Looking north towards downtown from the self-storage facility at 1515 South Lamar Boulevard that could soon become an apartment development. Photo by James Rambin.
According to new city filings, the Security Self Storage facility located at 1515 South Lamar Boulevard might soon be storing selves instead, in the form of a 328-unit apartment project by multifamily mega-firm Fairfield Residential, which owns numerous communities around the country — though none in Austin, until now.
An exterior elevation for the 1515 South Lamar Boulevard apartment project. Image: Fairfield Residential / Looney Ricks Kiss
More elevations for the 1515 South Lamar Boulevard apartment project. Image: Fairfield Residential / Looney Ricks Kiss
For the most part, this new project, which is simply referred to in these documents as South Lamar Apartments, seems like business as usual for a “Texas donut” apartment development in 78704. It’s a five-story building designed by Memphis architecture firm Looney Ricks Kiss — what a name, am I right — with 65 studios, 190 one-bedrooms, and 73 two-bedroom units wrapped around a garage structure providing 460 parking spaces and room for 46 bikes. But there are a few interesting details related to its location that make it worth taking a look at — plus, more housing is more housing, and that’s always newsworthy!
A more detailed look at an exterior elevation for part of the 1515 South Lamar Boulevard apartment development, showing what appears to be a giant mural planned for one of its walls. Image: Fairfield Residential / Looney Ricks Kiss
The shape of the 3.9-acre property at 1515 South Lamar Boulevard where this apartment project is planned. Image: Travis Central Appraisal District
The shape of the 3.9-acre property is pretty great for a storage facility, but it’s not ideal for a vertical mixed-use building, with only roughly 100 feet of actual frontage along South Lamar Boulevard. In fact, a large portion of the site is hidden from the street behind retail strip centers to the immediate north and south.
The property’s small stretch of frontage will contain the building’s only retail space, with 1,746 square feet facing the street along with a small patio — I’ve got to assume that’s going to end up being a restaurant of some kind, though I guess we can’t rule out some kind of alfresco artisanal vape shop. Despite the lack of retail space that traditionally puts the “mixed” in “mixed-use,” the building’s maxing out its potential as a VMU-zoned project on the South Lamar Boulevard corridor, with an FAR of 2:1 and height of 60 feet.
A mural by local artist Luis Angulo on the side of the retail strip center directly south of the 1515 South Lamar site, where apartments may soon rise. Photo by James Rambin.
That VMU zoning, intended to create density along Austin’s major transit corridors, is kind of a point of contention among some of South Austin’s single-family neighborhoods, with Zilker Neighborhood Association president Jeff Jack weighing in on the topic on this very website last year. South Lamar Boulevard alone has seen a fairly consistent boom in mixed-use development along the corridor over the last decade, with nearby projects like Gibson Flats, Lamar Union, and Post South Lamar all opening their doors within the last five years.
A map of the two nearby VMU projects likely in the works on South Lamar Boulevard, located at the storage facility at 1515 South Lamar Boulevard and the Genie Car Wash at 1311 South Lamar Boulevard. Image: Google Maps
There’s still more development to come for the region, with another mixed-use project that appears to be heavily associated with Atlanta real estate firm Wood Partners in the planning stages at the 1300 block of South Lamar Boulevard, a site occupied by Genie Car Wash and a few other businesses just a stone’s throw north of the Fairfield site. Previous reports indicate the project will contain 226 multifamily units along with retail, but for now, the carwash remains — still, I wouldn’t spring for the yearly pass if I were you.
Homes for sale in 78704
- $639,990 - 1825 Village Oak CT
- $339,500 - 2805 Dulce LN #1024
- $680,000 - 3107 GLEN ORA ST
- $1,630,000 - 1205 Travis Heights BLVD
- $224,950 - 300 Crockett ST #210
- $282,500 - 1300 Newning AVE #207
- $649,900 - 1118 Mariposa DR
- $753,000 - 210 Lee Barton DR #601
- $165,000 - 3204 Manchaca RD #715
- $499,000 - 407 Post Road DR #2
- $549,000 - 407 Post Road Dr #1
- $380,000 - 210 Lee Barton DR #305
- $564,900 - 1115 Kinney AVE #37
- $459,900 - 3006 Burning Oak DR
- $1,695,000 - 1106 Bluebonnet LN
- $609,000 - 3210 Aldwyche DR
- $1,395,000 - 703 Bouldin AVE
- $679,000 - 2802 Oak Park DR
- $999,999 - 522 Sunny LN
- $519,000 - 1806 Travis Heights BLVD
- $1,375,000 - 2800 DEL CURTO RD #1
- $585,000 - 613 Twelve Oaks LN
- $650,000 - 608 Twelve Oaks LN
- $699,000 - 1201 Alta Vista AVE
- $1,400,000 - 2511 Wilson ST
1825 Village Oak CT , Austin
- Home size: 2,238 sq ft
- Lot size: 6,272 sqft
- Year built: 2004
- 3 beds
- 3 baths
- $639,990
2805 Dulce LN #1024 , Austin
- Home size: 945 sq ft
- Lot size: 3,136 sqft
- Year built: 2014
- 1 bed
- 1 bath
- $339,500
3107 GLEN ORA ST , Austin
- Home size: 2,554 sq ft
- Lot size: 12,806 sqft
- Year built: 1976
- 0 beds
- 0 baths
- $680,000
1205 Travis Heights BLVD , Austin
- Home size: 3,402 sq ft
- Lot size: 7,579 sqft
- Year built: 2006
- 3 beds
- 4 baths
- $1,630,000
300 Crockett ST #210 , Austin
- Home size: 641 sq ft
- Lot size: 784 sqft
- Year built: 1980
- 1 bed
- 1 bath
- $224,950
1118 Mariposa DR , Austin
- Home size: 920 sq ft
- Lot size: 12,458 sqft
- Year built: 1972
- 0 beds
- 0 baths
- $649,900
210 Lee Barton DR #601 , Austin
- Home size: 1,600 sq ft
- Lot size: 653 sqft
- Year built: 2008
- 2 beds
- 2 baths
- $753,000
3204 Manchaca RD #715 , Austin
- Home size: 520 sq ft
- Lot size: 1,481 sqft
- Year built: 1985
- 1 bed
- 1 bath
- $165,000
210 Lee Barton DR #305 , Austin
- Home size: 897 sq ft
- Lot size: 348 sqft
- Year built: 2006
- 1 bed
- 1 bath
- $380,000
1115 Kinney AVE #37 , Austin
- Home size: 1,821 sq ft
- Lot size: 1,960 sqft
- Year built: 2006
- 3 beds
- 3 baths
- $564,900
1106 Bluebonnet LN , Austin
- Home size: 4,127 sq ft
- Lot size: 12,414 sqft
- Year built: 1955
- 3 beds
- 3 baths
- $1,695,000
3210 Aldwyche DR , Austin
- Home size: 1,644 sq ft
- Lot size: 5,052 sqft
- Year built: 2017
- 3 beds
- 3 baths
- $609,000
703 Bouldin AVE , Austin
- Home size: 2,225 sq ft
- Lot size: 7,492 sqft
- Year built: 2013
- 3 beds
- 3 baths
- $1,395,000
1806 Travis Heights BLVD , Austin
- Home size: 1,324 sq ft
- Lot size: 6,751 sqft
- Year built: 1937
- 3 beds
- 1 bath
- $519,000
2800 DEL CURTO RD #1 , Austin
- Home size: 3,327 sq ft
- Lot size: 4,356 sqft
- Year built: 2019
- 4 beds
- 4 baths
- $1,375,000
613 Twelve Oaks LN , Austin
- Home size: 1,971 sq ft
- Lot size: 3,615 sqft
- Year built: 2004
- 3 beds
- 3 baths
- $585,000
608 Twelve Oaks LN , Austin
- Home size: 2,712 sq ft
- Lot size: 4,530 sqft
- Year built: 2003
- 3 beds
- 3 baths
- $650,000
1201 Alta Vista AVE , Austin
- Home size: 1,238 sq ft
- Lot size: 7,230 sqft
- Year built: 1956
- 2 beds
- 2 baths
- $699,000
2511 Wilson ST , Austin
- Home size: 3,397 sq ft
- Lot size: 6,664 sqft
- Year built: 2018
- 6 beds
- 7 baths
- $1,400,000
-
1825 Village Oak CT , Austin
Home size: 2,238 sq ft Lot size: 6,272 sqft Year built: 2004
3 beds 3 baths $639,990
-
2805 Dulce LN #1024 , Austin
Home size: 945 sq ft Lot size: 3,136 sqft Year built: 2014
1 bed 1 bath $339,500
-
3107 GLEN ORA ST , Austin
Home size: 2,554 sq ft Lot size: 12,806 sqft Year built: 1976
0 beds 0 baths $680,000
-
1205 Travis Heights BLVD , Austin
Home size: 3,402 sq ft Lot size: 7,579 sqft Year built: 2006
3 beds 4 baths $1,630,000
-
300 Crockett ST #210 , Austin
Home size: 641 sq ft Lot size: 784 sqft Year built: 1980
1 bed 1 bath $224,950
-
1300 Newning AVE #207 , Austin
Home size: 746 sq ft Year built: 1963
2 beds 1 bath $282,500
-
1118 Mariposa DR , Austin
Home size: 920 sq ft Lot size: 12,458 sqft Year built: 1972
0 beds 0 baths $649,900
-
210 Lee Barton DR #601 , Austin
Home size: 1,600 sq ft Lot size: 653 sqft Year built: 2008
2 beds 2 baths $753,000
-
3204 Manchaca RD #715 , Austin
Home size: 520 sq ft Lot size: 1,481 sqft Year built: 1985
1 bed 1 bath $165,000
-
407 Post Road DR #2 , Austin
Home size: 1,099 sq ft Year built: 2018
3 beds 3 baths $499,000
-
407 Post Road Dr #1 , Austin
Home size: 1,580 sq ft Year built: 2018
3 beds 3 baths $549,000
-
210 Lee Barton DR #305 , Austin
Home size: 897 sq ft Lot size: 348 sqft Year built: 2006
1 bed 1 bath $380,000
-
1115 Kinney AVE #37 , Austin
Home size: 1,821 sq ft Lot size: 1,960 sqft Year built: 2006
3 beds 3 baths $564,900
-
3006 Burning Oak DR , Austin
Home size: 1,642 sq ft Year built: 1963
3 beds 2 baths $459,900
-
1106 Bluebonnet LN , Austin
Home size: 4,127 sq ft Lot size: 12,414 sqft Year built: 1955
3 beds 3 baths $1,695,000
-
3210 Aldwyche DR , Austin
Home size: 1,644 sq ft Lot size: 5,052 sqft Year built: 2017
3 beds 3 baths $609,000
-
703 Bouldin AVE , Austin
Home size: 2,225 sq ft Lot size: 7,492 sqft Year built: 2013
3 beds 3 baths $1,395,000
-
2802 Oak Park DR , Austin
Lot size: 15,420 sqft Year built: 0
0 beds 0 baths $679,000
-
522 Sunny LN , Austin
Year built: 1929
0 beds 0 baths $999,999
-
1806 Travis Heights BLVD , Austin
Home size: 1,324 sq ft Lot size: 6,751 sqft Year built: 1937
3 beds 1 bath $519,000
-
2800 DEL CURTO RD #1 , Austin
Home size: 3,327 sq ft Lot size: 4,356 sqft Year built: 2019
4 beds 4 baths $1,375,000
-
613 Twelve Oaks LN , Austin
Home size: 1,971 sq ft Lot size: 3,615 sqft Year built: 2004
3 beds 3 baths $585,000
-
608 Twelve Oaks LN , Austin
Home size: 2,712 sq ft Lot size: 4,530 sqft Year built: 2003
3 beds 3 baths $650,000
-
1201 Alta Vista AVE , Austin
Home size: 1,238 sq ft Lot size: 7,230 sqft Year built: 1956
2 beds 2 baths $699,000
-
2511 Wilson ST , Austin
Home size: 3,397 sq ft Lot size: 6,664 sqft Year built: 2018
6 beds 7 baths $1,400,000
