Single-story building at 5307 N. Mays Street, offering 45,600 square feet of flex/R&D space,
represents first building delivered by St. John Properties in Texas
Brooke Harlander, Regional Partner, St. John Properties; Gary Farmer, Chairman, Greater Austin Economic Development Corporation; Conchita Gusman, City of Georgetown Economic Development, Ed St. John, Chairman and Founder, St. John Properties; St. John Properties President and CEO Larry Maykrantz; Sean Doordan, Senior Executive Vice President, Acquisitions and Growth.
St. John Properties, Inc. recently held a ribbon-cutting celebration for the first building delivered at Westinghouse Crossing, a mixed-use business community situated in the greater Austin metropolitan market. Upon final completion, the project will comprise approximately 225,000 square feet of flex/R&D, single-story office, and retail space. Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder and Director of Economic Development Cameron Goodman joined local officials and business leaders to mark the completion of 5307 N. Mays Street, a single-story building consisting of 45,600 square feet of flex/R&D space. The event was punctuated by the ceremonial planting of a live oak tree, commemorating the company’s first building in Texas.
Local tradition notes that in 1848, Williamson County commissioners met under an oak tree on land owned by George Washington Glasscock, Sr. to select a location for the county seat. Glasscock eventually donated the land, and the commissioners named the town Georgetown in his honor.
“We planted our roots here in 2022, and today have fulfilled our vision of delivering the first of many buildings throughout Texas that will serve the real estate needs of businesses and organizations in a diverse set of industries. Developments such as Westinghouse Crossing will be the home to hundreds of jobs and a long-term tax contributor and beneficiary of residents throughout the region,” stated Brooke Harlander, Regional Partner for St. John Properties’ Austin office.
The nearly 35-acre Westinghouse Crossing business community is located approximately 15 miles north of Austin near the southern border of Georgetown and the northern border of Round Rock. It sits near the intersection of Westinghouse Road and N Mays Street, adjacent to Interstate 35. St. John Properties intends to speculatively develop more than 170,000 square feet of their signature LEED flex/research & development space, nearly 40,000 square feet of single-story office, and nearly 15,000 square feet of retail space to provide amenities to the tenants of the business community and surrounding community. A 1.37-acre pad site, suitable for a free-standing restaurant or medical/healthcare use is also available for lease or purchase.
“What Georgetown needed in our community is exactly what St. John Properties will provide,” stated Josh Schroeder, Mayor of Georgetown. “We have fought hard to preserve our commercial office spaces and corridors in our community and not get overrun by new residential developments, because this product contributes significantly to our tax base. St. John Properties intends to develop commercial buildings in a way that works for end-users looking for flexibility, and we thank them for their investment in Georgetown. We hope this is the first of many projects the company will develop in central Texas.”
St. John Properties nearing completion on second building at Westinghouse Crossing
5307 N. Mays Street is one of two buildings being speculative developed at Westinghouse Crossing, with the delivery of 5305 N. Mays Street, a single-story, 51,013 square foot flex/R&D building expected to occur next month. Both are equipped with 18-foot ceiling heights, dock and drive-in rear loading, and surrounded by free surface parking lots. End-users can lease one or multiple adjoining bays to accommodate their real estate requirements. In addition, the signature flexible building design enables companies to dictate the exact ratio of office, manufacturing, and warehouse space needs, which makes it suitable for professional services, life sciences, laboratory, technology, government contractors, secured facilities, and other businesses of differing sizes.
Work proceeding on two additional Austin-area business communities
In addition to Westinghouse Crossing, St. John Properties is planning to develop two additional Austin-area business communities. The newest of which is, Leander Tech Park, a 50-acre business community situated approximately 20 miles north of Austin in Leander. This proposed mixed-use business community is planned to include eight buildings comprising 270,000 square feet of flex/R&D and retail space, as well as three pad sites.
Partnering with Northline Leander Development Company, St. John Properties is also developing a four-story, 128,000 square foot Class ‘A” commercial office and retail building within Northline, a 116-acre mixed-use development, also located in Leander. 1133 Main Street will feature 16,400 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and is designed for LEED certification.
Company leveraging operational efficiencies with opening of Dallas regional office this year
This spring, St. John Properties increased its investment in the Lone Star State with the opening of a new regional office in Dallas, a move that syncs with the company’s stated objective to grow its portfolio from 24 to 40 million square feet by expanding its footprint and development activity across the country. When making the announcement, St. John Properties’ President and CEO Lawrence Maykrantz stated, “the rapid success and momentum generated by our Austin regional office was a key factor in our expansion plans in Dallas. Although we view Dallas as a completely different market with unique characteristics, we believe we can leverage certain operational efficiencies with the opening of a second Texas regional office.”
St. John Properties is vertically integrated, and will self-manage and self-lease their business communities in Texas, allowing them to have direct contact and relationships with their clients and the community.
“We initially chose Austin as the site of our first Texas regional office because of the incredible culture, population and job growth, and we are now executing our plan with the delivery of our first buildings,” added Harlander. “Just like the live oak trees, which symbolize strength and longevity, St. John Properties intends to be a long-term holder of commercial real estate and a positive contributor to the region and its economy.”
Cameron Goodman, Director of Economic Development for the City of Georgetown added, “We are really proud that Westinghouse Crossing is St. John Properties’ first development in the region and are continually impressed with the way the company approaches project collaboratively and as a long-term partner. With the number of small start-up companies in the region, this real estate product is the perfect fit for their use.”
Founded in 1971, St. John Properties, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms. The company is distinguished by its commitment to customer service, achievements in green building, and top-rated workplace culture. Throughout St. John Properties’ 53-year history, the company has developed more than 24 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail, warehouse space and has investments in over 3,000 residential units. The company proudly serves more than 2,600 clients in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit www.sjpi.com.
