Austin-based Wes Peoples Homes is developing several communities throughout the city, including in the Northwest Hills and Gracywoods neighborhoods and in South Austin. WPH President Wes Peoples said many of the sites have older oak trees that were preserved and were owned by prominent Austin families. “There are a lot of really neat pieces and great stories of the land and the people who lived there in the past,” he said.

Gracy Farms

WPH bought 5.6 acres of land in North Austin, the final piece from the Gracy family, which once owned a dairy farm and hundreds of acres of land in the area, according to the Gracywoods Neighborhood Association. “The family estate is still on this property,” he said. “We bought all the land around it.” The estate sits on 2 acres but WPH will develop 25 single-family homes. Peoples said he expects to start developing in November and will start sales in February 2017. Build-out will take about 18 months, he said. Homes will be about 1,800 to 2,600 square feet and price starting in the low $300,000s. “A lot of these are going to be younger buyers, younger couples who want to be near The Domain with everything it has to offer and all the tech companies right there,” he said. Peoples said empty-nesters will also likely be interested in the community because of its access to medical facilities, entertainment, shopping and transportation. WPH has previously developed in North Austin at the North Edge community near Metric Boulevard and Kramer Lane. “That was really a huge success for us,” Peoples said. “That whole Domain corridor, … especially with Rock Rose coming on, is really hot. People are looking for new housing, and there’s not much over there.”

Northwest Hills townhomes

Another project under development in Northwest Austin will be 14 or 16 townhomes located near the southwest corner of Spicewood Springs Road and Mesa Drive. The site is adjacent to the Brookdale Senior Living. Peoples said the city approved rezoning the site from commercial to allow multifamily, which has less of an effect on traffic. He said he expects to start developing in January, and sales will begin in the second quarter of 2017. Homes will range from 1,800 to 2,400 square feet. Prices have not yet been determined, but Peoples said the likely will start in the $500,000s. “There’s nothing available in Northwest Hills,” he said. “… The product we’ll offer will probably be skewed toward younger couples and retirees.”

404 West Alpine

In mid-April Urban Homes by Wes Peoples will open a model home in the 404 West Alpine community, located between South First Street and Congress Avenue. Peoples said six townhome condos will be available for move in by the end of March. A total of 17 condos will be built between 1,600 and 2,400 square feet and prices in the $400,00s to $700,000s. Units also have one- or two-car garages, and several units have views of downtown or St. Edward’s University. “They all have big backyards,” he said. “We went through a lot of trouble to make sure we retained as many of the big old-growth oaks on this property.”

Edgewick

Peoples said he bought out Benchmark Development’s 55 newly developed in the Edgewick community off Parker Lane near I-35 and Oltorf Street. WPH also bought the rest of land to develop new homes for a total of 110 sites. Edgewick is a gated community of detached condos with a pool and recreational facilities. When the community is completely built out, Peoples said there will be about 250 homes. Home prices start in the $280,000s. “We’re a little less than 2 miles from downtown just east of 35 and south of Riverside,” Peoples said. “It’s one of the hottest areas in town.”

Gabardine Gardens

Farther in South Austin near Manchaca is the Gabardine Gardens community located near Brodie Lane and Frate Barker Road. In early summer WPH will start selling the last of 40 lots in the community, and about 100 homes have already been built. Homes are priced from the $290,000s to $340,000s and have between about 1,600 to 2,500 square feet. Peoples said the community has a greenbelt with a bond in the center. [googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=z-8cm-Y43OGg.kJFIfy-j1ff4&w=640&h=480]