By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Members of Lake Austin Collective toured The Reserve at Lake Austin construction site recently at 6401 RM 2222 near City Park Road.

“(It was) my group that helped get the retirement center zoned,” said Linda Bailey, president of the Lake Austin Collective.

The group advocates for 12+ neighborhoods along the 6-mile City Park Road, RM 2222 and Capital of Texas Highway 360, close to the iconic Pennybacker Bridge.

Lake Austin Collective is a Texas 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that was founded 20 years ago to engage and educate people about safe, responsible and sustainable growth within Lake Austin and its surrounding neighborhoods.

The Reserve at Lake Austin’s 45-acre site was formerly known as Champion Tract 3. Residents and local citizen groups were opposed to the prior denser apartment complex plans for the site.

“We bought the land at the end of 2018,” said Jon Erickson, tract co-owner and strategic investment partner at HPI Real Estate Services & Investments. He’s also a Steiner Ranch resident. “We were able to get this site fortuitously through Jonathan Coon.” 

Last fall the developers donated 34 acres for the Carol Lee Preserve. Lee lived in the nearby neighborhood and was an advocate for her community before passing away from cancer in 2018.  

The Reserve at Lake Austin will sit on the remaining 11 acres and is expected to be finished by February. The 108,000-square-foot community will feature 120 apartments: 26 memory care and 94 assisted living.

“Building is well done,” Bailey said after touring on June 14.

“Our goal and intent is to have the nicest senior living community in Austin by far,” Erickson said.