Convention center rebuild loses proposed hotel, housing projects due to 2029 reopening

Leaders of the Austin Convention Center have eliminated the possibility of a new hotel or market-rate housing as a portion of the $1 billion-plus project, which is set to begin a four-year teardown and rebuild next April. A memo released…

Transportation and Public Works Department gears up for mobility projects with EPA funding

The city’s Transportation and Public Works Department is teeing up a series of mobility hub projects and educational programs to combat greenhouse gas emissions with funding from a $48 million federal grant. Today, City Council will formally amend the department’s…

Watson questions affordable housing in Airport Overlay

Mayor Kirk Watson has expressed serious concerns about a proposed affordable housing project within the flight path of Austin’s airport and has suggested changes that will prevent such development in the future. In a post on the City Council Message…

TipSheet: Austin City Council, 10.24.24

Austin City Council will convene today for a regular voting meeting at City Hall. To prepare, we’ve read through the agenda (which is available in its entirety here) and highlighted what is of the most interest to us and, hopefully,…

Public lines up to oppose police contract

The Austin City Council sat through hours of speeches from the public on Tuesday, mostly from citizens who oppose the proposed five-year contract with the city’s police union. A few spoke in support, but the vast majority of the 236…

City looks to reduce lead time on approved bond projects ahead of expected 2026 proposals

City staffers hope to dramatically shorten the early lag in approved bond projects that typically add a year to construction and acquisition schedules, which can also increase costs or reduce the scope for proposed projects. Last week’s meeting of the…

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Residents may get relief from persistent mechanical noises

Life in the big city can be exciting and … noisy. Now that Austin is certifiably hustling and bustling, the city may soon join other big cities in regulating noise pollution caused by mechanical equipment that disrupts neighboring residents’ quality…

Ethics complaints won’t be heard before Election Day

As voters flocked to the polls on the first day of early voting, the city’s Ethics Review Commission decided it would postpone considering complaints about Mayor Kirk Watson and challenger Doug Greco accepting more than the allowed amount from non-Austin…

Ambitious proposal for Congress Avenue includes pedestrian plazas, bike lanes

At its meeting last week, City Council’s Mobility Committee learned the details of a proposed ambitious redesign and reconstruction plan for Congress Avenue, which would convert the avenue into a more pedestrian-focused area over a number of possible phases. The…

Where do Austin's mayoral candidates stand on public safety issues?

Austin has seen meteoric growth over the past decade and a half, and its police department has found itself rethinking its priorities to address public safety amid the influx of newcomers. So, we asked the five candidates for Austin mayor…

Tourism Commission withholds support of equity-based preservation plan

The Tourism Commission voted to not recommend the city’s proposed Equity-Based Preservation Plan to City Council, which is expected to consider the plan next month. The 5-4 vote, which failed because it didn’t have a majority of the 11-member body,…

Ballot measure asks taxpayers to help fund access to affordable child care

In May of this year, Travis County committed to a broad investment in child care with the Creating Access for Resilient Families, or CARES initiative. To fund that care sustainably, the county will ask voters on Nov. 5 to approve…