Austin Utilities has plans to buy a new 23-acre site that formerly housed a concrete plant.

The utility company is working with Cretex Concrete Products, formerly Elk River Concrete, on a $413,525 purchase that would create storage and operations space away from a flood-prone area.

On Tuesday, the Austin Utilities Board unanimously approved the purchase. General manager Jerry McCarthy said he hopes to close the deal in late October and start relocating equipment there by winter.

A top priority is to move from the underground Ponderosa site, located on 10th Drive Southeast, which houses a number of utility pipes and poles.

McCarthy said the site flooded badly in 2000, 2004 and 2008, leading to nearly $50,000 in cleanup costs last year.

The Cretex site, located at 1908 14th St. N.E., would also provide room for Austin Utilities to store larger vehicles.

If 23-acres ends up being simply too much land, McCarthy said the Austin Port Authority would be willing to purchase some of the extra space.

Also on site are three serviceable buildings, which could be refurbished some and put to good use by Austin Utilities, officials said.

Austin Utilities Board commissioner Ron Felten said he thought the site was a good fit.

“I think it’s ideal for what we need,” he said.

Cretex had been in Austin for nearly 70 years, but shut down operations last year.

The plant did not have plans to reopen in coming years, Cretex Concrete Products North Controller Jim Chalin said.

Chalin said the plant simply didn’t have enough projects coming in to stay open.

“It was a very good plant,” he said. “It certainly had done well.”