Market District to Highlight Area Makers

AUSTIN, TX—Maker Bros. partner Brandon Bolin was originally inspired to pursue the Saint Elmo Market District after touring the site in 2013, which includes a 1950s-era 40,000-square-foot former school bus factory for the Austin Independent School District. He immediately saw an opportunity to develop an adaptive reuse project in an area centered along the path of progress, with close proximity to downtown.

Fast forward to present day and project developer, Maker Bros., has closed on the land and is moving ahead with plans for the project, a $150 million mixed-use site set to break ground and begin construction. Saint Elmo is expected to transform South Austin into a creative hub unique to the community.

Located off of South Congress near Ben White, the first phase plans are set to get underway at the end of the year, with the balance of the project kicking off in 2018. The market district will include 400 multifamily units and a 40,000-square-foot renovated warehouse for an indoor-outdoor marketplace, which will feature Austin's famed Saxon Pub. The project also includes 100,000 square feet of creative office, a boutique hotel and a for-sale condo development.

“Re-zoning the site and closing the land was a big accomplishment but we still have a lot of work in front of us. We have assembled an incredibly strong team to move forward with Brandon Bolin's creative vision of the project,” said Matt Stevens, Maker Bros. partner. “Although the partnership is newly formed, the principals have worked together and collaborated in many capacities through the last 15 years. We saw an opportunity to make a difference through thoughtful redevelopment, consistently sharing in values and vision. Each of us tend to view opportunities as well as our fingerprint on society in the same way.”

The site currently houses the Office Furniture NOW! warehouse. Phase I of the project will include a $3 million renovation of the former bus factory, with the intention of re-tenanting the space with maker-oriented users of the space. Phase II includes a 400-unit multifamily development and parking structure. The developer has acquired a long-term option on an additional 2.5 acres on South Congress that will expand the first phase of the project.

Stevens tells GlobeSt.com: “We're for the 'makers,' the little guys that get the work done. We want to entice the makers of society to be a part of this project: the stakeholders that are actually on the ground making productivity happen. We are looking to mutually benefit from the tenants we are incubating and help them as much as they will help us. We want everyone to feel like they are part of a collaborative effort. While re-gentrifying the St. Elmo district, Maker Bros.' goal is to support the tenants in a way that nurtures their business(es).”

The build­out for the centerpiece warehouse of the project will highlight details such as the high  windows that allow natural sunlight into the warehouse. In a twist to the original vision of the project, the Saxon Pub will feature a listening room.

“It's fitting that our firm carries the name 'maker' because that's what this project is all about; being for and facilitating the makers of trade. And, this new location for the Saxon will be one of the best places in Texas to play live music,” says Bolin. In addition to being a developer, Bolin is also a musician.  

Financing was arranged by Parker Briley of JPP Capital Management of Dallas.

Steady gains in the US economy have resulted in net positives for the multifamily sector—will this wave continue for the foreseeable future? What's driving development and capital flows? Join us at RealShare Apartments on October 19 & 20 for impactful information from the leaders in the National multifamily space. Learn more.

AUSTIN, TX—Maker Bros. partner Brandon Bolin was originally inspired to pursue the Saint Elmo Market District after touring the site in 2013, which includes a 1950s-era 40,000-square-foot former school bus factory for the Austin Independent School District. He immediately saw an opportunity to develop an adaptive reuse project in an area centered along the path of progress, with close proximity to downtown.

Fast forward to present day and project developer, Maker Bros., has closed on the land and is moving ahead with plans for the project, a $150 million mixed-use site set to break ground and begin construction. Saint Elmo is expected to transform South Austin into a creative hub unique to the community.

Located off of South Congress near Ben White, the first phase plans are set to get underway at the end of the year, with the balance of the project kicking off in 2018. The market district will include 400 multifamily units and a 40,000-square-foot renovated warehouse for an indoor-outdoor marketplace, which will feature Austin's famed Saxon Pub. The project also includes 100,000 square feet of creative office, a boutique hotel and a for-sale condo development.

“Re-zoning the site and closing the land was a big accomplishment but we still have a lot of work in front of us. We have assembled an incredibly strong team to move forward with Brandon Bolin's creative vision of the project,” said Matt Stevens, Maker Bros. partner. “Although the partnership is newly formed, the principals have worked together and collaborated in many capacities through the last 15 years. We saw an opportunity to make a difference through thoughtful redevelopment, consistently sharing in values and vision. Each of us tend to view opportunities as well as our fingerprint on society in the same way.”

The site currently houses the Office Furniture NOW! warehouse. Phase I of the project will include a $3 million renovation of the former bus factory, with the intention of re-tenanting the space with maker-oriented users of the space. Phase II includes a 400-unit multifamily development and parking structure. The developer has acquired a long-term option on an additional 2.5 acres on South Congress that will expand the first phase of the project.

Stevens tells GlobeSt.com: “We're for the 'makers,' the little guys that get the work done. We want to entice the makers of society to be a part of this project: the stakeholders that are actually on the ground making productivity happen. We are looking to mutually benefit from the tenants we are incubating and help them as much as they will help us. We want everyone to feel like they are part of a collaborative effort. While re-gentrifying the St. Elmo district, Maker Bros.' goal is to support the tenants in a way that nurtures their business(es).”

The build­out for the centerpiece warehouse of the project will highlight details such as the high  windows that allow natural sunlight into the warehouse. In a twist to the original vision of the project, the Saxon Pub will feature a listening room.

“It's fitting that our firm carries the name 'maker' because that's what this project is all about; being for and facilitating the makers of trade. And, this new location for the Saxon will be one of the best places in Texas to play live music,” says Bolin. In addition to being a developer, Bolin is also a musician.  

Financing was arranged by Parker Briley of JPP Capital Management of Dallas.

Steady gains in the US economy have resulted in net positives for the multifamily sector—will this wave continue for the foreseeable future? What's driving development and capital flows? Join us at RealShare Apartments on October 19 & 20 for impactful information from the leaders in the National multifamily space. Learn more.