How many cities can boast a central neighborhood that was built from scratch in the 21st century? Austin can, thanks to its successful efforts to turn the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport into a mixed-use urban village. The neighborhood's location three miles from downtown Austin and two miles from the University of Texas campus has made it a popular choice for downsizing empty nesters, young professionals and families who want to be close to the bustle of the central core.
History
The Mueller neighborhood sits on the 711-acre site of the former city airport, which opened in 1936 and relocated to the decommissioned Bergstrom Air Force Base in Southeast Austin in 1999. The following year, city and community leaders developed and adopted a redevelopment plan incorporating new housing, retail and commercial construction while keeping the character of the old airport by preserving several hangars (used as movie studios) and the control tower.
In 2007, Dell Children's Medical Center and the area's first stores opened; developers broke ground on the first single-family homes late that summer. A year later, the centerpieces of the neighborhood's 140-acre park system, hike-and-bike trails and educational gardens opened. As of summer 2010, developers are continuing construction on commercial buildings and new dwellings.
Boundaries
The Mueller neighborhood is bounded by East 51st Street to the north, Manor Road to the west, Airport Boulevard to the south and Interstate 35 to the east.
Demographics
The neighborhood, which welcomed its first residents in 2008, will eventually be home to 10,000 people in 4,900 single-family, condo or apartment homes.
According to Zillow.com, 70% of the households in Mueller's ZIP code (78723) do not have children. Forty-three percent of residents are married, 41% are single, 11% are divorced and 5% are widowed. The median household income for the area is nearly $37,000 a year, and the median age is 31.
Schools
- Public: Students in the Mueller neighborhood are assigned to Maplewood Elementary, Kealing Middle School and McCallum High School. For information on the schools, visit the Austin Independent School District site.
- Private: Private schools in the Mueller area include St. Francis School, Concordia Academy, Kamico Academy, the Griffin School and Hope Lutheran School.
Real Estate
- Rent: Currently, only one multi-family building, Mosaic Austin, offers rentals in the neighborhood. One-bedroom units cost between $1,200 and $1,750. Two-bedroom apartments rent for between $1,560 and $2,200. Three-bedroom rentals cost about $2,200 a month.
- Buy: According to Zillow.com, the average listing price for a single-family home in the Mueller neighborhood was between $440,000 and $450,000, higher than the average listing price of $430,000 for the city as a whole. According to Trulia.com, homes on the market at Mueller range from $280,000 for a 1,500-square-foot house with 2 bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms to just under $1 million for a 3-bedroom, 4½ bathroom home with more than 3,600 square feet. To view homes available on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), visit AustinHomeSearch.com.
Shopping and Restaurants
Mueller's main commercial area, which runs along the neighborhood's eastern boundary, includes big-box stores such as Home Depot, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Staples and Best Buy as well as apparel retailers like Old Navy, Lane Bryant and The Children's Place. Dining options include Mr. Bones BBQ, Chipotle Grill, Which Wich and Papa John's Pizza.