Apartment Development on the Way for a South Lamar Storage Facility

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

3204 Manchaca RD #316 , Austin

Home size: 420 sq ft
Lot size: 1,219 sqft
Year built: 1985

1 bed
1 bath
$1,050

2705 East Side DR , Austin

Home size: 1,672 sq ft
Lot size: 7,361 sqft
Year built: 1961

4 beds
2 baths
$2,600

2421 Wilson ST , Austin

Home size: 2,012 sq ft
Lot size: 6,708 sqft
Year built: 1984

3 beds
1 bath
$550,000

1712 Nash AVE #B , Austin

Home size: 888 sq ft
Lot size: 4,268 sqft
Year built: 1974

2 beds
1 bath
$1,545

2721 Dulce LN #134 , Austin

Home size: 945 sq ft
Year built: 2014

1 bed
1 bath
$1,950

802 S 1st ST #206 , Austin

Home size: 579 sq ft
Lot size: 2,308 sqft
Year built: 1984

1 bed
1 bath
$2,200

910 Jessie ST , Austin

Home size: 1,476 sq ft
Lot size: 9,321 sqft
Year built: 1943

3 beds
1 bath
$750,000

3601 Manchaca RD #212 , Austin

Home size: 776 sq ft
Lot size: 1,611 sqft
Year built: 1980

1 bed
1 bath
$240,000

808 S Columbus ST N , Austin

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
Year built: 0

0 beds
0 baths
$649,950

2206 Barton Hills DR , Austin

Home size: 1,868 sq ft
Lot size: 11,282 sqft
Year built: 1974

4 beds
2 baths
$2,650

2605 Oak Crest AVE #1 , Austin

Home size: 2,405 sq ft
Lot size: 8,842 sqft
Year built: 2018

4 beds
3 baths
$999,000

3500 Alpine CIR #3 , Austin

Home size: 3,696 sq ft
Lot size: 7,361 sqft
Year built: 1972

2 beds
2 baths
$1,495

2111 Peach Tree ST , Austin

Home size: 2,150 sq ft
Lot size: 5,749 sqft
Year built: 2018

3 beds
3 baths
$1,290,000

1600 Barton Springs RD #3402 , Austin

Home size: 1,019 sq ft
Lot size: 653 sqft
Year built: 2008

2 beds
2 baths
$2,700

3114 S Congress AVE #310 , Austin

Home size: 1,313 sq ft
Lot size: 566 sqft
Year built: 2016

2 beds
2 baths
$2,350

206 E Live Oak ST #C , Austin

Home size: 2,155 sq ft
Lot size: 14,723 sqft
Year built: 2017

3 beds
4 baths
$649,000

3604 Clawson RD #203 , Austin

Home size: 993 sq ft
Year built: 1985

2 beds
2 baths
$269,000

1110 Live Oak ST #B , Austin

Home size: 421 sq ft
Year built: 2003

1 bed
1 bath
$1,175

1110 E Live Oak ST #A , Austin

Home size: 1,124 sq ft
Lot size: 6,882 sqft
Year built: 1938

2 beds
1 bath
$2,400

3006 Fontana DR , Austin

Home size: 2,024 sq ft
Lot size: 6,359 sqft
Year built: 2012

3 beds
3 baths
$870,000

206 Ben Howell DR #B , Austin

Home size: 988 sq ft
Lot size: 13,068 sqft
Year built: 2018

2 beds
2 baths
$469,900

3700 Clawson RD #501 , Austin

Home size: 1,821 sq ft
Year built: 2019

3 beds
4 baths
$519,000

1225 Hillside AVE #3 , Austin

Home size: 2,464 sq ft
Lot size: 5,052 sqft
Year built: 2018

3 beds
4 baths
$1,395,000

1114 Mariposa DR #A , Austin

Home size: 1,506 sq ft
Year built: 2017

3 beds
4 baths
$3,500

1508 Hether ST , Austin

Home size: 3,633 sq ft
Lot size: 9,975 sqft
Year built: 2018

5 beds
4 baths
$1,925,000

3204 Manchaca RD #316 , Austin

Home size: 420 sq ft Lot size: 1,219 sqft Year built: 1985

1 bed 1 bath $1,050
2705 East Side DR , Austin

Home size: 1,672 sq ft Lot size: 7,361 sqft Year built: 1961

4 beds 2 baths $2,600
2421 Wilson ST , Austin

Home size: 2,012 sq ft Lot size: 6,708 sqft Year built: 1984

3 beds 1 bath $550,000
1712 Nash AVE #B , Austin

Home size: 888 sq ft Lot size: 4,268 sqft Year built: 1974

2 beds 1 bath $1,545
2721 Dulce LN #134 , Austin

Home size: 945 sq ft Year built: 2014

1 bed 1 bath $1,950
802 S 1st ST #206 , Austin

Home size: 579 sq ft Lot size: 2,308 sqft Year built: 1984

1 bed 1 bath $2,200
910 Jessie ST , Austin

Home size: 1,476 sq ft Lot size: 9,321 sqft Year built: 1943

3 beds 1 bath $750,000
3601 Manchaca RD #212 , Austin

Home size: 776 sq ft Lot size: 1,611 sqft Year built: 1980

1 bed 1 bath $240,000
808 S Columbus ST N , Austin

Lot size: 6,098 sqft Year built: 0

0 beds 0 baths $649,950
2206 Barton Hills DR , Austin

Home size: 1,868 sq ft Lot size: 11,282 sqft Year built: 1974

4 beds 2 baths $2,650
2605 Oak Crest AVE #1 , Austin

Home size: 2,405 sq ft Lot size: 8,842 sqft Year built: 2018

4 beds 3 baths $999,000
3500 Alpine CIR #3 , Austin

Home size: 3,696 sq ft Lot size: 7,361 sqft Year built: 1972

2 beds 2 baths $1,495
2111 Peach Tree ST , Austin

Home size: 2,150 sq ft Lot size: 5,749 sqft Year built: 2018

3 beds 3 baths $1,290,000
1600 Barton Springs RD #3402 , Austin

Home size: 1,019 sq ft Lot size: 653 sqft Year built: 2008

2 beds 2 baths $2,700
3114 S Congress AVE #310 , Austin

Home size: 1,313 sq ft Lot size: 566 sqft Year built: 2016

2 beds 2 baths $2,350
206 E Live Oak ST #C , Austin

Home size: 2,155 sq ft Lot size: 14,723 sqft Year built: 2017

3 beds 4 baths $649,000
3604 Clawson RD #203 , Austin

Home size: 993 sq ft Year built: 1985

2 beds 2 baths $269,000
1110 Live Oak ST #B , Austin

Home size: 421 sq ft Year built: 2003

1 bed 1 bath $1,175
1110 E Live Oak ST #A , Austin

Home size: 1,124 sq ft Lot size: 6,882 sqft Year built: 1938

2 beds 1 bath $2,400
3006 Fontana DR , Austin

Home size: 2,024 sq ft Lot size: 6,359 sqft Year built: 2012

3 beds 3 baths $870,000
206 Ben Howell DR #B , Austin

Home size: 988 sq ft Lot size: 13,068 sqft Year built: 2018

2 beds 2 baths $469,900
3700 Clawson RD #501 , Austin

Home size: 1,821 sq ft Year built: 2019

3 beds 4 baths $519,000
1225 Hillside AVE #3 , Austin

Home size: 2,464 sq ft Lot size: 5,052 sqft Year built: 2018

3 beds 4 baths $1,395,000
1114 Mariposa DR #A , Austin

Home size: 1,506 sq ft Year built: 2017

3 beds 4 baths $3,500
1508 Hether ST , Austin

Home size: 3,633 sq ft Lot size: 9,975 sqft Year built: 2018

5 beds 4 baths $1,925,000