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
Life sciences talk brings major development news at Urban Land Institute panel
The life sciences industry in Austin is so active and bustling with deals and investments that, over the course of an hour’s discussion last week, leaders in the field dropped a pair of hints about forthcoming significant developments for the…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 19, 2023
Council seeks financial assistance for homeowners looking to add units to properties
City Council intends to help homeowners at risk of displacement with a program that will provide down payment assistance to those wishing to add more residential units to their properties. At last Thursday’s meeting, Council approved a resolution directing the…
Land Development Code • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 18, 2023
City awards $4.5M to help Austin Playhouse construct dual-theater facility
The city has selected the Austin Playhouse theater group as the latest recipient of creative space bond money, with City Council set to approve a $4.5 million award at today’s meeting. That money will allow the independent arts group to…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 14, 2023
Summer heat surge caused $115M overspend at Austin Energy
High energy usage brought on by months of severe summer heat caused Austin Energy to spend far more than the utility forecast through the end of the last fiscal year, with a forthcoming rate increase likely to help restore its…
Energy • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 13, 2023
Council set to commit $15.4 million for design work on I-35 caps and stitches
City Council plans to move forward with adding four plaza-like caps and four “stitch” crossings to portions of the reconstruction of Interstate 35. A memo released yesterday from Transportation and Public Works Department Director Richard Mendoza updates Council and Mayor…
Roads • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 12, 2023
Labor, affordability remain concerns in strong Austin real estate sector
Austin’s diverse and growing economy has kept the Central Texas region one of the most attractive real estate markets in the country in recent years, but local developers see some recurring issues – affordability, land use policy and the local…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 11, 2023
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Audit shows changes needed at Development Services Department
Nearly a decade after a damning evaluation of the city’s planning and development processes resulted in more than 460 recommended changes, a recent audit of two smaller components of the Development Services Department found some steps left incomplete from a…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 8, 2023
Amendments, memos point to finer steps for implementing HOME initiative
With City Council slated to decide the fate of the HOME initiative today, a last bit of analysis from city staff appears to back the intent and approach of the push to add more housing stock throughout the city. In…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 7, 2023
Music Commission considers dedicated grant stream for live music venues
Music venues around the city could have a dedicated source of funding in next year’s Live Music Fund program, which was created to help inject city money into the local music economy. During discussion on expected changes to the program…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 6, 2023
Delay gives city a hard Dec. 14 deadline to end Seaholm special taxing district
City Council will have until its Dec. 14 meeting to close down a taxing district created to revitalize the Seaholm Power Plant property. That deadline comes because of a decision at last week’s meeting not to close down the tax…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 5, 2023
Council eyes details of new maintenance facility included in Oracle land swap
City Council members are expected to bring some scrutiny today to the nearly completed land swap deal that will see tech giant Oracle America Inc. build a new central maintenance facility for the city in exchange for 9 acres of…
Development • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 30, 2023
Council hears of progress on resilience hubs, planning for winter weather emergencies
With the National Weather Service advising local leaders of the high likelihood of a significant ice event this winter, City Council received an extensive update on weather preparation efforts on Tuesday. The update from the Homeland Security and Emergency Management…
