An Austin-based developer has revealed plans to build a large mixed-use project on Springdale Road in East Austin, where commercial deals and residential projects have been proliferating.
StoryBuilt, a developer of urban commercial and residential projects, plans to move dirt on its newest project, called Ellie May, in early 2022. Work should be completed in 2024.
The plans call for more than 76,500 square feet of office space and 84 condominium units to be built at 755 Springdale Road, according to a Nov. 29 announcement. The residential component will take up 88,200 square feet, an average of 1,050 square feet per unit.
Ellie May adds another mixed-use project to a hot portion of East Austin that’s already attracting a flurry of high-profile companies and new residential units.
The development includes plans for a farm-to-table restaurant. It’s designed around a former urban farm and will keep a batch of heritage oaks that are on the property.
Springdale Farm, whose owners Glenn and Paula Foore cultivated and sold produce since 2009, closed down in 2018.
Ellie May “is a great example of the community, small business owners, and developers working together to honor the places that make Austin special while also providing solutions for Austin’s housing and commercial needs as the city continues to grow,” said Ross Wilson, president of StoryBuilt Austin and San Antonio. “We were honored when Springdale Farm’s owners approached us when they decided to retire after operating their farm for 10 years there. We have spent years working closely with the community on the architectural and design aspects to create something beautiful and functional, and we are excited to finally break ground.”
The residential portion of Ellie May will feature 28 unit types, offering prospective residents multiple price points and floor plans. Eight of the 84 units will be designated as affordable housing. Pre-sales for the condominiums will begin in 2022. Price points have not yet been announced.
“We aren’t ready yet to set a price on the homes, until a little closer to pre-sales in the spring, but part of the reason we have 28 distinct unit types within the 84 condo units is that we wanted to be able to meet the many demands of the Austin housing market, and those demands come in a variety of budgets and requirements,” Parker said. “At the lower end of our range, we’ve partnered with the GNDC (Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation) to develop eight affordable, at 60% MFI (Medium Family Income) homes onsite. And then at the high end, we have some amazing architectural gems.
“I think the community will really appreciate the diversity of the project, and that it’s not just a cookie-cutter condominium project,” Parker continued.
ECR will serve as the project’s commercial leasing agent. Pre-leasing for the office component of Ellie May is now open. The commercial office space is in a qualified opportunity zone fund. Jason Steinberg and Patrick Ley will handle leasing.
“With the significant interest of prospective tenants in East Austin, we expect to have a variety of different tenants in our Commercial Office building, along with a unique farm-to-table restaurant onsite in its own standalone building,” Hank Parker, StoryBuilt’s development manager, said in an email. “The Ellie May office will provide a very unique setting against an Urban Farm, which should appeal to many employers focused on attracting and retaining the best talent that Austin has to offer.”
There’s been plenty of activity in East Austin in 2021. The Austin City Council approved plans for a mid-rise office building at the former Fair Market building on East Fifth St. earlier this month.
The Mont, a 288-unit apartment property located near East Riverside Drive, was completed earlier this year and sold to a New York-based real estate company on Nov. 10.
Eastlake at Tillery, the newest office building in East Austin, landed two major leases this year: Australia-based Canva Inc. and California-based Skyworks Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq: SWKS). San Francisco-based Cloudfare Inc. committed to a 125,000-square-foot lease at Foundry II in August. It was one of the largest lease deals of the pandemic, according to ABJ reporting at the time.
Looking ahead, California-based Jay Paul Co. has plans to build a massive 872,500-square-foot campus on 30 acres at the intersection of Springdale Road and Airport Boulevard. The two-building campus known as Springdale Green would offer 775,000 square feet of office space.
StoryBuilt, meanwhile, is developing George, a 116-home, $50 million development in Central East Austin. The project is expected to bring 80 two-story townhomes and flats and 36 single-family homes online by late 2022.
Ellie May was named after the dog who greeted Springdale Farms’ visitors.
