Tiny 'Indie Apartments' headed for East Austin
Editor's Note: MPC is excited to be the general contractor for The Indie, microunits in east Austin. This article is taken from the Austin Business Journal.
Transwestern Development Co. shows no signs of letting up on the gas in East Austin. The company recently finished The Arnold apartment community at 1621 E. Sixth St. and is in the final stages of the creative office space element dubbed, "1645 East 6th at The Arnold."
Now, on the same block, Transwestern is building Indie Apartments, a 139-microunit community that will include 350-square-foot studio apartments and 520-square-foot units with two bedrooms.
Last week, Transwestern received a city permit to demolish the former Ross Transmission garage. The official address for the project is 1648 E. Sixth St.
The Indie project will incorporate 55,815 square feet of development on less than half an acre. A 2,500-square-foot restaurant space will be included in the project, which is scheduled to break ground in June and be delivered in August 2017.
Josh Delk, vice president of Transwestern Development, said the Indie will appeal to tenants who want to live in the midst of shops and restaurants on the East Side but require a more affordable price point than is currently available. Transwestern did not disclose what the average rent is likely to be, however.
The units will be designed to maximize the petite floor plans with built-in storage and flexible furniture such as Murphy beds, convertible tables and creative kitchen elements.
Wilder Belshaw Architects based in Addison, Texas, is the designer. Austin-based Martines Palmeiro Construction is the general contractor.
The Indie will include a courtyard with fire pits and outdoor televisions, as well as 108 parking spaces below grade.
Transwestern purchased the land from an entity named Jaylee Ltd. in August 2015, according to public records. The site was most recently valued at $1,106,128, more than double what it was valued in 2011, according to the Travis Central Appraisal District.
Jan Buchholz covers commercial and residential real estate, construction and architecture and retail and restaurants for the Austin Business Journal.
