Real Estate Photographer in Pflugerville, TX

Endeavor Real Estate Group plans to transform a large swath of land outside Austin into an industrial development.

The project is set to rise on more than 100 acres off State Highway 130 and Pecan Street in Pflugerville, according to several construction filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The number of buildings planned on the site and the total square footage of the project are unknown, but the filings indicate at least four buildings will be built, ranging from 132,214 to 186,415 square feet each. The buildings will be speculative warehouses, according to TDLR.

Endeavor did not provide comment on the project. It should be noted that information found on TDLR filings are preliminary in nature and subject to change throughout the development process.

If the Austin-based developer moves forward with its plans, it would only add more industrial space to a white-hot market. As far as new industrial developments go, production is only slightly down from this time last year. There was 17 million square feet of industrial space under construction in the third quarter of 2023, on top of eight million square feet of space that’s already been delivered this year, according to commercial real estate firm Partners.

And manufacturers such as Tesla Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. have already drawn plenty of business to the area. Endeavor's project is about 15 miles north along SH 130 of Tesla's electric vehicle manufacturing plant.

The listed owner of the property is B9 Pecan Owner LP, according to TDLR. That entity shares an office in downtown’s IBC Bank Plaza with Endeavor, according to property records.

The industrial development’s exact planned location is on 104.4 acres at Cameron Road and Pecan Street, across the highway from the Pecan 130 business park. Construction on the project is expected to begin Jan. 15, 2024, and complete Dec. 31, 2024, according to the filings. Method Architecture is listed as project designer.

Pflugerville City Council in 2021 approved the property be rezoned from urban and urban center zoning to a campus industrial district to facilitate commercial and industrial uses.

The project, though certainly large, would be a relative drop in the bucket for Austin's industrial sector that is seeing near-record levels of construction. Though vacancy rates tick upward as more developments come online, industrial space remains in high demand. Metro-wide vacancy was 8.2% in the third quarter of 2023, according to Partners, which expects that figure to rise to roughly 10% in fourth quarter as more industrial projects are completed.

The State Highway 130 corridor, where Endeavor's project would rise, has been the site of much of Austin's industrial development in recent years. Incoming development in the area includes plans from MIC Texas Corp. to build over 408,000 square feet of warehouse space, Stream Realty's plans to build more than 376,000 square feet of industrial space and Stoneridge Capital Partners' plans to develop a nearly 453,700-square-foot project off state highways 71 and 130.

While Endeavor is primarily known for its office, multifamily and retail investments — its online portfolio lists 71 office and 10 multifamily properties in the Austin area — the firm does have four smaller industrial properties in North Austin and one in Southeast Austin.

Endeavor is largely known as the company that brought Austin the Southpark Meadows shopping center in South Austin and the towering development on the north side — The Domain — many now call Austin's second downtown.

Recently, Endeavor has been as the driving force behind redevelopment of the former headquarters of the Austin American-Statesman and East Austin's Borden Dairy plant. Both developments are planned to have thousands of residences and hotel, retail and office space.

As part of one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, many suburban cities in Central Texas are upgrading their water infrastructure to meet expected demand in the coming decades.

At least five Austin suburbs — Bastrop, Elgin, Georgetown, Pflugerville and Round Rock — are beefing up their treatment systems to provide reliable drinking water as their combined populations are projected to swell from 303,000 residents to over 579,00 in the next 10 to 20 years.

David J. Eaton, a professor of environment and energy policy at the University of Texas, said that Central Texas cities have to put a lot of effort to plan for the future of their infrastructure. He said, however, that there is no reason they cannot keep up with demand if they have the willingness to invest.

"It's the capacity to plan, construct and operate, and to keep up with the expectations of taxpayers and your customers," Eaton said.

Pflugerville to meet demand through 2040

Pflugerville officials said they expect the demand for water to exceed its supply by 2025.

To ensure the city can keep up with demand, it has started construction on a $144 million expansion of its water treatment plant. Once finished by late 2026, the plant will increase its treatment from 17 million gallons to 30 million gallons per day. The city's water utility gets its supply from the Lower Colorado River Authority and groundwater wells.

The upgrade will provide reliable drinking water to 76,000 people and businesses and meet projected water demand through 2040, according to city officials. The city's estimated population now is 75,869, but officials expect that number to climb to 127,963 by 2040.

More:Pflugerville has year-round water restrictions. Here's what you need to know.

To ensure there is enough water in the meantime, officials said they are working to make groundwater supplies more drought-resistant, including a year-round, two-day limit for outdoor watering for residents.

New Georgetown plant to double capacity

As the fastest-growing city with a population of 50,000 or more in the country, Georgetown faces similar issues. According to the U.S census, Georgetown has a population over 75,000 but city officials expect that number to grow to about 110,000 by 2030.

Three capital improvement projects underway will help the city to accommodate for that growth, officials said.

More:'Small town' for how long? Georgetown leads nation in population growth

Georgetown gets its water from the Edwards Aquifer, Lake Georgetown and Still House Hollow Lake near Killeen. Two water treatment plants, both of which are being expanded, make the water ready for consumers.

The expansion of the North Lake water treatment plant and the rehabilitation of the South Side Treatment Plant, in western Georgetown, is scheduled to be finished in early 2024, said Chelsea Solomon, the city's director of water utilities. Once both projects are completed, the city will be able to treat 57 million gallons per day rather than the current 45 million gallons.

The city is also building a new facility, the South Lake Water Treatment plant. The first phase of the plant will come online in 2025 but will not be fully completed until 2026. When finished, the city will be able to treat 94 million gallons per day, more than double its current capacity, Solomon said.

She said the city has to build a new plant to keep up with the high demand during the summer months. For two weeks during the height of a summer-long heat wave, the city's system exceeded 95% of its treatment capacity with 75% of its water being used for lawn and irrigation, officials said.

"The South Lake Water Treatment Plant will bring an additional 44 million gallons of capacity, but realistically we only need that eight weeks of the year," Solomon said.

Additionally, city officials entered into a two-year, $11.8 million agreement with the Edmonton Power Corporation, a water utility company in Williamson County, to be another source of water.

Under the agreement, the city will be able to reserve water from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in Robertson County. The agreement is a placeholder until the two entities can negotiate a partnership that will have Georgetown receiving between 32 million to 55 million gallons per day, starting in 2030, city officials said.

“Having enough water to meet our demands is becoming increasingly challenging and important as Georgetown and our service area continue to grow exponentially,” said Mayor Josh Schroeder.

Elgin planning for explosive growth

While the city of Elgin's water treatment plant is not yet close to reaching 70% of capacity, the city is building a $5 million large storage and staging facility for its water, said City Manager Tom Mattis. The city extracts its water from the Corrizo-Wilcox Aquifer.

Mattis said the city will expand its plant within the next five years as residential growth is pushing what the plant can treat. Elgin has a population of about 10,000 residents, but that is expected to explode to 58,000 by 2030, according to city documents.

"It's a challenge for us, for everybody, to know how much you are prepared to invest and how much is necessary versus getting too far ahead of yourself," Mattis said.

Round Rock to increase capacity

In Round Rock, the Brushy Creek Regional Authority is building a $225 million deep water intake at Lake Travis and a two-mile tunnel to the pump station that leads to the city's water plant. Michael Thane, director of utilities, said the project should help the city provide water to 250,000 residents. The new intake also will serve Leander and Cedar Park.

City officials said that once the project is completed, it will provide an additional 40.8 million gallons per day of water to the city and 145 million gallons per day to the three cities combined.

Round Rock's population is 130,293, according to the city, but is estimated to reach 266,000 by 2040.

More:New properties in Round Rock could see higher water, wastewater impact fees in 2024

Thane said that without the project, the city can only rely on Lake Georgetown, which can provide water to 150,000 people. The city sometimes supplements its water supply from the Edwards Aquifer. The expansion, which began last year, is expected to be completed in 2027.

Bastrop to replace water supply source

In Bastrop, the city is designing a new water treatment plant and a wellfield to replace its water supply. The projects will allow the city to pull water from deep wells in the Simsboro Aquifer instead of shallow alluvial wells under the Colorado River.

City officials said the change of the city's water supply will provide a reliable, resilient drinking water supply.

The $75 million project is 37% complete, officials said. The city's population of 11,811 is expected to grow to over 17,000 by 2040.

Service expansion in Travis, Hays counties

In Bee Cave and in Dripping Springs, water and wastewater services are provided by the West Travis County Public Utility Agency. The utility provides services to several cities in western Travis and northern Hays counties.

The agency uses population estimates and water demand to model the infrastructure they will need in the future. Jennifer Riechers, the agency's general manager, said that in 10 years water usage is expected to increase from 22,000 living unit equivalents to 38,000 LUE's systemwide. An LUE is the typical flow that would be produced by a single-family residence.

To keep up with growth, the agency plans to expand its only water treatment plant to hold 32 million gallons per day, an increase from 20 million gallons. Riechers said the expansion, expected to be completed by 2026, will provide services to the southern portion of Bee Cave toward Dripping Springs. She said that without the expansion, the plant would be over capacity by 2024.

Riechers said the most growth the agency has seen in the areas it serves is Dripping Springs. To accommodate for that growth, the agency is building a second water line down U.S. 290 to help push out more water and to provide more capacity to its customers in the city. The second line will provide an additional 3,000 living unit equivalents.

"We have allocated all of the capacity we can from the existing plant," she said. "We know that the growth is necessary."

The grand opening of the Family Care Center in Pflugerville on Sept. 26 should mean greater access to mental health services for families.

The big picture

Texas ranks last when it comes to mental health care access, according to Mental Health America, a national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health.

When considering both youth and adult populations, Texas also exhibits a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rate of access to care.

Family Care Center is working to address this by increasing access to Texans, Clinic Director Dr. Alexander Kaplan said.

“We are a one-stop shop for the whole family,” Kaplan said.

The company is unique in its approach to care, providing psychiatric therapy, and prescribed and alternative care methods within the same clinic location.

“As we're hiring a lot of people, we have [appointment] openings. So, a lot of people we see within a day or two days. I know at least for psychiatric care, that's unheard of,” Kaplan said. “So here they might see me for TMS and [prescription] management, and I'm down the hall from the therapists. We are all talking, helping each other out, and there's something to be said for that communication.”

The clinic also provides a specialty treatment option called TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation. TMS is a nonprescription and noninvasive treatment using a machine to emit light taps on the head to stimulate the brain, training the muscle to eventually function on its own. It can be used to treat major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as help with smoking cessation.

The inspiration

Initially servicing members of the military and their families, Family Care Center has expanded its patient population as shortages in mental health care providers persist.

“It was really evident that we had to expand to the rest of the community, and we had to do our part because there's such a paucity of both the providers out there,” founder Dr. Chuck Weber said. “I think that it really goes to what our mission is to make that community impact.”

According to a recent study, Texas has the fifth-lowest number of mental health treatment centers in the nation. Additionally, 75% of youth with major depression do not receive mental health treatment.

The Texas Department of Health Services reported 251 of 254 counties in Texas have a shortage of mental health care professionals as of August.

Learn more

Family Care Center also opened in Round Rock earlier this year, with plans in the works to open a total of four locations in the Austin metro by the end of 2023.

The clinic provides the following services:

For more information regarding services offered, visit www.fccwellbeing.com.

Government Reporter

Haley joined Community Impact in September 2023 and is the government reporter covering Round Rock, Pflugerville and Hutto, as well as Williamson County. Upon her graduation from Texas State University, she worked previously as a data journalism intern for Texas Community Health News covering statewide health topics. In her free time, Haley is an outdoor enthusiast always seeking new adventures.

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With the sport gaining popularity in recent years, more courts are being built in and around Central Texas.

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — In 1965, one man's cure for boredom turned into the invention of a new sport: pickleball. In recent years, the paddle sport has seen growing popularity across the U.S., including in Central Texas.

Soon, new pickleball venues are making their way to the Austin and Pflugerville areas, according to an article from the Austin Business Journal.

Later this year, players should see the first phase of a new Rush facility built on more than seven acres of land on 10037 Menchaca Rd. in South Austin.

In late 2025, the project's second phase is set to be completed, with the potential for up to 15 pickleball courts, two paddle ball courts, professional lessons, food and drinks, and a co-working space. The $5 million project is aimed towards pickleball players in their late 20s-early 40s.

Meanwhile, just north of Austin near Pflugerville, indoor facility Pickleland is set to open its doors to the public on June 1.

The new area, equipped with 9 courts, will be located at 21427 Martin Lane. Pickleball lovers can experience lessons, pay-by-play, glow-in-the-dark games, alcoholic beverages and more.

Pickleland CEO Alexander Roja is planning to invest between $600,000 and $1 million total into the project, along with a 5-year lease to bring his vision to life.

Pickleball can best be described as a combination between tennis and ping pong. The game involves single players or teams of two, and the first person "scoring 11 points and leading by at least 2 wins," according to the 2024 official pickleball rulebook.

In order to properly play the game, participants should make sure to have a pickleball paddle and indoor or outdoor balls depending on the location of the game.

RELATED: Elon Musk opens new bodega in Bastrop with playground, pickleball court and more

As this sport continues to grow among players of all ages, Central Texas has been finding new ways to incorporate it into everyday life.

Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.

The 127,000-square-foot store, which is slated to open in fall 2024, will have amenities such as a True Texas BBQ restaurant

H-E-B has officially started construction on a new store in Pflugerville. The store, which is expected to open in fall 2024, will showcase all the quality products and innovative services H-E-B customers have come to love and expect.

At 127,000 square feet in size, the new H-E-B store will be located at Pflugerville Parkway and State Highway 130. Upon its completion, it will become the third H-E-B store in Pflugerville, a community north of Austin.

“We are thrilled to start construction our third store in Pflugerville, a growing community we’ve proudly been a part of for 35 years,” said Cathy Harm, H-E-B Senior Vice President Central Texas. “We look forward to serving our dedicated customers in this part of Travis County with a new store that offers a wide assortment of quality products, innovative services, and the best of what H-E-B has to offer.”

Details about the project were shared during a groundbreaking ceremony on July 12. The store’s exterior boasts a modern and distinctive design, featuring neutral tones and various materials. Among the stores many exciting highlights are a True Texas BBQ restaurant, full-service Pharmacy with two-lane drive-thru, Curbside and Home Delivery services with dedicated parking for Curbside customers, as well as a new fuel station and car wash.

The thoughtfully designed H-E-B store will offer a world-class shopping experience with an emphasis on fresh, top-quality food options at H-E-B’s celebrated everyday low prices.

With expansive product assortment and several convenient services customers come to expect from H-E-B, other amenities will include:

With this store, H-E-B continues its commitment to invest in Central Texas communities and support the local economy by providing jobs and career opportunities. For this new store, H-E-B plans to hire and employ more than 500 Partners in total.

Regularly recognized as a top employer in the nation, H-E-B will provide training, competitive pay, and a robust benefits package that includes 10 percent off H-E-B brand products, and career and leadership development. Once eligible, Partners can become a company owner through the H-E-B Partner Stock Plan, can participate in 401k with company match, and sign up for medical, dental and vision plans, among other benefits. Employment opportunities are available across H-E-B’s business. To search for job openings, visit heb.com/careers.

H-E-B is passionately committed to its customers beyond the four walls of its stores, weaving an undeniable Spirit of Giving into its business philosophy. In this spirit and in celebration of the new store’s groundbreaking, H-E-B donated a total of $25,000 with gifts of $5,000 each to American Legion Kerlin-Lyerly Post 154, Circle of Hope Community Center, For the Children Inc., Horse Empowered Learning Programs, and Pflugerville Education Foundation.

In Oct. 1987, the company opened its first Pflugerville H-E-B store at 1434 Wells Branch Pkwy. In June 2000, H-E-B opened its second location in Pflugerville at 201 N FM 685.

About H-E-BH-E-B, with sales of $43 billion, operates more than 435+ stores in Texas and Mexico. Known for its innovation and community service, H-E-B celebrates its 118th anniversary this year. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience and lowest prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs over 160,000 Partners in Texas and Mexico and serves millions of customers in more than 300 communities. For more information, visit heb.com and theH-E-B Newsroom.