Back in 2015, we profiled the Mueller community, described as “one of the nation’s most notable new-urbanist communities located in the heart of Austin.” The culmination of decades of community planning efforts by Austin citizens, the Catellus Development Group and the City of Austin, this mixed-use urban village in the heart of Austin was envisioned as a diverse, sustainable master-planned community that contributes to the city’s housing and economic development.
If ongoing development in the district is any indication, it seems to be making great strides toward achieving those goals. For example, in September of this year, Mueller hosted the official grand opening of Aldrich Street, a 1.2-million-square-foot dining and entertainment district that’s known as the district’s “town center.” By that time, Aldrich Street had become home to numerous retail, dining and entertainment options, including:
- Alamo Drafthouse
- The Thinkery children’s museum
- Restaurants such as L’Oca d’Oro, J.T. Youngblood’s, and Stella Public House, to name a few
- Fitness businesses like Orangetheory Fitness and Barre3
- Coffee and ice cream shops, Whichcraft Tap Room and Bottle Shop, and more
Meanwhile, the Mueller district has also been busy with new home, apartment, retail and office construction. In October, it announced that Austin Modern Lofts had been selected to build the next mixed-use residential and retail development near the airport’s former control tower.
The new development will feature 91 for-sale residential units. Thirty-five of these will be single-level loft condos in a mixed-use building, with retail on the ground level and the condos on the second and third levels. The remaining 56 units will be townhouses, including five “shop houses” – comprised of first-floor commercial space, plus two stories of living space above.
Twenty-nine of the condo and townhome residences will be included in Mueller’s “Ready, Set, Own” program, an income-qualifying affordable homes program. Some of the units will have direct views of downtown Austin and the open space in Mueller’s Southwest Greenway. The lofts will feature modern amenities such as roof and patio terraces, tall ceilings and contemporary finishes.
Construction for the project is scheduled to begin in spring 2018, with the first move-ins anticipated by first quarter of 2019, weather permitting.
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