Tag Archives: Economic Development Department
Monday, October 5, 2020 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Staffers explain how Covid relief funds were disbursed
This summer, City Council rushed to provide economic relief to small businesses and nonprofits shouldering the burden of closures during the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic. On Thursday, as they ratified a contract with the Better Business Bureau…
Thursday, October 1, 2020 by Jo Clifton
Austin
Questions arise about how BBB administers grants
At Tuesday’s City Council work session, Mayor Steve Adler asked Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, the acting director of the Economic Development Department, to explain what went into the selection of the Better Business Bureau to administer nearly $26 million in federal emergency…
Monday, September 14, 2020 by Savana Dunning
Austin
Economic Development Department outlines plans for $12M creative space bond, creation of Austin EDC
The Economic Development Department outlined its plan for a $12 million creative space bond and a city-owned economic development corporation that could help it along at a joint meeting of the arts and music commissions Friday. The city launched a request…
Monday, August 17, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
City opens grant program to assist creatives impacted by Covid-19
Artists and workers involved in the city’s creative economy can apply today for $2,000 awards from Austin’s new Creative Worker Relief Grant program.The program, which has $3.5 million in total funding, is the latest spun up by the Economic Development Department…
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
City Hall
Report lays out possible structure for new economic development corporation
A consultant’s report recommends the city move to create an economic development corporation modeled after existing bodies in New York City, Philadelphia and Atlanta to allow for fast and flexible development deals around the city.The report from QBL Partners presents…
Friday, March 27, 2020 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Council wants ‘bridge aid’ for residents, businesses ahead of federal COVID-19 help
City Council directed staff to move quickly in the coming weeks to allocate direct payments and other forms of aid to residents and small businesses that have taken a severe financial hit from the COVID-19 pandemic.A wide-reaching item passed on…
Tuesday, June 18, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Kitchen, Tovo to push for speed in addressing housing, cultural preservation efforts
City Council members who have in the past pushed to create an external entity to pursue public/private partnerships and other opportunities focused around city priorities appear ready to direct staff to accelerate the process.In a report completed late last month,…
Thursday, June 6, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
City releases road map for ‘agent of change,’ sound compatibility issues
The city’s Economic Development and Development Services departments will spend much of the next 12 months implementing a variety of measures to reduce noise complaints and other issues that arise between residents and nearby entertainment businesses.On Wednesday, EDD released a…
Monday, January 28, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
Club owners, developers’ input sought for agent of change survey
The city’s Music and Entertainment division is pushing for more music and entertainment venue operators and members of the local development community to take a survey that will play a major role in shaping the long-brewing “agent of change” ordinance…
Thursday, January 24, 2019 by Chad Swiatecki
Development
City quietly moving forward on redevelopment portfolio properties
Behind-the-scenes work on the redevelopment of four city-owned parcels is continuing, with requests for proposal resolutions for three of the properties expected to come before City Council by the end of March.The four properties are: an Austin Energy parcel at…
Friday, November 9, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
City taps UT incubator to meet 2040 zero waste goal
The city and the Austin Technology Incubator at the University of Texas are turning to startup companies to help find a solution to dramatically reduce waste headed to landfills from Austin.ATI’s new Circular Economy Incubator, which launched last month, has…
Wednesday, September 5, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Budget
Chamber groups’ funding would become leveled under proposed process
Austin’s Economic Development Department is in the beginning stages of restructuring how local chambers of commerce are funded by the city, with the goal of making the funding more equitable and available to more groups.A recent memo from interim EDD…
Thursday, August 23, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
Memo points toward cultural trust to save arts spaces
It appears City Council will move ahead with the creation of a cultural land trust and an economic development corporation in the coming months, both attempts to combat the rising cost of real estate for residents and local artists.A new…
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Planning
Four city parcels ID’d for redevelopment focus in next budget
The Economic Development Department is recommending City Council spend the next budget year focusing on putting four pieces of city-owned property into higher use with mixtures of housing, commercial space, parklands and more.A recent memo detailed the department’s efforts since…
Tuesday, July 24, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Entertainment & Events
Economic development corp. stands out as answer to creative space crunch
A long-burgeoning effort to have the city create an economic development corporation that would help public and private entities to partner on ambitious development projects may be the best solution to help Austin’s creative community address a rapidly worsening space…
Tuesday, May 8, 2018 by Chad Swiatecki
Austin
Incentive proposals target middle class, creatives in push to address affordability
After more than a year of community input and research, the city is taking the next steps to dramatically overhaul its policies for economic incentives to grow businesses in Austin.The proposed changes, which will be presented at today’s City Council…
Tuesday, November 21, 2017 by Jo Clifton
City Hall
Audit: City jobs programs disorganized
The city’s workforce development programs are neither well-planned nor well-coordinated, and the city does not have reliable data to evaluate the success of the programs, according to an audit released last week by the Office of the City Auditor.The audit,…
Friday, September 22, 2017 by Jessi Devenyns
Austin
Austin’s creative culture holds weight in economic incentives revision
In response to City Council direction in March, Austin’s Economic Development Department has spent the better part of the year meeting with specific groups in the community that have a stake in how the city approaches policies such as business…
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…
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…
