The North Austin area is slated to see about 2.7 million square feet of new office space in the next few years, including at The Domain.
The Domain developer Endeavor Real Estate Group will finish designing in January the first two office buildings, which would be located near Whole Foods Market on the northern end of The Domain area.
“There are five, maybe six other buildings that can get built—about
1.5 million square feet of office space,” Endeavor Managing Principal Chad Marsh said. “These are the first two to finish off the last undeveloped land at The Domain.”
Construction on the two buildings, dubbed Domain 11 and Domain 12, would begin as early as March.
“These buildings will be more recognizable and easier to see and really define The Domain,” Marsh said.
Endeavor also has plans for two other buildings, Domain 9 and 10, which have not yet been designed. Office building Domain 8 will be finished in February, he said.
Original plans for office space at The Domain in 2007 called for building heights of up to 28 stories, Marsh said, but after the recession, Endeavor recalibrated its efforts.
He said Endeavor is now responding to tenant demands, such as convenient parking and restaurants and entertainment within walking distance.
“Now with Rock Rose and Domain Northside, people are appreciative of the really high-quality restaurants, entertainment and shopping experience there,” Marsh said.
Endeavor is not the only company turning dirt in North Austin. Nearby, Austin-based HPI Real Estate Services & Investments is building a 2,300-space parking garage that will provide parking not only for IBM Corp. employees but also for a new 11-story office building.
Domain Tower will have an outdoor patio, indoor and outdoor workout spaces, and a private balcony on the 11th floor with views of downtown. The project will take between 16 and 18 months to complete once construction begins, HPI senior office leasing specialist Richard Paddock said.
In October, the Kucera Companies broke ground on a Class A office building off MoPac near Steck Avenue. Leasing agent Max Appling said tenants could begin moving into the four-story building next November. The site will also have a six-story parking garage, providing a higher parking ratio.
“All these tech companies moving into Austin, they’re looking for density, density, density,” he said. “They want to be able to pack more people into an office space because it makes better economic sense.”
On Oct. 18, the city’s Zoning and Platting Commission approved a rezoning request for the Overlook at Spicewood Springs office building at 4920 Spicewood Springs Road near Loop 360.
The two-story office building would have some below-ground parking for a total of 54 spaces, Scott Taylor of Tierra Concepts told commissioners.
Also on Spicewood Springs at MoPac, the
Austin Oaks planned unit development earned the stamp of approval from the zoning commission Nov. 1.
Developer Spire Realty is proposing to build a total of 865,900 square feet of office space as part of the PUD, which was expected to be heard by Austin City Council on Dec. 15 for the first step in the final approval process.