"Neighbors felt pleased that what was built here fits aesthetically," he said.
Residents are protective of the history of the area, where Swedish immigrants first clustered in the 1870s. Though the boundaries have changed over time, Swede Hill, sometimes referred to as Swedish Hill, currently spans from Interstate 35 to Comal Street and from 12th Street to 16th Street, Minor said. In 1986, a section of the neighborhood, the Swedish Hill Historic District on East 14th and East 15th streets, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The district is the "best example in East Austin of a late 19th- and early 20th-century residential neighborhood which remains intact," according to a Texas Historical Commission narrative. The historic homes "are finely detailed; many display pleasing carpentry ornamentation."
Located just east of the interstate, the neighborhood as a whole is surprisingly quiet. "It's tucked away," said Minor, adding that more children can be found there nowadays as young couples move in and start families. The neighborhood - so convenient to the heart of Austin - has struggled with gentrification and zoning issues, said Minor.
"I think folks were more excited to see more single-family residences," Minor said. "One of the potentially negative aspects of the development is the pricing, but I think judging from the way things have been going in East Austin, it's pretty much in line with the market."
Colleagues saw the area's potential. After moving from California in 2004, Seidenberg and Harte purchased their Swede Hill home from
Techmanski, who then helped them completely redo and add onto their century-old house - a large undertaking during which the three found they worked well together. Techmanski, a home refurbisher, had been looking for a business partner when several adjacent neighborhood
lots came available - all together from one seller.
"It was more or less kind of a whim," said Techmanski. "I had known them at that point for a few months."
At the same time, Seidenberg, enamored of his new neighborhood, said he realized that development was inevitable in such a prime area.
"We were greatly concerned about what that development might be," he said. Forming El Centro Group, the three bought the properties and started making plans. After all, Seidenberg and Harte had fixed up several homes in California and had figured on doing something similar when they relocated to Austin. Seidenberg, a former record label executive who signed the band Fastball, had also intended to get involved in
the Austin music industry, which he has done a bit of. "But this has taken over my life - in a good way," he said.
