Stories by Chad Swiatecki

Friday, February 21, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Travis County

Eckhardt talks revenue caps, Palm School negotiation in State of the County address

At several turns during her State of the County address Thursday, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt reminded listeners that in many respects, the county operates as an extension of Texas’ state government. The pluses and minuses of that framework, she…

Thursday, February 20, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Travis County

Activists push to protect Palm School, eyeing property’s role in proposed cultural district

With Travis County moving ahead with action that could lead to development of the historic Palm School site downtown, local activists are hoping the city can find a way to preserve the property and make it a major part of…

Tuesday, February 18, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Roads

Panel will look at future of development and displacement along I-35

A panel of national experts convened by the Urban Land Institute will look at ideas next week for how Austin could steer development plans for the land surrounding – and possibly covering – Interstate 35 in the years to come.…

Thursday, February 13, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Austin

City moving ahead with quality-of-life study of people with disabilities

The city is moving ahead with a quality-of-life study of people living with disabilities in Austin, making progress on one of the top priorities for the Mayor’s Committee for People With Disabilities.During a budget forum last week, committee members said…

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Development

Overlay district would spell out heights, uses for Central Health’s Brackenridge redevelopment

Later this month City Council will consider a request to create an overlay district that will allow for the ambitious redevelopment of the former University Medical Center Brackenridge property owned by Central Health.The public hearing expected to take place next…

Monday, February 10, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Entertainment & Events

Music Commission seeks answers on lingering sound enforcement, ‘agent of change’ issues

The Music Commission has asked representatives from the Austin Police Department to attend its next meeting to discuss the delay in moving sound enforcement responsibilities from the police department to the city’s music office.At last week’s meeting, Rebecca Reynolds, president…

Thursday, February 6, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

City Hall

Working group to examine changes in how to rename Austin’s parks facilities

The Parks and Recreation Board has started the process to ask City Council to amend an ordinance that dictates the process for renaming parks facilities.At its meeting last week the board voted 6-2 to form a three-member working group to…

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Austin

Real estate group’s $1M donation will help fuel expansion plans for Community First! Village

A $1 million donation from the Austin Board of Realtors will help the Community First! Village of Austin with its plans to expand and add more homes for the chronically homeless throughout Austin.In an announcement made Monday, the professional organization’s…

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Entertainment & Events

C3 Presents partnership will bring touring acts to Moody Amphitheater starting in 2021

The new Moody Amphitheater in Waterloo Park will be programmed with large touring music acts booked through local live concert giant C3 Presents and Live Nation.The Waterloo Greenway nonprofit that is steering the creation of the urban parks system along…

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Parks

Parks staff mark completion of first phase of Walnut Creek trail project

The city has brought to a close all major work on the portion of the Walnut Creek Hike and Bike Trail that runs through Balcones District Park, located to the west of MoPac Expressway. In a presentation to the Parks…

Friday, January 31, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Parks

Parks board members call for better oversight of city’s bond spending

Members of the Parks and Recreation Board lobbed criticism at the city’s Bond Oversight Commission over frustration that the group has canceled the majority of its meetings since late 2018 and failed to properly review the city’s use of bond…

Thursday, January 30, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

City Hall

City moving forward with centralized office for enforcing civil rights laws

The city appears to be moving ahead with a proposal to create a central office for the enforcement of civil rights ordinances, which are currently handled across an assortment of city departments with no formal framework for how to best…

Wednesday, January 29, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Planning

Area leaders hear of economic, community benefits forecast for innovation district

A market analysis of the burgeoning health care innovation district in the northeastern section of downtown forecasts the cluster of businesses could eventually increase property values by an additional $102 million over standard development, and bring the city an estimated…

Monday, January 27, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Austin

Arts community hears feedback on city’s diversity goals for cultural funding

The initial summary of feedback on how the city should consider diversity and equity in funding decisions for Cultural Arts found a wide array of concerns shared from more than 600 participants in recent community input sessions.The presentation Saturday at…

Friday, January 24, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Entertainment & Events

ULI panel pushes real estate partnerships to help preserve, create arts spaces

With creative businesses and artists all over the city facing displacement issues caused by rising property values, the time is coming for the local real estate and development community to find ways to mix arts and music uses into new…

Wednesday, January 22, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Austin

Asian chamber program looks to open contract opportunities for airport expansion

Small businesses owned by women and minorities can get an up-close lesson next month on how they can bid on contracts related to the ongoing expansion work taking place at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.The Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce will…

Tuesday, January 21, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Housing

Fannie Mae award will bring services to Montopolis affordable housing project

The federal housing lender Fannie Mae has awarded $555,000 to a local affordable housing nonprofit to help add health care and educational services to a project that will bring 90 new housing units to the Montopolis neighborhood.The Guadalupe Neighborhood Development…

Thursday, January 16, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Development

Austin neighborhoods facing gentrification pressures, Dallas Fed finds

Recent analysis on incomes and migration patterns in Texas shows that Austin and three other Texas metro areas – Dallas, Houston and San Antonio – have seen significant patterns of gentrification in recent years. The recently released research by the…

Wednesday, January 15, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Development

Eureka waiting for Land Development Code changes to shape East Austin holdings

Eureka Holdings is continuing to plan work and community engagement related to its many holdings in East Austin, but a local consultant for the company said slow progress on the city’s new Land Development Code has put most other projects…

Tuesday, January 14, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki

Housing

State empowerment zones seen as wrong tool for city to preserve affordable housing

The city’s Neighborhood Housing & Community Development Department has opted not to use a state statute created to encourage infill development as a method for preserving affordable housing stock, instead choosing to enter into direct partnerships with developers using city…

Back to Top