The nonprofit Austin Creative Alliance has pushed back against a memo from city staff that appears to have derailed an effort by City Council members to preserve a pair of East Austin properties that serve as the group’s headquarters and cultural space. For more than a year, ACA leaders had discussed with city staff and […]
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Off-leash dogs are everywhere in Austin. What are the rules?
There are few things that bring dog owners more joy than watching their furry friend run toward them with tongue out and ears flapping. But, for nonlovers of dogs or other pet owners, this might not be as joyful. For some, it might even be scary. Austin is a pet-friendly city, and it’s common to […]
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Arts Commission gives early OK for city aid to expand Umlauf museum
The Arts Commission wants City Council to give an initial endorsement to an ambitious plan to improve and expand the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, which is managed in partnership with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. At Monday’s meeting, the commission received a presentation on the plan for the 8-acre site, which sits on […]
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Animal Advisory Commission wants pets allowed in cooling centers
The Animal Advisory Commission is urging the city to allow pets inside designated cooling centers as summer heats up. The commission unanimously passed a recommendation that urges the city to identify “a number of cooling centers throughout the City of Austin that persons with companion animals may go to for relief during times of intense […]
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More animals must leave the shelter before Austin Animal Center will accept them again
The Austin Animal Center has stopped accepting any more animals until further notice. Jason Garza, deputy chief animal services officer, said the shelter has so many dogs and cats that it’s overcapacity. As of Tuesday, there were 683 animals on site, including about 300 medium to large dogs. The shelter has only 252 dog kennels. […]
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Arts Commission sees potential in proposed cultural district framework
The Arts Commission expressed early support recently for the Economic Development Department’s plans to simplify and standardize the process for creating cultural and economic districts, with the expectation that more districts will be established and funded in the coming years. At last month’s meeting, the commission received a presentation from Matthew Schmidt, a program manager […]
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Future of MACC takes shape as expansion work continues
It felt reassuring for Lily Zamarripa-Saenz in April when she was able to tour the grounds of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center and see the progress on the $27 million expansion she and other community members had been working toward for close to a decade. As a recent member of the MACC […]
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Wheatsville to close Guadalupe Street store that opened in 1981
Wheatsville Food Co-op – a local, member-owned natural food store operating in Austin since 1976 – plans to close its location on Guadalupe Street and focus on building smaller stores. In a special edition of Wheatsville’s newsletter, General Manager Bill Bickford acknowledged the store was facing financial struggles but said Austin’s voter-approved plan to build light […]
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Vacant downtown storefronts eyed for arts, music activations to reverse downturn
Seeking to bring more foot traffic to an area with an increasing number of vacant storefronts, the Downtown Austin Alliance is working to partner local artists and musicians with property owners interested in exposing their spaces to new potential businesses. So far, two spaces have been named as participants in the Downtown Austin Space Activation […]
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As downtown sees slowing of development, new programs aim to promote activity
In delivering its annual State of Downtown report that showed some slowdown in development efforts in the central business district, the Downtown Austin Alliance announced two new efforts intended to improve quality of life and bring more activity throughout the downtown area. The announcements were part of the group’s Future of Downtown event held Wednesday, […]
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EDC seeks financial consultants to kickstart deal-making using city assets
With the Austin Economic Development Corporation still lacking control over substantial revenue-producing city assets, the organization has issued a request for proposals for consultants to advise on how to start putting its bonding authority and other financial tools to use. The RFP, which was issued May 1 and has a May 31 deadline for responses, […]
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Texas Music Museum seeks city assistance in finding new home
The city may soon explore assistance for the nonprofit Texas Music Museum in East Austin, including finding a new location for the facility that is in danger of losing its East 11th Street home. On Monday, the Music Commission heard a presentation from Clay Shorkey, president and caretaker of the museum’s thousands of artifacts and […]