About the Colony Park Sustainable Community
The Colony Park Sustainable Community Initiative began in 2012 as a three-year master planning process supported through a $3 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant. Through this process, the City engaged hundreds of community stakeholders through community meetings, workshops, and family-focused events to create a community vision for the project. This vision is captured in the Colony Park Master Plan and Design Guidelines, which includes priorities that will guide the development of the 208 acre City-owned site.
The Austin City Council adopted the Colony Park Master Plan and Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning district in December 2014. Following the Master Plan and PUD adoption, the City of Austin worked with the community to secure a master developer partner for the Colony Park Sustainable Community. The City of Austin signed an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Catellus Development Corporation (Catellus) for the project in May 2020. Together, along with the community, the City and Catellus are working to create a Master Development Agreement that will set the stage for realizing the community’s vision in the Colony Park Sustainable Community Master Plan.
Description
What’s New
City Enters into Exclusive Negotiations with Catellus Development Corp.
The Economic Development Department signed an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Catellus Development Corporation (Catellus) for the Colony Park Sustainable Community project on May 12, 2020. When complete, the project is expected to feature a mix of housing types, retail and office space, a transit center, and an innovation district. The Colony Park Sustainable Community will be the largest redevelopment of city-owned land since the Mueller project.
The Exclusive Negotiation Agreement ends the solicitation process and anti-lobbying/no contact requirements between the Economic Development Department, Catellus, and community partners. It also establishes a two-year time frame for the City and Catellus to perform due diligence and negotiate a Master Development Agreement for the Colony Park Sustainable Community project.
City enters in Interlocal Agreement with Central Health to deliver a North East Health and Wellness Center within the Colony Park Sustainable Community
With the support of the community, the City of Austin is working with Central Health to fill a critical need for healthcare services in northeast Austin. On February 6, 2020, City Council authorized an interlocal agreement with Central Health to evaluate the suitability of a Health and Wellness Center within the Loyola Town Center of the 208-acre Colony Park Sustainable Community. The opportunity to develop a Health and Wellness Center further aligns the development at the 208-acre Colony Park site with the City’s Strategic Outcomes of Economic Opportunity & Affordability and Health & Environment.
Community celebrates Grand Opening of Colony Park District Park
On March 7, 2020, the community along with a number of partners gathered for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate improvements at Colony Park District Park. The nine-acre development overlooking downtown Austin includes a 10,000 square foot play area with elements of nature-based play, two picnic pavilions, a multi-purpose athletic field with LED lighting, youth baseball field, 3,500 feet of pedestrian walkways and a 130 foot pedestrian bridge linking the Colony Park community to the park facilities and Volma Overton Elementary. The park is home to a 2,400 square foot mural, “Peace and Harmony”, painted by Tyson Davis, artwork commissioned by the Art in Public Places Program. Development of the District Park was made possible through funding from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, St. David’s Foundation Healthy Living Grant, Austin Parks Foundation, Dell Technology Match Play, 2012 and 2018 City of Austin Bond and Parkland Dedication Fees.
Nearby City Initiatives
Colony Park Loop Drive: The City of Austin is conducting preliminary and design-phase work to connect two existing Colony Loop Drive sections as part of the 2016 Mobility Bond Program. Ultimately, improvements would create a continuous connection between Loyola Lane and Decker Lane through the Colony Park Sustainable Community project site and existing adjacent neighborhoods. The project will also provide critical connectivity for residents and visitors of the Colony Park/Lakeside Neighborhood to access Volma Overton Elementary, Turner-Roberts Recreation Center, and Colony Park District Park. In September 2020, over 2,500 residents in the area received a newsletter regarding updates on the project. Read the Colony Loop Drive newsletter.
This project is a partnership between the Economic Development Department and Corridor Mobility Program Office in support of the Colony Park Sustainable Community vision.
Colony Loop Drive Virtual Public Meeting
The Austin Economic Development Department and Corridor Mobility Program held a virtual Public Meeting on Thursday, December 3, 2020 to discuss design updates and next steps to the Colony Loop Drive project. Prior to the meeting, a detailed letter (link to PDF) was sent to residents living near Colony Loop Drive by the Austin Transportation Department.
If you missed our meeting, please see information below:
Quick Colony Loop Drive Project FAQs
Q: Will we see the project design before it goes for permit?
A: Yes, the 90% will be presented to the community before permitting is final. This should occur in early summer 2021.
Q: When will the project be constructed?
A: At this time there is not a funding source identified for construction of the project. It is a high priority for the City of Austin to identify construction funds within the next 3 years. The community will be updated as soon as the project is funded.
Walter E. Long Master Plan: The Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park Master Plan will help determine the long-range vision for the entirety of the park, including areas currently used by other organizations. Potential improvements in the park include elements such as enhanced trails, additional water-related recreation, fitness opportunities, camping, special event venues, and educational and cultural exhibits.
Project Connect: The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Cap Metro) has created a plan for mobility investments in Central Texas looking out to the year 2040. This plan includes a vision for a complete system of reliable and frequent transit with services that operate free from other traffic. One piece of this vision includes the Green Line Commuter Rail investment, which would repurpose a freight line owned by Cap Metro into high-capacity commuter rail running from Downtown Austin to Manor. As currently planned, this line would include a station stop at the Colony Park Sustainable Community site.
Colony Park Aquatic Facility: With the efforts of community leaders, the City of Austin 2018 General Obligation (G.O.) Bonds included funding for the construction of an aquatic facility in Colony Park. This new aquatic facility will complement the recently completed Colony Park District Park that provides a baseball field, soccer/multi sports field, a large play area with elements of nature based play, fitness equipment, two pavilions, picnic tables, drinking fountains, and a hike and bike trail that connects the adjacent communities.
In case you missed it, here’s the link to view the Community Meeting #2. We encourage you to complete the community survey to provide feedback to the design team at the Speakup Austin page. The survey is in Spanish and English and will be open until Wednesday, May 19.
For more information, Email colonypark@austintexas.gov or call (512) 974-3394.
