Three new developments near Mueller set to transform over a block of Manor Road

Austin developer Cumby Group is set to transform nine acres—or more than a block of property—into three separate projects that will include over 800 units in East Austin.

Nestled between the Mueller community and Airport Boulevard, the back-to-back-to-back projects will soon be home sweet home for over 800 individuals and families. The project will also include 80 affordable units.

Cumby Group already broke ground on its first project, The Emma (3219 Manor Road), just after the winter storm.

The Art Deco style development is just under a year from its scheduled open date and will include 146 apartments, 15 of which are affordable housing, as well as a live-work space and courtyard pool.

Round two (3115 Manor Road) will include two buildings, also five stories each, with up to 500 apartments within the property. The center property will also include a neighborhood gathering area set for food trucks, farmers markets and more as well as room for commercial space. The Cumby Group hopes the second project will begin construction in the spring of 2022.

The Emma will include 146 apartments and a courtyard pool. (Cumby Group)

The third acquisition for the group is less defined but is likely to include 200 more apartments, some of which will also be affordable housing, and will include more space for food trucks.

The project is in a prime location just east of the heart of Austin, an area that is subject to ever-increasing demand. Just north of the location is the Mueller Development, a large mixed-use community, and dotted across the area are businesses new and old.

Elisabeth Johnson, Association President of the JJ Seabrook Neighborhood, said that Cumby made sure to reach out to the community in order to create a development that is cohesive with the already-existing neighborhood.

Cumby Group Development Vice President Melissa Brown said they hope to preserve and enhance that corner of East Austin rather than demolish it.

"The opportunity to transform more than a block in the urban core doesn't come along often, and we've worked hard to ensure that we do so in a way that aligns with the needs and goals of the surrounding neighborhood as well as East Austin's vibrant culture," Brown said. "Together these three projects will provide a significant amount of housing for people with a broad range of incomes near jobs and transit while also creating engaging spaces that bring people together."

In addition to food truck spaces and room for farmers' markets, the developer will also add public greenspace to the property to connect two parks, the Southwest Greenway and the JJ Seabrook Park.