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.
Click here to see the project timeline.
Public Art Opportunity for St. John Site
Calls are open for Texas-based artists and Artist-led teams for artwork to be installed in the redesigned park space of St. John Site. With a rich history as a Freedmen’s community dating back to the 1890s, the St. John Site has been a pivotal location for Central Texas’ African American community. Artist(s) with ties to the historic St. John neighborhood are strongly encouraged to apply.
The submission deadline is March 14, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST. For additional details, visit the application webpage.
Oportunidad de arte público para el sitio de St. John
Invitamos a artistas de Texas y a equipos dirigidos por artistas a presentar su candidatura para una instalación de arte público en el rediseñado sitio de St. John, una histórica comunidad afroamericana. Animamos a los artistas que tengan conexiones con el vecindario a que presenten su solicitud antes del 14 de marzo. El 11 de febrero se llevará a cabo una sesión informativa para artistas en el centro recreativo Virginia L. Brown.
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.
Click here for the updated timeline
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at St.John.Site@austintexas.gov
What’s Next
The St. John Site development team is working with City Departments to gain the necessary approvals to begin construction on the community vision. We hope to have design and permitting completed this year and to break ground later this Fall.