Hotel Breaks Ground In Austin's Aldrich Street

AUSTIN, TX — Origin, a lifestyle-focused boutique hotel brand making its entry into Texas, has broken ground on a five-story, 120-room hotel in the heart of Mueller’s town center district, Aldrich Street, officials said in an advisory.

Developed by Mississippi-based The Thrash Group, Origin at Mueller will feature a collection of comfortable and well-appointed rooms and suites that feature local funky-flair and color, officials said. Some rooms will feature bunk beds with capacity to sleep six, kitchenettes, and a terrace suite with a large balcony and firepit. The hotel will also offer a gym with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, the option of an in-room prAna yoga kit, and a guide to local experiences.

Guests will be greeted upon arrival with valet parking before entering a social and welcoming lobby. The hotel includes multiple gathering and meeting spaces in various configurations and approximately 5,000 square feet of future retail space to accompany the collection of local dining and retail options emerging along Aldrich Street.

Additionally, the hotel will include an open-kitchen-concept restaurant and bar that will provide indoor and outdoor courtyard dining for hotel guests and Aldrich Street patrons.

Some rooms will feature bunk beds with capacity to sleep six, kitchenettes, and a terrace suite with a large balcony and firepit. Courtesy image.

“What we’ll offer at Mueller is an elevated hotel experience that focuses on three pillars: creating a lifestyle that informs guests about local, hand-selected things to do, inspired by our guests; establishing a balanced and fresh approach to wellness of the mind, body and soul; and developing a strong sense of community that is based on local partnerships with local eateries, farmers, coffee roasters and more, all to connect people to more meaningful experiences,” Thrash Partner Walker Thrash said in a prepared statement.

The new hotel was designed by Lake Flato and Lusk Architecture, while Flick Mars provided the interior architecture design and Studio Balcones designed the courtyard. Origin was designed to fit into its surrounding urban context, complementing the existing structures in the area. The exterior brick utilized is from local Texas plants. The use of board formed concrete references the adjacent building (the Mueller Diamond Building), and the use of corrugated metal wall and roof panels compliments the adjacent Thinkery children’s museum.

The layout of the hotel was also designed to fit into its context, highlighting views to an interior courtyard that opens towards the Aldrich Street Paseo. The overall effect is simple industrial materials carefully assembled in surprising and elegant ways that blend into the nearby urban fabric. The development team is pursuing LEED-Silver and Austin Energy Green Building three-star certification.

“We’ve remained thoughtful and selective as we pursued the right hotel partner who understands the vision of a vibrant and activated environment that we will continue to deliver along Aldrich Street at Mueller,” Greg Weaver, Executive Vice President for Catellus, said in a prepared statement. “Origin will be a stellar addition to the mix of offerings that make Aldrich Street a unique destination that cultivates like-minded retail tenants. We look forward to welcoming the brand and its guests to the Mueller community when it opens in 2021.”

Origin is situated on a 0.4-acre lot along McBee Street near Alamo Drafthouse and the 235,000-square-foot Shorenstein office building, which is currently under construction and will have approximately 25,000 square feet of retail. Additionally, AMLI Residential is also starting construction on its new 406 multifamily units, which will have approximately 15 percent of its units reserved for income-qualified residents and approximately 23,500 square feet of retail. All of the retail space in these various projects will be owned by Catellus and leased by Adam Zimel & Evan Deitch of Endeavor Real Estate Group.

About Mueller

Mueller is one of the nation’s most notable mixed-income, mixed-use communities located in the heart of Austin. The 700-acre site of Austin’s former airport is being transformed into a diverse, sustainable, compatible, revitalizing and fiscally responsible master-planned community. Mueller is a public-private partnership between the City of Austin Economic Development department and Catellus Development. Upon completion, Mueller will feature at least 6,200 single-family and multi-family homes (including more than 1,500 affordable homes), a mixed-use town center district known as Aldrich Street, 4.5 million square feet of prime commercial space, including 750,000 square feet of local and regional retail space, 140 acres of public parks and open space, plus Dell Children’s Medical Center, the Austin Film Studios, The Thinkery children’s museum, HEB grocer and the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center. For more information, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Aldrich Street

Aldrich Street is a vibrant hub in the award-winning, master-planned community of Mueller, an activity magnet for thousands of people every day. Its unique mix of local and regional shops, a cinema, a variety of eateries, parks and cultural attractions create a new destination where visitors, residents and workers alike come, relax and enjoy the Austin experience. Upon completion, Aldrich Street will have up to 1.8 million square feet of office space, 175,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, approximately 3,000 apartments and condos and a 120-room hotel. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram.

About The Thrash Group

The Thrash Group offers strategic value to our stakeholders and to the communities in which we operate. We gain a quantifiable advantage by assembling a focused group of talented developers, designers, contractors, underwriters, and managers that have a common interest in the outcome of every project. Constant education and clear organization are at the center of our efforts. Each person and company working independently within our offices brings a distinct and appreciated viewpoint, and each team member is empowered to make decisions within their field of expertise. We communicate constantly, discuss openly and make decisions quickly. These beliefs, along with a firm commitment to hard work and sound investment strategies, produce successful real estate developments across the United States.

About Catellus

Catellus is a national leader in mixed-use development, solving some of America’s most complex land challenges. With nearly 30 years of experience as a master developer, Catellus has transformed former airports, military bases and urban industrial sites into thriving retail, residential and commercial communities. These projects, which often include substantial public amenities, add economic, social and environmental value to the communities they serve. Catellus has both the financial strength and development expertise to turn vision into reality at even the most demanding development sites.

About the City of Austin, Economic Development Department

The City of Austin Economic Development Department influences revenue generation through its programs and investments in order to secure economic mobility for our residents and promote a competitive, sustainable, vibrant and equitable economy for all. With a focus on regenerating key assets of the city, the Redevelopment Division has implemented catalyst redevelopment projects, including the Seaholm District, Second Street Retail District, and the Mueller Redevelopment, an award-winning national model for responsible urban planning and development.