More than 6 acres off Bolm Road in East Austin are moving closer to redevelopment with affordable housing. (Ben Thompson/Community Impact)
The city is moving closer to bringing a housing development for lower-income residents to a formerly contaminated site in East Austin following its environmental remediation.
The big picture
The 6-acre 4800 Bolm Road property was condemned by Austin leaders in the late 1990s and officially acquired by the city in 2002. It's sat vacant since then, eventually leading council member José Velásquez—who represents City Council District 3 including the site—to call for the development of deeply affordable housing there in 2023.
Council members authorized the property's transfer to the Austin Housing Finance Corp., the city's affordable housing nonprofit overseen by elected officials, on July 23. That move allows the AHFC to open a solicitation for its redevelopment, a process likely to start next year.
Velásquez noted his 2023 resolution calling for the Bolm Road project was one of his first actions after his 2002 election, and said he's happy to see the process now advancing.
“Earmarking this city property for affordable housing was one of the very first things that we brought, and seeing the meaningful repurposing of a site that represented environmental injustice to many of my East Austin neighbors brings me a lot of joy today," he said July 23.
City Council directed the addition of deeply affordable housing at the city-owned Bolm Road site in 2023. (Ben Thompson/Community Impact)
The context
The site of a former waste systems facility required extensive cleanup after recent environmental reporting found groundwater contamination. Austin funded "extensive environmental mitigation" in line with state requirements to prepare for residential development, according to city materials.
The city submitted evidence of environmental remediation under the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality's Voluntary Cleanup Program in 2024. Based on those cleanup activities, the state agency certified that the property is now suitable for housing.
"Past environmental concerns were addressed through the TCEQ Voluntary Cleanup Program. The final Certificate of Completion was received in January 2025, confirming the Bolm Road site meets residential land use standards," Austin Housing spokesperson Kasi Jackson confirmed.
The site currently serves as a staging area for Austin Resource Recovery until the city's new Northeast Service Center opens in 2027.
The Bolm Road property is currently vacant and used for Austin Resource Recovery staging. (Ben Thompson/Community Impact)
What's next
The scope of the proposed residential development at the site is still to be determined. Austin Housing plans to seek public feedback on priorities for the site before issuing a solicitation for the project.
The property could contain 250-380 new units and require $12 million-$14.8 million in gap financing for that development, a recent city analysis found. Final details like a proposed unit count, bedroom mix and community amenities will be informed by upcoming community engagement and market conditions, according to Austin Housing.
Hundreds of income-restricted housing units could be added at the Bolm Road property. (Courtesy city of Austin)
