The development encompasses 24.37 acres and includes 9,000 sf ofretail, half of which is being taken by Blockbuster Video, GregSmyrl, JPI's regional asset manager, tells GlobeSt.com. The projectis located in the city's Far Northwest submarket near theintersection of Highway 620 and Parmer Lane.

Sixteen of the units incorporate flex designs with first-flooroffice/retail space for people who want to live and work in thesame location. The live/work spaces are connected by a stairwell,which can be removed if the tenant does not want the office/retailspot. The specially designed units carry slightly higher per sfrental rates and are larger in size than the rest of the projectdue to the amenity. "It's the ability to be close to your office,"Smyrl says of the higher cost, which runs around 8-cents more persf base cost to rent. All live/work apartments will front ParmerLane.

Live/work units range in size from 2,200 sf to 2,400 sf whilethe others go from a 484-sf efficiency up to a 2,100-sfthree-bedroom dwelling. JPI, one of the nation's largest luxurymultifamily developers, is launching the concept in Austin as aresult of a survey of high-end apartment dwellers. "It was a veryfavorable response," he tells GlobeSt.com.