Luci Baines Johnson was on hand to toss the first shovel of dirt for the renovation of the iconic Austin campus named nearly 50 years ago for her grandmother, Rebekah Baines Johnson, mother of former President Lyndon Johnson. The 16-story Tower was initially built in 1972 on the site of a federal fish hatchery, which had been declared as surplus land. The Tower has stunning views of downtown Austin and Lady Bird Lake.
The team of Austin developers DMA Development, Momark, and Southwest Strategies Group was selected by the nonprofit owner of the RBJ Center to redevelop and reposition its campus in 2014. Since that time, the team has worked diligently with local stakeholders to create a mixed-use planned community on the 17.8 acre tract fronting Lady Bird Lake and to shepherd this plan through the City planning and zoning process. When completed the community will include 279 units of new construction affordable housing for seniors as well as 225 senior units in a renovated Tower. Additionally, two phases of market-rate residential, 50,000 square feet of commercial/retail, and a public park will complete the campus.
The infrastructure will take approximately 6 to 7 months, with construction on the new senior housing, led by DMA, to start in late 2018.
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