Citing construction concerns, city indefinitely extends moratorium on new street events

The city has indefinitely extended a long-standing moratorium on street events in response to the large number of private development and infrastructure projects slated for downtown and beyond in the coming years. A memo released last week by José Roig,…

Council to consider pilot program to extend zoning deadlines

The city’s Planning Department staff have been pushed to move a record number of zoning applications through the process in time to beat current deadlines at the city’s land use commissions and City Council. At the same time, the department…

With I-35 expansion, Austin gem Nature’s Treasures is being forced to move

Located on the Interstate 35 frontage road just south of Airport Boulevard, Nature’s Treasures has become an iconic destination for fans of minerals and the metaphysical. The crystal store is among more than 100 homes and businesses about to be forced…

TipSheet: Austin City Council, 10.19.23

Today, City Council will convene for a regular Thursday meeting, and we’ve gone through the agenda in an attempt to compile what might be the most interesting bits from the meeting. If this triggers your trust issues, you can read…

Council considers timeline, partnerships ahead of vote on $1.2B contracts for convention center

City Council appears ready to move ahead with two major contracts that will officially kick off the process of demolishing and reconstructing the Austin Convention Center. On Thursday, contracts totaling nearly $1.27 billion could confirm LMN/Page as the design and…

Doggett urges action to address string of near misses between aircraft at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett this week urged the Federal Aviation Administration to respond to a string of near misses at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with increased air traffic controller staffing levels. In a letter to acting FAA Administrator Polly Trottenberg,…

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Austin Chronicle's historic headquarters to be paved over for I-35

After years of skewering the state’s political elite, The Austin Chronicle is slated to be swallowed whole by the jaws of a state-sponsored highway project. Wheels are in motion to expand Interstate 35 from Ben White Boulevard to U.S. Highway 290 East. Work…

Council to consider city manager search firm this week

Following a national search, City Council is poised to choose Mosaic Public Partners, LLC to help recruit a new city manager. Former City Manager Spencer Cronk was fired on Feb. 15, and Council immediately appointed former City Manager Jesús Garza…

I-35 expansion will force out Spanish-immersion day care, scrambling plans for 200 kids

Child care in Austin is expensive and hard to find. Parents sign up on day care waiting lists long before their kids are even born. And the shortage is getting worse. Escuelita del Alma offers something even harder to find: a chance…

Tourism Commission joins staff in push for agreement with short-term rental companies

The Tourism Commission appears ready to push the city to come to an agreement with short-term rental platforms that will allow some regulation of the industry and allow the collection of millions of dollars in Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue each…

City Council to consider facility management and labor services contract for airport’s South Terminal

On Thursday, City Council will consider a $9 million contract with ClearedDirect LLC for facility management and labor services for the South Terminal at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The contract, if approved, will run from Nov. 1, 2023, through Dec.…

Austinites in the path of wider I-35 prepare to be pushed out

Along Interstate 35, the notices have arrived. The highway expansion has been off and on for years. But now it’s actually happening. People who received letters or phone calls will have to leave. They have a few months, maybe more.…