Austin suburb approves contracts for $205 million project

The Pflugerville City Council Tuesday approved five agreements with developer Griffin Swinerton for developing Pflugerville’s Downtown East project on what’s known as the Pfluger Tract.

Plans for the Downtown East project include develop 29 acres at the northwest corner of FM 685 and East Pecan Street to create a central public space in the suburban town just north of Austin. The project site will include a new city hall, a recreation center, and a mixed-use development.

Pflugerville entered a preliminary development agreement with Griffin Swinerton last November, which established the goals for Phase 1 of the project. It includes extending Main Street east to FM 685; building the new city hall; a multi-generational recreation center; a civic plaza, including outdoor gathering spaces, a stage, and performance area; and additional parking and infrastructure

The City Council approved five contracts with Griffin Swinerton as well as a memorandum of understanding for the recreation center. The MOU establishes the inclusion of 10,500 square feet of retail space within the new recreation center. The developer will manage and lease the retail space.

The council also approved a purchase and sale agreement for infrastructure construction and a license agreement. An amendment to the preliminary development agreement revised the schedule and cost of the project, bringing its budget to $12.4 million.

The final contract with the developer includes $8 million to fund a multilevel parking structure for the project.

The revised schedule shows the design and approval process will run through next June, with staggered construction dates. Construction on related infrastructure will begin at the end of the year; and work for city hall and the recreation center will begin in April, which is estimated to wrap up at the end of 2026.

Funding for phase 1, estimated to cost $204.7 million, will come from general obligation bonds, certified obligation bonds, right-of-way acquisition funds, developer financing for retail, and, potentially, grants.