2025 Annual Report DRAFT — original pdf

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DRAFT Annual Internal Review This report covers the time period of 7/1/2025 to 6/30/2026 Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Plan Implementation Advisory Commission The Board/Commission mission statement (per the City Code) is: Advise the City Council on implementation of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Master Plan, the 1996 Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Process and Goals Task Force Report, and other redevelopment issues at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, including proposed amendments to the Master Plan, land disposition strategy, traffic, urban design and zoning issues, demolition of existing facilities; and at the request of the City Council, make recommendations on amendments to the Master Plan and other matters related to Robert Mueller Airport redevelopment. Section 2- 1-169 of the City Code. Commission Revised Expiration Date & Function In 2000, the City Council adopted the Mueller Airport Reuse Plan and then created the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Plan Implementation Advisory Commission (RMMAPIAC) for its oversight. The City Council selected Catellus Austin LLC as Mueller's Master Developer and the Mueller Master Development Agreement (MDA) was signed on December 2, 2004, with a termination date of December 2, 2024. On May 30, 2024, that date was changed by the City Council December 31, 2027. In September of 2025, Banbury Development assumed the roll of Mueller's Master Developer. Because the MDA contractually obligates the property to be developed per the provisions in the agreement, the practical role of the RMMAPIAC evolved to include: • Advising the City Council on Mueller redevelopment items that come before them, such as proposed Mueller PUD zoning revisions, and on MDA-stipulated items requiring Council approval, such as selling Mueller property to another governmental entity. • Serving as a venue for the City staff and others to report on and hear concerns about the redevelopment progress and process, and to receive input and feedback from stakeholders. This role has provided a unique, community-based, problem-solving opportunity for implementing the Mueller vision. Page 1 of 5 1. Describe the board’s actions supporting their mission during the previous calendar year. Address all elements of the board’s mission statement as provided in the relevant sections of the City Code. (Reference all reports, recommendations, letters or resolutions presented to the City Council on mission-specific issues. If some of the elements of the mission statement were not acted on by the board in the past year, the report should explain why no action was taken.) a) The Commission received a presentation at the September 9, 2025 by ICON on the status of their 3D printed homes in Mueller. ICON has built 248 3D printed homes, including a dozen homes in Mueller, using their proprietary software and materials. b) Financial Services staff briefed the Commission at the September 9, 2025 on the historical designation status of the Browning Hangar. The Commission was assured the Hangar will receive historical designation status when plans for its disposition are finalized. The Commission advocates for continued public access to the 84-year-old hangar following the completion of the MDA. c) The Commission received an update at the October 14, 2025 meeting on the status of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) activities. As of May 31, 2025, 99 minority and women-owned businesses had been awarded contracts worth $53.3 million. The contracts represent 23.3% of the total contracts awarded by Banbury since the inception of the Mueller project, Hispanic American businesses received 40% of the contracts. Women-owned businesses received 34% of the contracts and African American business owners were awarded 24% of the contracts. The remaining contracts were divided between Asian Pacific American contractors (2%) and Native American businesses (0.03%). d) The Commission received briefings from Capital Delivery Services staff at the November 12, 2025 meeting and the January 13, 2026 meeting on the status of East 51st Street Mobility Project. Funding for the project was authorized as part of the November 2012 bond election. Staff discussed progress on the project’s updated timeline and plans for the partial reconstruction of East 51st Street from Cameron Road to Berkman Drive. e) The Commission received presentations during the November 12, 2025 meeting from the Mueller Foundation, and Banbury on the status of affordable housing programs. The Master Development Agreement goal that 25% of all housing units be affordable is being met for both homes and rental units. As of June 1, 2025, the Foundation had 678 affordable homes in its portfolio compared to 639 affordable homes in 2024. According to Foundation officials, 25.7% of all affordable homeowners met the program criteria of having incomes at or below 80% of the Median Family Income (MFI) for Austin. In addition, the program portfolio includes 68 workforce units for homeowners with incomes between 80% and 120% of the Austin MFI. In addition, Banbury reported Mueller has 961 affordable apartments that are completed, constructed or contracted that represent 25% of all rental units. The City of Austin audits S.M.A.R.T. multifamily apartment developments and the State of Texas perform compliance audits of the three housing tax credit projects in Mueller. Page 2 of 5 f) Banbury management briefed the Commission on plans to rename Mueller Lake Park for Girard Kinney during the November 12, 2025 meeting. The longtime architect and community leader chaired the 1996 RMMA Process and Goals Task Force and he conducted feasibility studies on future uses of the Browning Hangar and the Mueller Control Tower. The 30-acre park was officially named for Kinney in November 2025 by the Mueller Property Owners Association g) Foundation Communities executives briefed the Commission at the March 10, 2026 meeting on a potential affordable apartment complex in Mueller. The proposed Jordan II project includes 66 apartments that are priced to be affordable by families by families with incomes at or below 50% of Austin’s Median Family Income. h) The Commission received an update during the April 14, 2026 meeting from the Financial Services Department on Mueller Financing. The Mueller TIF is funded with property tax and sales tax revenue and the estimated project costs covered by TIF debt is $59.6 million. During 2025-2026 fiscal year, the $13.5 million annual TIF revenue total far exceeded the $5.3 annual TIF debt service costs. 2. Determine if the board's actions throughout the year comply with the mission statement. (If any of the board's actions were outside the scope of the mission statement, the report should explain the non-compliance issues.) a) The Foundation Communities briefing on the Jordan II apartment complex and the Banbury presentation on affordable rental housing options and the Mueller Foundation Affordable Home program support the project goal of affordability and diversity. The staff briefing on the Browning Hangar’s historical designation status supports the goal of compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. The briefing on Minority and Women- Owned Business Enterprise outreach efforts supports the goals of economic development, East Austin revitalization and diversity. b) The Mueller financing staff briefing supports the fiscal responsibility goal. The ICON 3D printed homes presentation supports the sustainability goal. The East 51st Street Project briefing supports the compatibility with surrounding neighborhood's goal. The recommendation to Council on funding for continued public access to Mueller pools supports the compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods principle. c) The Commission submitted two recommendations to Council during the 12 months covered by this report. The Commission approved a budget recommendation during the March 10, 2026 meeting in support of PARD funding to the Mueller Property Owner's Association to defray lifeguard costs required during the Mueller pool public access periods, and this recommendation supports the compatibility with surrounding neighborhood’s goal. At the April 14, 2026 meeting, commissioners approved a recommendation in support of Foundation Communities application for state tax credits and $8 million in gap financing for the proposed Jordan II apartment complex. This recommendation supports the diversity and affordability goal. Page 3 of 5 3. List the board’s goals and objectives for the new calendar year. (Make sure the goals and objectives fall within the mission statement of the commission.) In recent years, we have used the six redevelopment goals set forth in the City Council- adopted 2000 Mueller Redevelopment and Reuse Plan to guide the RMMAPIAC goals for our Annual Internal Review. Having admirably met those goals, Mueller now faces a new chapter. Funding, management and maintenance responsibilities of the City of Austin and Mueller's POA need to be well defined for continued seamless public access to Mueller parks, greenways, pools, public access easements, and the Mueller Tower and Browning Hangar historic sites, including the option of establishing conservancies to maintain these amenities. For the coming year, the Commission will request updates, reports and information from pertinent City of Austin departments, Banbury Development and others as the focus now is to determine if any critical elements of Mueller's Master Development Agreement (MDA) remain unfulfilled prior to its, and our Commission's, termination on December 31, 2027. These will include: a) A final update on M/WBE contracting as required under the MDA. b) A final update from the Financial Services Department on the status of Mueller’s Tax Increment Financing and its closure (as required by State law), and consideration of possible Commission recommendations to the City Council on the allocation of any remaining surplus funds. c) Ask for information on the percentage of local retail and commercial business in Mueller. d) Request that Banbury share plans for any remaining undeveloped property to assure proposed developments continue a diversity of business, employment and housing opportunities, and to report on key milestones anticipated or reached during their remaining time at Mueller. e) Confirm a mechanism for the disposition of the Browning Hangar, including any historic zoning designation, is in place once the MDA is terminated. f) An update on the use of Mueller's PTMD funds for on-site mobility related improvements. g) Ask for a Transportation Department briefing regarding impact(s) of the TxDOT's I-35 Capital Express Central project on access to Mueller from Airport Boulevard, I-35 and E. 51st Street. h) An update from CapMetro regarding any Mueller area transit plans. Page 4 of 5 i) Request Capital Delivery Services information regarding the implementation of the East 51st Street Mobility Improvements project. j) An update from City staff, and if possible, the Mueller Foundation and Banbury, regarding any measures needed prior to the end of the MDA to ensure a statutory and sustainable mechanism – with public oversight – is in place to maintain housing stock in the affordable program and meeting the MDA requirements that at least 25% of all housing be affordable, indistinguishably dispersed throughout the site, and distributed between owned and leased units with no more than a 60/40% mix of either, in perpetuity. ••••• Finally, during the remaining fourteen meetings on the Commission calendar, we anticipate notifying and/or advising the Council regarding some MDA and other issues still outstanding, including but not limited to the final covenant amendments, ensuring that Mueller's TIF is properly maintained and managed, plans for the Mueller Central building when Banbury Development discontinues its lease with the City, and interim management, maintenance and protection of the historic Mueller Hangar until it is sold. Also, while the Mueller Property Owners Association (POA) has had its second full year as a majority resident-run board, the POA still may have questions of, and input for, the City Council, City Manager, Development Services and other City Departments, and Banbury Development about Mueller's place in the larger Austin community. Each entity should work together to address those questions and concerns, and to resolve them cooperatively. Page 5 of 5