Feature Illustration: Concept renderings for Avanti Legacy Violet Parc. Source: Northfield Design Associates PLLC.

McAllen (Hidalgo County) — The City Commission agreed to change zoning on a 4.34-acre site from general business to multifamily residential to allow development of an 84-unit senior housing community.

The commission took action May 10 on property located at 4601 N. McColl Road. This is an irregular shaped lot that fronts McColl Road in two separate sections. A law firm has its offices on a tract facing McColl that divides the project site.

The developer, Austin-based Madhouse Development, has applied for a 9% housing tax credit award from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Madhouse created the special purpose entity Avanti Legacy Violet Parc LP to control the real estate, and the project is titled Avanti Legacy Violet Parc.

It is to be erected behind the existing law firm office building. A site plan submitted to the TDHCA describes a three-story residential complex with elevator service that is surrounded on three sides with surface parking. Eight of the 96 parking slots would be covered garage spaces.

The complex includes a detention pond, pool, pavilion, clubhouse, laundry room, mail center, fitness center and billiards room. The entrance is gated.

The residences are one- and two-bedroom units that vary in size from 657 square feet to 929 square feet.

Floors one and two have a net rentable area (NRA) of 22,424 square feet each. The third floor has an NRA of 22,418 square feet. The units have patios at ground level and balconies above ground.

This project has an estimate cost for site work and building of about $8.3 million. The total construction cost has been budgeted at just over $10 million. Soft costs and other fees bring the total development cost up to almost $18 million.

Madhouse selected Northfield Design Associates Inc. of Austin as the architect, and Carney Engineering PLLC as civil engineer.