LEANDER, Texas — The developer of Leander's new downtown district, Northline, said doors will open for parts of the project in late 2023.
The Northline development will sit on 116 acres of land and is expected to be a mix of retail, housing, hotel, business and restaurant space.
For years, Leander has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.
"Like an odometer, it keeps rolling," said Leander City Manager Rick Beverlin.
More people are rolling into the growing city of Leander.
"It's a combination of the being exactly 25 miles from Downtown Austin, the housing stock, the quality of life, the school district and the access to jobs in the region," said Beverlin.
Beverlin said his focus right now is upgrading infrastructure and quality of life.
"We're the second fastest-growing in the United States," said Beverlin.
Oldtown is the closest thing Leander has to a downtown. It has a few bars and restaurants, but city leaders say they are outgrowing it.
Leander's new population signs show why. More than 81,800 people now live in the city. That's up from 56,111 when the signs were posted five years ago in 2017.
That's why the city has multiple developments in progress, including Northline. The mixed-use development is located off of 183, next to CapMetro's transit station.
"There's two blocks of buildings going up right now," said Alex Tynberg, principal of Northline Leander Development Company. "Townhomes are going up next week."
PHOTOS: Northline project coming to downtown Leander
Crews broke ground on the 116-acre mixed-use development in 2020, just before the pandemic.
"It's been a long time coming," said Tynberg."So we're going to have similar design streetscapes that you see at The Domain."
Leander plans to move city hall and other departments to the property.
"It's going to be a 10-year build," said Tynberg.
Some parts are projected to open by the end of 2023.
"It will become a destination in and of itself," said Beverlin.
Leander is planning for a lot of growth. Last year, the city council adopted the 2020 Leander Comprehensive Plan. It's the framework for how the City will decide on land use over the next decade. The plan touches on everything that's needed to keep up with growth, from housing to transportation to utilities.
City leaders last updated the plan in April.
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