Here’s one possible design option for the exterior of the 14th and Guadalupe condo tower in downtown Austin — keep reading and you can see the other one. Image: Page / Northland Living

The headquarters of the statewide police union known as the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT), located in a fast-growing region of downtown Austin at the northwest corner of 14th and Guadalupe Streets, could redevelop as a 35-story residential tower, according to a concept design document prepared by local architecture firm Page on behalf of developer Northland Living.

Distinct from previous plans for the site by Cypress Real Estate Advisors discussed in 2019, the Northland redevelopment of the property at 400 West 14th Street would raise a 400 foot residential tower containing approximately 286 condo units with a mix of one to three bedrooms, along with ground-level retail space, structured parking, a resident amenity deck atop its parking podium, and a floor of office space providing a 10,000-square-foot new headquarters for CLEAT — allowing the organization to maximize the value of its land and still remain at the site.

A structural view of the tower design for 14th and Guadalupe. Image: Page / Northland Living

CLEAT also owns the property directly west of its office building occupied by the historic Mauthe Myrick House, a city and state landmark that will not be removed as part of the project. Previous plans for an office tower at this site stated the historic 1877 house would be somehow integrated into the overall design for the site, but it’s unclear whether that’s the case for this new iteration of the property’s redevelopment.

A landscape design showing the ground level of the building. Image: Campbell Landscape Architecture / Page / Northland Living

The concept document prepared for the project by Page includes two exterior design options for the tower, with each version having the same scale and footprint. The first option, known as Luminary, uses a lighter and more neutral collection of materials, with added warmth from copper-toned metallic elements on the facade. The second option, called Arcadian, has a darker and more rustic tone, with heavier use of masonry cladding on the building’s parking podium and a pop of color from dark green trim on the facade. Renderings of both design options are included below:

Luminary

Image: Page / Northland Living

Image: Page / Northland Living

Image: Page / Northland Living

Image: Page / Northland Living

Image: Page / Northland Living

Arcadian

Image: Page / Northland Living

Image: Page / Northland Living

Image: Page / Northland Living

Image: Page / Northland Living

Although these concepts are obviously subject to change, it’s noteworthy to see that this site, and the northwest corner of downtown in general, remains a desirable location for residential development even as the downtown office market struggles. In the immediate area, condo projects like the Linden are now nearing completion, with legacy communities like Cambridge Tower previously offering some of the only residences for sale in this area — it’s clear that the feel of this region, solidly part of downtown but with a slightly quieter character than you’ll find a dozen blocks further south, remains appealing for residential development. According to the design document for this tower, the 14th and Guadalupe project anticipates a construction start in 2025, with completion in early 2028.