Development
BY ELLE BENT & ZARA FLORES
290 Menchaca’s booming bar scene to see more growth, amenities As Menchaca’s bar scene continues to boom, developers Austin NNN, Investcor and MNO Partners are working to propel the area’s growth with apartments and other amenities. What’s new Future multifamily facility Developers are working to build a ve-story apartment complex with more than 400 units.
St. Elmo Public Market, the renovated ware- house that has sat empty while awaiting its fate since its completion in 2022, has been sold and will become a bowling alley, arcade and bar instead of the once-promised public market. The gist Ohio-based company Rise Brands will open gaming venue Pins Mechanical and arcade bar 16-Bit in 2024. The space will include bowling lanes, arcade games and a bar. The property was purchased by SomeraRoad, a commercial real estate investment and develop- ment rm, and will be leased by Pins and 16-Bit, which will begin construction this year. St. Elmo Public Market to become bowling alley
opposed to surface parking, he added. Despite the competitive nature of so many bars on one stretch of road, Dowling said that several of the fellow owners are building bonds together and working toward the same shared goal and bene ts of more residents in the area. Pickleball courts and a walking trail are also in the works. “This is kind of like the next Rainey Street, but it’s more of a South Austin, laid-back [area],” Dowling said. What’s next? Some permitting is still in the works for the Moontower multifamily project, but Dowling said they expect to break ground in the second half of 2024, with the rst units up in 2026. "I would expect within two years the amount of bars and restaurants and other venues to double," said Frank Navarro, who heads capital raising for MNO Partners.
Moontower Saloon owners Josh Bumb & Richard Veregge opened the area’s rst bar more than a decade ago and are partnering with MNO Partners to create a multifamily apartment complex. The ve-story, 437-unit apartment complex will make way for a transformation of the area that the team believes will lend to greater connectivity and walkability. “We’re bringing all the density here so it’ll be that true live-work-play type of [area],” said Tim Downling, owner of BTM Realty in Austin and Moontower apartment project lead. Features of the apartment complex include a third- oor pool deck and a parking garage, as
The market is located on South Congress Avenue.
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ELLE BENT COMMUNITY IMPACT
Momo by developer United Properties, told Com- munity Impact in April if the public market were to move forward, it would be seen as a resident amenity. The market’s initial developer was Maker Bros., a Dallas-based construction and real estate company, in partnership with Ground oor Devel- opment. The architect was Andersson Wise, based in Austin. The public market was last promised to open in 2021 and was listed for sale in July 2022 for $22.5 million.
The details The original project was marketed as including dozens of food and beverage vendors, and seven restaurants announced plans to become anchor tenants in the market. As plans lagged, all but one—Salt & Time, a full-service butcher shop and restaurant at 1912 E. Seventh St., Austin—dropped out of the project. O cials with multifamily housing projects close to the St. Elmo Public Market, such as Bishop
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BRODIE LANE 4970 Hwy 290 W (512) 366-8260 BEE CAVE 13015 Shops Pkwy (512) 263-9981
SOUTHPARK MEADOWS 9900 IH-35 Service Road S (512) 280-7400 DRIPPING SPRINGS
166 Hargraves (512) 432-0186
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