After years of planning and discussion, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Plaza Saltillo District was finally held earlier this week. Once complete, it will include 800 residential housing units, 110,000 square feet of retail, 140,000 square feet of office space, 1.4 acres of public open space, and the infrastructure to boost public transportation use in the area.

Where is Plaza Saltillo?
The development is being built on a 10-acre abandoned plot of land that once held the city’s train depot. It is located in east Austin from I-35 to Onion Street, between 4th and 5th streets (near the North Door).

What’s the connection to public transportation?
The land is currently owned by Capital Metro, but is being leased out to a private company in order to build a development that supports public transportation. In particular, Cap Metro hopes that the project will help to boost ridership on the MetroRail (which has stations nearby). Once complete, the development will be served by the MetroRail, MetroBus, Car2Go, sidewalks, Austin B-cycle, and an extension of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway from downtown Austin.

“A primary goal of this project is to increase ridership on Capital Metro services – not just for the agency’s benefit, but because successful public transit serves the whole region,” said Austin City Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria, in a press release. “With more than 1,700 people living and working there, the Plaza Saltillo District will be able to do just that.”

Of the 800 residential housing units in the Plaza Saltillo District, about 18 percent will be affordable(reserved for Austinites making up to 50 percent of Austin’s median family income). The project is expected to be completed in late 2019. More info>>