Hines plans mixed-use highrise in Austin

Hines is targeting Austin’s “second downtown” for a mixed-use development.

The Houston-based firm plans to scrape La Quinta Inn and Suites at 11901 North MoPac Expressway in the Domain in favor of a 15-story building with a mix of offices and residential units, according to site plans filed to the city, the Austin Business Journal reported.

The project, dubbed Hines Domain Northside, would have 320 residences, and it’s unknown whether they would be apartments or condos. This could go down as the global firm’s biggest development in Austin yet. Rising 196 feet on a 4.3-acre site, it would be the second-tallest building in the sprawling North Austin district, after the 208-foot tall Stonelake’s Domain Tower 2.

Plans are in preliminary stages and subject to change. It’s unclear when Hines would begin construction. The City of Austin rezoned the Domain area in October, allowing for higher density. By right, buildings can now rise to 420 feet.

Kimley-Horn is the engineer of the project, while Munoz Albin and Kirksey Architecture serve as the architects. 

Texas is starting to see a pattern of developers halting projects amid economic concerns, such as rising interest rates and increased construction costs.

Hines, led by Jeffrey C. Hines and Laura Hines-Pierce, has been actively pursuing new ventures in Austin. In November, the firm announced it was teaming up with Galesi Group to develop 1.7 million square feet of logistics and industrial space on a 150-acre site in Manor, roughly 15 miles northeast of downtown Austin. 

Hines is also at the helm of a mass-timber building in East Austin, slated for 15 loft-style residential units totaling 9,200 square feet and 93,000 square feet of Class-A office space.

—Quinn Donoghue