AUSTIN, Texas — The St. Austin Catholic Church in Austin broke ground on its redevelopment project on Monday.
Church officials have been planning the redesign of the church’s campus since 2016, according to a press release. The new campus will include facilities for the St. Austin Catholic School.
The school, which is currently located on San Antonio Street, will have a new science lab, gymnasium and outdoor spaces once construction is complete. It will move to the intersection of Guadalupe Street and 21st Street next to the church near the University of Texas at Austin.
St. Austin Catholic School has been a part of the St. Austin Catholic Church for more than 70 years, according to the release. It serves up to 400 students in grade pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
“The parish and school community, which has been at this location for over a century, looks forward to carrying into the future the mission of ministry and evangelization,” Paulist Father and pastor of St. Austin Catholic Church Rev. Chuck Kullmann said in the release.
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The new church campus will also include new parish offices and a rectory for the church’s Paulist priests.
The property that the school currently sits on will become the site of a “downtown residential tower” for UT Austin students and other Austin residents.
“As Austin continues to grow, we are blessed to break ground on a development that will serve the community for generations to come allowing us to continue to bear witness to the Gospel,” Bishop of Austin Rev. Joe S. Vasquez said in the release.
The redevelopment project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023. Greystar Development is helping oversee construction.
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