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
Panelists: Transmission lines, local generation needed to meet Austin's energy demands
Keeping up with aggressive business and residential growth throughout the Austin area is a persistent challenge for those involved in supplying energy reliably to the city while also trying to move away from fossil fuel sources for generation needs. Speakers…
Energy • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 5, 2024
Summit panel looks at possibilities and challenges of I-35 cap-and-stitch program
While intense construction on the lowering and widening of Interstate 35 isn’t scheduled to begin until mid- or late 2026, local business and political leaders want the public to know that decisions and talks taking place now will have a…
Roads • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 4, 2024
Music Commission approves revised ‘agent of change’ measures to calm noise disputes
The city appears ready to codify measures meant to prevent noise issues from creating friction with residential developments and live music venues, nearly a decade after the conflict first received heavy attention. At Monday’s meeting, the Music Commission approved requirements…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 3, 2024
Memo supports mobile community court pilot ahead of $1.5M budget request
A pilot program to make the Downtown Austin Community Court more accessible to those needing help clearing up misdemeanor offenses and receiving social services has been ruled a success, with organizers pushing to make the expansion permanent. A memo released…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 2, 2024
City seeks input on area food plan that highlights fragility for farms, restaurants
The Office of Sustainability has published the draft of its long-in-development food plan for Austin and Travis County, which seeks to balance pressures of development and land use against the need to feed a fast-growing metro area. Released last month…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 1, 2024
Land acquisition, leaving Fayette power plant among environmentalists' priorities for Council plan
With City Council set to consider a host of green infrastructure projects later this spring, environmental proponents want the city to commit to green space acquisition, curbing motorized vehicle use and converting all municipal energy generation away from carbon fuels.…
Environment • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 29, 2024
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Report offers city, developers strategies to reduce parking downtown
A new report from public policy and real estate leaders in Austin recommends a variety of approaches the city can take to reduce the presence and impact of multilevel parking decks in new developments in the downtown core and beyond.…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 28, 2024
Report finds mixed progress in APD’s work to implement police academy reforms
In assessing the latest analysis of the Austin Police Department’s Training Academy, members of City Council stressed the importance of a comprehensive audit system to ensure that years and money spent to improve the academy aren’t wasted. Concerns over the…
Police • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 27, 2024
City manager candidates talk public safety, homelessness, transparency in town hall Q&A
The two candidates for Austin’s city manager position each made their case to the public Monday for why they should be chosen for the job. Sara Hensley, the current city manager of Denton, Texas, and T.C. Broadnax, current but soon…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 26, 2024
Downtown Commission reviews plan for equitable historic preservation
Members of the Downtown Commission debated and mostly praised the draft version of the city’s Equity-Based Preservation Plan, which is open for public feedback through the end of May. At last week’s meeting, the commission looked beyond the scope of…
Preservation • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 25, 2024
Incentive package for music venues, arts spaces headed for May public hearing
The city is working to make incentives for creative spaces available to individual sites and properties as well as larger cultural districts that have been proposed in city planning documents in recent years. Monday’s Arts Commission meeting included a presentation…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Mar 22, 2024
City seeking $191M state loan to cover costs of caps and stitch for I-35
The city will turn to a state loan program as a major source of the funding for the more than $500 million cost of constructing caps and a stitch over Interstate 35 after it is buried and expanded over the…
