This website is no longer being updated. Sign up for our newsletter and learn more about our new direction at AustinCurrent.org.

City Council appears ready to approve funding for the Red River Cultural District, with a larger goal of establishing guidelines for funding future cultural districts around the city. Council Member Zo Qadri has put forward a resolution for Thursday’s meeting that directs the city manager to find funding options in the current budget to help the district fund and promote events at the many live music venues in the area. In January, the Music Commission voted to recommend that Council give money to the RRCD, likely at a level between $150,000 and $300,000, to keep in line with what’s currently provided to two other cultural districts. The resolution seeks the funding framework before July and directs staff to include funding allocations for cultural districts into subsequent city budgets.

Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written...