About the Author
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written for Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Daily News, Texas Monthly, Austin American-Statesman and many other regional and national outlets.
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Stories by Chad Swiatecki
Tuesday, August 22, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Planning
Report spells out Congress Avenue’s potential transformation
The future of Congress Avenue leading up to the state Capitol could see bicycles claiming the middle of the road as cars pass on both sides. That is one configuration in the discussion for an eventual makeover of the street…
Monday, August 21, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Job declines linked to affordability, immigration policies in chamber report
When considering a recent decrease in the number of jobs available in the Austin area, a top official with the Austin Chamber of Commerce points to slow action at the city and state levels to keep Central Texas attractive for…
Wednesday, August 16, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Council takes long view on convention center, with eye toward spring
A decision on whether City Council will opt to expand the Austin Convention Center likely won’t come until spring 2018, based on discussions at Tuesday’s Council work session.That time frame came from Mayor Steve Adler after more than two hours…
Tuesday, August 15, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Health & Human Services
Central Health evaluation targets care delivery, med school transparency
To indulge in an extended health care metaphor, one could compare the extensive evaluation Central Health has commissioned to a very public checkup where anyone with any interest in the condition of the community health organization gets a chance to…
Thursday, August 10, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Increased support outside ARCH to target crime, help homeless
Four months after city officials called on the Austin Police Department and other public safety departments to address a spike in drug use around the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, the next phase of help is about to begin.Starting…
Wednesday, August 2, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
Council begins movement on stalled special events ordinance
Roughly four years after it was created, the city is moving forward with a new ordinance governing special events that, among other things, is intended to make the application process easier to navigate.At Tuesday’s work session, City Council received a…
Friday, July 28, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Development
Will Merck IT hub anchor Central Health redevelopment?
This much is clear: Pretty much everyone agrees that the redevelopment of the University Medical Center Brackenridge campus is going to redefine the eastern edge of downtown Austin in the coming years.What is much less clear is what, exactly, will…
Wednesday, July 26, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Budget
Push on to ‘normalize’ minority chambers’ funding
Austin’s four minority group chambers of commerce could see their funding from the city of Austin restructured and made more transparent in the coming budget year, a change that is seen as needed to make the groups more equal.The city’s…
Tuesday, July 25, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Tech lobby aims at city politics with town halls
All political lenses might be pointed toward the state Capitol right now as the legislature works through a special session, but a local lobbying group is trying to turn the attention of Austin’s growing tech sector toward the happenings at…
Friday, July 21, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Housing
UT study, proposed task force would tackle residential displacement
With the issue of residents being priced out of their longtime neighborhoods becoming a topic of discussion in most city initiatives, Mayor Steve Adler said the time has come to tackle the issue directly. That was what prompted Adler to…
Thursday, July 20, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Hiring, developer withdrawal signal movement for medical innovation zone
Last week saw movement on two fronts related to the creation of the long-anticipated downtown health care innovation district that is tied to the University of Texas’ Dell Medical School.The most high-profile piece of news came with the announcement of…
Wednesday, July 19, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
‘Agent of change’ remains static for now
With a brand-new manager of Austin’s Music and Entertainment Division, there’s not expected to be any upcoming action on the so-called “agent of change” policy that dominated the bandwidth of that office for the first six months of 2017.That’s in…
Tuesday, July 18, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Hotel taxes key to ‘downtown puzzle’ to help area homeless
For all the interlinked pieces of the “downtown puzzle”-solving plan that Mayor Steve Adler unveiled Monday morning – and in a 20-minute speech he name-checked just about every relevant downtown Austin presence – the ambitious and far-reaching policy gambit boils…
Friday, July 14, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
Venue rent relief seen as goal of new incentives programs
As Economic Development Department staff worked on plans to update the city’s economic incentives program, the department’s top executive gave a preview earlier this week of how the creative economy could be helped in the coming years.At Monday’s meeting of…
Wednesday, July 12, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
Red River improvements kicking off ahead of district-wide festival
The installation of three large public art projects and potential action to clean up a crime-ridden alleyway are two pieces of a campaign kicking off this week to improve the image of the Red River Cultural District.The effort brings together…
Tuesday, July 11, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
City Hall
City reveals new music division manager
The city has selected the new head of the Music and Entertainment Division, roughly three months after the position opened following a cloud of controversy.The announcement that Erica Shamaly, a longtime Austinite with close to two decades in local film…
Monday, July 10, 2017 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
HAAM considers enrollment closure amid growing health care costs
A growing base of musician members needing health care services has officials with the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians looking at possibly closing the program to new members later this year.The nonprofit, which was founded 11 years ago, will discuss…
