Housing on Dabney Horne Site Set for Late Summer Start

An interior rendering of the housing shows the atypical look proposed for the units.

AUSTIN, TX—A recent vote by the Austin City Council green-lighted the move of the historic Dabney-Horne home, which allows construction to move forward on the SKYLOFT , a class-A student housing development. One block from the University of Texas at Austin campus at 507 West 23rd St., the project will stand 22 stories–four below-grade parking levels and 18 residential floors. It will house 212 units with a mix of one to four bedrooms totaling 677 beds. Austin-based Johnson Trube & Associates is the developer. The firm plans to break ground in August 2016 with an opening scheduled for late July/early August 2018. Project team members include architectural firms Mark Hart Architecture, STG Design and JE Dunn Construction . “SKYLOFT is special for a lot of reasons,” said Johnson Trube partner Edward Johnson. “We believe this is, hands down, one of the best locations for a student-housing development in the country. It’s perfectly situated on the corner of West 23rd and Nueces streets, just a minute from campus, offering incredible views of the UT Tower and downtown. No other location in the area will give students all of this.” The project is being constructed as luxury student housing with high-end finishes and amenities, featuring a rooftop pool and fitness center, 24-hour study lounges, media room and secure, underground parking. “This project will truly be an intelligent building with state-of-the-art HVAC and water systems, designed with today’s students in mind; it’s going to be different from everything else in the market,” said Johnson.  “We are bringing together unique architecture, the highest quality construction and superior amenities in the absolute best location for this type of product in the country. SKYLOFT completely aligns with the goals of the university neighborhood overlay district to bring quality, high-density student housing into the area and to construct it with its surroundings in mind.” Demand for this type of product is high near campus. Students need safe and quality housing close to campus and within walking distance of many of the area’s restaurants, retail options and other amenities. Additionally, the development will offer a percentage of its units as affordable housing to ensure greater opportunity for students. Johnson tells GlobeSt.com: “I cannot overstate the kind of potential the SKYLOFT development has. It’s one of those opportunities that comes along only so often. With the demand that exists for this type of product, the premier location we’ve secured, and the architecture and amenities we’re bringing to the table, we hope to knock it out of the park.”