BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
Highpoint 2222 traffic intersection performance
Offering input
Also of note
2222 CONA and Karlin have had 18 meetings over the last three years, and hundreds of resident responses have been collected through surveys and a Sept. 16 open house. Traffic, density and environmental impacts top the list of “inevitable” community concerns, Bailey said. However, part of 2222 CONA’s request includes completing road improvements—such as new lanes and traffic lights—before buildings are occupied, as officials project nearly 18,000 daily vehicle trips could be added as a result of the development. “Certain tenants ... and certain developmental land use code changes may impact the density and traffic in that property, and thus impact what happens in that community,” District 10 council member Marc Duchen said. Similarly, Duval’s 2022 traffic impact analysis shows improvements at several intersections will be required.
Duval’s mixed-use rezoning also better reflects Austin’s economic and community needs, District 6 council member Krista Laine said in an email to Community Impact . Once slated for millions of square feet of office space, preliminary plans for Duval now call for 30,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 1,200 multifamily units. Council also recently rezoned 28.85 acres of the Apple campus off Riata Vista Circle, which could bring multifamily, retail and more. The rezoning process typically takes several months before construction begins.
Several intersections were graded on an A-F scale. An A rating indicates less than 10 seconds spent at a traffic signal. An F rating is more than 85 seconds.
Morning
2035 performance with upgrades
RM 2222 intersection River Place Boulevard Sitio Del Rio Boulevard McNeil Drive River Place Boulevard Sitio Del Rio Boulevard McNeil Drive Afternoon
Current performance
D
E
B
B
F
F
C
C
Rezoning process
A
A
Application: The developer completes the site plan and other documents, then files a rezoning application. Notice: A case manager is assigned, and notices are mailed to property owners and utility companies within 500 feet. Review and recommendation: Staff recommends to approve the project, deny or approve with conditions. Public hearing: The Planning Commission or Zoning & Platting Commission makes a recommendation. City Council: Council hears testimony, reviews the commission’s recommendation and votes. Permitting and construction: The developer applies for building permits.
1
C
C
SOURCES: 2222 CONA, BOE CONSULTING SERVICES/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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3
Diving in deeper
4
said, so pairing office footprints with in-demand components such as multifamily units or hotels gives developers flexibility to make the property more desirable. “It’s not this guessing game as to whether a tenant will come along, which we saw a lot more of in the 2018 and 2019 run-up before COVID,” McDonald said. “The vacancy rates were so low in Austin that you could justify the pending demand for an office building to be built speculatively. That doesn’t exist anymore.”
Highpoint 2222 has the largest amount of available office space in the Northwest Austin submarket at 1.18 million square feet, per Aquila Commercial’s second quarter 2025 market report. However, pre-leasing office space has slowed overall in the last couple of years, McDonald said, citing uncertainties about return-to-work man- dates and companies “not biting off more than they can chew.” Pivoting to mixed-use is often a result of construction financing based on demand, he
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7 Once cleared, construction begins. Phasing: The project may happen in phases over time depending on market demand and financing. SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN PLANNING DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION
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