Round Rock’s years-in-the-making plan for a new mixed-use hub near Dell Diamond just took a sharp turn toward the trail. On March 4, the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission voted to approve an amendment to the Planned Unit Development covering a 110.54-acre tract near the southwest intersection of Kenney Fort Boulevard and East Palm Valley Boulevard, shifting the project away from its earlier “Main Street” style vision and toward a trail-oriented layout. City staff recommended the change, and the item is slated for City Council review in April, according to the City of Round Rock.
The request, filed by the Drenner Group on behalf of North Kenney Fort PUD LLC, appears in the commission packet as Case No. PUD26-00000, Amendment No. 1 to Planned Unit Development No. 132, according to the same city materials. The project area is described as generally south of E Palm Valley Boulevard and west of S Kenney Fort Boulevard, sitting next to Dell Diamond and other development already lining Kenney Fort.
Instead of a traditional main-street block plan, the amendment leans into a trail-first concept that would shift a segment of the Brushy Creek regional trail farther from the creek banks to better connect commercial, residential, and private outdoor recreation areas, as reported by Community Impact. That report also notes a planned pedestrian paseo, modeled after downtown Round Rock’s, with ground-floor retail and multifamily housing above. Supporters see the pivot as a way to highlight open space and connectivity instead of forcing a dense, linear “main street” that the site’s quirks have never really favored.
What the amendment allows
The commission packet shows the amended PUD would allow a new warehouse and office use on the northern part of the tract, but with guardrails. Individual buildings could not exceed 20,000 square feet and would have to be set away from Brushy Creek, according to the city’s meeting materials. The Planning & Zoning Commission’s action was a recommendation rather than a final say, and the zoning will only change if the City Council adopts the amendment at a future meeting.
Why the developer pivoted
Developers first went to the city in 2021 seeking to rezone the 110.54-acre property from business-park to a Planned Unit Development that would mix multifamily, single-family, and townhome housing. Earlier reporting and the original packets noted that roughly 25 acres near the creek were slated to be preserved as parks and open space. Those limits, combined with floodplain areas, a nearby Union Pacific rail corridor, and constrained direct access to Palm Valley Boulevard, all helped make a tight, contiguous “main street” concept a tough fit for the site, according to Community Impact.
Next steps and public comment
The plan now heads to City Council, where the amendment could come up for a vote at April briefings or regular meetings listed on the city’s online calendar. The city’s event listings also note that meetings are streamed live and archived on the municipal site for anyone who cannot attend in person, giving nearby residents multiple ways to track the discussion and weigh in. If Council signs off, the revised standards will be folded into the property’s PUD zoning and will shape the site plans and permits that follow.
