If you've walked through Mueller's tree-lined streets, browsed the Sunday farmers market, or caught a free concert at the Lake Park amphitheater, you've experienced one of the most ambitious urban redevelopment projects in Texas history. But how did 700 acres of runways and hangars become a neighborhood of 14,000 residents? Here's the story.
What Was Here Before
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport served as Austin's primary airport from 1930 to 1999. At its peak in the 1980s, the airport handled over 6 million passengers annually. But as Austin grew, the airport's single runway and residential neighbors made expansion impossible. In 1993, voters approved funding for a new airport — Austin-Bergstrom International — on the site of the former Bergstrom Air Force Base, 8 miles to the southeast.
Mueller closed to air traffic on May 22, 1999. The last commercial flight, an American Eagle turboprop to Dallas, departed at 11:47 p.m. What remained was 700 acres of concrete and flat land, three miles from downtown, in a city that was just beginning its explosive growth phase.
The Redevelopment Plan
Austin voters approved the Mueller redevelopment concept in 2000, and the city selected Catellus Development Group as master developer in 2004. The plan was unusual for Texas: a mixed-income, mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhood built on New Urbanist principles — walkable blocks, front porches, alleys instead of front-loaded garages, and a commitment to making 25 percent of housing affordable.
The master plan divided Mueller into districts: a town center with retail and restaurants along Aldrich Street, residential neighborhoods of varying density, a 30-acre lake park, and sites reserved for institutional users like Dell Children's Medical Center and Austin Community College.
How It Was Built
Construction began in 2007, just before the financial crisis. The first homes were delivered in 2008. Unlike typical suburban development, Mueller was built incrementally — a few blocks at a time, mixing housing types (single-family, townhomes, apartments) within each phase rather than segregating them.
The affordable housing program used a land-trust model: Catellus sold lots to homebuilders at below-market prices, and buyers purchased homes with deed restrictions limiting future resale prices. This approach kept homes permanently affordable rather than allowing them to flip to market rate after a set period.
Where It Stands Today
Twenty-two years after the master plan was adopted, Mueller is roughly 85 percent built out. The development includes approximately 5,900 residential units, 4.2 million square feet of commercial space, 140 acres of parks and open space, and major institutional anchors including Dell Children's Medical Center, the Thinkery children's museum, and ACC's Highland campus nearby.
The remaining buildout — concentrated along Barbara Jordan Boulevard — will add an estimated 1,200 more units over the next four years. A recent zoning amendment allowing seven-story buildings along the boulevard signals the final chapter of Mueller's transformation from runway to rooftops.
Whether Mueller's final phase delivers on the original promise of a truly mixed-income neighborhood — or follows the pattern of so many urban redevelopments that start diverse and end expensive — remains the open question as the last parcels are developed.