Purchased by St. John Properties Inc., the project will include 225,000 square feet of flex research and development, single-story commercial office and retail space. It is the first acquisition by the company since it opened a regional office in Austin in spring 2022. According to Brooke Harlander, St. John Properties regional partner, the company plans to expand its real estate portfolio throughout the region.
“I think that as a commercial developer, we just saw the opportunity where there’s been a lot of residential growth and a lot of industrial growth, and our product type definitely caters more to small businesses and job growth,” she said.
The company expects to break ground on the project this fall. The majority of it—170,000 square feet across four buildings—will be designed as flexible research and development space. Around 40,000 square feet split between two buildings will be for single-story commercial office use, and nearly 15,000 square feet will be used as retail space.
While St. John Properties has begun developing the project on a speculative basis, Harlander said the company has experience accommodating specialty clients in need of lab space or other types of secured facilities.
“We can also cater to neighborhood needs, like if someone needs a physical therapy office,” she said.
St. John Properties hopes to finish the first two buildings of Westinghouse Crossing by fall 2024. In the meantime, the company will be starting conversations with potential clients in need of new space.
