EastVillage developers want taller buildings

Developers of a planned community near Austin's Samsung campus are making headway in their quest to underline the "mixed" in "mixed-use" with taller, commercial buildings.

Reger Holdings is developing EastVillage, a $1 billion, 425-acre master-planned community in Northeast Austin. Plans for the development include 2,000 apartments, 500 single-family homes, three hotels, and 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, including restaurants, retail, and offices. About 150 acres of parks and around 5 miles of trails are also planned.

The massive site, across the road from the Samsung Austin Semiconductor plant on East Parmer Lane, is part of the 1,550-acre Pioneer Crossing planned unit development. Austin approved the establishment of the special zoning district in 1997. The PUD is located off East Parmer Lane, south of East Howard Lane and Gregg Lane, east of Dessau Road and north of Cameron Road.

Austin's Zoning and Platting Commission last week approved Reger's proposal to rezone a portion of the EastVillage site at 124 East Parmer Lane, changing the zoning from residential to commercial.  The reason for the requested change is to increase the allowable height for buildings, Reger representative Michael Whellan, an Armbrust and Brown partner, said at the meeting.

The change would allow a height increase from three stories to to five stories, or 70 feet. The taller buildings would be planned for Parmer Lane, with residences sited farther from the highly trafficked road. Developers will contribute $1 million to the city’s affordable housing fund and to new parkland in exchange.

The commission recommended the requested zoning change, advising Reger to include its voluntary donations in the amendment before it goes before the Austin City Council. A hearing and vote on that amendment has not been scheduled.

Construction on EastVillage began in June 2021, with completion of the first phase, 312 apartments, expected before the end of 2022. 

KB Home, which bought 466 single-family lots from Reger, has model home in place as well. In February, Reger announced that it's developing the Hotel at Austin at EastVillage and expects it to be complete by 2023.