The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors last week approved a resolution authorizing an interlocal agreement with the Austin Transit Partnership for the reimbursement of capital costs for the McKalla Station MetroRail project. The board approved the resolution at its July 24 meeting, authorizing Capital Metro President and CEO Dottie Watkins to finalize and […]
Major League Soccer
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Voters overwhelmingly reject Proposition A
Updated: 10:21 p.m: Austin voters on Tuesday resoundingly rejected city Proposition A. With the final tally complete, more than 64 percent of those voting cast ballots against the proposition, which began as a reaction to the city’s decision to lease McKalla Place for a 20,000-seat Major League Soccer stadium. Mayor Steve Adler, who worked against […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: (Cont’d)
If forums were homes… South Austin residents concerned about the city’s policies regarding homelessness and plans for opening a housing center in the area are pushing for candid questions and answers at a community meeting scheduled for Tuesday night. The groups Safe Austin for Everyone Project and SafeHorns are emphasizing that the meeting from 6:30 […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Council to hear stadium site request, as Austin FC announces first partner
City Council is set to consider at its June 4 meeting the next step in the approval process for the 22,000-seat soccer stadium planned for city-owned property in North Austin. At its May 14 meeting, the Planning Commission recommended City Council approve a planned development area designation to the 24-acre McKalla Place property, which would […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Legal questions remain as soccer team once bound for Austin may stay put
The possibility of Austin not becoming the relocation destination for an Ohio Major League Soccer franchise has brought a variety of new questions into the issue of the city providing land for a new 20,000-seat sports stadium in North Austin. News broke on Friday that the Columbus Crew SC team could be purchased by a […]
Posted inElections
IndyAustin raises funds to fight Precourt, Adler
IndyAustin’s specific-purpose political action committee reported raising nearly $30,000 in their campaign finance report filed on Tuesday. IndyAustin recently started gathering signatures for a petition to trigger an election on the city’s deal with Precourt Sports Ventures, which plans to bring a professional soccer team to city-owned property at McKalla place. The largest contributors to […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Eyes wide open
Four-eyed and proud… On Aug. 28, the Parks and Recreation Board considered the Camelback PUD, a proposed mixed-use development on Lake Austin being led by Jonathan Coon, the founder of 1-800 Contacts, a contact lens company that he sold for $900 million in 2012. After lauding the project, Board Member Frank Ward noted that in […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Stadium agreement approval clears the way for pro soccer in Austin
Wednesday’s 7-4 vote to have city staff finalize and execute an agreement that will result in the construction of a professional soccer stadium on the city’s McKalla Place property in North Austin broke along expected lines. The four City Council members who have most frequently questioned or objected to the proposal with Precourt Sports Ventures […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Council vote on soccer stadium hinges on amendments – lots of them
After 10 months of discussion and roughly three months of often very public negotiations, the fate of Austin as the possible home of a professional sports franchise will come down to the fate of 28 amendments. Today’s special called City Council meeting will in large part center on how many of those amendments – and […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Amendments push Council decision on soccer stadium into overtime
City Council’s expected decision on a soccer stadium deal at McKalla Place was delayed Thursday, with the 11 members agreeing to make a final vote by noon at a special meeting on Wednesday. The delay was caused in large part because of an assortment of 24 amendments submitted by six Council members – Mayor Pro […]
Posted inCity Council
Expect talk on rent, rail station and ticking clocks at soccer hearing
With the term sheet for a proposed professional soccer stadium on city property in North Austin out for public debate since Friday, a special City Council meeting today on the possible agreement will give those on both sides a chance to have perhaps the most substantive debate on the issue yet. As of Tuesday evening, […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Questions on finances, floodwater remain after stadium info session
Thursday’s information session at the Central Library offered those on both sides of the prospect of building a soccer stadium on city property in North Austin a chance to air their opinions, without producing much clarifying information on how the city and Precourt Sports Ventures might execute a partnership. The meeting, which drew about 100 […]