Austin City Council granted final approval for a $1 billion redevelopment of the Brodie Oaks Shopping Center on Sept. 21 after years of discussing the transformation of a decades-old strip mall into a space consisting of retail, housing and a park.

“In my opinion, [Brodie Oaks] sets the bar for future [planned unit developments] going forward. It provides affordable housing, parkland, [and] it integrates the goals of Water Forward and many other environmental and community benefits,” Council Member Leslie Pool said Sept. 21. “And the best thing about this PUD is that it did not ask for public tax dollars to make it happen.”

The gist

Developer Barshop & Oles announced plans for the space off South Lamar Boulevard in December 2020. The redevelopment could potentially include:

• 1.26 million square feet of office space
• 140,000 square feet of retail space
• 1,700 residential units
• 13.7 acres of outdoor green space
• A 200-room hotel

“We are all very excited to have obtained approval of the Brodie Oaks PUD,” said Milo Burdette, partner and vice president of development for Barshop & Oles. “It was a long process, but we had an amazing design and entitlements team.”What they're saying

Those in opposition to the redevelopment are concerned about potential environmental impacts due to impervious cover, or surfaces that don’t absorb rainfall, and the height of the buildings, which are planned to reach up to 275 feet.

“If we care about the climate, we’ll be pushing folks to do more midrise development,” said Bill Bunch, the executive director of the Save Our Springs Alliance, on Sept. 21.

District 5 Council Member Ryan Alter said the plan is more environmentally friendly than the current state of the strip mall because the asphalt that makes up the development allows for more runoff into Barton Creek. After getting resident feedback on the project, Alter said neighbors supported the redevelopment plan “almost unanimously.”

“By reducing sprawl and allowing for us to grow responsibility as a city, that is going to also improve and limit our environmental impact on our community,” Alter said.

What’s next

Construction on the first phase of the project is anticipated to begin in 2025 with an estimated completion in 2027, according to the developer. Existing businesses in the shopping center will have to move out when construction begins, as previously reported by Community Impact.

“Now that the zoning is in place, we can focus on the design and implementation of the initial phase of Brodie’s redevelopment,” Burdette said. “With all the changes in the overall commercial real estate market, I don’t know that we have decided what that initial phase will look like, but we look forward to jumping into the process of making those decisions.”