At 6500 Burnet Road, The Kalantari Group is developing a 52-unit residential building with 4,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor.[/caption]

A developer behind several area mixed-use projects is planning a residential and retail development off Burnet Road that he says will provide a chic, urban experience in a more walkable and affordable environment than downtown Austin.

The project, which will be known as Sixty Five, is slated to break ground July 1 at 6500 Burnet Road. and will include 52 residential units and 4,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, said developer Amir Kalantari of The Kalantari Group. 

“I think it will bring an interactive element to Burnet Road,” Kalantari said. “I think this will provide an opportunity for people to experience a more urban [setting] while still being in those pocket areas [close to neighborhoods].”

Developer Amir Kalantari said his mixed-use project, Sixty Five, will feature lounge seating on a rooftop deck exclusive to tenants.[/caption]

Kalantari said his vision for the project is to create an “urban-feeling, interactive building” that will cater to young families and professionals who may be new to the area. The complex will feature underground parking, a rooftop lounge with grills and sundecks and a barista-staffed espresso bar in the lobby, he said. 

“I think the user profile for this area is hip and chic; maybe they’re new couples, couples with kids,” he said. “I just feel like that area is kind of thirsty for [something like Sixty Five]. The demand for housing, especially rental housing in that area, is through the roof.”

Sixty Five will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as a small percentage of affordable housing on-site and will likely begin leasing in summer 2017, Kalantari said.