ROCKDALE, TEXAS — Industrial development firm Xebec has announced plans for Sandow Lakes, the mixed-use redevelopment of a 33,000-acre industrial park formerly occupied by aluminum manufacturer Alcoa in Rockdale, roughly 25 miles outside of Austin.
Built in the early 1950s, the property — which spans 50 square miles — was home to the largest aluminum foundry in the world for decades until it closed its doors in 2008, according to reports from D Magazine.
Phase I of the redevelopment, dubbed the Advanced Manufacturing Logistix Campus at Sandow Lakes, will ultimately comprise 35 million square feet of industrial space, including build-to-suit space with flexible clear heights and bay spacing.
Development of the first phase of the project began last fall with first move-ins slated to begin in the third quarter of 2026. Xebec will target distribution and manufacturing tenants, including cold storage users, in this initial phase.
Further plans for the development include the addition of residential, retail, office and hospitality space connected by a series of lakes. A timeline for the development in full was not announced.
The property is located in the Texas Triangle, a region of the state that includes its five largest cities — Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio — and will offer direct access to U.S. Highways 77 and 79 and proximity to Interstates 35 and 45.
Sandow Lakes will also offer a private onsite rail intermodal transportation system with a loading bay and seven miles of tracks joining the Union Pacific Rail Line.
Ace Schlameus, Zane Cole, Richard Quarles, Kurt Griffin, Nathan Orbin and Greg Matter of JLL will handle industrial leasing for the first phase of the project on behalf of the developer.
Dallas-based Xebec is a privately held real estate investment firm focused on the acquisition and development of fulfillment, warehouse, light industrial and distribution centers across the coastal United States.
—Katie Sloan