East Austin’s Springdale Green office campus recognized as Project of the Year

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Only longtime Austinites, particularly those familiar with the east side, would know that the 30-acre site of the Springdale Green office complex was once an abandoned tank farm — an area that stored oil or gas.

Intense reclamation work, the removal of invasive species — plus the addition of 75,000 native plants and 4,000 trees — and flooding mitigation were just a few of the steps taken to revive the site off Springdale Road for one of the city’s largest office projects. It was a labor of love to reclaim the land — housing couldn’t be built because of its past — as East Austin continues to transform.

Developed by California-based Jay Paul Co., Springdale Green is a striking, 873,000-square-foot office campus just a few miles from downtown. Across two mid-rise buildings, Springdale Green is collectively larger than most office towers in Austin. For perspective, the Frost Bank Tower offers about 535,000 square feet.

The project, designed by Gensler, includes more than 20 acres of restored land and roughly 36,000 square feet of outdoor terrace space. A two-story, full-service fitness club complements nearly 100,000 square feet of versatile outdoor amenities, including an amphitheater and event lawn, outdoor kitchen, pavilion, sports courts and yoga deck. There’s also an on-site parking garage.

Even with downtown Austin’s striking skyline in clear view, it’s easy to feel secluded in nature at Springdale Green. An elevated boardwalk winds through restored prairie and woodland areas, featuring a bird blind, social hammock, woodland walk and bee and wildflower meadows.

Flooding was also a key concern, with approximately two-thirds of the land in the flood zone. All buildings were purposefully built outside of the flood zone, and to manage stormwater, the developer built a network of rain gardens, biofiltration basins and a water quality facility.

Jay Paul Co. has built a reputation as one of the preeminent developers in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a track record of working with large technology companies such as Facebook and LinkedIn. The Austin office campus does not have any tenants yet. Though the company had been holding out for a single-building user, it has changed its tune amid a tough office market.

“We have to pivot and realize this market is a little bit different, and the marketing’s a little bit different,” Matt Lituchy, chief investment officer at Jay Paul Co., said at ABJ’s recent East Austin Growth Summit. “That’s why we’re now willing to split the building for full-floor users. Still sizable users, but really making this a multitenant project.”

Jay Paul Co. received planned unit development zoning from the Austin City Council in 2021, which allowed the developer to build up to 93 feet high, up from the 60-foot limit in the area. In exchange for the height, the developer agreed to a community benefits package of roughly $8 million, which included funding to the East Austin Conservancy, which helps area residents pay property taxes; the Guadalupe Neighborhood Corp.; and extensive flood mitigation for the nearby residential homes.

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