High-end apartments have come to dominate the rental market in downtown Austin. A few years ago, those developments saw a sharp drop in occupancy as new units flooded the market. Now the market seems to be on its way to stabilizing. These days, you can find luxury rentals in virtually every part of the city. In […]
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Virtual reality expected to help city attract billions in foreign investment
Through the use of virtual reality, the city of Austin is turning to the thriving local video game industry to help attract overseas investors and billions of dollars in new economic development money. The hope is that local developers can create a mobile app that will utilize virtual or augmented reality technology to showcase some […]
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City investigates whether spay/neuter clinics are reaching the people who need them
The city of Sunset Valley is leading other Austin-area locations in taking advantage of free spay/neuter clinics – a surprise, since these clinics are usually used more heavily in poorer neighborhoods. City staff is working to better understand who is using spay/neuter clinics in Austin at a neighborhood level, although the numbers are still incomplete. […]
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Is Austin a sanctuary city? Good question.
Attempts to eliminate so-called sanctuary cities has begun anew with another Texas legislative session and new national leadership that has singled out these municipalities. And while Austin is often labeled a sanctuary city, it’s not clear that the city indeed is one. Elissa Steglich, law professor with the University of Texas Immigration Clinic, said there […]
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Commissioners Court hears about DNA unit’s failures
The Travis County Commissioners Court heard a lengthy briefing last week about a catastrophic failure in how DNA evidence is tested in Austin. The 90-minute discussion was spurred by the closure of the Austin Police Department’s Forensic Services Division DNA Unit following a disastrous audit conducted by the Texas Forensic Commission in July. That investigation […]
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Character, retention of businesses fuel expansion of Soul-y Austin
Though he works on the very same block, Josh Blaine had never been inside East Austin’s Vortex theater prior to attending a meeting of what is now the Manor Road Merchants Association. But as manager of the In.gredients neighborhood grocery store, Blaine said he fell victim to the habit that many business owners and managers […]
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Downtown parking study calls for more expensive street spaces
Streamlined technology and more expensive parking spaces – those are some of the recommendations of a new report that looks at improving parking in downtown Austin. The $260,000 study analyzed parking in the area bordered by Interstate 35, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Lamar Boulevard and Lady Bird Lake, along with the South Central Waterfront […]
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Austin adopts plan to be more ‘Age-Friendly’
Austin has a reputation as a relatively young city, but within the next 25 years, one in five residents is expected to be 65 or older. To prepare for that change, City Council has approved a new plan to make it easier for older residents to “age in place.” Austin’s Age-Friendly Action Plan outlines policies […]
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Onion Creek residents voice desperation over flooding
Flood-battered residents voiced despair over the future and frustration with City Hall at a Tuesday night forum at the Onion Creek Club featuring Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members Ann Kitchen and Delia Garza. “We feel like we’re trapped here,” said one man in the crowd of over 100, explaining that he and his […]
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ANC takes no position on Proposition 1
Mayor Steve Adler has written to the executive committee of the Austin Neighborhoods Council to reassure those neighborhood representatives that he will do his part to protect neighborhoods “in conjunction with the proposed transportation bonds” and the rewrite of the Land Development Code, known as CodeNEXT. His letter was in response to resolutions approved by […]
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Annexation could threaten emergency response in southeastern Travis County
A small annexation in far South Austin could have big consequences for the southeastern corner of Travis County. Last Tuesday, Chief Ken Bailey of Emergency Services District No. 11 appeared before the Travis County Commissioners Court to seek protection from the city gobbling up a 27-acre tract along Interstate 35, south of Slaughter Lane. The […]
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Animal Commission votes down spay and neuter proposal
Despite public appeals, the Animal Commission has decided not to move forward on a proposed ordinance that would require that all dogs brought to Austin animal shelter be spayed or neutered the first time they are impounded. The ordinance was meant to reduce the number of animals filling shelters by preventing stray dogs from breeding. […]