Council backs senior center plan for Nash Hernandez building

The city will move forward with plans to convert the long-idle Nash Hernandez building in East Austin into a senior activity center that could also offer programs for area schoolchildren. Last week, City Council approved on its consent agenda an…

Council passes transparency changes to transit partnership board

Last week, City Council voted to recommend changes to the Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors that would add two additional seats to the five-member board and establish transparency standards for their appointments. The resolution directs the city manager to…

Massive mixed-use development on South Congress gets go-ahead from ZAP

The Zoning and Platting Commission recommended a rezoning Tuesday for a 43-acre property at 7900 S. Congress Ave. to make way for a huge mixed-use development.  The project includes 1,218 multifamily units – at least 5 percent of them affordable…

Zilker Park plan brings worries over parking, ecology, athletic fields

Concerns about athletic fields, ecological impacts, and plans for major accessibility and transportation infrastructure were among the issues discussed during a recent feedback session with planners working on the future of Zilker Park. Last month the city unveiled its draft…

Council to establish consistent practices for redeveloping city-owned land

City Council passed multiple resolutions this month aimed at guiding how the city manages the land it owns, particularly with an eye toward creating more affordable housing and other community benefits.   On Dec. 1, Council passed four resolutions, all sponsored…

Austin's environmentalist icon Shudde Fath dies at 106

Shudde Fath, the longest serving member of Austin’s environmental community, died Friday at the age of 106. She was a committed and vocal member of the city’s Electric Utility Commission for 40 years, as the utility noted in a Facebook…

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Massive Brodie Oaks PUD OK’d on first reading

Voting unanimously, City Council gave first round approval Thursday to a massive redevelopment of the Brodie Oaks shopping center. The old-fashioned mall with a huge expanse of concrete at the intersection of Lamar Boulevard and Loop 360 that backs up…

Community advocates urge city, police union to return to negotiating table

Community advocates on both sides of the police contract negotiations say the city of Austin and the police union should return to the bargaining table. But their motivations and their priorities for a new contract are diametrically opposed. Last week,…

County gears up for severe winter weather, just in case

Though extreme winter weather appears to be unlikely in the Texas forecast, Travis County is covering all its bases. The plans are, in part, a response to the snowstorm crisis Central Texas faced in early 2021, in which a lack of…

Austin Energy customers can expect (another) increase on their electricity bills next year

Eight months, more than 260 document filings and countless hours of grueling negotiations later, Austin Energy has new electricity rates. If you’re a customer of the public utility, your bill is going up. The plan, which Austin City Council passed on a…

Austin is holding runoff elections for mayor and City Council. Why don't people vote in these races?

Beto O’Rourke. Sure, you’ve heard of him. Greg Abbott? Duh. Herschel Walker. You’ve probably heard of him, too. (If you haven’t, here you are.) But what about Celia Israel? Ryan Alter? Linda Guerrero? Walking out of a coffee shop in North…

Austin Energy rate case moving slowly at Council

During Tuesday’s work session, most members of City Council seemed poised to agree that Austin Energy should have an additional $31.3 million in revenue and that the customer service charge should be around $12 or $13 a month instead of…