June 5, 2024

Community Name: Sycamores at Pleasant Valley

Local advisory committee members offered name suggestions for the future community at 5900 S Pleasant Valley Rd and voted on their favorites throughout May. We are excited to announce that the top choice among advisory committee members was Sycamores at Pleasant Valley. This name meets several community goals around naming, including celebrating the location of the site (S Pleasant Valley Road), and paying tribute to the beautiful sycamore trees that community members helped to plant along the western edge of the site. These trees will be protected throughout the construction process and will grow alongside the future community at this site, offering shade to residents and neighbors alike.

June Local Advisory Committee Meeting

The local advisory committee met in June to review the preliminary site plan for Sycamores at Pleasant Valley, as well as discuss building design preferences. The next meeting of the advisory committee will take place in August and will include discussion of the site at 5901 Drowsy Willow Trail.

March 26, 2024

March Local Advisory Committee Meeting

The Local Advisory Committee convened for our third meeting on March 26 at the Southeast Branch Library, The committee discussed project name ideas and project timeline. The Advisory Committee will be voting on their favorite project names throughout May. The next meeting of the advisory committee will take place on June 4 and is anticipated to include discussion of the 5900 S Pleasant Valley Road site plan.

January 9, 2024

January Local Advisory Committee Meeting

The local advisory committee convened for our second meeting on January 9 at the Southeast Branch Library, The committee discussed upcoming community events, heard updates from AHFC on both this project, and the homeownership units on Drowsy Willow Trail, and discussed the project timeline. The next meeting of the advisory committee will take place in March.

November 14, 2023

First Local Advisory Committee Meeting

The local advisory committee convened for our first meeting on November 14 at the Southeast Branch Library, bringing together dedicated members of the Dove Springs community and local leaders to collaborate with the development team and the Austin Housing Finance Corporation on the project. The committee’s robust engagement is already shaping the project’s path forward and helping the development team to better understand the cultural history and future aspirations of the Dove Springs community. The next meeting of the advisory committee will take place in January. We are excited for the collective wisdom that will guide the development of 5900 S Pleasant Valley Road.

November 2, 2023

Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Update

Austin Housing Finance Corporation’s rezoning and neighborhood plan amendment applications for the site were both approved by City Council on November 2. The zoning for the site has changed from PUD-NP (planned unit development - neighborhood plan) to GR-MU-CO-NP (community commercial - mixed use - conditional overlay - neighborhood plan) combining district. The neighborhood plan for this site has changed from Single Family and Recreation/Open Space to Mixed Use.

Community Outreach Update

Over the past month, we were able to attend several community events in the Dove Springs area, including TreeFolks’ NeighborWoods Tree Adoption Event and the unveiling of a beautiful and heartrending mural, painted by Alonso Estrada, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 2013 Onion Creek flood. We are so grateful to the Dove Springs community and to TreeFolks, for inviting us to join in these events.

Additionally, we have met with the District 2 office, as well as several community members interested in this project, to learn more about what community goals for this site.

Project Timeline Update

This project will be mostly financed using 4% Housing Tax Credits, which you can learn more about here. These tax credits are allocated at the state level using a lottery system. On November 8, 2023, our team will learn what our lottery number is, which will give us a better sense of the overall timeline for the project.

October 9, 2023

Thanks For Visiting Us on Saturday!

This past Saturday, October 7, the development team joined TreeFolks for their NeighborWoods Tree Adoption Event at the George Morales Dove Springs Rec Center. The event was a huge success, with TreeFolks giving away almost 1,000 free trees. We were grateful to meet many Dove Springs neighbors who stopped by our table to learn more about the project at 5900 S. Pleasant Valley Road and pick up a taco from La Placita. Thanks to everyone who came to see us and share your thoughts and insights on the project, and thanks to TreeFolks for hosting such a wonderful community event and partnering with our team!

September 29, 2023

Expect Surveyors Onsite Wednesday 10/4 and Thursday 10/5

A crew from 4ward Land Surveying is expected to be onsite at 5900 S. Pleasant Valley Road on Wednesday, 10/4 and Thursday, 10/5. The survey crew will be mapping the topography, tree locations, and existing easements and utilities on the site, for use by our architects and engineers as they design the new building.

September 26, 2023

Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Update

Austin Housing Finance Corporation’s rezoning and neighborhood plan amendment applications for the site were both approved on September 26 by Austin’s Planning Commission. These items are expected to be voted on by City Council for final approval on November 2. If approved, the zoning for the site will change from PUD-NP (planned unit development - neighborhood plan) to GR-MU-CO-NP (community commercial - mixed use - conditional overlay - neighborhood plan) combining district. The neighborhood plan for this site will change from Single Family and Recreation/Open Space to Mixed Use.

September 25, 2023

Update on Local Advisory Committee

The process of forming a local advisory committee, which will work alongside the development team to help make decisions about the project at 5900 S. Pleasant Valley Road, is underway! We are still looking for a few more volunteers to join the committee. If you, or someone you know, is interested in getting more involved with this project, especially if you represent a local organization or business, please reach out! We will plan to meet virtually once every 1-2 months, depending on the project stage, and can be flexible to accommodate everyone’s schedules. We are very grateful to those who have already joined the committee, including:

• SolMaria DeMarco, President of the Villages at Pleasant Valley HOA

• Benito Faz-Banda, Principal at Widen Elementary School

• Ricardo Zavala, Founder and President of Dove Springs Proud

August 15, 2023

Development Team Begins Site Plan Design

In August, the AHFC and Structure Development + JCM Ventures team began initial site design for the project, drawing upon community outreach and polling done by AHFC to understand community preferences for site design. The design team will consider factors related to flood and stormwater mitigation, traffic flow and safety, safe access to nearby Mendez Middle and Widen Elementary Schools, and limiting building height adjacent to nearby townhomes. The site plan design process is excepted to take four to six months and will be informed by work with the local advisory committee.

July 27, 2023

5900 S. Pleasant Valley Road Development Opportunity Awarded to Structure Development + JCM Ventures

On July 20, 2023, the AHFC Board awarded the development opportunity at 5900 S. Pleasant Valley Road to Structure Development + JCM Ventures. In conjunction with AHFC, this development team will work to continue to engage with the community and property neighbors throughout the development process.