16-building, 32-unit development set for Mansfield Dam Road

A 32-unit residential duplex project is in the design phase with a targeted 2015 opening at 4300 Mansfield Dam Road, Austin, in the Hudson Bend area, said Robert Swett, the development's managing partner and president of Robert Stephen Homes.

Lakeside Villas, proposed for the city of Austin's extraterritorial jurisdiction, will consist of 16 buildings, each with two single-story stacked homes, parking below the first floor and a rooftop deck, he said. Each building will be constructed with an elevator, and the complex will have a community swimming pool and dog park, he said. Driveway access to the 8.6-acre development will be gated and located on Mansfield Dam Road, he said.

Swett said his associates purchased the property in June with an approved site plan. The developers are making adjustments to the initial design and hope to have the first units under construction by January, he said.

The 1,600-square-foot units will be priced in the $300,000 to $350,000 range, Swett said. Each unit will consist of three bedrooms and two bathrooms—with one bathroom in the master bedroom and the second connected to the two remaining bedrooms in a Jack-and-Jill style, he said. The complex will have one cul-de-sac, and the tract is zoned to Lake Travis ISD, he said.

"Looking at the market, we thought [building this complex] would be a solid strategy," Swett said. "It will appeal to young families who don't want to run down steps after kids and retirees who are looking for a lock-and-leave situation."

He said the Hudson Bend area is a high-growth area with great schools.

"As Austin grows, [housing in] the Westlake area and closer to town is hard to find and expensive," Swett said. "[Hudson Bend] is still affordable and in one of the highest-rated school districts in the state."