About the Author
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 for Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Daily News, Texas Monthly, Austin American-Statesman and many other regional and national outlets.
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Most Popular Stories
- APD won’t enforce SB 14 as Paxton and Trump further attack gender-affirming health care
- Austin Transit Partnership presents pedestrian features, changes to stops in revised Project Connect plan
- Austin’s new CapMetro Rapid lines debut with buses every 20 minutes
- Austin ISD announces hiring freeze as budget deficit grows to $110 million
- Commercial EV station moves forward despite opposition
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Stories by Chad Swiatecki
EDC seeks financial consultants to kickstart deal-making using city assets
With the Austin Economic Development Corporation still lacking control over substantial revenue-producing city assets, the organization has issued a request for proposals for consultants to advise on how to start putting its bonding authority and other financial tools to use.…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • May 13, 2024
Texas Music Museum seeks city assistance in finding new home
The city may soon explore assistance for the nonprofit Texas Music Museum in East Austin, including finding a new location for the facility that is in danger of losing its East 11th Street home. On Monday, the Music Commission heard…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • May 10, 2024
Council asked to consider ridership, access goals in revising e-scooter rules
The Urban Transportation Commission wants the city to rework some of its recent regulations of e-scooters and other micromobility devices but stopped short of spelling out what changes should be made. At its meeting this week, the commission approved a…
Transportation • By Chad Swiatecki • May 9, 2024
Music Commission wants clubs, creative space required in Red River Cultural District
The Music Commission wants the city to ensure that any new multistory development within the Red River Cultural District would need to provide discounted space for music venues or creative uses, without offering any density bonus incentives. At Monday’s meeting,…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • May 8, 2024
Council pushes for ‘agrihood’ pilot program merging homes with farmland in East Austin
The city will target part of Northeast Austin as an area that could see more small farms mixed with affordable homes, in a nod to the “agrihood” movement to bring homes closer to agriculture. Last week, City Council approved a…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • May 7, 2024
With Austin office buildings 20 percent vacant, conversion to housing remains out of reach
Two years ago, with the office real estate market in Austin stuck at a 20 percent vacancy rate, Brad Stein took the first of two trips to other markets to see if some of the hundreds of thousands of empty…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • May 6, 2024
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The search is on for businesses owned by underrepresented groups to support infrastructure projects
With tens of thousands of workers needed over the next decade to complete a plethora of multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects, local leaders are also looking for a large pool of contractors and consultants who will help with supplementary services. That search…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • May 3, 2024
Council appears to support revised plans for South Central Waterfront District
City Council appears to be supportive of staff’s recommendations for how to revise the planning and density bonus programs for the South Central Waterfront District, in effect rejecting some of the Planning Commission’s most substantial ideas for the area. This…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • May 2, 2024
Music insiders see opportunity as Austinite takes over at Texas Music Office
The news that the next director of the Texas Music Office will be a longtime Austinite with decades of music industry experience is seen as a positive for advocates of the local music economy. Over the weekend, news broke that…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 30, 2024
Community Foundation unveils $15M fund for affordable, permanent supportive housing
Developers of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing units for unhoused people could soon receive financial assistance from a new Austin Community Foundation fund intended to fill gaps in the financing for those subsidized projects. Last week, the foundation announced…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 29, 2024
Ahead of May vote, Council hears staff feedback for revised South Central Waterfront plan
Planning Department staff explained to a portion of City Council members this week why they intend to move forward with only about half of the Planning Commission’s suggested changes to the South Central Waterfront Plan. At a combined meeting of…
Land Development Code • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 26, 2024
Workforce leaders talk how to grow skilled trades pipeline to 10,000+ workers annually
In February 2021, when a deep winter freeze caused burst pipes in homes and businesses all over Austin, a city staffer looking for available plumbers called Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area and one of the local experts…
