Stories by Chad Swiatecki
Friday, February 28, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Hey, small businesses: The city wants to give you money
The city is seeking small businesses of all kinds that want to learn how to take home some of the tens of millions of dollars in city contracts for goods and services each year.Wednesday marks the second annual Small Business…
Thursday, February 27, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Parks
Parks board does deep dive on Austin City Limits Fest contract for Zilker Park
The city’s contract with Austin City Limits promoter C3 Presents was put under the microscope at Tuesday’s meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board, as part of an overall look at how the Parks and Recreation Department can generate more…
Tuesday, February 25, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Housing
City looks to hike fees on downtown developers opting out of affordability requirements
The city has proposed increasing the fees paid by downtown developers looking to add density to their construction projects but opting not to include affordable units in the buildings.At last week’s Downtown Commission meeting, a presentation on the plan to…
Monday, February 24, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Police
Seeking increased safety, Downtown Commission asks city to fully staff APD
The Downtown Commission has asked City Council to increase staffing levels for the Austin Police Department in the next budget year, while adding more public video cameras and lighting to busy pedestrian areas.The unanimously approved resolution came at last week’s…
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…
