Towers Near UT And Hub in St Elmo Push Austin Growth

Two very different corners of Austin are lining up for major new development, with city approvals advancing a pair of high-rise towers near the University of Texas and clearing the path for a sprawling mixed-use project in South Austin’s St. Elmo Arts District.

Near UT, a full city block along West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and West 18th Street could be remade with two towers rising 37 stories and 34 stories, according to city filings. The Austin Business Journal reported that one building would house a 287-key hotel with 61 condos, while the other building would have 318 apartments. Together, the towers would include about 11,400 square feet of retail at street level.

The site, bound by Rio Grande Street, is currently a patchwork of low-rise uses, including Jack Brown Cleaners, the original Tiff’s Treats location, a Jimmy John’s and small apartment buildings. The Austin Planning Commission voted to advance zoning changes requested for the project Jan. 27.

The developer has not been publicly identified, but the applicant is seeking increased height allowances under Austin’s Downtown Density Bonus Program, which would require City Council approval. The roughly 1.9-acre assemblage is split into two nearly 1-acre parcels separated by an alley that would remain in place, with one tower planned for each side. Landowners include 1806 Group LP, Jack Brown Family II Limited Partnership, Triple Play Properties LTD and Scott Sayers.

Farther south, a very different type of development is moving forward at 4201 South Congress Avenue, where an eight-building mixed-use concept secured a site development permit from the city. The approval, granted Jan. 23, allows construction to proceed through January 2029, the outlet reported.

The project, dubbed 4201 S Congress, calls for roughly 200,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space spread across mid-rise buildings at South Congress Avenue and Industrial Boulevard. The owner is 4201 S Congress Ave Owner LLC, which shares an address with California-based Redcar Properties, a developer active elsewhere in the St. Elmo Arts District, according to the outlet.

Plans show a mix of building sizes and uses, including restaurant and office buildings ranging from about 10,500 square feet to nearly 68,000 square feet, several standalone office structures and a six-story parking garage with 494 spaces and ground-floor restaurant space.

Though Austin’s office vacancy rate hovered around 26 percent at the end of last year, according to CBRE, new development has slowed sharply and absorption has begun to tick up. That might mean that by the time the South Congress project is completed, the current glut of space could look very different.— Eric Weilbacher