AUSTIN, Texas — The YMCA in downtown Austin could soon be replaced by a taller, greener facility surrounded by affordable housing, under a redevelopment plan submitted to the this week.
The Greater Austin YMCA and developer Millennium Partners have submitted a Planned Unit Development application to the City of Austin to redevelop the TownLake YMCA campus.
The application, filed July 24, would replace the YMCA’s current 75,000-square-foot building at 1100 W. Cesar Chavez St., built in 1970, with a roughly 110,000-square-foot facility on the 4.8-acre site. The project would combine an expanded YMCA with childcare, youth programming and mental health services, along with affordable and market-rate housing.
Kathy Kuras, president and CEO of the Greater Austin YMCA, called the filing a “major milestone,” saying the goal is a mixed-use community where families can “live, learn, work, and play.”
ALSO | How should lawmakers address data centers?
Working with nonprofit Foundation Communities, the plan includes about 90 affordable housing units for households earning less than 55% of the area median income. Market-rate residences are also planned, which organizers say would help finance the YMCA facility and other public benefits.
Proposed environmental upgrades include a blackwater recycling system, an estimated 20 million gallons in annual water savings, solar and geothermal power, creek restoration, and a target of net-zero carbon, all-electric operation.
The Greater Austin YMCA said the project could generate more than $1 billion in taxable value and create construction and permanent jobs. The proposal now heads through city review, including City boards and the Austin City Council, and remains subject to change. Officials said they intend to keep the TownLake YMCA open throughout construction.
The filing is part of a broader “reimagining” effort the YMCA began in 2022 to evaluate the highest and best use of its properties, which also includes ongoing reviews of its Schmetterling and East Communities locations.