A concept view of a redeveloped J.J. Pickle Research Campus produced for the University of Texas by architecture firm Page. Image: UT Austin / Page
At its February 27 meeting earlier this week, the City of Austin’s Planning Commission approved a code amendment officially creating a new zoning subdistrict for the University of Texas’ J.J. Pickle Research Campus — finally bringing this 475-acre scientific facility under the auspices of the North Burnet / Gateway Regulating Plan, which has worked since its adoption in 2009 to guide taller and denser development in this largely sprawled-out region of North Austin.
Digging into the nuts and bolts of the NBG plan’s various zoning tweaks and development incentives is prone to making everyone glaze over, but we promise this stuff is important — although we’re talking about anticipated development timelines of a decade or more, the ongoing planning efforts in the area will likely someday yield a downtown-style district unrecognizable from its common current use patterns of light industrial and strip mall-style retail. Bringing the visibly low-density Pickle site into the fold is intended to incentivize more development of research and life sciences facilities by the university and potential private partners, encouraging innovative uses for this emerging district beyond the office and high-end retail of the Domain area.
An aerial view of a concept for a densely redeveloped Pickle Research Campus. Image: Page
With this week’s successful code amendment, the main Pickle campus along with the smaller West Pickle campus directly west across MoPac from the main site now occupies a new subdistrict of the NBG planning area called “Research and Sciences Mixed Use,” a designation unlocking some serious height — development here is now allowed to rise 120 feet by right, or up to 491 feet by participating in the planning area’s density bonus program. Although its vision for this site remains somewhat ambiguous, a planning document produced on behalf of the University of Texas by design firm Page gave us a glimpse of some possibilities for the site back in 2022, with a mix of public and private development envisioned as a similar research hub for UT and its partners as downtown’s biomedical “Innovation District.”
Imagining the Future of North Austin’s J.J. Pickle Research Campus
Housing development is also now allowed at this site under its new zoning subdistrict, but this requires the city’s approval of a conditional use permit — the focus here is clearly on research, but we think the university will likely build student housing at this location as part of its strategic commitment to doubling the Pickle facility’s current research capacity in the next decade.
Another concept view of a reimagined Pickle campus. Image: Page
Situated within a rapidly growing and densifying area of Austin, the campus land use today is low-density and disconnected. The planning effort explores a comprehensive approach to future land use, program, and organization of the facilities to fully utilize the resource and enhance the institution’s research capabilities.
One of UT Austin’s strategic priorities is to accelerate and enhance research productivity with a ten-year goal of doubling sponsored research. The master plan examines at how Pickle can support a focus on technology commercialization, research infrastructure, and creating an environment that will attract professors and graduate students who will drive research.
It’s just one more piece of the puzzle for healing the sprawl in this area — which, as we’ve mentioned before, was once so uninspiring that Mike Judge filmed the opening scene of “Office Space” on Braker Lane just north of the Pickle site, the area’s drab look serving as a convenient visual shorthand for being depressed. For what it’s worth, everyone seems much more excited about what’s going on here now.
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