Remember when Hwy 71 near Vail Divide was just a lonely highway? Back in the early 2000s, if you headed out that direction, you’d be wondering who in the world wanted to live so far away?
Then, sometime around 2009, the Falconhead West marquee was built, and we’re all like, “What in the world is that huge thing? It’s brand new, but already looks damaged?” (that’s a little old school Lakeway humor)
For the past few years, the area around Vail Divide has been booming. You have everything from residential and commercial development to infrastructure growth (roadways) to a brand new middle school. If you haven’t seen that stretch of Hwy 71 lately, you won’t recognize it.
The commercial growth near Vail Divide continues to move at a rapid pace.
Remember when Nitro Swim seemed far away?
Now Nitro and Wild Kitchen + Bar are the standbys as far as anchor tenants in the area. Other tenants helping them round out that shopping center are Serasana, Dominos, Serasana, Luv Braces, Posh Floors, JV Healthy Nails and Spa.
Of course, there’s a lot more newly built and to-be-built on the horizon like Colinas Crossing (Hwy 71 and Palermo Drive). If you read the marketing collateral promoting this area to future tenants, you’ll find this nugget:
“Located within an underserved area of Hwy 71 in Bee Cave, TX, Colinas Crossing will service a trade area that is said to grow by more than 6,000 new residents over the next few years.”
Six thousand more residents in this little slice of the Texas Hill Country? As my father would say, “Oy vey!”
Meet ZZA Pizza + Salad
On the plus side, you have more and more conveniences, like medical care (Austin Regional Clinic) and way more pizza. Yes, there’s already a Dominos, but a brand new pizzeria is headed this way in September, ZZA Pizza + Salad. This Saint Louis-based pizza spot will be occupying space in Colinas Crossing. It’s their first foray into Texas, so howdy!
This isn’t your average pi “ZZA” either. The menu looks fun with items like the Spam Musubi Bowl, a salad featuring teriyaki-glazed spam. And the Week Heat Pizza featuring mozz, sliced ‘zza sausage, sweet peppers, locally-made Sriracha Granada and smoked salt. It sounds like they’ll fit in nicely here in the Lone Star State.
Who else …
Other tenants at Colinas Crossing include UPS Store, Confydent Smiles, and Luxe Vision Care.
There’s also a Phase II building next door with space for lease that can be divided, but we haven’t heard who the new tenants might be. We’ve seen info stating a new Chinese restaurant may be coming to the 1,807 square foot space nearby.
What else …
As you know, Vail Divide has been caught up in the commercial, residential, and all-things-related boom.
The addition of Bee Cave Middle School (LTISD) sent the community into a frenzy on the topic of boundaries. “Who will go where?” was the name of the game.
No matter how hard Lake Travis ISD tried to stay ahead of the commotion, residents had a lot to say on the topic, even if they lived in neighborhoods that aren’t remotely convenient to the brand new middle school. *Sigh* The debate that made more sense was from residents in Rough Hollow.
The dangers lurking on Hwy 71 roadways are well-known to everyone in the community, and solutions continue to emerge to make the roads safer for everyone. New stoplights have been installed, with more signals on the way. Residents are rallying together to like Safer71 to share news and updates.
And then there’s Covert Ford, but we’ll save that news update for a rainy day. Uhm, who wants pizza?
Do you live in and around the Vail Divide area? What would you like to share with Lake Travis Lifestyle readers? Let us know in the comments section on Facebook.
