Real Estate Broker · Austin, TX · Member since 2015 · 715 posts · 527 votes
New MetroRail station is on track for an enormous mixed-use project being developed across from the Domain complex in North Austin. The rail station will serve a planned 6 million square ft development dubbed as Uptown ATX
Cap Metro says the new station will provide a link to Austin’s “second downtown” and a connection to a “high-density, mixed-use development with a safe and walkable street grid.”
Construction on the new commuter rail station is set to begin in September and be completed in the summer of 2022.
The Domain is the "population center of gravity" for the Austin metro. With the new MLS stadium and Apple campus going up not far away, it will be a great spot for appreciation.
Per Google maps, it's about 11 miles to downtown Austin. So in short, the only areas that will benefit from this will be the Austin (and as a poster mentioned earlier, perhaps parts of RR and Cedar Park)?
Traffic is going to suck in that area with The Domain and Domain Northside, the new soccer stadium and now this 66 acre development. It's going to be cool by my god is it going to become dense.
There is a lot of growth that direction. Housing is more affordable on the outskirts of the city, tech companies have been there for years so lots of folks live out there and have been moving in that direction, the highways are built up, companies and developers can build outside of the city limits where it is easier to build and get things approved, etc.
Personally I think it's a stretch to call it a second downtown. I'm guessing that won't stick, but rail out there makes sense for sure.
To answer your question about who benefits? Mostly north Austin and surrounding suburbs. We have one other line that also is north Austin focused that goes to downtown (fun fact, you can't even get to the airport on it)..
Austin needs a good transit system. We've never really been able to get a full system approved on the ballot, so we're getting it in piece-meal parts. What we have is incredibly flawed, but it's a step towards some sort of transit system so we will take it.
Notice that it took a private public partnership deal for this to happen. I have a feeling that this development will lead to other similar developments around the city. This is very good news! Who is going to really benefit? Brandywine..lets not pretend.