After three years of planning, a developer is finally selling homes on a prime piece of property in central Austin. Milestone Community Builders tell KXAN News they had 7,000 people show interest in the Grove at Shoal Creek project, and Friday, they began meeting with some of those interested buyers.

“Every single person that made an appointment bought a house from us,” said Garrett Martin, CEO and president of Milestone Community Builders. 

The Grove at Shoal Creek is expected to get the final go-ahead from the Austin Zoning and Platting Commission next week. Martin said once that happens, they expect to begin construction as early as June. “Our subdivision plats meet all of the legal requirements, and the city staff has made that determination,” said Martin. 

The Grove is a mixed-use project that will bring different types of housing and retail to the intersection of West 45th Street and Bull Creek Road.

When the project first began, the developer faced opposition from a neighborhood group called Bull Creek Road Coalition. 

City officials say the Grove’s land proposal meets all city and state requirements, but even at this point in the process, many neighbors say they still have concerns. 

The Mayo family’s property line is 40 to 50 feet from the Grove. They used to look out to an open field, but now, they look at a green fence. 

Jeff Mayo said he’s under the impression that once the Grove is built, his property will be adjacent to a trail and a cul de sac. But he said he’s seen different versions of the plan, so he’s not sure just how close they’ll be. 

“That trail from certain renderings, it looks likes it comes about 10 feet from our property line, and other renderings it might be like 40 feet,” he said. “We have a chain link fence behind our house, and if someone’s walking 10 feet behind, that could be really concerning, especially in a family neighborhood with having kids around.”

He said he’s also concerned about traffic and parking. 

Martin said they have plans “completely rebuilding and redesigning the intersection at 45th and Bull Creek,” and they’ll also expand Jackson Avenue. 

The neighbors said they’ll be watching closely. “We’re looking forward to having retail, new homes and a park, we just want to make sure it’s done in a responsible manner,” Mayo said.

Martin told us homes at the Grove range from $400,000 to about $1.7 million. There will be 194 affordable units, ranging from $200,000 to $230,000. Those units are for teachers, nonprofit employees, police, fire and EMS workers.

If the developer gets approval from the Zoning and Platting Commission next Tuesday, they expect it’ll take about five to seven years to build all the homes and mixed-use buildings.