Pflugerville presents vision for 52.69-acre “Project Greenfield” near Lake Pflugerville

Pflugerville City staff and a consulting team on Wednesday laid out a high‑level concept for “Project Greenfield,” a 52.686‑acre tract at 3615 East Pflugerville Parkway the city recently agreed to purchase.

The presentation described a mixed‑use vision anchored by a higher‑education facility and a hotel/conference component, with pedestrian connections to Lake Pflugerville, shared parking garages and a mix of townhomes and multifamily housing. Consultants and staff emphasized the plan is conceptual and that next steps include market and fiscal feasibility, infrastructure costing, and partner selection.

Robin Meega, the city’s assistant director of development engineering, told council the parcel is zoned “agriculture development reserve” and will require zoning review and public hearings before development can proceed. She said a 30‑inch water main along the site’s frontage “is expected to be adequate to serve the site” while an off‑site 24‑inch wastewater stub in Lakeside Meadows will require a connection. Meega said the city placed the tract under contract in September and council authorized purchase in October; the closing was described as imminent.

Brian Adams, a consulting planner identified in the presentation as working with Kimberly Horn, walked the council through the conceptual land plan, saying “it’s all about creating that…18‑hour kind of community” with retail and food‑and‑beverage space, flexible event greens and strong pedestrian links to the lake. The concept shows three large shared parking garages, a retail/mixed‑use village, multifamily buildings, and perimeter townhomes intended to transition to existing single‑family neighborhoods.

Adams and team members sketched a possible program that could include a roughly 250,000‑square‑foot campus building (conceptual, not final program) and flexible green space designed to host concerts and community events. They noted the plan does not include building architecture and described the bridge and pedestrian connections shown as illustrative.

Consultants said a range of financing and delivery options will need study, including public‑private partnerships, potential tax‑recapture mechanisms tied to proposed state hotel/convention legislation, and whether the city retains ownership of land or sells parcels to developers. Jennifer Boss and Mark Gilbert of Hyatt Brown summarized the implementation steps the team recommends: define goals, complete market and financial feasibility, identify infrastructure costs and funding strategies, then select partners and proceed through design and permitting.

Council members pressed on timing and control. One council member asked why the city is leading the vision rather than a private developer; consultants and staff said the city’s early leadership is intended to shape a high‑quality, walkable mixed‑use place rather than leave initial decisions entirely to market forces. Staff stressed the presentation was a starting point and recommended a market analysis and outreach to prospective university and hotel partners.

Next steps the team listed were: (1) develop council goals and priorities for the site; (2) commission market, fiscal and specialized feasibility studies (hotels, conference centers, university programs); (3) define infrastructure needs and funding options; (4) refine phasing and concept; and (5) select delivery partners. The presentation noted there is an item related to the property on the meeting consent agenda.

The council did not take a new vote on the concept at the work session; staff asked for direction on priorities and study scope so it can proceed with due diligence and partner outreach.

An initial list of clarifying technical points presented to council: - Site: 52.686 acres at 3615 E. Pflugerville Parkway, adjacent to Lake Pflugerville and Lakeside Meadows. - Current zoning: agriculture development reserve; future rezoning will require PCDC and council review. - Utilities: 30‑inch water main along frontage (described as likely adequate); a 24‑inch wastewater stub exists in Lakeside Meadows and requires an off‑site connection; additional roadway connections and on‑site infrastructure will be required. - Conceptual program sizing mentioned in the discussion: a campus footprint shown at roughly 250,000 sq ft (conceptual), and examples cited (e.g., UNT Frisco phase 1 as ~100,000 sq ft) purely for scale.

The presentation materials and staff comments framed Project Greenfield as an early, council‑driven effort to shape development quality and to attract anchor uses. Staff recommended returning with market and feasibility results, a refined phasing plan, and a proposed delivery approach for council direction.