Ft. Branch at Truman's Landing, which will open in spring 2002, is Campbell-Hogue's second affordable apartment project in Austin. High-priced apartment projects have outpaced affordable project construction three-to-one in the last five years, but the need for affordable housing continues to be tremendous, Campbell-Hogue Project Manager David Saling tells GlobeSt.com.

Getting affordable housing under way in Austin, however, often has been more difficult than it is in other cities, Saling says. Permits, financing and zoning issues have taken more than two years for Saling to resolve on the Ft. Branch site. "It has been a longer process than expected," Saling says. "Now the city has created 'Smart Housing' the same way they created 'Smart Growth,' so we hope that some of these barriers are removed or at least fast tracked so we can get permits and put these types of communities on the ground quicker."

Ft. Branch at Truman's Landing is a $21-million project at 5800 Techni Center Dr. The project, which will also include a 3,000-sf recreation center run by YMCA of Austin, is built on 41 acres of land originally zoned by the city as industrial property. The property sits across the US 183 from Motorola's East Campus and five minutes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.