the design has two good points - the side that faces the children's hospital, etc. will be at least semi-urban (maybe camouflaged strip mall is a better term), and the layout allows at least for the possibility of structured parking/office space etc. as later infill.

(The last comment is my non-expert non-insider opinion, take it with a grain of salt.)

[Mopacs]

I definitely feel there is a need for these retailers... East Austin is an underserved market. I work just a mile or two from this site, so access to stores such as Best Buy or a Barnes and Noble would be convenient for me. Would have been nice to consolidate this space a little, to free up land. But you make a valid point regarding this development being an economic engine to kickstart the project.

[tildahat]

Originally Posted by Kropotkin

Given Austin's theme these days, Mueller is too low density. Even moreso now that there are may be a trolley running through the area which connects through UT and Downtown. They really need to push up the heights to the 5-8 story range and have more rowhouses and condos, and reduce the number of detached single family homes.

If the streetcar passes, I believe they are allowed to increase the density by up to 40%. I don't know what form that would take exactly, or how it would be implemented, given that construction would have started already on homes. (Though it's probably not a coincidence that the first construction is away from the proposed streetcar route.)

In a discussion on this topic on the Mueller yahoo group Jim Walker said there are people who think it's important to retain the detached house sections. Don't know the who, why, or to what extent on that. I don't think anyone is arguing to get rid of sf housing though, just maybe more rowhouses and condo buildings...

[KevinFromTexas]

They better have denser developments on the other side of Mueller. It's crazy when city council members suggest developing a park with high density development, (residential highrises), like they did at Town Lake Park, then less than 2 years later be ok with big box retail and strip centers at an inner city, 700 acre, vacant piece of prime land. The next time they suggest developing a park like that I hope they get a hefty number of angry letters against it.

It's annoying when council members can talk of supporting greater densities and taking advantage of the situation, but then not following through and actually doing it when the next opportunity arises.

I would actually like to see heights at Mueller be allowed up to 200 feet, maybe even more if developers follow certain design guidelines and development standards.

[LiveattheOasis]

If we get that height at Mueller Kevin I will be thrilled.

[AustinBob]

While running on the trail yesterday afternoon it struck me how cool it's going to be for those working in the 100 Congress office building once the Metlife tower starts going up. Some lucky souls are going to be able to have up front seating to the entire construction process. If I'm not mistaken, this will be the first time two major towers will be placed on the same downtown block. This really does introduce a new era of density downtown. It's exciting.

[beehorn]

hey guys just thought i would drop a line in here... im new to the board but have been lurking for a good time now. Im a fifth generation Austinite and more excited than ever to see these awesome drastic changes our river city is undertaking. Thanks for all the work you guys put to this thread!!!

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by beehorn

hey guys just thought i would drop a line in here... im new to the board but have been lurking for a good time now. Im a fifth generation Austinite and more excited than ever to see these awesome drastic changes our river city is undertaking. Thanks for all the work you guys put to this thread!!!

Hey.... and welcome! Wow! Five Generations! I bet your family has some great pictures of Austin. It would be great if you could share some with the forum!

[KevinFromTexas]

Yes, bring on the pics! Welcome to the forum.

[KevinFromTexas]

Update on the Post office development. There will be further news out on Monday also.

From the Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/realestate/08/26postoffice.html

Post office receives 6 offers for space
Developers submit ideas for transforming a prime tract in downtown Austin.

By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Saturday, August 26, 2006

The U.S. Postal Service has received a half-dozen proposals for the prime block that houses its downtown Austin branch at Fifth and Guadalupe streets.

The Postal Service solicited offers from developers earlier this month to redevelop the block and build a new post office on part of the site or within a block of it.

Just before close of business Friday — the deadline for submissions — the Postal Service received six proposals, spokesman Sam Bolen said.

An exact count will occur Monday; some offers still may be delivered over the weekend, Bolen said.

The post office isn't releasing the names of the developers or details of their proposals, saying the process will remain confidential until a proposal is selected.

Officials in various postal departments will evaluate the proposals. A decision is expected by the end of September, Bolen said.

Some city officials, including Mayor Will Wynn, have long pushed for denser development on the block, where the post office occupies only about one-fourth of the site.

Atlanta-based Novare Group Inc. and its local development partner, Andrews Urban LLC, are among the bidders, according to correspondence between the City of Austin and U.S. Postal Service officials.

The two developers are building a 44-story condominium tower at West Third and Nueces streets.

"Our goal is to support Austin's vision for a diverse and vibrant core, so it's definitely something we'll pursue," Billy Holley, a developer for Austin projects at Novare Group, said earlier this month. Company officials could not be reached for further comment Friday. Wynn touted Novare's proposal in an April 17 letter to Michael Wolfe, a Postal Service official.

A new high-rise development at the existing site would not only be a "significant contribution to the revitalization of the area around Republic Square," Wynn wrote, but also would generate additional tax revenue and help advance the city's goal of creating a vibrant, 24-hour downtown.

Bolen acknowledged that the post office had an offer in hand but decided to seek other proposals "to explore all conceivable offers."

In an April 9 e-mail to the Austin American-Statesman, Wynn said he has been working to "have the mistake of the current downtown post office corrected" since his days as chairman of the Downtown Austin Alliance, which represents downtown business and property owners.

"In addition to poor design and a horrific pedestrian environment, the staggering underutilization of the land is sinful," Wynn wrote.

[Mopacs]

I had a chance to shoot a few more shots downtown yesterday (8/27), with some updated pics:

Block 21:



Looking east down 5th St... Constructions ite for 29-story monarch is in the foreground (left side of 5th, about a block east), and AMLI/360 in distance:







Monarch site work, up close (looking north, along West Avenue):



Cranes Cranes (AMLI foreground, 360, distance)





NOT a crane:





AMLI and 360:



360 Foreground, AMLI beyond:



360 and AMLI from across the river



Moving east, here is the nearly completed Residence Inn/Courtyard Inn combo hotel tower:



Farther south and east, here is the construction site for The Shore:



The structure going up in the distance is the Mexican American cultural center





A block south, the Mexican-American cultural center up close.



Recently-completed Milago tower, along Rainey St:



Long Performing Arts center



West Lake Hills

[KevinFromTexas]

Wow, great set of pics Mopacs; thanks for posting.

I love this shot. You just know that is a good thing in the making! AMLI Downtown, CSC, Austin City Hall, Block 21 site to be developed with One Congress Plaza and 100 Congress rising in the background. The view along 2nd Street in a couple of years is really going to be amazing with all the projects.
http://images15.fotki.com/v344/photos/5/54967/3625547/DSCN9470-vi.jpg

The scope of this shot is amazing.
http://images18.fotki.com/v345/photos/5/54967/3625547/DSCN9524-vi.jpg

[greenbelt]

Great pics Mopac! I like how you ended with West Lake Hills. That's the beauty of Austin, is the skyline urban core, contrasted by surround nature; hills, water, etc...

We just need some RAIN!!!

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by greenbelt

Great pics Mopac! I like how you ended with West Lake Hills. That's the beauty of Austin, is the skyline urban core, contrasted by surround nature; hills, water, etc...

We just need some RAIN!!!

Thanks guys...

We WILL get Rain today, I'm happy to report... mark murray my words.

And yeah, Westlake is a very scenic, rustic area... I havent been in that area in some time. The amount of wealth on that side of the river is incredible. Gotta love the (semi-healthy) palm trees.

As for kevin's comments, yes the 2nd street area is developing nicely... and the 5th street shot really gives you a sense of the scope of the construction underway.