By RICH KEITH, Four Points News
A pharmacy chain store and a 4-story hotel are proposed to be built at the main Four Points intersection of RM 620 and RM 2222. CVS Pharmacy has a purchase contract to buy one of two lots on the property where the abandoned convenience store sits, according to Jim George of GDF Realty Investment, Ltd. in Austin.
“We are trying to get approval from the City of Austin Planning and Development office to merge two properties into one and site two buildings there,” George said.
The 24-hour pharmacy would be built first, followed by the proposed hotel.
Photo by Rich Keith
CVS Pharmacy has a purchase contract to buy one of two lots on this property where the abandoned convenience store sits at the main Four Points intersection of RM 620 and RM 2222. A 4-story hotel is also in the site plan, sources say.
George hopes pharmacy construction could start “as early as Valentine’s Day, if miracles happen.” First though, the developers must respond to dozens of issues given them by the city from a report generated in early Sept. 2013. They have until Jan. 12, 2014 to address issues, fix problems, get variances or remove items from their wish list of options before the city will approve the plan.
“We want to build a project which gives competition to Walgreen’s and which serves people who are traveling on the other side of the roadway,” George said.
A significant delay was encountered with the strict watershed ordinance laws which cover drainage into streams and lakes around the Austin area. The larger lot in back is grandfathered using less-restrictive codes, while the smaller CVS lot must comply with today’s strictest codes.
“We proposed to re-plat the site so the smaller lot gets bigger and and the bigger lot gets smaller, and give up the grandfathering on the entire site,” George said.
Assuming the city agrees, George’s group will quickly sell the corner lot to CVS who will begin construction immediately. “CVS is very excited to serve the area,” George said.
Then development will occur on the larger lot to make ready for a hotel with a restaurant inside. The site plan states the 4-story hotel will be 53 feet tall and 63,000 square feet in size. George says they will market the property to hotel developers who will buy the lot and build their hotel.
“We want to serve the hospitality needs of Concordia University, 3M, Four Points Centre and the surrounding communities with this hotel and restaurant combination,” George said.
Traffic a concern
The project shows three driveways, one on RM 620 and a pair of driveways onto Bullick Hollow Road. The site plan application says the 13,090 square foot CVS Pharmacy alone will generate 1,269 car trips during each 24 hour day.
The number of trips has raised concerns about the already-congested intersection.
Texas Department of Transportation has given them a list of improvements and there will be a right-turn in, right-turn out onto RM 620, according to George.
Customers wishing to turn north on RM 620 can exit to Bullick Hollow and use the traffic signal, he said.