In the midst of record-high population growth in the Lake Travis area, multifamily apartments, townhomes and condos are rising throughout western Travis County. 

One development transforming local options is an affordable housing project in the Hudson Bend area from Rise Residential known as the Villas at Cardinal Hills. 

“There is little or no affordable rental housing in this area,” a Villas development representative said in Travis County documents. “The management company has a substantial amount of prospective residents needing housing by Lake Travis to continue to live and work in this area.”

With a promise of 180 units at or below 60% of the median family income, the Villas at Cardinal Hills is just one housing solution among several underway in the area.

What else? Outside the Villas at Cardinal Hills, another multifamily development project nearing completion is Jovie Lakeway, a 55-plus “active adult community” with studio, one- and two-bedroom units near Lakeway’s incoming City Center development The Square at Lakeway.

Here are 16 business updates to know for the Lake Travis and Westlake areas in May.

Now open
Noa Pilates and Wellness
The pilates studio offers private and duet pilates sessions, along with private physical therapy sessions in Lakeway. Pilates sessions emphasize core strength, flexibility, posture and controlled movement, while physical therapy is focused on restoring mobility and relieving pain.

• Opened April 6

• 1010 S. RM 620, Ste. 207, Lakeway

Necoa
The water purification company launched a showroom at Barton Creek Square shopping center this spring. The brand offers smart water purifiers and faucets with built-in filters utilizing reverse-osmosis filtration technology.

• Opened April 11

• 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., Ste. E03, Austin

Coming soon 
Good BBQ Company
The barbecue food truck will be opening another location at the Lake Travis Biergarten. Good BBQ Company serves up a variety of barbecue classics including pulled pork, pork ribs, brisket and smoked sausage along with several side options and housemade barbecue sauce.

• Opening this summer

• 3519 N. RM 620, Austin

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro. 

Upcoming projects
MoPac South expansion
Project: The project features a number of express lanes along the 8.7-mile stretch from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane in Austin, alongside shared-use paths and pedestrian crossings, according to the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority.
Update: Public comment on the proposed project closed May 3. West Lake Hills and Rollingwood officials issued a conditional letter of support for the project in April.

• Timeline: TBD
• Cost: $825 million
• Funding source: TBD

• Timeline: 2025-27
• Cost: $7 million
• Funding source: city of Leander certificates of obligation bonds

Population growth, decreased rainfall and drought are among the factors contributing to the water supply conditions in Central Texas. Hill Country Alliance, RainBees and several Central Texas groundwater conservation districts hosted a presentation April 28 in Dripping Springs to inform local homeowners and community members about rainwater harvesting as an alternative to wells.

The details: There are two main types of rainwater collection systems: dry and wet. In a dry system, tanks are closer to the house or structure, and pipes deposit water directly into the tanks.

In a wet system, tanks tend to be further from the structure. Pipes are installed underground and come above ground closer to the tank. When the rain stops, wet systems will still retain water in the pipes.

By the numbers: For every inch of rain, each square foot of roofing can collect .62 gallons of water. A system with a 2,400 square-foot roof can collect 1,488 gallons per inch of rainfall.