Advance Auto Parts, SafeSplash Swim School, and Bahama Buck’s sign leases at 50-acre Georgetown business community

AUSTIN, TX – St. John Properties, Inc. will soon welcome its first three tenants to Leander Tech Park, a 50-acre business community in Georgetown, Texas. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP) signed a ground lease to develop a 7,000 square foot free-standing building, SafeSplash Swim School signed a lease for 5,106 square feet of space, and shaved ice and frozen treats concept Bahama Buck’s executed a 1,604 square foot lease. All three tenants are scheduled to open next year at the community, located at the intersection of Texas Highway 29 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard. St. John Properties Leasing Representative Joshua Rolfe handled negotiations on behalf of the landlord.

St. John Properties is currently developing the first phase of Leander Tech Park on a speculative basis, encompassing nearly 110,000 square feet of space. The company is completing construction of two flex/R&D buildings at 60 and 80 Kaufman Loop, comprising 51,120 and 38,120 square feet, respectively. Construction is also underway on two inline retail buildings at 85 and 113 Kaufman Loop, totaling approximately 20,000 square feet, with delivery anticipated in the second quarter of 2027.

Advance Auto Parts is an automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installers and do-it-yourself customers. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based company currently operates more than 4,300 stores, and will occupy a free-standing building overlooking W State Highway 29. This represents the company’s second store in Leander and ninth in Williamson County. Chad Huffman of Huffman Real Estate represented the tenant in this transaction.

SafeSplash Swim School franchise owner Sukesh Bodavula was attracted to the concept’s emphasis on teaching children, beginning at six months of age, water safety protocols as well as proper swimming techniques.  The franchise, which is entering the Williamson County market and leasing space at 80 Kauffman Loop, offers swim lessons from infants to adults, as well as adaptive aquatics, swim camps and clinics, and swim team training. Bodavula, who also works as a commercial real estate brokerage professional for ReKonnection, handled lease negotiations.

“As a commercial real estate professional, it is my job to be informed and knowledgeable about every business community, commercial office building, and retail center in the submarket, and I specifically chose Leander Tech Park because it provides the best chance for my franchise to be successful,” Bodavula explained. “We have an extremely complex build-out requirement, and the flex/R&D building’s flexible design perfectly accommodates our use.”

It was always the plan for Debra Rodriguez and her husband Ray to open their own business one day and, given the family’s long-time obsession with Bahama Buck’s, a concept offering shaved ice, frozen treats, iced coffee, Acai bowls and more, the decision to invest in this national franchise was easy. The couple plans to open   their first store at 113 Kauffman Loop in mid-2027.

Jim Haviland of The Windsor Realty Group represented Bahama Buck’s in this transaction.

Speculative development strategy provides immediate occupancy options for companies

60 and 80 Kauffman Loop are single-story flex/R&D buildings featuring 18-foot clear heights and rear drive-in and raised loading docks to support a diverse set of users including professional services companies, traditional office uses, government contractors, retailers, daycares/schools, light manufacturing and warehouse/logistics, among others. Both buildings have been designed to achieve LEED Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and are surrounded by a free, surface parking lot.

The inline retail buildings at 85 and 113 Kauffman Loop are being marketed to sit-down, fast-casual, and quick-service restaurants, as well as, banking, convenience stores/gas stations, medical and healthcare, and daycare facilities. St. John Properties is also actively marketing four additional pad sites fronting State Highway 29, ranging from .82 to 2.33 acres.

Nearly 26,000 vehicles pass the site daily via Highway 29, and the site is positioned four miles from US Route 183, nine miles from Georgetown, 35 miles from downtown Austin, and 40 miles from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Nearly 52,000 people reside within a three-mile radius of Leander Tech Park, with the average household income exceeding $180,000.

Several significant residential and retail developments continue stimulate economic growth in the greater Leander area. Activities are highlighted by Santa Rita Ranch, a 3,100-acre planned community which will contain more than 5,200 residential units. Charter school Valor Education operates its North Austin campus adjacent to the business community, serving more than 1,000 K-12 students.

Leander Tech Park is situated across Ronald Reagan Blvd from Bar W Marketplace a 176,768 square foot retail center anchored by H E B. Santa Rita Ranch Center is also under construction across HWY 29 from Leander Tech Park, where a 176,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter is slated for delivery next year. Other destination retailer centers anchored by Costco and a flagship Target superstore are located less than one mile away, and recently opened to the public.

“The rapid residential and commercial growth throughout the greater Leander region makes Leander Tech Park ideally positioned to accommodate the evolving needs of the business community,” stated Brooke Harlander, Regional Partner for St. John Properties. “The versatility of our flex/R&D product allows us to attract a wide range of users, from traditional office tenants to companies requiring showroom, warehouse, or research and development space. We look forward to building on our early leasing momentum, welcoming additional businesses to the community, and advancing future phases of development as demand continues to grow.”

Founded in 1971, St. John Properties, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms. The company is distinguished by its commitment to customer service, achievements in green building, and top-rated workplace culture. Throughout St. John Properties’ 55-year history, the company has developed more than 25 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail, and warehouse space and has investments in over 3,200 residential units. The company proudly serves more than 2,800 clients in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit www.sjpi.com.

Read more about this story in the Austin Business Journal.

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