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
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Stories by Chad Swiatecki
Council votes clear path for April rollout of Live Music Fund
The city will begin taking applications for the Live Music Fund in April, after City Council approved two resolutions Thursday clearing the way for the awarding of grants to musicians and event promoters. The two items approved on consent were…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 13, 2023
Task force sees COTA disability work as starting point for other venues, businesses
Praising the dozens of improvements made at Circuit of the Americas over the past year to address disability issues, members of a task force organized by the racetrack and concert venue want other Austin venues to use their work as…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 8, 2023
Ice storm communication sparks emergency performance review of city manager
The breakdown in the city’s communication to residents and employees during last week’s disastrous ice storm appears to be the main motivation behind City Council’s push to evaluate the performance of City Manager Spencer Cronk. Mayor Kirk Watson added the…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 7, 2023
Ice storm damage to get Council attention at Tuesday work session
Tuesday’s City Council work session looks like it will be heavily focused on discussion about the impact of last week’s ice storm, which disrupted power to more than 250,000 people at some point during the three-day freeze. The city and…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 6, 2023
Exodus: Census shows musicians leaving Austin over affordability
Austin’s political and business leaders now have clear data to back up years of anecdotal evidence that local musicians are being driven out of the city due to the high cost of living and the general affordability crisis. The cost…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 3, 2023
New cultural arts awards bring opportunities, disappointment for applicants
Staff in the city’s Cultural Arts Division prepared themselves to hear some frustration in response to the selection of the first recipients of a radically structured system for awarding arts contracts. During last week’s Arts Commission meeting, staffers reviewed the steps…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 2, 2023
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Affordability calculator helps to demystify financing realities for low-income units
The complicated math involved in planning and financing affordable housing projects in Austin has become a little easier, thanks to a first-ever affordability calculator intended to help political leaders and housing advocates better research how developments are assembled. The calculator,…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 30, 2023
Contract kicks off second phase of Waterloo Greenway parks project
The next phase of the Waterloo Greenway parks system will begin construction this spring, with Jay-Reese Contractors Inc. winning the contract for the two-year-plus project. The Waller Creek Local Government Corp., the entity that manages much of the administration for…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 25, 2023
Tower construction to close Red River in Rainey district until SXSW
Increasing growth in the Rainey Street district is expected to bring the closure of a portion of Red River Street until the beginning of South by Southwest in March. The closure is necessary to complete utilities work related to the…
Roads • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 24, 2023
Convention center eyes 'campus-style' events schedule during closure for expansion
Leaders from the Austin Convention Center plan to take a campus-style approach to coordinating a greatly scaled back calendar of meeting and event business at downtown hotels during the four to five years the facility is closed for a substantial…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 24, 2023
Report: ADU expansion, tax relief among city's options to promote preservation
Preservation advocates want the city to simplify the process for building accessory dwelling units, and use an ombudsman position to help navigate city processes as some of the steps needed to save existing housing stock while helping to address affordability.…
Preservation • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 20, 2023
Food plan committee balancing inflation worries against long-term needs
With food prices remaining persistently high as overall inflation levels continue to ease, the cost of food is likely to be one of many issues discussed in the coming weeks by the new group that will steer the creation of…
