SAN ANGELO, Texas — It was a normal February afternoon, back in 2018 when Michael Looney, the vice president of economic development for the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, was in his office and received a phone call from Angelo State University graduate and builder Justin Hardin.
Hardin was looking for land to make his idea of building cottage-like homes with apartment-like amenities come to fruition.
“I noticed a trend in Austin of people having smaller homes with all of the amenities you'd find in an apartment. Having gone to school in San Angelo at Angelo State, I thought, let me try there. So I made a few calls, and Michael Looney answered the phone. We had conversations every single day and finally found the perfect piece of dirt," Hardin said.
Hardin's call came at the perfect time for Looney, who was in the midst of working with other economic developers to try and ease the overwhelming demand for housing in the area.
"We've got about a 96-97% occupancy rate in San Angelo. that basically means there's no vacancy. There's nothing left," Looney said.
The lack of housing in San Angelo was brought to light in a 2019 Resintel housing study conducted by a third-party researcher. The release of that information was enough for local lenders and developers to give the issue serious attention.
Local banks collaborated on a project that would get the new housing development funded, according to Looney. When it was clear a project could move forward, Looney knew that Hardin's development, Creek 27, was the perfect fit.
"I think it's going to bring something different than your typical apartment complex. You're going to be able to pull up right to your home, and it's still going to have the same amenities: a playground for the kids, a pool, a workout facility.. So, you're going to have all of those things, but you're not going to have to park 100 yards or 100 feet from your door, you're not going to have to go up three flights of stairs, and you're not going to have to share walls with anyone," Hardin said.
The development is being built in phases on the Houston Harte Expressway. The first phase of 35 houses will be complete and ready to be moved into in November 2020. Thirty to 35 houses will be built every four months after that, according to Hardin.
Pricing is not yet finalized, but these are the expectations, according to Looney:
- 1 bedroom/1 bath = $900/month
- Small 2 bedroom = $1,150/month
- Larger 2 bedroom = $1,300/month
- 3 bedroom/two-story = $1,450/month