Austin United Alliance celebrates ribbon cutting

Developers Oak Park Regional Housing Center and Pivotal Housing Partners were recently joined by Mayor Brandon Johnson to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Austin United Alliance, a mixed-use development at 5200 W. Chicago. Located in Austin, the project integrates the historic landmark Laramie State Bank building into the development.

“This project preserves Austin’s history while advancing our vision to turn the page on disinvestment and neglect in our communities,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “This investment will instantly become one of the crown jewels of the Soul City Corridor, bringing new energy and opportunity to the Austin community. Our administration is committed to building upon this incredible momentum with additional bold, community-centered investments that will help drive lasting growth and prosperity on the West Side.”

Designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, the L-shaped building stands six floors tall and houses 78 mixed-income apartments. With a unit mix of 41 one-bedroom apartments, 32 two-bedroom units, and five three-bedroom apartments, 50 will be affordable and 28 will be market-rate. 

Residents will have access to over 1,900 square feet of amenity space, a rooftop deck, and a courtyard greenspace. The building will also include 43 bike parking spaces and 28 car parking spaces. 

Future phases will bring a new bank branch, cafe, co-working space, and Blues Museum to the historic Laramie State Bank building. 

As one of the projects that was selected through the INVEST South/West initiative, Austin United Alliance benefited from $12.9 million in TIF funding and $14.45 million in multifamily loan funds provided by DOH, supplementing an annual allocation of approximately $2.3 million in City 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), expected to generate approximately $20.7 million in LIHTC equity. 

Burling Builders led the construction of the $51.7 million mixed-use development.