SKYLINE SHIFT

TownLake YMCA proposes 425-foot towers to finance new flagship campus

A rendering of the proposed TownLake YMCA campus on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake.

Rendering courtesy of Greater Austin YMCA

The Greater Austin YMCA has filed plans to finance a new flagship TownLake campus with the development of three 425-foot residential towers, each roughly the height of the nearby Spring Condominiums. The proposal launches what is expected to be a months-long city review of a project that could reshape a prominent stretch of Lady Bird Lake's north shore.

The nonprofit has submitted a Planned Unit Development (PUD) application for its popular 4.8-acre campus at 1100 W. Cesar Chavez St. The proposal would replace the 1970-era YMCA with a new 110,000-square-foot facility designed to expand childcare, youth programming, recreation, and wellness services, while also adding three 425-foot residential towers.

Unlike a traditional capital campaign, the YMCA's plan will finance much of that expansion through revenue generated by the private residential development, the organization says. The proposal calls for three towers up to 425 feet tall, comparable in height to The Bowie in Seaholm (423 feet), Spring Condominiums (434 feet), and 5th & West (448 feet).

Development partner MP-Austin, an affiliate of Boston-based Millennium Partners, would develop about 750 market-rate homes in the three towers. The YMCA says revenue from those homes would help finance the new campus. About 90 affordable apartments, developed and managed by Foundation Communities, would be reserved primarily for families earning less than 55 percent of the area's median income. The proposal also includes environmental improvements and expanded community services.

The adjacent Old West Austin Neighborhood Association has not taken a position on the proposal, saying it is still gathering information. In a December 15, 2025, letter to Mayor Kirk Watson and City Council, the group questioned whether three 425-foot towers are appropriate west of Lamar Boulevard, outside Austin's downtown zoning districts. It also sought more information about environmental impacts, nearby parkland, and the public benefits offered in exchange for the requested zoning changes.

Motorists traveling Cesar Chavez Street have likely noticed another major residential project taking shape adjacent to the YMCA. That separate development, Viceroy Residences Austin, formerly known as The Belvedere, consists of mid-rise condominium buildings and is expected to open in 2027. The YMCA proposal would introduce three much taller towers next door.

Most of Austin's recent high-rises were built under downtown zoning that allows significantly greater height and density. The TownLake YMCA property falls, instead, under the Town Lake Corridor Overlay, so the nonprofit is seeking the PUD to request additional height and development flexibility. City code generally envisions PUDs for projects of at least 10 acres. At 4.8 acres, the TownLake YMCA site is less than half that size.

The YMCA says the redevelopment is part of a broader effort launched in 2022 to reimagine several Austin facilities following the pandemic. In addition to the TownLake project, the initiative includes expansion of the Schmetterling YMCA in Four Points and long-range planning for the East Communities YMCA.

The application now begins a review by the Austin Planning Commission and City Council. Public hearings are expected next spring.

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ZIP-ing to TX

These 2 Austin suburbs have the hottest U.S. ZIP codes to move to

Leander Parks & Recreation/Facebook

Leander is the 8th best place to live in the country, and the third best in Texas.

A new migration report has reaffirmed Texas as one of the hottest destinations for movers during the first half of 2026. Two Austin neighbors — Leander and Pflugerville — are attracting more movers than almost any other ZIP code in America.

Nearly 5.3 million moves were recorded throughout the U.S. during the first six months of the year, according to MovingPlace's new 2026 mid-year migration report. An astounding eight of the top 10 U.S. ZIP codes attracting the most movers are based in Texas, with Leander's 78641 ZIP code ranking No. 3 nationally for the highest number of moves during that timeframe.

More than 2,700 moves have been recorded in 78641, which spans Canyon Ridge Springs to the west past Ronald Reagan Boulevard to the east. The ZIP code stretches as far south as Volente on Lake Travis, and nearly reaches Liberty Hill to the north.

Leander has blossomed into a bustling boomtown for Central Texas families over the last several years, and frequently tops annual lists of the best Texas cities to move to.

"The community has attracted significant demand from buyers seeking newer homes, outdoor amenities, and more attainable housing options while remaining within commuting distance of Austin’s employment hubs," the report's author wrote. "Expanding neighborhoods and continued infrastructure investment have helped make Leander one of Central Texas’ most prominent growth markets."

The city boasts a population of about 93,400 residents, a median household income of $135,024, and its median home price sits at $453,100, according to MovingPlace's data.

Other hot ZIPs in the greater Austin area

Pflugerville's 78660 ZIP code ranked No. 6 nationally on MovingPlace's top 10 list of the hottest ZIP codes by total move volume so far in 2026. The city's population has surpassed 118,000 residents with 2,524 new moves recorded during the first half of the year.

The report designates Pflugerville as an attractive place for families that want to "balance commute times, housing costs, and suburban quality of life." The suburb is conveniently situated between Round Rock and Austin, and homes in the 78660 area have a median price of $369,300.

"The city has benefited from its affordability relative to Austin, access to major employers, and growing inventory of newer homes," the report said.

In MovingPlace's per-capita rankings — which compared the ZIP codes where new residents moved at the highest rate relative to the existing population — one more Austin-area ZIP emerged among the top 10: 78656 in Maxwell, an unincorporated community in Caldwell County located eight miles from Lockhart and about 30 miles from Austin.

Maxwell has the 10th highest moves per capita in the U.S., and the far-flung ZIP benefits from "its proximity to one of Texas’ strongest job markets" and offers both space and affordability for relocating homeowners. Median home prices in Maxwell are $194,900, the report found.

"As housing costs remain elevated closer to the city, buyers have increasingly looked toward smaller communities south and southeast of Austin for new construction opportunities and more attainable prices," the report said.

These are the top 10 hottest ZIP codes in America right now:

No. 1 – New Braunfels, Texas (78130)
No. 2 – McKinney, Texas (75071)
No. 3 – Leander, Texas (78641)
No. 4 – Katy, Texas (77493)
No. 5 – Winter Garden, Florida (34787)
No. 6 – Pflugerville, Texas (78660)
No. 7 – Cypress, Texas (77433)
No. 8 – Summerville, South Carolina (29486)
No. 9 – Aubrey, Texas (76227)
No. 10 – San Antonio, Texas (78253)

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