Easton Park Master Plan

Easton Park by Brookfield Residential is a master-planned community in Austin, Texas. This 2,700-acre community will have a total of 12,000 homes when complete, 350 acres of planned pathways, parks, and green space, 13.1 miles of planned trails, and according to the developer, 700 total dogs (ruff guess). As Brookfield developed the community, the team worked to stay true to the neighborhood atmosphere and celebrate the best of Austin living. Amenities include The Union (a 14,000-square-foot community center) and nearby resort pool, along with unique parks in each neighborhood and trails that connect residents to the rest of the community. Just 12 miles from downtown, the neighborhood offers the perfect location for those wanting to be close to the big city while also enjoying plenty of downtime and endless activities right outside their back door.

Easton Park is located on the east side of Austin, which did not used to be the best part of town. It was an urban growth section and a location where you could still buy a large plot of land within Austin city limits. Easton Park is built on land that was owned by the Collins family. Newton Isaac Collins Sr. was a two-time slave who went on to be one of the first African American landowners in Texas. In addition to being a landowner, he was also a successful business owner, master carpenter and father of seven children. Recently, the Collins family graciously donated land for Del Valle ISD’s newest elementary school which was named after their great-great-grandfather who helped build one of the area’s first schools in the late 1800s.

Easton Park Master Plan

While the physical features and amenities were important, the Brookfield team knew the people—and a strong sense of community—were the critical ingredients to make Easton Park a great place to live. So, how do you invite people to be part of a community that doesn’t yet exist? You tell them about it! The marketing team came up with the red bench as a symbol of the community. It’s a place where all kinds of people gather outdoors to enjoy nature. It can be a spot to socialize or meet an old friend—or a new one. The bench invites you to take a break and just breathe. And the cheerful red color stands out from the crowd and symbolizes the vibrant spirit of Easton Park. From the start, they put real life red benches around the community as an invitation for folks to stop, relax and meet their neighbors. The first five Easton Park residents were also gifted red benches as their closing gift.

Easton Park Master Plan

Parks are the heart and soul of Easton Park, and from the early days, the community was inspired by some of the most well-known parks around the world. The development team at Brookfield Residential wanted to create a uniquely Austin version of park living, with numerous community parks, large and small, interconnected with a walking and biking trail system, a resort-style pool and community center, club-style fitness facilities, and much more.

Easton Park Master Plan

Completed in 2019, the Union is the community’s 14,000-square-foot amenity center, which is located at the heart of Easton Park. This amenity, located on the north side of the community includes the clubhouse with a great room, fitness center, and the HOA offices, as well as a nearby resort pool and dog park.

Easton Park Master Plan

Designed by Gensler, the Union is designed to promote a healthy, connected lifestyle. Amenities range from fitness rooms and sports courts to fireplaces and lounges, incorporating a feeling of hospitality in a place for residents to gather and relax. The LEED-Certified community center uses locally sourced materials and features seamless indoor-outdoor connections to create a beacon of social activity for the neighborhood.

Easton Park Master Plan

Inspired by traditional Texas ranch architecture, the building breathes around a central courtyard, which acts as a sunrise-to-sunset outdoor living room.

Easton Park Master Plan

Featuring conference tables, chairs, and a technology system, the Vaughn room at The Union is available for residents to rent for business or social gatherings. When not reserved, it can also be a quiet spot for residents to work “from home.”

Easton Park Master Plan

A large portion of the Union is comprised of a spacious great room that includes multiple gathering areas, a coffee shop, a music jam station, and a game area. The design team worked to capture the funk and flavor of Austin. The jam station allows residents to choose from the curated selection of vintage vinyl or plug in their phone and stream some digital tunes.

Easton Park Master Plan

At first, Easton Park appealed to Millennials; singles and couples looking for a cool place to buy a home. The Union caters to this resident and is more adult-targeted than kid-friendly. As the residents grew up in Easton Park, they started getting married and/or having kids and the mix of residents shifted. Brookfield responded with new parks in the neighborhoods and plans for a more kid-centric clubhouse on the south side of the community.

Easton Park Master Plan

The Costello ensures that the people of Easton Park get their daily dose of coffee. Residents and guests can make a fresh latte, cappuccino, or tea from the fancy serve-it-yourself coffee machine. Residents are even encouraged to leave their mugs on the shelf if they plan to come often. The Union coffee shop is their home away from home.

Easton Park Master Plan

The game room includes pool and shuffleboard, as well as board games like Yahtzee and Monopoly. Friends and family can meet up for game night or just for an impromptu scrabble game.

Easton Park Master Plan

Residents can take the fun outside and lounge under the covered patio in an array of seating.

Easton Park Master Plan

The essence of the red bench continues here with plenty of room for people to gather and informally connect. There is always room for one more in the community. Part of the ethos of Easton Park is that all are welcome. We don’t define you; you define you. And as luck would have it, they came. The community is truly diverse with a mix of backgrounds, family dynamics, age, etc.

Easton Park Master Plan

The fitness center saves you a trip to a local gym with free weights and cardio machines…

Easton Park Master Plan

…as well as studio classes and a yoga lawn.

Easton Park Master Plan

The courtyard extends the gathering areas in the great room outdoors. Residents can hang out by the fire pits or even enjoy a concert in the courtyard.

Easton Park Master Plan

The Union includes a beautiful multi-level resort-style pool with a stone waterfall between the two levels.

Easton Park Master Plan

The spacious deck seating area extends into a Baja shelf in the pool.

Easton Park Master Plan

The nearby pool building supports residents’ needs with bathrooms and showers, saving them a trip back up to the main community center.

Easton Park Master Plan

With separate fenced areas for small and large dogs, Easton Bark, the community’s first dog park, is the place to find four-legged Eastonites. The park also includes covered areas, doggie water fountains, and more.

Easton Park Master Plan

According to the developer, 63 to 68% of homes have a dog, so the team planned the community to accommodate them. Brookfield also partners with local charities including rolling out Bench Buddies, where residents can meet dogs from local shelters that are available for adoption.

Easton Park Master Plan

All the neighborhoods and their flagship parks were inspired by famous parks from around the world, but with an Austin spin on them. How do you name a park? The team starts by looking at the physical features and topography of the land. Next, the creative team makes a list of amazing parks and their special features. The team looks at the size of the famous parks and how they fit into their communities. They research the amenities and architecture, as well as each park’s history. Is the name hard to pronounce? Is there anything around the park they could use to name the streets? Are there any fun play areas that could inspire our play areas? Is there already an area of Austin that shares the park name (Hyde Park, for example). Finally, the land and marketing teams get together and match up the land sections to the names.

Easton Park Master Plan

As the largest city park in Seattle, Discovery Park sits on the coastline overlooking Puget Sound, offering majestic views of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. With a lighthouse, trails, and a nature-inspired playground, the park is popular with visitors and locals alike. While the community is a little land-locked in Central Texas, the spirit of discovery comes through! Easton Park’s Discovery Park neighborhood offers trails, natural areas, and recreational park space, as well as 273 homesites ranging from 45 feet to 60 feet.

Easton Park Master Plan

Easton Park supports local artists. Discover Park includes a public art installation from renowned artist Beili Liu. The interactive sculpture, called Air Seed Arbor, was placed at the entry of the park as part of a planted stone portal. Visitors can walk under Air Seed Arbor and through the polished aluminum lattice featuring freeform design inspired by the lightness and playfulness of the organic pattern of air bubbles. To develop the sculpture, Liu visited the park and worked with the design team to create a piece that would complement the natural topography. She imagined a piece that would not only lead guests into the park but connect them to the land and the present moment. The piece is intended to remind visitors to slow down, take a pause, breathe in the beauty of the park, and enjoy their time of connection with family and friends.