Barlin Brothers get Initial Approval for Austin Mixed-Use Plan

A planned mixed-use development with affordable housing in North Austin is closer to becoming reality.

Under their 3423 Holdings LLC, Ben Barlin and Peter Barlin are inching toward redevelopment of a commercial property at 6909 Ryan Drive into a mix of 300 multifamily units and 350,000 square feet of commercial and office space, the Austin Business Journal reported.

The Barlin brothers recently received the Austin Planning Commission’s OK to increase the building height to 160 feet via the city’s density bonus. In exchange for increased height, 10 percent of the development will be reserved as affordable housing.

The project, dubbed Crestview Village, is designed to be transit-oriented, as the property is adjacent to CapitalMetro Rail’s Crestview

Station. Crestview Station could become one of the first 15 stops on Austin’s proposed light-rail system.

The development site spans 3 acres and comprises several low-rise commercial buildings, with tenants like Nugent Grocery, Davo’s Auto Repair & Service and KibRoh Construction.

Crestview Village was initially envisioned as a 5.5-acre development, combining the site with an adjacent parcel that the developer owns. However, the project was scaled down due to financial challenges, such as rising interest rates.

“This is a very important density in a transit-rich area,” Commissioner João Paulo Connolly said in a hearing last week. “This area has long been calling for more transit-supportive housing.”

The Barlins need final approval from City Council in order to proceed with the development. A date regarding the matter has not been scheduled, but if approved, the city would update the property’s existing transit-oriented development zoning code to allow for increased density. The project would take five years to complete.

—Quinn Donoghue