The city’s new economic development corporation will likely be able to purchase two music venue spaces and create a handful of shared facilities for creative arts groups using much of the $12 million voters approved in 2018 for creative space preservation. City Council will hear from the leadership of the EDC at a future meeting, […]
Austin Music Commission
The Austin Music Commission guides city practices on music development issues, including the SxSW music festival.
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music, Downtown commissions explore options for preserving downtown venues
With music venues and creative spaces becoming more endangered as real estate prices continue to climb, members of the Downtown Commission and Music Commission are looking to enlist other groups in an effort to include those spaces in new developments. August Harris, chair of the Downtown Commission, spoke to the Music Commission at this month’s […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission eyes funding apart from hotel tax among 2021 priorities
The Music Commission wants to decrease the role that Hotel Occupancy Tax will play in funding arts and music programs in the coming years, possibly relying more on the city’s General Fund or other revenue sources while the local hospitality industry recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. Restructuring the funding for the Live Music Fund and […]
Posted inCity Hall
City moves on plan to create AEDC, commissions consider board appointments
The city continues to move forward with plans to create the Austin Economic Development Corporation and expects its 21-member governing board will be decided by late January. At their Dec. 7 meeting, members of the Music Commission discussed a Nov. 2 presentation about the AEDC by David Colligan, the interim chief operating officer of the […]
Posted inAustin
Economic Development Department outlines plans for $12M creative space bond, creation of Austin EDC
The Economic Development Department outlined its plan for a $12 million creative space bond and a city-owned economic development corporation that could help it along at a joint meeting of the arts and music commissions Friday. The city launched a request for information on Aug. 27 as the first step in an effort to create city-owned creative […]
Posted inAustin
Music Commission asks city to recognize African American Cultural Heritage District, add multiuse arts theater
The Music Commission unanimously voted in support of a proposal to direct the city to formally recognize and develop amenities within the state-designated African American Cultural Heritage District in East Austin. The commission approved of the main bullet points of the drafted resolution. At the heart of the proposal is the establishment of a music […]
Posted inCity Hall
Arts, Music Commission meeting aims to multiply $12M creative space bond
A joint meeting of the arts and music commissions expected to take place Sept. 11 could help multiply the dollar value of the city’s creative space bond using a new development entity. The date for the meeting hasn’t been set, but its agenda will include an update on the request for information that is kicking […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Latino groups ask Music Commission to support creation of Latino music fund
A new coalition is pushing the Music Commission to support allocating some of the city’s funds for live music to Latino musicians. Members of the Latin Music Coalition Austin spoke at last week’s meeting of the Music Commission to highlight a proposal that calls for $1.5 million from the recently created Live Music Fund to […]
Posted inAustin
City moving forward with plans for $12M to acquire space for artists, musicians
This week City Council is expected to consider an agreement with the Texas Facilities Commission that will begin the process of acquiring creative spaces around the city using a $12 million bond approved in 2018. The interlocal agreement would approve up to $500,000 in funding toward consulting services with five groups, including Alvarez & Marsal […]
Posted inBudget
Music Commission eyes police dollars instead of hotel tax to support Black music fund
Included in the Music Commission’s request to create a Black Live Music Fund may be a suggestion that the city look for money outside of the Hotel Occupancy Tax – including funds intended for law enforcement – to rebuild the local music industry. At last week’s meeting, commissioners said the hotel tax is forecast to […]
Posted inAustin
Austin music venues seek $20 million from city to prevent closures
Austin’s Music Venue Alliance plans to ask the city to provide $20 million in aid specifically for music venues that have been closed since mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Music Venue Preservation Fund request was discussed at Wednesday’s Music Commission meeting, and is expected to be brought before City Council as a budget […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission looks at Black cultural district, music fund based on equity
Turning its attention to equity issues facing the city’s music and creative communities, the Music Commission plans to meet every two weeks for the foreseeable future to address those concerns. The commission voted unanimously at last week’s meeting to create a working group that will look for ways the city can improve and enhance the section […]