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Tag Archives: Economic Development Department

Law Department predicts challenges ahead for equity-based preservation programs

The Historic Landmark Commission was in an unusually gloomy mood last Wednesday, as the meeting kicked off with an ominous briefing from the city’s legal department. At the request of Commissioner Blake Tollett, Assistant City Attorney Neal Falgoust dropped by…

City formulates $98 million financing plan to cover Colony Park gap

The city is asking Travis County to contribute $30 million to the development costs of the Colony Park planned unit development in Northeast Austin, part of a proposed financing package of $98.8 million needed to complete the project. A city…

Music Commission wants Council to 'expedite' Live Music Fund activation

The Music Commission plans to push City Council and staff to speed up the deployment of the Live Music Fund, which was approved by City Council in fall 2019 but is not scheduled to be distributed until next July. At…

City outlines plans for improvements to corridors along 11th and 12th streets

The city has shared some of its initial plans for improving the African American Cultural Heritage District along 11th and 12th streets with place-making, entertainment options and development proposals expected in the coming months. In a memo released last week,…

Staffing issues cause slow rollout of arts, historic preservation programs

The Economic Development Department plans to wait until fall to begin spinning up three programs for music, arts and historic preservation that are funded by proceeds from the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax. Portions of those programs aren’t slated to become…

City staffing shortages to delay Live Music Fund deployment until mid-2023

Musicians, promoters and other creatives will have to wait another year to enter into a contract of $5,000-$10,000 from the city’s Live Music Fund. The delay is due to a staffing shortage in the city, including 20 positions in the Economic…

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Audit finds city slow to move on workforce development recommendations

An updated audit has found the city has yet to implement most of the recommendations made five years ago related to improving workforce development programs within the Economic Development Department and Austin Public Health. The 2022 audit, which was discussed…

Audit praises city's Covid assistance efforts, with rental payment results mixed

An audit found mixed results in the execution of some of the city’s programs created with federal money to provide assistance with the many impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. A report last week from the Office of the City Auditor…

Music Commission's oversight could further delay emergency funds for musicians

The Music Commission has asked city staff for more input and involvement in how a pair of financial assistance programs for Austin musicians will be carried out, with an emergency aid fund tied to Covid-19 possibly delayed three weeks as…

Shoal Creek/Third Street redesign aims to create greener, safer spaces downtown

The Urban Transportation Commission’s hefty meeting agenda on Sept. 7 included a proposal to significantly redesign the heavily trafficked area of downtown surrounding the intersection of Third Street and Shoal Creek Trail.  The Cypress and Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy,…

Bowie underpass project derailed

After two decades of planning, negotiations to construct the Bowie underpass have come to a halt. The project at Third and Bowie streets is part of the 2001 Seaholm District Master Plan. It would have provided a link between the…

EDD provides a breakdown of federal funds under its purview

While the Covid-19 pandemic has posed a host of unprecedented challenges for the city, it’s also led to an influx of federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act. A recent breakdown of these dollars shows how the portion of…

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