Shoal Cycle has filed a site plan application for a new construction workforce housing project located at 812 W 11th Street in downtown Austin, Texas. Located along Shoal Creek at 11th Street, Shoal Cycle offers 201 beds of workforce housing targeting 80% AMI across 67 units. The 88,095sf building will also include two floors of decoupled, sub-grade parking. The garage offers 53 parking spaces for cars and 70 parking spaces for bicycles. The site is 0.405 acres, or 17,619sf of urban infill land with one street front and no alley access.
The project won unanimous support for a height increase to 90’ City Council on August 26, in less than four months after the zoning application was initially submitted. Amanda Swor of the Drenner Group represented the partnership at the hearing. Mayor Pro Tem Natasha Harper-Madison pulled the project from the consent agenda to comment, “…I appreciate that the private sector is looking out for its own ways to create more diversity in this part of town. I appreciate that the project proposes to do that while also helping us move closer to our other goals regarding mobility, safety, and climate change. I appreciate that it proposes to do it in a part of town that could use a little more TLC. My mind’s eye, neighborhood character is more than what buildings look like. It’s about who’s using those buildings and how they’re using them.”
3,000sf of ground floor space will offer additional amenities to residents and the community. Local retailers will be tapped for a juice bar, bike repair, a taco stand and an apothecary to service the users of the Shoal Creek Trail, nearby House Park, and the community college across the street in addition to the 201 residents of Shoal Cycle.
The Northwest District is the least developed district in downtown Austin. Shoal Cycle joins Transwestern’s 147 microunits at 817 West 12th Street now under construction and expected to deliver in 2022 on the other half of the same block. Austin Community College at 12th and Rio Grande re-opened in August 2021 after an extensive remodel and now houses Army Futures Command training on campus. Recently, at 12th and San Antonio, City Council approved the 375’ residential tower proposed by Stratus Properties. Much of the remainder of the neighborhood is still one-story houses with law-firm tenants for the Travis County Courts Complex at 10th and Guadalupe.
The Shoal Creek Hike and Bike sits across the street and connects Shoal Cycle resident to 10 miles of car-free commuting via protected trails. The site is 0.4 miles from the Capitol Station metro stop, and two blocks from the #5 bus stops at 12th and Lamar. In the past decade, Austin has adopted Imagine Austin (2012,) the Strategic Housing Blueprint (2017,) and the Austin Strategic Mobility Blueprint (2017,) and Project Connect (2020.) All of the above plans call for a compact urban center reliant on car-lite, dense urban core. Project Connect currently proposes an orange and blue line along Guadalupe, which would connect Shoal Cycle residents to North Lamar, Stassney, and the airport without transfers. The closest transfer station proposed would be located at Republic Square Park.
The site plan team includes: Pape Dawson Engineers, Coleman & Associates, Studio8 Architects and Aptus Engineering. Weaver Buildings is the developer acting on behalf of the Shoal Cycle LP and the Joyce Family. Groundbreaking for Shoal Cycle is anticipated for January 2023, with Lott Brothers Construction Company signed as the General Contractor. The project seeks certification from: Austin Energy Green Building, Green Seal and Fitwel.
