Site and Land Redevelopment
About
The Redevelopment Division within Austin Financial Services, brings social and economic value to the city by investing in residential communities, businesses and mixed-use areas through new construction, historic preservation, adaptive reuse and infrastructure improvements. These efforts create community benefits like affordable housing, public art, parks, trails and open spaces. Financial Services leads several types of redevelopment initiatives, including site and land redevelopment and different types of Public Improvement Districts. All this work supports Austin’s community members, businesses, and visitors.
On this Page:
Projects • Public Improvement Districts • Austin Public Facilities Corporation • Past Facilities Projects
Projects
Redevelopment stewards public and private investment to support social and economic growth while preserving and enhancing neighborhood identity. By collaborating with community stakeholders, Redevelopment strategically positions City-owned real estate to deliver meaningful and lasting public benefits.
Site and land redevelopment initiatives help Austin make thoughtful, community-driven decisions about how public land is used. These efforts guide how different areas grow—whether through new buildings, mixed-use spaces, parks, open space or future public facilities. Because every site is unique, each project reflects its location, community priorities and stage of planning.
Learn About Our Site and Land Redevelopments
- Mueller Redevelopment
Mueller redeveloped the former 700-acre municipal airport into a mixed-use, mixed-income community focused on sustainability, affordability, and economic opportunity. Guided by a longstanding community vision and extensive public input, it is now a model for walkable urban development with homes, parks, retail and offices.
- Colony Park Sustainable Community
The Colony Park Sustainable Community is a long-term City effort to transform 208 acres in northeast Austin into a mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood. The project will add housing, retail, office and community spaces that expand access to services and opportunities. It builds on earlier planning and is guided by strong community oversight.
- Grove-Riverside Site
The Grove–Riverside Site redevelopment spans nearly 125 acres at East Riverside Drive and Grove Boulevard, including three City-owned parcels near the future Austin Light Rail and planned Grove Station. Austin is working with the community to identify priorities and desired benefits to ensure redevelopment supports current residents as the area grows.
- Seaholm District
Austin transformed 90 acres of former industrial land into the Seaholm District, a walkable downtown neighborhood. Guided by a 2001 vision plan, Austin partnered with private developers to reuse obsolete infrastructure sites. By 2022, the district’s value exceeded $2 billion, supporting sustainability, affordable housing, local jobs, public spaces and arts investment.
- 2nd Street District
The 2nd Street District is a six-block, City-led redevelopment created through public-private partnerships to bring a walkable, mixed-use destination to downtown Austin. Completed between 2000 and 2012, it now includes homes, hotel rooms, jobs and retail space, and continues to play a key role in supporting downtown’s growth.
- St. John Site
The St. John Site includes 19 acres of City-owned land at St. Johns Avenue and I-35 in the historic St. John neighborhood, a longtime center of Central Texas’ African American community. Purchased with 2006 bond funds, the parcels became the focus of a community vision adopted in 2020.
- 1215 Red River and 606 East 12th Street
The site is one of Austin’s last downtown properties designated for redevelopment. The two parcels, totaling 1.73 acres near I-35, the State Capitol, and UT Austin, were acquired between 1952 and 1976. A rehab facility opened in 1990 under a long-term ground lease, later assigned to HealthSouth. Austin regained the leasehold and garage title in 2017.
Redevelopment
Public Improvement Districts
A Public Improvement District (PlD) is an economic development tool that permits the financing of public improvements and supplemental services that are determined by the City of Austin to confer a special benefit on a geographically defined area within its corporate limits or its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Council Resolution 20200220-015, the City’s PID Policy, governs the creation, operations and dissolution of PIDs in Austin. There are three types of PIDs within the City of Austin, Maintenance and Operations PIDs, Development PIDs and Tourism PIDs.
Redevelopment
Austin Public Facilities Corporation
Established in 2023 as a “public purpose” entity under the Texas Public Facilities Corporation Act (Chapter 303), the Austin Public Facilities Corporation (APFC) plays a pivotal role in supporting the City's public facilities initiatives.
Redevelopment
Past Facilities Projects
Over the past decade, Financial Services has delivered significant public real estate assets that have aligned with the Imagine Austin comprehensive plan by centering development within Regional and Town Centers. These projects enhance their surroundings, offering pedestrian-oriented, transit-accessible environments that support diverse land uses. Furthermore, they provide amenities that help attract and retain a vibrant workforce and provide community space to Austinites.