featured on Towers | Demolition Planned for City-Owned Home Depot Site in North Austin

Exciting project update! The former Home Depot store currently sitting empty in the St. Johns neighborhood of Northeast Austin could soon be demolished, according to a number of permits filed last week.

A long vacant and neglected tract in the historic St. Johns neighborhood of Austin, this 20-acre site will soon become a thriving, vibrant mixed-use district with affordable housing, parks and open space, and community-focused retail. The project’s overarching goal is to support the community by enhancing its services and quality of life through redevelopment and urban design, providing the catalyst for former St. Johns residents to return to the neighborhood they know as home.

TBG has been involved since late 2020, heavily focusing on site analysis, concept planning and community engagement efforts. Working in collaboration with Community Advisory Committee, a local citizen group, the team underwent a robust public engagement process. The ensuing landscape architectural approach incorporates direct feedback from current community members, neighbors and future residents. Currently, the team is in the schematic design phase on a three-to-four-acre park space that will link the site to an existing neighborhood to the east. The updated park will triple its original footprint, adding much needed green space, reducing the urban heat island effect, and providing missing wildlife habitat. It will feature a multi-generational splashpad, gathering pavilion and community garden, among other park amenities.

To read more about the plans for the St. Johns neighborhood, visit Towers.