Mixed-use, 65-acre Crystal Village project under construction in Leander

A 65-acre, mixed-use project in Leander is under construction with one restaurant already open and luxury apartments ready for lease.

Crystal Village is expected to be completed by 2030 with retail, offices, a hotel, conference and meeting spaces and more residential units, said Jamie Forbes, the project's development manager.

The project, expected to cost more than $250 million, is at the southeast corner of the 183-A tollway and East Crystal Falls Parkway.

"Culver’s (restaurant) opened in February this year, with a record-setting opening day for the franchise in the state of Texas," Forbes said. The QuikTrip convenience store has been open at the project since early 2024, he said.

"Estancia Brazilian Steakhouse, Willie’s Grill & Ice House, Southside Market & BBQ, and Texas Roadhouse are all in progress, and there is a recently completed 3.2-acre park at the south side of the Village, which is part of the city of Leander Park System," Forbes said in an email.

The city of Leander has agreed to provide a sales tax rebate of $400,000 to the steakhouse to open at the village if the restaurant invests a minimum of $7.5 million in its building and employs at least 75 people, according to an economic agreement.

The Evergrove at Crystal Village, a 348-unit luxury, garden-style apartment community, is leasing and expected to complete construction in the early summer, Forbes said. The developer of Crystal Village is Alaska-based Koniag Inc. It bought the 65-acre property in 2010, Forbes said.

"Koniag has explored options for developing the property over the years, and, along with the tremendous growth of the Leander community, began moving forward with the plans for the current development in January 2020," Forbes said.

Koniag chose to develop in Leander because it has been identified as one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, Forbes said.

"This is an exciting time for expansion to support the evolving needs of the growing residential community," he said. "This location provides convenient access for residents to shop, dine, work, live, and enjoy time with family and friends."

Leander's population is estimated at 86,469, according to the city's website.

Crystal Village is being developed in three phases. Phase one is about 18 acres, phase two is more than 20 acres, and phase three is 24 acres, Forbes said.

"Phase three will be the heart of Crystal Village, and the vision for the entire project is to be a hub for area residents to enjoy and highlight the vibrancy that the Leander community has to offer," said Forbes. "We are refining the exact configuration of Phase Three, but it is slated to include mixed-use space for family-friendly entertainment, dining, retail, professional offices, hotel, conference and meeting spaces, and further residential units."

Another Leander development, the Northline project, will have "significant" retail development and townhome construction underway by the middle to late third quarter of this year, Alex Tynberg, the developer of the project, said Friday. He said an office building is expected to break ground this year. The 116-acre Northline project is between U.S. 183 and the 183-A tollway.