TOD to Cut Down on Car Congestion

By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Writer

Austin, Texas—A parcel at East 6^th Street and Comal Avenue in Austin, Texas, will be the site of a two-building mixed-use project from Transwestern Development Company. The project will consist of 346 residences, 9,600 square feet of specialty retail and 94,500 square feet of office space on 4.2 acres.

The creative office building will be the first to be developed, and is expected to be complete in January 2016. The second building, to be called The Arnold and featuring apartments and retail, is scheduled for completion in July of 2016.

Leading the development team for Transwestern Development Company will be the company’s associate vice president Josh Delk.

Residences at The Arnold will feature quartz countertops, custom wood cabinets, gourmet prep island, stainless steel appliances, full-sized washer and dryer connections, bike storage and private balconies.

Chief among the resident amenities will be a large resort-style pool, activity courtyard, roof deck with downtown Austin views, business meeting areas, state-of-the-art fitness center with yoga studio and classes by FX Fitness, secure bike storage and private storage areas.

Immediately adjacent to the development site in East Austin is the MetroRail’s Plaza Saltillo station, part of one of Austin’s Transit Oriented Zoning Districts designed to help curb sprawl and deal with growing numbers of cars.

“This project is a great template for true transit-oriented development,” Transwestern executive vice president Ty Puckett told MHN.

The development’s central location will put residents within quick and easy access of downtown, the University of Texas and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and just steps from East Austin‘s award-winning entertainment and dining experiences, which have won national acclaim.

Puckett said one of the chief challenges facing Transwestern was “designing a project on a large infill tract of land that in the end would look and feel as if it belongs.” The company worked closely with neighborhood stakeholders to gain their approval, by ensuring the development fit the neighborhood aesthetics.

“We are very pleased to get started on this exciting development,” Delk said. “This location is in the center of one of Austin’s most culturally rich and defining neighborhoods, and we are thrilled to be bringing a project of this caliber to the area. The Arnold and accompanying office building will add to the creative energy, with its mix of office, multiple housing options and prominent local retail and restaurant offerings.”

Financing for the project was provided by Amegy Bank of Texas and Comerica, Inc. The Arnold was designed by Wilder Belshaw Architects, while Kirksey Architecture was responsible for the design of the project’s office portion.

General contractors are Harvey Cleary for the office portion and Andres Construction for The Arnold. The civil engineer selected for both buildings is Kimball Bruehl Garcia Estes.