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, the commission opted to add provisions to a recommendation offered by Economic Development Department staff, […]
Chad Swiatecki
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.
Posted inHousing
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 resolution sponsored by Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison that directs the city manager to take a […]
Posted inHousing
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 spaces in downtown Austin and areas beyond could be converted into badly needed housing stock. […]
Posted inAustin
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 is already underway, with a forum held earlier this week allowing small minority-owned businesses the […]
Posted inPlanning
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 week’s work session meeting included a presentation from principal planner April Geruso that recapped staff’s […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
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 Brendon Anthony plans to step down from the director position next week after nearly a […]
Posted inHousing
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 it had raised $15 million for its Housing Accelerator Loan Fund, which will provide low-interest […]
Posted inLand Development Code
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 the Mobility Committee and the Housing and Planning Committee, the message from principal planner April […]
Posted inAustin
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 in training for skilled trades jobs. The news she had for them wasn’t good. “They […]
Posted inHousing
City could push ‘agrihood’ combos of farmland, housing developments in East Austin
The city may soon take steps to promote the creation of “agrihood” developments in Northeast Austin, which would combine small community farms with housing. Proponents of the movement see the still-rare projects as an answer to Austin’s housing needs and development pressures as well as a way to bring more stability to the local food […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Downtown Commission suggests tweaks to ‘agent of change’ noise requirements
The Downtown Commission wants the city to take a more proactive role in a proposed new measure that seeks to address friction over noise levels between new residential developments and existing music venues. Last week’s meeting included a presentation on a pending requirement that would force developers building within 600 feet of a music venue […]
Posted inPreservation
City to tally public assets in 78702 with goal of preservation and activation
The city will inventory all of the culturally and economically significant publicly owned real estate just east of downtown in a move intended to preserve and enhance locations central to the area’s longtime Black and Latino communities. A resolution passed at Thursday’s City Council meeting calls for the city manager to oversee cataloging of all […]