The Martin in East Austin: What It Means for Site Connectivity
Project announced January 2025
What's happening
In January 2025, OHT Partners announced it had broken ground on The Martin, a 375-unit apartment community on a 3.12-acre site at 2730 E. 7th Street in East Austin, at the northwest corner of 7th Street and Pleasant Valley. The seven-story development has one- and two-bedroom units from 550 to 1,440 square feet, an elevated courtyard with two pools, a seventh-floor fitness and wellness center, resident club spaces, co-working spaces, podcast rooms and a rideshare lounge. Of the 375 units, 37 are planned as affordable. OHT said it anticipates construction wrapping up in the fall of 2028. The announcement lists OHT Partners as general contractor and Omniplan as architect.
Source: OHT Partners (January 2025)
What this means for connectivity
An urban apartment community with coworking space and podcast rooms asks more of the network than a typical complex. Residents who work from home expect dependable upload speeds, amenity spaces need strong Wi-Fi, and the building systems need their own connectivity on a separate network.
- A primary fiber circuit, ordered early. Carrier builds take the longest of anything here. Lock in the provider and the building entrance during site work.
- A property-wide network. Bulk or managed Wi-Fi gives residents service on move-in day. It's easier to plan equipment rooms, cabling and access points into the drawings than to add them later.
- Coverage for amenity and work spaces. Courtyard, pool, coworking and studio areas need access points planned with the design.
- A backup path. A Starlink failover link at the main equipment room keeps the leasing office, access control and resident Wi-Fi up during a fiber cut.
- Low-voltage for building systems. Smart locks, cameras, package lockers and elevators each need a planned connection on their own network segment.
Install considerations & timeline
| Stage | What to settle |
|---|---|
| Site work / foundations | Order primary fiber. Lock in building entrances and conduit routes. |
| Structure / MEP rough-in | Walk pathways and equipment rooms. Pick roof and mount locations. Confirm backup power for network rooms. |
| Pre-turnover | Certify cabling. Set up Wi-Fi, firewall, failover and E911. Run a live cutover test. |
| Turnover / occupancy | Hand over as-builts and labeling. Set up monitoring for both links. |
Related
Commercial Starlink installation in Austin · Starlink for property developers · Dedicated fiber in Austin · Starlink failover for business · Construction connectivity
Frequently asked questions
What is The Martin in East Austin?
According to OHT Partners, it is a seven-story, 375-unit apartment community at 2730 E. 7th Street in East Austin, with 37 units planned as affordable and construction anticipated to wrap up in fall 2028.
Why plan connectivity early in an urban apartment building?
Residents expect reliable Wi-Fi and upload speeds, and amenity spaces such as coworking rooms and courtyards need coverage. Equipment rooms, riser space and conduit are easier to design in than to add later.
When should connectivity be planned on a new building?
Early, during site work or foundations, because fiber circuits have the longest lead times. Pathways and equipment rooms are easiest to settle by MEP rough-in, and failover should be tested before turnover.
Can Starlink be used as a business internet backup?
Yes. A Starlink terminal connected to a firewall with automatic failover takes over when the primary fiber drops. Because it doesn't share buried infrastructure, it protects against cuts and local carrier outages.
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