Shaping an antiquated state government complex to include modern transportation needs.

In December of 2020, the real estate development firm Barshop & Oles announced extensive redevelopment plans to reimagine the strip mall and parking lots as a high-density, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use district, including office and retail space, 1700 residential units, a hotel, and almost 14 acres of green space, much of the latter clawed back from impervious concrete.

BOE was brought in to aid in the rezoning effort for the development. To do so, the firm needed to envision a key component of the area’s transformation: converting a site with only car-oriented infrastructure to a place that welcomes all transportation modes and users, including mass transit, bikes, and pedestrians. All while maintaining protection of an extremely environmentally sensitive area, the Barton Creek Green Belt, known as the crown jewel of Austin.

BOE contributed traffic analysis and offered a robust and sustainable transportation plan with multiple options for travel.

“A decade ago versus today, mindsets were significantly different,” says Bobak Tehrany, Chief Operating Officer of BOE.

BOE updated planning for the roadway network, as well as the pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access to the new complex, to better reflect current—and future—urban needs.

More importantly, BOE “connected the dots,” and coordinated disparate agencies for the best communication between them.