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- Travis County declares local disaster ahead of April 8 total solar eclipse
- Austin’s giant troll is finally finished. Here’s where you can find her.
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- City Council adopts historic water reuse regulations
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Austin
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 • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 19, 2024
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…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 18, 2024
SXSW is accused of cozying up to ‘war profiteers.’ Musicians are boycotting.
Austin percussionist Thor Harris has been playing South by Southwest since the ramshackle days, when the festival was a platform for up-and-coming musicians hoping to be discovered by music industry insiders. This year, it’s different. “I’ve played hundreds of other…
Austin • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Mar 14, 2024
City preps for eclipse visitors at a pace to rival SXSW nights
Next month’s solar eclipse is expected to bring a short boost for local hotels that could match some of the nine-day stretch of South by Southwest. Austin’s location as one of the most opportune viewing spots in the path of…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 7, 2024
Austin Justice Coalition slams city in State of Black Austin Address
Nearly 16 years ago, the city released its African American Quality of Life Final Report, which detailed 56 initiatives underway to improve the quality of life for Black residents. On Wednesday, the Austin Justice Coalition hosted a State of Black…
Austin • By Emma Freer • Feb 23, 2024
Downtown Commission hears SXSW safety preparedness report
No one likes to think about worst-case scenarios turning large public events into devastating havoc, but such is the business of planning for major festivals like South by Southwest. Lessons learned from past events – the 2020 pandemic, the 2014…
Austin • By Amy Smith • Feb 23, 2024
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Tourism Commission considers how to grow hotel taxes beyond convention business
The Tourism Commission has turned its attention to how tourist attractions throughout the city could work collectively to increase the average hotel stay, which would gradually lead to substantial increases in Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues. At last week’s meeting, the…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 21, 2024
Lacking a sense of cultural belonging, many Black Austinites are relocating
Lack of community bonds, cultural offerings and business opportunities play a large part in the continuing decline in Austin’s Black population, based on analysis and anecdotes shared by a number of local leaders at a recent discussion on the demographic…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 15, 2024
Hotel, multifamily developers sought for convention center reconstruction project
Leaders at the Austin Convention Center have set their sights on building a new hotel or a multifamily residential project as part of the forthcoming reconstruction of the downtown site. The timeline for the solicitation of developers was among the…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 14, 2024
Travis County turns down partnership with Austin to address homelessness
On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court rejected a proposal to form an interlocal agreement with the city of Austin. The agreement would have put $400,000 toward a $2 million strategic analysis of local efforts to address homelessness. Commissioners chiefly…
Austin • By Nick Erichson • Feb 5, 2024
DAA, Urban Alchemy partner to improve outreach, services for downtown homeless population
Downtown Austin Alliance hopes its new pilot program will help to provide more services and housing opportunities to the homeless people clustered throughout the city’s central business district. On Thursday, the DAA announced its Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART),…