Logo word mark displaying the words 'ROSEWOOD HALL' in bold off-white letters on a brick red background.
Text that reads "Estd. 1936. Reimagined 2026."
Interior of several people, including a man working on a laptop at a wooden table on the left, a woman reading a book at a small round table on the right, and a woman walking past two mannequins in the background. The space has large windows, vintage-style ceiling lights, and a map on the wall.

Built to last.
Made to change.

Rosewood Hall exists to honor what has been and make room for what’s becoming. Rooted in a historic public building, it is a place where everyday culture is preserved, practiced, and shared. Where local work, food, ideas, and gatherings give shape to a living archive. Rather than imposing a singular voice, Rosewood Hall creates the conditions for many voices to be seen and heard, allowing the community itself to define the energy, warmth, and meaning of the space.

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Through a mix of restaurant, retail, and office opportunities, Rosewood Hall invites businesses, makers, entrepreneurs, and community-minded organizations to become part of its next chapter. It is a community-first home for continuity and change, where history is not frozen, but carried forward through daily use.

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Rosewood Hall is not a single building. It is a campus of interconnected structures, each built in a different era, each carrying its own architectural language. Together they form a development unlike anything else in Austin’s commercial market. A place where prospective tenants aren’t choosing a floor plan, but a specific piece of the building’s story.

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  • History Lesson

    This history is not background. It is the foundation of the project. One of the few remaining segregated-era schools still standing in Austin, the former Rosewood School served as a center of learning, culture, and community resilience through decades of systemic inequity. Rosewood Hall honors that legacy by preserving the building’s history while creating new opportunities for gathering, commerce, and community life in East Austin.

  • 1928

    Austin adopts the City Master Plan, formally designating East Austin as the city's "Negro District" and concentrating public services, schools, and resources for Black residents east of downtown. This policy shaped the future development of Rosewood School and the surrounding neighborhood.

  • 1929

    Rosewood Park opens across the street as Austin's first public park for African Americans, becoming a major cultural and recreational center for the East Austin community.

  • 1936

    Construction begins on the school building at 2406 Rosewood Avenue as part of Austin's segregated public school system serving Black children in East Austin.

  • 1936–1948

    Principal F.R. Rice leads the school during a period of significant growth and community investment. Under his leadership, the school secures federal Civil Works Administration funding for campus improvements, establishes a library program when East Austin had no public library access for Black residents, and utilizes Works Progress Administration resources to provide meals for students during the Great Depression.

  • 1940s

    The school serves as a vital educational and community institution within East Austin's Black cultural district, alongside Rosewood Park, Kealing Junior High, churches, local businesses, and other community organizations.

  • 1954

    The U.S. Supreme Court issues its landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Austin schools begin a slow and uneven path toward desegregation.

  • 1955

    Austin voters approve the creation of the Austin Independent School District (AISD), separating the school system from city government.

  • 1960s–1970s

    As desegregation efforts continue, many historically Black schools in Austin are closed, consolidated, or repurposed, resulting in the loss of numerous community institutions.

  • Late 20th Century

    The school is renamed in honor of longtime educator and principal Friendly Rudolph (F.R.) Rice, recognizing his contributions to education and the East Austin community.

  • 2025

    Austin City Council approves rezoning of the former Rosewood School property, enabling its adaptive reuse and preservation as a mixed-use destination while maintaining the historic structure.

  • Today

    Rosewood Hall enters its next chapter, preserving one of Austin's most significant surviving educational landmarks while creating new space for local businesses, gathering, and community life.

Meet the Staff

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Topo Development Group

Developer.

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Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

Architecture.

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Fort Structures

Structural.

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Stansberry Engineering

Civil.

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AYS Engineering LLC

Mep Engineer.

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Verdi

Landscape.

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Post Oak Preservation

Historic Preservation

Become a part of Rosewood Hall's next chapter.
Interested? Let's chat.