Plans for a new multifamily development in the Pearl district — with four times more parking than units — can move forward with approval by a city panel.
The Historic and Design Review Commission on Wednesday approved apartment tower design plans presented by Pearl developer Oxbow: Mira, as it’s being called, is slated for a 1.5-acre block west of the main Pearl campus and bounded by East Elmira, East Locust, East Euclid and East Myrtle streets.
Oxbow acquired the property nearly a year ago from Sabot Development, an Austin-based firm that had plans for a 10-story multifamily building approved by the commission in 2021.
Oxbow’s tower will be six stories, with 5,000 square feet of ground-level retail space and 144 units. Rental rates will be the lowest of any multifamily housing at the Pearl, said Omar Gonzalez, director of development at Oxbow.
Its parking garage will have almost 600 spaces, open to both residents and Pearl visitors, which Oxbow CEO Bill Shown called a “standout feature” of the Mira building.
“We are more than addressing the parking demand that we’re creating,” he said. “So parking is going to be a non-issue.”
Plans for Mira were developed by W Partnership and Don McDonald Architects, with civil engineering provided by Pape-Dawson, landscaping by Rialto Studio and interior design by Leslie Fossler Interiors.
Construction is expected to start in early 2025 and be completed in 2027. Oxbow has also asked the city for a rezoning of the site to permit the planned number of units and the allowable building height.
Near the Mira site, Oxbow also is building Cooper’s Row, a seven-story apartment tower that is expected to open later this year, and the planned 166-room Grove Hotel.
Commissioners recently approved plans for a bridge that connects the apartment building and hotel to the main Pearl campus and the recently opened Pullman Market.
Also on Wednesday, commissioners approved plans for a new 19,000-square-foot athletic building at Brackenridge High School.
