Home Depot No More

Demolition moves forward after 15-year redevelopment stall in historic Austin neighborhood

The demolition will kick off Phase 1 of a major redevelopment project in the St. Johns neighborhood that has been in the works since 2008.

Photo by qi on Unsplash

An old Home Depot lot has been sitting vacant in North Austin for more than 10 years. That will change on Monday, August 14, as crews will start the demolition process of the lot, paving the way for a major redevelopment of a historic Austin neighborhood.

“The demolition is going to be such a big deal to the community – that this project is moving forward, that things are going to be happening,” Austin City Councilmember Chito Vela (District 4) said.

The demolition will mark the first phase of a redevelopment project for the St. Johns neighborhood that has been in the works for roughly 15 years.

"It's something that's needed for the community,” said community member Ken Ballage. “It's a great project with the city, and it's just a good day for St. Johns."

A plan to overhaul the 19 acres of land began in 2008, when the City bought the former Home Depot site.

"One of the reasons it's taken so long is because we haven't done a similar type of project, and there have been so many different thoughts and iterations of what we wanted to do ... We kept going back to the drawing board and again and again,” Vela said.

The City of Austin, the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA), private developer Greystar and the St. Johns community have been working in unison on the project.

The new site will have 526 housing units, with half of them considered affordable housing. To qualify for these homes, a household would need to hit the 50, 60, or 70 percent median family income level in Austin. For a family of four, they would qualify if the household income totaled $55,000, $66,000, or $77,000 per year, respectively.

The redevelopment will also include 15,000 square feet of commercial space, a clubhouse, and an expanded park.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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schools with high achievers

19 Austin elementary and middle schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

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Congratulations are in order for the Bats.

Several Austin elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's just-released list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – Basis Austin – is the No. 1 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

U.S. News ranked more than 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
Basis Texas Charter School's Austin campus has a total enrollment of 273 students, 19 full-time teachers, and a student-teacher ratio of 14:1, according to U.S. News. A majority of students at this charter school – 89 percent – scored "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 92 percent showed at or above proficiency in reading.

"Basis Austin did better in math and better in reading in this [test score] metric compared with students across the state," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "In Texas, 51 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 41 percent tested at or above that level for math."

Basis Austin also ranked No. 16 in the statewide rankings for the best elementary schools for 2025.

Eight other Austin-area middle schools earned spots in Texas' top 100, including:

No. 31 – Canyon Vista Middle School, Round Rock ISD
No. 40 – Chaparral Star Academy
No. 47 – Hill Country Middle School, Eanes ISD
No. 64 – Cedar Valley Middle School, Round Rock ISD
No. 81 – West Ridge Middle School, Eanes ISD
No. 85 – Pearson Ranch Middle School, Round Rock, Round Rock ISD
No. 91 – James Garland Walsh Middle School, Round Rock, Round Rock ISD
No. 100 – Florence Stiles Middle School, Leander, Leander ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while three Austin-area schools were among the top 25.

Round Rock's Cactus Ranch Elementary is the No. 18 best elementary school statewide, boasting 743 students, 47 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. Students at this public school scored 88 percent efficiency in math and 90 percent efficiency in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Cactus Ranch is significantly higher than the rest of Round Rock ISD.

"In Round Rock Independent School District, 64 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 52 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "Cactus Ranch Elementary did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

Following one spot behind Cactus Ranch in the statewide ranking is Austin's Canyon Creek Elementary in Round Rock ISD, coming in at No. 19. Canyon Creek has a student population of 369 with 27 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. The school's student-teacher ratio is 14:1, and 90 percent of students are proficient in math, and 88 percent in reading.

Other Austin-area elementary schools that were ranked among the 100 best in Texas are:

No. 22 – Patsy Sommer Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 31 – River Ridge Elementary, Leander ISD
No. 42 – Elsa England Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 53 – Laurel Mountain Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 81 – Laura Welch Bush Elementary, Leander ISD
No. 88 – Mills Elementary, Austin ISD
No. 94 – Clayton Elementary, Austin ISD
No. 100 – Cedar Creek Elementary, Eanes ISD

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

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