As proposed, Leander Springs would be a 78-acre mixed-use project featuring a 4-acre crystal lagoon as well as restaurant, retail, entertainment, hospitality, residential and office elements. The site for the proposed development is at the southwest corner of RM 2243 and 183A.
What happened
Leander officials sent a notice of termination letter to the Leander Springs developers March 18. The letter informed the developers the 2020 development agreement with the city of Leander was canceled due to their failure to meet the construction deadlines and requirements outlined in the agreement, according to a copy of the letter provided to Community Impact.
As stated in the agreement with the city, Leander Springs developers were required to complete construction on 35,000 square feet of commercial property as well as the lagoon portion by December 2023.
For the last few months, the city has left the door open allowing the developers to submit an amended proposal in order to continue with the project. However, as of April 4, an amended project proposal has yet to go before City Council.
A closer look
According to the March 18 letter, city officials have made “previous attempts to assist the developers in completing milestones for the development of the property,” such as allowing them to submit required documents as a package to expedite the review process. The letter also states that city review of any submitted documents was completed on time.
However, Andrey Derevianko—CEO of iLand Development Group, the company behind Leander Springs—told Community Impact in a February interview the reason construction deadlines were not met was primarily due to permitting delays during the height of the pandemic.
In the letter, the city outlined several other contributing factors that led to the termination of the agreement, including:
- Leander Springs developers delayed a public hearing for three months in 2020, which then delayed a city approval needed to begin development.
- The developers did not submit a comprehensive plan conveying how the crystal lagoon would be constructed, which caused a resubmission of application documents.
The bottom line
The Leander Springs developers still own the property and are allowed to pursue commercial development, as long as it’s in accordance with Leander’s development regulations, according to the letter.
However, the crystal lagoon portion is no longer cleared for development, officials said, and the developers will not receive economic incentives from the city.
In the letter, officials stated “the city welcomes the opportunity to continue dialogue with the Leander Springs developers on a path forward for development of the property.”
