OakPoint Seeks Mixed-Use Zoning for Austin Office Complex

Residential redevelopment may be on the horizon for an office complex in Northwest Austin.

OakPoint has requested to rezone the three-story Park and Park North, at 8200 and 8300 North MoPac Expressway, to allow residential, retail and office uses, Towers reported. The properties were built in 1981 and 1999, respectively.

OakPoint, based in Austin and Nashville, is pursuing rezoning under the city’s new DB90 zoning, approved in February. It is a replacement for the VMU2 zoning category, which was invalidated following a lawsuit from Austin activists. DB90 is an optional density bonus program that offers developers the opportunity to construct mixed-use residential projects up to 90 feet high along major corridors, as long as they allocate 10 to 12 percent of on-site residential units for affordable housing.

Unlike other properties transitioning from VMU2, which are now seeking DB90 zoning designation, the 12-acre Northwest Austin would leapfrog directly from office and commercial zoning to DB90.

The rezoning application outlines plans for a mixed-use redevelopment in multiple phases. While specifics of the project remain undisclosed, the existing office spaces are still available for lease.

Although the proposal hints at the potential demolition of Class A office buildings to make way for apartments, the scope of the project opens avenues for hundreds of affordable housing units, aligning with the DB90 program’s requirements. It’s also possible that one or both office buildings could stay while the expansive surface parking lots are redeveloped into residential and retail space.

Neighboring projects, such as the forthcoming apartment complex slated for the former Luby’s site across Steck Avenue, underscore the area’s transformation into a vibrant mixed-use hub. With ample development sites in the area, Northwest Austin is poised for continued high-density development, the outlet said.

—Quinn Donoghue