Council hears plan for another South Congress PUD

A proposed 6.0102-acre planned unit development would mean big changes for the southwest corner of South Congress Avenue and Riverside Drive, including the possibility of a tower more than 500 feet tall. City Council heard details about the plans at…

Parks Dept. looks to move forward with new, scaled-back Dougherty Arts Center

The replacement for the deteriorating Dougherty Arts Center will move forward in a phased approach, without the underground parking called for previously by City Council, in an attempt to dramatically reduce the cost of the new facility. During the Tuesday…

A push for more affordable housing falls flat at Planning Commission

A new tower planned for downtown sparked debate about Austin’s density bonus program at the most recent meeting of the city’s Planning Commission. The density bonus program essentially trades increased development entitlements for a number of community benefits, including things…

For the first time in 20 years, more people are leaving Travis County than moving in

Lee esta historia en español Between July 2022 and July 2023, roughly 2,500 more people moved out of Travis County than moved in. This figure, which comes out of population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week, marks…

Black arts collective wants progress on city's African American cultural district

An East Austin arts nonprofit is looking to organize musicians, artists and other creatives for job opportunities and to put pressure on the city to move forward with building out plans for the African American Culture and Heritage District that…

Austin still looking for more 911 call takers

Austin’s 911 call takers are regularly asked to take on a high call volume, but the Austin Police Department does not have a regular process for expediting call taking when the volume reaches higher-than-normal levels, according to a special report…

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Austin’s giant troll is finally finished. Here’s where you can find her.

Pease Park’s newest art installation is tucked away in the woods, but she’s hard to miss. Malin is an 18-foot-tall troll made of local and repurposed wood. And in her hands is an offering: a basin full of water to…

Visit Austin offers look at strategy to support hotels during convention center closure

Staff from Visit Austin plan to aggressively market the city to new and recurring visitors in the coming years as part of a three-part strategy to support the local hotel and convention industry during the four-year closure of the Austin…

City, police union resume bargaining over long-term police labor contract

After more than a yearlong hiatus, the city and the Austin Police Association (APA) resumed long-term police labor contract negotiations on Wednesday. But it remains to be seen whether the two bargaining teams will be able to reach an agreement…

Planning Commission gets its first look at Equity-Based Preservation Plan

With the draft Equity-Based Preservation Plan now available for public review, city boards and commissions are getting briefed on the document that includes over 100 recommendations for preserving the highs and lows of Austin’s history. The Planning Commission, which will…

Imagine Austin series looks at prospects for equitable development amid rapid growth

Austin’s combination of intense population and income growth and state laws that limit inclusionary zoning might make it difficult to institute equitable housing policies, but a national land use leader advises there are still ways for the city to adapt…

APD settles another use-of-force case from 2020

The city of Austin has settled another case involving use of force against a citizen during the August 2020 protests against police violence. According to a news release from the Kaplan law firm, city officials agreed to and have paid…