Grossman & Jones Real Estate Blog - development

"Georgetown is fastest-growing city of its size for third-straight year"

Austin Business Journal writes, "For the third-straight year, Georgetown is the fastest-growing city of at least 50,000 people by percent change, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Other Austin-area cities weren't far behind.

Georgetown's population reached 96,312 last year, according to newly released city-level data for the 12-month period spanning July 2022 to July 2023. That represents a gain of roughly 9,250 people from the year before — the eighth most in the country among cities of any size based on numeric gains.

An analysis of the data also shows that the city north of Austin grew 10.6% year-over-year, making it the fastest-growing city of at least 50,000 people. Kyle, south of Austin, ranked No. 2 with a 9%…

707 Views, 0 Comments

"Retailers are flocking to this Hill Country city — here's why"

Austin Business Journal writes, "While working on the future $130 million Shops at Flatrock Crossing development, Bobby Johnson heard a common refrain from retailers he was trying to court to Marble Falls over the last two years: they wanted to be in the fast-growing area northwest of Austin, but didn't have anywhere to go.

That's why he views it as validating that the project — which was officially announced earlier this month and is expected to bring more than 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to Marble Falls next year — has already secured a tenant lineup that includes Academy Sports + Outdoors, T.J. Maxx and Michael's Stores, with other big names on the way.

"Markets like Marble Falls are the growth direction for a lot of…

457 Views, 0 Comments

"Triada gets green light for master-planned community near Elgin"

Austin Business Journal shares, "A real estate developer has secured approval to build a 272-acre master-planned community near Elgin called Triada, potentially bringing 875 homes to the area as well as a park and sports complex.

Pflugerville-based Qualico Communities — a subsidiary of Canada's Qualico — on May 7 won approval from the Elgin City Council for a slew of agreements to help with the project north of U.S. Highway 290 and west of County Line Road northeast of Austin.

Representatives of the company said in a May 8 announcement that the development will offer a range of housing options, along with a 6-acre amenity center with a fitness facility, resort-style pool, playscape, shade structure and two pickleball courts. It also will have 55…

449 Views, 0 Comments

"Construction resumes on some StoryBuilt developments to maximize sale value"

Austin Business Journal reports, "Construction is picking back up on some projects left incomplete by embattled real estate firm StoryBuilt.

Los Angeles-based Stapleton Group, which was appointed as StoryBuilt's receiver last summer to fix its finances, has resumed construction on some single-family homes in StoryBuilt's $2 billion development pipeline that's up for sale, according to an April 29 report. The goal is to maximize the sale value of the projects. Additionally, an East Austin development site is close to being sold in a deal expected to yield “several million dollars," according to the report.

Stapleton Group "plans to complete the sale of the remaining real estate assets, terminate all employees, complete the construction and sale…

463 Views, 0 Comments

"Five questions with Austin's top multifamily developer"

Austin Business Journal writes, "Multifamily development in Austin has slowed dramatically.

In April, 29,669 multifamily units were under construction across 104 communities in the metro, compared to 50,393 units under construction in 178 communities during the same month last year, according to ApartmentData.com.

The Journeyman Group ranked at the top of ABJ's latest list of multifamily real estate developers, with 3,944 units in the works or delivered in the Austin area last year. Journeyman Group has an additional 1,613 units planned for the area.

Alliance Residential ranked second on the list with 3,089 units in 2023, while The NRP Group took the No. 3 spot with 2,442 units. Wilson Capital ranked fourth with 2,135 units and Endeavor…

489 Views, 0 Comments

"Far East Austin's development pipeline is packed"

Austin Business Journal writes, "A wave of development is washing over far East Austin, turning empty fields into hulking buildings.

The area around Tesla Inc.'s mammoth gigafactory is considered by many to be Austin's final frontier, and developers are taking the plunge now that Elon Musk has warmed the water. Mixed-use projects, multifamily housing, office towers, shopping centers and more are poised to transform the "eastern crescent" of Austin, which roughly follows the relatively new State Highway 130 toll road.

Here is a look at some of the largest projects on tap in the area. They will create a mountain of work for construction crews and yield abundant opportunities for others. County and municipal planners — especially road builders —…

1894 Views, 0 Comments

"The Vesper Condo Tower Wraps Up in Downtown Austin’s Rainey Street District"

TOWERS writes, "The 41-story Vesper condo tower is now complete in the Rainey Street District of downtown Austin, with its first phase of move-ins kicking off this week. According to developers Pearlstone Partners and sales agency Prospect Real Estate, the building is currently 67 percent sold. The 452-foot tower broke ground in the summer of 2021, situated on a small 0.4-acre site at the edge of the neighborhood at 84 East Avenue, pretty tightly hemmed in on three sides by the Camden Rainey Street apartment building and a famously garish Homewood Suites. 

It’s just one of a forest of towers now rising in the Rainey District, with the perspective of the aerial shot below showing not one, not two, not three, but four separate tower projects underway…

500 Views, 0 Comments

"More apartments proposed near Barton Springs Road and Zilker Park"

Austin Business Journal reports, "A plan to demolish a 40-unit apartment complex near Barton Springs Road to make way for a bigger one is set to be considered by City Council later this month.

The project at 1725 Toomey Road — on a less-than 1-acre tract sandwiched between Butler Shores and the original Chuy’s restaurant — would replace the existing Barton Springs Apartments with a new building containing more than 203 units.

Property owner Greg Smith of First Austin Properties is seeking a zoning change for the location to remove a conditional overlay that restricts building height to under 75 feet. Aside from the conditional overlay, the property has the city's highest-density multifamily zoning.

The exact height and other details of the…

471 Views, 0 Comments

"Another homebuilder joins Gregg Ranch neighborhood in Marble Falls"

Austin Business Journal writes, "In Marble Falls, Gregg Ranch continues to grow.

The 240-acre community at the southern end of Marble Falls was touted in 2020 as the first large-scale development in the city in decades, with around 1,250 homes planned. Pulte Homes and Vogel Builders have built homes in the community, and Arizona-based Gregg Ranch developer Harvard Investments announced April 2 that Colorado-based Richmond American Homes has also signed on to the project.

The Richmond homes at Gregg Ranch will range from 1,687 to 3,000 square feet, with two- to six-bedroom floor plans. Richmond will begin with 62 home sites for its first two phases of construction and is under contract to buy 113 lots in a third phase of construction.

Homes…

449 Views, 0 Comments

"Buda's Sunfield is metro's fastest-growing neighborhood"

Austin Business Journal reports, "Buda’s Sunfield is the fastest-growing neighborhood in the metro, nabbing the top spot after leapfrogging from the No. 8 position in 2023. See the list below this article.

Scarborough Lane Development’s Sunfield, a 2,795-acre master-planned community, earned first place on Austin Business Journal’s latest list of fastest-growing neighborhoods with 470 home starts last year. The list is based on data from real estate company Zonda.

There are eight homebuilders active in Sunfield, where homes can be purchased at prices much lower than the average home in the metro.

While Sunfield’s 470 home starts was an increase over the 291 home starts reported on our 2023 list, many neighborhoods saw a decrease in home…

528 Views, 0 Comments