By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
NRP Group LLC is building 302 apartment units, in 18 three-story buildings at 4800 Steiner Ranch Blvd. with the first units to be available by early next year.
“(The project) does not have a name yet. We are conducting market surveys and going through a branding effort to come up with something that fits within Steiner community and greater northwest Austin,” said Mark Jensen, vice president of development and based in the San Antonio offices of NRP Group.
Jensen has been working on the project a little over a year now. NRP closed on the property in February.
NRP rendering of the pool area.
Cleveland-based NRP Group develops, builds and manages multi-family apartment complexes in a dozen states. In Texas, NRP is active in Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston in addition to Austin.
The Steiner project is NRP’s third in the last couple of years in Greater Austin. It finished the Allure in Cedar Park and is working on the Addison, next to Topgolf at the Domain.
“We look at each project individually. We create something that fits within that community and that meets the demographics of that area,” Jensen said. So the Steiner project will be different than the Allure and the Addison.
“In Steiner, there are phenomenal views, so we’ll have wider, bigger windows with more glass and capturing the views. You’ll be able to see a little water and nature views around the site,” he added.
The style will be Hill Country contemporary with interiors, finishes and exteriors in native Austin stone.
“We’ll have a slightly more contemporary spin than most of the existing communities out there (in the area),” Jensen said.
NRP will be developing 37 percent of the site and the rest will be green space, he said.
“(The site development) was started by a different developer several years ago, who proceeded with the site plan and had gotten approval for site plan but for a variety of reasons, opted out,” Jensen said.
“We went in and kept the basics but we reduced the building count which allowed for more impervious covered, and for that the City of Austin was happy with us,” Jensen said.
It is a challenging site with three different tiers so it will take longer than usual to finish up site work, he said. There will be two entrances off of Steiner Ranch Boulevard.
“We are targeting the first of next year for our grand opening. It will take the better part of the year to build out the clubhouse and first two buildings. Then it will roughly be a building or two a month,” he said.
The complex will also have a large fitness center, dog parks, and a contemporary pool with cabanas and a big outdoor grilling area.
“Our strategy in the Texas markets is to create the nicest, outdoor living, pool area in the area,” Jensen said.
Unit sizes will range from 700-square-feet to 1600-square-feet, from one- to three-bedroom units. Some will have 2.5 baths and direct access garages. There will be a few townhouse units.
Rents will be comparable starting in the $900 range to close to $2000 on the higher end, Jensen said.
“This (project) could appeal to a wide range of people with its more contemporary design, from the younger demographic who maybe have family in the Hill Country to empty nesters in area,” Jensen said.