Oak Creek Village, an affordable housing apartment complex, will be developed into a higher-density complex after Austin City Council approved a zoning change June 27.

"This is really going to be a quality development, I believe, for all the residents who are there right now and your new neighbors," Councilwoman Kathie Tovo said.

Koreena Malone, president of the Oak Creek Tenants Association, said a cohesive agreement was reached on the redevelopment through the partnership of the Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Association, the tenants association and the developer.

"I strongly believe that the redevelopment of Oak Creek Village won't just lead us to a better community but a model for the city of Austin," Malone said.

The Oak Creek Village complex, located at 2324 Wilson St., has 173 units that qualify as affordable housing. According to city documents, the developer is planning to keep all of the affordable housing units in the complex and build up to 313 new market-rate units. The redevelopment of the complex is limited to 486 units with a maximum building height of 60 feet. The developer also entered into an agreement with the BCNA to provide on-site, affordable housing for 35 years.

"We think this is indeed a model development that is going to improve the quality of life for the tenants, the neighborhood and the neighborhood schools," said Kurt Cadena-Mitchell, an Austin resident and leader of Austin Interfaith, who spoke at the meeting. "It will lead to a more livable neighborhood and will lead to a more liveable Austin."

Austin Interfaith is an organization of more than 30 congregations, public schools and unions that works to address issues affecting neighborhoods and communities.

Council members highlighted the plans to keep all existing affordable housing units, saying it may be the first project in the city to do a one-to-one replacement of the units.

Sidney Brammer, a Bouldin Creek Neighborhood resident, said she opposed the development because of the potential effect the higher density would have on the neighborhood as a whole as well as the effect the larger structures would have on the creek.

"I just know what I observe, and that is stream ecosystems decline with development and [when] human activity [increases] along an urban creek's bank," Brammer said.