AUSTIN, Texas — The future of the Acacia Cliffs apartment complex in northwest Austin has sparked concern among residents, some of which fear displacement due to a proposed redevelopment plan.
Currently, the apartment complex is a 10-acre site, built up of three multi-family buildings which have about 290 units.
Tenant Kelley Cephus told KVUE her family was just settling into their new home at Acacia Cliffs, when she got a notice stating that the complex was at risk of being demolished and could be replaced with a larger apartment building, along with a steep rent increase.
“It took a lot of time for me to find a place like this where it was in our budget. I mean, we’ve been looking everywhere and finally had found a place,” said Cephus. “There’s nowhere else we can go right now.”
According to the redevelopment proposal, discussed in a Zoning and Platting Commission meeting last month, the new building would house approximately 700 residential units, including 84 affordable on-site units. However, some commissioners expressed concerns about the impacts it would have for affordable housing.
“I really have problems with the vulnerable populations, the people who need affordable housing. … We’re losing deeply affordable housing,” said Betsy Greenberg, who sits on the Zoning and Platting Commission. “We’re getting back some income restricted, but not at the same level of affordability as what’s being lost.”
Michael Whellan, a representative for the developer Armbrust & Brown, emphasized that the project remains in its early stages and will take around two years to complete. He stated that the existing complex, over 50 years old, has reached the end of its functional lifespan.
“The goal is to redevelop the property and have and restart the process so that there’s always a pipeline of new housing that’s developing in the area,” said Whellan.
While Whellan assured that current tenants would receive relocation benefits, moving expense payments and freedom from lease penalties, many residents are hoping the Austin City Council will intervene on their behalf.
Austin City Council Member Marc Duchen of District 10 provided the following statement regarding the proposed redevelopment:
“I understand the threat this redevelopment poses to the hundreds of people living at this property. When I was elected, the development of this property was already proceeding, and we were tasked with determining how. I have struggled more with this council agenda item than any other in my short time here.
The fundamental challenge with this zoning case is that the developer intends to redevelop and has presented us with two options:
Re-develop the property under a densifying rezoning. This rezoning would allow for greater density in exchange for a percentage affordable units being built. Residents will also receive 4 months of rent and fees, some moving expenses, and the option to lease the same number of bedrooms when the property is redeveloped.
If the property is not rezoned, it will still be redeveloped. The current structures will be demolished and new multifamily 3 story buildings will be built. No affordable units will be created and no assistance will be available to the current residents.
This individual case is troubling. The Acacia Cliffs apartments are some of the rare, deeply naturally occurring affordable housing in my district. We, as a council, must do better to recognize where development and densification is not only solution to every problem. It isn’t. We should work together to learn to recognize naturally occurring affordable housing and take into account its value when working for the city.
In the last couple of weeks our office has spoken with architects, developers, and city staff from development services, the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, etc., to try to explore alternative options that are superior to the options the developer has laid out. That includes looking in to land swaps, finding ways to extend the life of the property, converting units to condos, having the AHFC engage as part of a Housing Facilities Corp or Public Facilities Corp, whether we can exchange property tax waivers for greater affordable housing, and amending DB90 in some way that provides for greater affordable units or affordability. We will continue to work on any solutions we can come up with that are better than the current options – not just for this redevelopment but the future similar redevelopments that will assuredly follow.”
The Austin City Council will consider whether or not to rezone the property at its Thursday meeting.