Newsletter Signup
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Most Popular Stories
- Austin’s airport is getting a new concourse and 20 more gates but not until the 2030s
- New rules in the works for electric vehicle charging stations
- Judge rules city can’t use taxpayer money for South Central TIRZ
- Budget deficit looms over city this year and beyond
- Save Our Springs Alliance sues City Council over Open Meetings Act
-
Discover News By District
Council approves lease for Urban Roots in Southeast Austin
Friday, November 30, 2018 by Jack Craver
On Thursday City Council voted unanimously to lease a 9.4-acre parcel of city-owned property in Southeast Austin to Urban Roots, a nonprofit focused on getting young adults involved in urban farming. The organization offers various programs, including internships and fellowships, to teach young people how to grow and cook their own food. Council Member Delia Garza, whose district includes the site, said that the site at 4711 Winnebago Lane likely would have been sold to a commercial developer four years ago had Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo not strongly advocated holding on to the land, although Tovo’s suggested use for it at the time was housing and workspace for artists. Garza said that the new facility will be helpful in addressing “food security issues” in her district, much of which is considered to have “food access issues” because of the lack of grocery stores or other outlets for healthy food and fresh produce. The contract has Urban Roots paying $1,000 a month in rent over the next 15 years for the plot of land.
This whisper has been updated to clarify Tovo’s role in the development of the tract.
Join Your Friends and Neighbors
We're a nonprofit news organization, and we put our service to you above all else. That will never change. But public-service journalism requires community support from readers like you. Will you join your friends and neighbors to support our work and mission?