A major housing project is taking shape on public land in East Austin.
A partnership between the NRP Group and the Austin Independent School District is moving forward with plans for a $142 million affordable housing complex in East Austin, with a construction start targeted for the end of the year, the Austin Business Journal reported. The estimated project cost works out to $211,000 per unit.
The 674-unit project will rise on an 18-acre site that currently houses the Anita Ferrales Coy Facility at 4900 Gonzales Street.Â
The AISD-owned land will be ground-leased to NRP, which is developing two buildings: Anita Coy East, spanning 589,000 square feet, and Anita Coy West, at 546,000 square feet. They are being designed by Austin-based Hatch + Ulland Owen.
The site will include a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. About 50 percent of the apartments will be income-restricted, according to the AISD website, and the district has said the project is intended to offer housing options for district teachers, staff and families, though residency won’t be limited to AISD employees.
Amenities listed in the preliminary design include a pool and playground, and NRP Construction will serve as the general contractor.
The district first voted to move forward with the NRP partnership in 2023 as part of a broader strategy to repurpose underutilized land and address the city’s housing affordability stresses. NRP is one of the most active multifamily developers in the Austin region by unit count.
The first units could be available for lease in 2028.
The redevelopment is an ambitious effort to align public land use with affordable housing delivery. It also reflects a growing trend of school districts partnering with private developers to tackle housing pressures, particularly in high-growth metros where rising living costs have made it harder to attract and retain educators and support staff.
Elsewhere in the region, Round Rock ISD recently made its own real estate move, acquiring a 206,000-square-foot office building in Northwest Austin for $38 million earlier this month. The district plans to repurpose the former LegalZoom campus into a career and technical education center as school systems continue leveraging real estate as long-term educational infrastructure.
— Judah Duke
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