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
- How Trump’s federal funding freeze is beginning to affect Austin
- APD won’t enforce SB 14 as Paxton and Trump further attack gender-affirming health care
- Austin’s new CapMetro Rapid lines debut with buses every 20 minutes
- After shutting off mental health care for Austin musicians, SIMS Foundation restarts services
- Austin ISD announces hiring freeze as budget deficit grows to $110 million
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Stories by Chad Swiatecki
HEB’s $1M donation to fund two affordable housing projects in East Austin
To aid in the construction of affordable housing in East Austin, HEB has announced a $1 million donation to Austin Habitat for Humanity to help fund two new clusters of affordable homes in East Austin. The grocery giant’s contribution will…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 3, 2024
Eyeing statewide affordability, two new housing conservancy deals include move into Dallas
The Texas Housing Conservancy has closed two new deals for multifamily workforce housing properties, including a Dallas-area acquisition that marks its first step in expanding outside the Austin area. The nonprofit, which was founded five years ago as Affordable Central…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 2, 2024
City-owned Austin Studios found to have generated $2.6B in economic impact
After a quarter century of operation, the city-owned Austin Studios facility on the site of the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport has generated more than $2.6 billion in economic impact, according to a recent study. Last week, Austin Film Society…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 27, 2024
Council OKs $5.5M contract for website redesign, expected in late 2026
City Council has approved a six-year contract, valued at up to $5.55 million, for the redesign of the city’s website, AustinTexas.gov. The contract, awarded to TW Lrw Holdings LLC, doing business as Material Holdings LLC, has an initial three-year term…
City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 26, 2024
Arts Commission joins call for bond money to replace Dougherty Arts Center
The Arts Commission wants City Council to commit to including funding for a new Dougherty Arts Center in the city’s next bond package, likely to go before voters in 2026. At its most recent meeting, the commission unanimously approved the…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 25, 2024
Panelists discuss how to solve Austin's workforce housing crisis
While discussing the housing affordability crisis and its impact on Austin’s essential workers, a local EMS leader captured attention Wednesday morning with her account of how emergency services staff are pushing themselves beyond reasonable limits because of their long commutes…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 21, 2024
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Planning Dept. analysis finds historic tax exemptions came largely west of I-35
More than 90 percent of the city’s historic tax exemptions in 2023 went to property owners west of Interstate 35, with a significant portion concentrated in downtown commercial areas, according to a recent analysis conducted by the city’s Planning Department.…
Preservation • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 20, 2024
Red River music proponents see city funding as sign of support, progress
Businesses and supporters in the Red River Cultural District see the city’s recent commitment of annual funding as a milestone to provide stability for the area’s cluster of live music venues, with the hope that more policy changes are coming…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 19, 2024
Equity overlay study prompts request for Council to further delay HOME2 implementation
The Community Development Commission wants City Council to further delay implementation of the second round of HOME initiative changes to the land use code, out of concern that more time is needed to properly design an equity overlay to address…
Planning • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 18, 2024
On second try, Tourism Commission votes in favor of equity-based preservation plan
The Tourism Commission has changed its stance from last month and approved a recommendation that City Council adopt the Planning Department’s Equity-Based Preservation Plan, which intended to guide the city’s use of hotel taxes dedicated toward historic preservation. Last month,…
Preservation • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 15, 2024
Music Commission to explore opening parks spaces for community, cultural events
The Music Commission has signaled it intends to ask the city to waive fees and streamline the administrative processes involved in allowing small community groups to hold arts and music events in local parks facilities. Last week’s meeting included discussion…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 14, 2024
Latest State of Downtown report shows the city core's businesses and housing are in transition
The latest report on downtown Austin’s economic and cultural health shows the city core is seeing ongoing vacancies and low utilization of office space in a trend that has caused a flattening of many indicators of business activity. That analysis…
