St. John Site Redevelopment
St. John Site Redevelopment
The St. John Site is located in the heart of the St. John neighborhood on the northeast corner of St. Johns Avenue and Interstate I-35 (800 E. St Johns Avenue). With a rich history dating back to the 1890’s when it was established as a Freedman community, the St. John neighborhood has served as a pivotal anchor to the African-American community in Central Texas over the centuries. The City of Austin acquired the St. John Site in the early 2000’s and in 2017, the City of Austin, with support from the University of Texas Center for Sustainable Development (CDS), worked with the community to establish a Council-adopted vision for the site, one that would serve current and future needs of St. John neighborhood residents. In 2023, the City of Austin partnered with Greystar Development, LLC and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) to implement the community’s vision through a Public-Private Partnership.
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Frequently Asked Questions
526 units of rental housing, 50% of which will be affordable (263 units) to qualifying individuals making 50%-70% of the Austin Median Family Income. It will also increase the size of the St. John Pocket Park from .79 acres to roughly 3.5 acres and provide for 15,000 square feet of commercial space focused on serving the needs of the St. John community.
The St. John Site Redevelopment is currently working through final design of the park and permitting for the site and buildings.
The St. John Site Redevelopment is being implemented through a Public-Private Partnership between the City of Austin Financial Services Department and Greystar Development, LLC with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA). Greystar’s design team includes Meeks + Partners, Lemmo Architecture and Design, and TBG Partners. Community engagement for the project is being provided by Pink Consulting under the leadership of Bobbie Garza-Hernandez.
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What's Next
As part of the community vision adopted by City Council in 2020, the St. John project team was directed to work with the St. John community to identify opportunities within the redevelopment project to honor the history of the St. John Neighborhood.
Starting in 2025, the St. John project team engaged with the City of Austin’s Art in Public Places Program to search for an artist to interpret the neighborhood's history through a unique artwork that will be placed in the future expansion of the existing St. John Pocket Park. This search kicked off in February and will continue through early Fall.
Program Updates:
April 11, 2025 – Initial artist submittals reviewed by the Artist Selection Panel
May 20, 2025 – Selected artist decision provided by the Artist Selection Panel
Summer 2025 – Artist selection presented to Art in Public Places (AIPP) Panel and Arts Commission
Early Fall 2025 – Artist selection presented to City Council
Stay tuned for upcoming community listening sessions and engagement events in the Fall that will help shape the creative vision for this important effort. If you have any questions about the project, are looking for more information, or generally just want to connect, please feel free to email the project team at St.John.Site@austintexas.gov.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at St.John.Site@austintexas.gov