A major mixed-use project in southeast Austin, Texas, Velocity, has broken ground on its first phase of development: the area’s first urban-style apartment community.
Austin and Dallas-based real estate development firm Presidium has begun vertical construction on a 307-unit apartment complex mere minutes away from the Tesla Inc. gigafactory. With its four-story height and architecture, climate-controlled corridors with elevators for the entire community and generous amenity offerings, the complex will be the first urban-style apartment community in southeast Austin – a sign of maturation for this submarket. The name of the complex has yet to be determined.
Velocity’s urban housing development is the first phase to rise within the Velocity master plan — a 314-acre, mixed-use development that will add thousands of homes, much-needed retail services, hotels, and nearly 100 acres of green space in one of the fastest growing areas in Central Texas. Velocity is located at the southwest corner of State Highways 71 and 130.
“Velocity’s future residents will be able to enjoy a well-balanced lifestyle, with a myriad of amenities inside and out − offering incredible convenience and all that’s desired in modern-day living,” said Dustin Mattiza, executive vice president of development for Presidium, who leads the multifamily project. “With Tesla to the north, Onion Creek parkland amenities flanking the east, the new ACC campus as our neighbor to the south, and the airport to our west, we feel this location will be the key node for the Southeast Austin and Del Valle community for years to come.”
Units will range from studios to three-bedrooms, and vary in size from 375 to 1,400 square feet. Amenities include: stainless steel appliances, an instant hot water building system, “smart” technology features like smart access and smart thermostats to help reduce energy use, nine-foot ceilings, walk-in closets with built-in features, mud rooms and a built-in desk for larger units. A fourth-floor sky lounge will be equipped with a kitchen and bar, TV wall, pool tables, shuffleboard, and an indoor-outdoor fireplace. Other community amenities will include podcast rooms within a co-working lounge, resort style pool with Euro edge, a car spa, a 4,000-square-foot dog park and spa as well as a double-ceiling height gym with cross-fit gym, spin and yoga studio, sand volleyball court and two pickleball courts.
The sky lounge looks toward Onion Creek and a 50-acre preserve filled with heritage trees. Sidewalks and trails around Velocity will enable residents to embrace connections to Barkley Meadow Onion Creek Trail and other Travis County trails and parks.
Construction on the first phase is anticipated to be complete by mid-2025. The general contractor is Provident General Contractors and the architect is O’Brien Architects. Other team members include: Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., Salas O’Brien, United Structural Consultants, Hitchcock Design Group and Dwell Design Studio.
“We’re thrilled to be at the heart of Southeast Austin, committed to providing essential retail, restaurants, and lifestyle amenities, as well as a variety of residential options to the community,” said Kenley Reed, development manager, who leads Velocity’s overall master plan and mixed-use components.
Reed adds that a second multifamily complex, retail and restaurant offerings along SH 71 are presently in the design phase.
The project, initially 390 acres, is currently comprised of 314 acres after land sales to the region’s dominant grocer, H-E-B, in 2016 and cosmetics manufacturing facility in 2018. Nearby, Austin Community College passed $200 million in bonds to build its Advanced Manufacturing & Skilled Trades campus in 2022. The site, which borders the southwestern section of Velocity, will serve 10,000 to 12,000 students, focusing on an array of applied technology programs, including building construction technology, advanced manufacturing, auto collision repair, heating air conditioning and refrigeration (HART), welding and general education classrooms.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management recently announced the commencement of construction on its $370 million new headquarters that will be coupled with a new State Emergency Operations Center just south of Velocity. Additionally, Tesla’s $1 billion+ gigafactory is just 1.5 miles away, with other Elon Musk ventures nearby as well, including SpaceX, Boring Company and Neuralink.