St. John Properties to Build 120 KSF Project Near Austin

Rendering of 1157 Main St., the first Class A office building within the 116-acre Northline mixed-use development in Leander, Texas. Image courtesy of St. John Properties

St. John Properties is expanding its presence in the Austin market with the construction of the first Class A office building in the 116-acre Northline mixed-use development in Leander, Texas, about 30 miles north of Austin.

The Baltimore-based privately held commercial real estate firm plans to break ground in early spring 2024 on the 120,000-square-foot building that will have three stories of office space above 15,500-square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurant space.

The building at 1157 Main St., which will also be the suburban city’s first Class A property, will have floorplates large enough to accommodate tenants that are diverse in size and services, including law firms, tech companies and business consultants. Suites will start at 2,000 square feet. Designed to earn LEED certification, the building will offer high-quality finishes and floor-to-ceiling windows. Completion is expected in the first half of 2025.

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Brooke Harlander, regional partner at St. John Properties, said in a prepared statement the project will meet the pent-up demand for office space in Leander, including small business owners who want to work close to home. Harlander said the Northline location will offer restaurant and retail options both in the building and nearby, as well as walkable amenities desired by employers and workers that are not always found in suburban office buildings.

The project team for the Northline office building includes Beck Design as the architect; Kimley-Horn as civil engineer; KW Landscape Architects for landscape work; WGI for MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) design; and Dunaway for structural work.

Leander growth

Leander has experienced substantial residential growth over the last decade, fueling demand for commercial space among retailers and other businesses. The start of construction of the St. John Properties office building will mark a milestone for Northline, a development slated to be Leander’s new downtown district with more than 5 million square feet of office, retail, residential, hotel and civic space along with a signature park.

Alex Tynberg, principal at Northline Leander Development Co., said in prepared remarks the office building will be the first big step in diversifying and enhancing commercial space at Northline, where residents are scheduled to begin moving into the first apartments and townhomes later this year.

Randall Malik, director of economic development for the City of Leander, stated the office project will also enhance the city’s ability to bring primary employers to the community. Malik noted that many companies have tight timelines for relocation so the presence of move-in ready office space positions Leander as an attractive destination for new businesses.

Austin market expansion

Founded in 1971, St. John Properties owns assets valued at more than $5 billion across 11 states and has developed more than 23 million square feet of commercial space. The firm opened a Texas regional office in Austin in 2022, which Harlander leads.

In April, the company acquired a 35-acre property in Georgetown, Texas, another Austin suburb, to develop a 225,000-square-foot mixed-use business campus called Westinghouse Crossing. Plans call for the developer to break ground this fall on the project, with the delivery of the first building slated for the summer of 2024. St. John Properties will construct more than 170,000 square feet of flex R&D space, as well as more than 40,000 square feet of single-story office space and nearly 15,000 square feet of retail space, on a speculative basis. The firm expects to lease or sell about 1.4 acres for possible use as a restaurant or health-care facility.