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IT IS 5:30 PM UH, CALLING THE, THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO ORDER.
UM, CHRISTIE, WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO CALL ROLL? YES, OF COURSE.
AUGUST TERRACE PRESENT, RALPH ISHMAEL, JR.
TAYLOR, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T HEAR YOU PRESENT.
AMY MOCK, AND CHARLOTTE PATTERSON.
I I SAW THE, WE HAVE A QUORUM.
I SAW AN EMAIL FROM COMMISSIONER MOCK, UM, THAT HER ITEM WASN'T GONNA BE ON.
DID, DID SHE INDICATE WHETHER SHE WAS GONNA BE IN ATTENDANCE OR NOT? COMMISSIONER MOCK MAY JOIN US.
YES, SHE DID INDICATE SHE WOULD JOIN.
UH, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, UH, MIGHT BE IN AND OUT OF TODAY'S MEETING.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY? NO.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission special called meeting on June 26, 2024.]
BUSINESS IS OF THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.THESE ARE FROM OUR, UH, JUNE MEETING.
WE DID NOT HAVE A JULY MEETING, AS YOU ALL WILL REMEMBER.
UH, HAS EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED? NO.
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES THAT ANYBODY SEES THAT NEED TO BE MADE? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS OPPOSED POSTED? I HAVE A MOTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
[2. Presentation by Roosevelt Weeks, Director of Libraries, and Cody Scott, Facilities Process Manager, Austin Public Library, on construction at the John Henry Faulk Building at the Austin History Center Campus and programming at the Central Library and Austin History Center.]
WE HAVE TWO STAFF BRIEFINGS TODAY.UM, FIRST WE HAVE, UH, MR. WEEKS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES.
WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU HERE.
AND CODY SCOTT, FACILITIES PROCESS MANAGER FOR THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BRIEF, UH, BRIEF PRESENTATION.
UH, CODY SCOTT, WHO'S OUR FACILITY MANAGER, WILL LEAD THE EFFORT.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE ABOUT MY LITTLE PIECE.
HE, THE MAJORITY OF IT WILL BE HIS PIECE, BUT THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING US HERE, AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
CODY, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD? OH, MY NAME IS ROOSEVELT WEEKS, AND I'M THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR OF THE BEST LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, SO TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA COVER, WHAT I'M GONNA COVER IS, UH, IS OUR UPDATES FOR THE FALK BUILDING AND THE, UH, AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER AND WHAT WE'VE DONE THERE, UH, BY THE WAY, YES.
CODY SCOTT, UH, FACILITIES DIVISION MANAGER FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
SO, UM, I WANT TO INTRODUCE Y'ALL IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD ALREADY.
UH, WE'VE BEEN, UH, TRYING TO REBRAND, UH, THE, THIS AS A CAMPUS, UH, AS, AS A COHESIVE, UH, ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET READY TO MOVE, UM, THE ARCHIVES FROM THE HISTORY CENTER INTO THE FOLK BUILDING, WHICH IS A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL TASK FOR US TO DO.
UM, SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR FUNDING NEEDS.
UM, AND WE'LL DIS AND THEN DIRECTOR WEEKS WILL, UH, GO OVER PROGRAMMING FOR OUR DOWNTOWN FACILITIES.
SO, UH, HERE YOU HAVE, UH, A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF THE EXTERIOR OF THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER.
THIS IS ON THE GUADALUPE SIDE, UH, OF THE BUILDING.
UH, THIS, UM, SHOWS US THE BEAUTIFUL STONE WORK THAT'S BEEN REPLACED ON THE BUILDING, ALONG WITH THE LANDSCAPING WE'VE DONE TO IMPROVE THE OUTSIDE, UH, AND SOME EXTERIOR WORK TO THE WINDOWS INTERIOR WORK TO THE WINDOWS.
UM, SO JOHN HENRY FOLK BUILDING, UH, WHAT DID WE DO? SO THIS, THIS, THIS PROJECT 2018 BOND PROJECT.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF MULTIPLE PRO UH, BOND PROJECTS, BUT, UM, THE MAIN FOCUS WAS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT WAS REALLY THE, THE KEY PART, UH, WAS TO, TO, TO GET IT UP TO SPEED FOR THE FUTURE.
UH, THE BUILDING WAS BUILT, WAS OPENED UP IN 1979.
UM, AND SO MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS WERE NEEDED IN THIS BUILDING.
UM, WE FOCUSED MAINLY ON THE SECOND AND THE THIRD FLOOR.
UM, AS, AS THE, THE AREAS OF, UH, OF IMPORTANCE DUE TO THE ARCHIVAL STORAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE MOVED INTO THE BUILDING BECAUSE THE HISTORY CENTER ITSELF HAS OUTGROWN ITS CAPACITY.
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CENTER PROVIDES ARCHIVES NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES, BUT FOR THE AMERICAN STATESMEN AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, TRAVIS COUNTIES CURRENTLY IN THERE.SO THERE'S A, THEY'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS, AND SO THERE'S, WE CAN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW, WE, WE FOCUSED ON, IN THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, ON, UM, ON UPDATING THE MECHANICAL, VERY SUBSTANTIAL UPDATES TO THE MECHANICAL ON THE SECOND, THIRD, UH, FLOORS, UH, AS WELL AS THE, UH, ELECTRICAL LIGHTING, LED, PLUMBING FIXTURES, BATHROOM UPGRADES.
UM, AND, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE DID SOME UPGRADES TO THE ELEVATORS.
ALL THREE ELEVATORS WERE ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING, SO WE DID COMPLETE UPGRADES TO THOSE, UH, WHICH INCLUDED A HALF STOP, UH, AT THE PARKING, UH, AT THE PARKING LOT FOR A DA, UH, ACCESSIBILITY INTO THE BUILDING.
UH, FROM THE PARKING LOT IS, UM, WE DID SOME PARTIAL UPGRADES ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, UH, THAT WOULD BE TO THE LIBRARY'S ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, SPACE.
THE AUDITORIUM, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN THE OLD AUDITORIUM ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THAT WAS OPENED UP TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, IT, THAT PART WON'T BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
IT'LL STILL REMAIN AS PART OF CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, UM, UH, SERVICES.
UM, AND SO WE, PART OF THIS PROCESS, UH, MET THAT WE HAD TO EXPOSE THE CEILINGS, AND WE HAD TO REMOVE, UM, ALL THE MECHANICAL, ET CETERA WITHIN THE BUILDING.
SO WE HAD TO DO, UH, ASBESTOS AND LEAD ABATEMENT, UH, WITHIN THE BUILDING, ANYWHERE WHERE WE WERE EXPOSING, UM, THE, THE CEILING AND OR REPLACING IT.
UH, WE HAD TO DO ABATEMENT IN THOSE AREAS, AND THAT FOCUSED IN ON PART OF THE FIRST FLOOR, UM, ALL OF THE SECOND FLOOR, THIRD FLOOR, AND PART OF THE FOURTH FLOOR, UM, TO, IN ORDER TO GET ALL OF THE MECHANICAL REPLACED AND THE LIGHTING AND THE ELECTRICAL AND DATA AND STUFF.
UH, AND THEN WITH THAT, WE DID SOME EXTERIOR FA FACADE IMPROVEMENTS, POWER WASHING THE ENTIRE EXTERIOR OF THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, UM, IMPROVEMENTS ON LANDSCAPING, UPDATING THE METAL WORK, UH, AND IMPROVING THE SECURITY, UH, FOR THE ENTRANCE POINTS ON THE BUILDING.
WE ALSO DID IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARKING LOT, UH, SOME IMPROVEMENTS, OBVIOUSLY, A DA IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, AND THEN THERE WAS VERY SUBSTANTIAL FIRE IMPROVEMENTS, FIRE, UM, SUPPRESSION IMPROVEMENTS ON THE BUILDINGS, MOSTLY FOR THE SECOND AND THE THIRD FLOOR BECAUSE OF THE AREAS OF THE PRIMARY FOCUS.
SO, UM, ALL OF THIS WAS REALLY FOCUSED IN ON WHAT WE NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE WISE, UH, IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE ARCHIVES MOVING OVER.
UH, IT BY NO MEANS COVERS EVERYTHING WITHIN THE BUILDING.
UH, BUT WE GOT AS MUCH AS WE COULD OUT OF IT.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT IN DETAIL.
UH, WHEN I, WE LOOK AT A RECAP ON OUR SPENDING TOWARDS THE, AT THE END.
SO WHAT REMAINS? SO, THE JOHN HENRY FOLK BUILDING ITSELF, UM, THE CONTRACTORS ARE FINISHING THEIR FINAL PUNCH RIGHT NOW.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE FINAL PUNCH WALK NEXT WEEK, UH, WITH SUBSTANTIAL, UH, COMPLETION DATES ALREADY.
UM, SPEC, WE EXPECT THAT THE FALK BUILDING WILL FINISH ITS SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION AND MID-SEPTEMBER.
NOW, WE STILL HAVE A LOT TO DO AT A PL IN ORDER TO REOCCUPY THAT SPACE.
WE HAVEN'T OPERATED IN THAT BUILDING IN FIVE OR SIX YEARS, UM, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO THAT'S GONNA TAKE US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET READY.
BUT WE ARE, UH, WE ARE GONNA EXPEDITE, UH, IN FRONT LOAD, GETTING THE PUBLIC SPACE READY, UH, WHICH WILL INCLUDE, UH, PART OF THE FIRST FLOOR, UM, ENTRANCE UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR THROUGH THE GRAND STAIRCASE, WHERE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, WE WILL HAVE A READING RESEARCH SPACE, UH, ALONG WITH EXHIBIT SPACE AND A, YOU COULD CALL IT A SHARED LEARNING ROOM LIKE WE HAVE AT CENTRAL LIBRARY.
IT'S A LARGE CONFERENCE ROOM, UM, SPACE THAT LOOKS RIGHT AT THE CAPITOL.
SO IT'S A GREAT SPACE, UH, TO UTILIZE FOR MEETINGS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE YOU TO BE THERE, UM, TO BE DOING RESEARCH.
UM, THAT SPACE COULD BE RESERVED, UH, BY THE PUBLIC FOR, FOR ANY MEETING LIKE WE DO AT CENTRAL.
SO, UM, THE LAST PART OF THIS, BESIDES US GETTING THE, THE PUBLIC SPACE READY INTERNALLY, IS LIKE FURNISHINGS AND STUFF.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW, FINALIZING THE DESIGN, UH, ON THE FURNITURE.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME GLAZING AND, AND MODULAR WALL STUFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO KIND OF, UH, TO PERMANENTLY DIVIDE THE SPACE ON THE SECOND FLOOR BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND OUR ARCHIVES.
UH, THE SECOND FLOOR ALSO, UH, IS WHAT HOUSES OUR HIGH DENSITY SHELVING THAT WE INSTALLED.
UH, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FUND HIGH DENSITY SHELVING FOR THE ENTIRE BUILDING, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN ALL OF THE SECOND AND THE THIRD FLOOR, UH, BECAUSE OF BUDGET RESTRAINTS.
WHAT IS HIGH DENSITY SHELVING? I HAVE A PICTURE I CAN SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE, BUT HIGH DENSITY SHELVING IS A, IT'S COLLAPSIBLE SHELVING.
UM, IF YOU EVER BEEN TO, UM, UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK.
A, UH, A AND M HAS IT, BUT BASICALLY IT ALLOWS YOU TO, TO MOVE THE SHELVES ON TRACKS, CONDENSE IT.
UM, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO ONE AND A HALF OF THOSE UNITS, WHICH ENCOMPASSES A LOT OF THE ARCHIVES, UH, THAT, UH, THAT ARE READILY USED, UH, WITHIN THE BUILDING.
UM, IT ALSO ALLOWED US TO REMOVE ALL OF THE ARCHIVES THAT, UH, THAT HAD BEEN MOVED TO, UM, TO IRON MOUNTAIN IN ORDER, YOU KNOW, TO DO THESE RENOVATIONS
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BACK INTO THAT SPACE.AND THEY'LL ALL FIT INTO THAT INSTEAD OF GOING, YOU KNOW, UM, SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO OUR UNMET NEEDS, UM, RIGHT NOW FOR THE BUILDING, UM, WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TO THE UN RENOVATED AREAS.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE THREE QUARTERS OF THE FIRST FLOOR, WHICH IS OFF LIMITS TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, THAT IS CITY OF AUSTIN SPACE LIBRARY SPACE, WHICH WE WILL BE OPERATING IN AFTER WE HAVE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION.
AND THEN THE STAFF SECTION ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, UH, WAS ANOTHER AREA THAT WAS NOT PART OF THIS RENOVATION PROCESS.
UH, AND THEN WE, WE WERE UNABLE TO REPLACE THE REDUNDANCY CHILLER ON THE BUILDING.
THE REDUNDANCY CHILLER ON THE CHILLER PLANT IS ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING.
BUT, UH, SOME 10 YEARS AGO, MY PREDECESSOR WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH AUSTIN ENERGY TO GET THAT CHILLER THAT OTHER RE CHILLER REPLACED.
SO WE ARE FULLY FUNCTIONAL, UH, WITH, UM, FOR BOTH BUILDINGS.
THE CHILLER PLANT ACTUALLY SUPPLIES THE, THE, THE CLIMATE CONTROL FOR BOTH BUILDINGS INSIDE THE BA, THE FALK BUILDING.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME OTHER STUFF, UH, UNMET NEEDS THAT WE'RE GONNA GET, I'LL GET INTO IN A LITTLE BIT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FUTURE AND, AND, AND KIND OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, CONCEPTUALIZING FOR THE SPACE, UH, AND WORKING WITH, UH, OUR CONSULTANTS AND THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER ASSOCIATION.
SO, THE HISTORY CENTER, UM, THE MAIN FOCUS ON THE HISTORY CENTER REALLY WAS, UM, EXCUSE ME, THE EXTERIOR STONEWORK.
UM, AND THE WINDOWS, UM, THE EXTERIOR STONEWORK, WE ENDED UP REPLACING 60% OF THE EXTERIOR STONEWORK ON THE BUILDING, UM, WHICH IS A LOT OF STONE, UM, ESPECIALLY TO TRY TO GET IT TO, TO MATCH CONSISTENTLY WITH THE BUILDING.
BUT IF YOU GO TO THE BUILDING TODAY, WHICH YOU CAN WALK AROUND THE BUILDING, THERE'S NOT A FENCE NOW.
SO YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO GO CHECK IT OUT.
UM, MAYBE NOT WHEN IT'S QUITE THIS HOT, BUT, UM, BUT IT IS GORGEOUS.
THE BUILDING JUST LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
UH, THE REMAINING, UM, 30%, IT'S NOT REALLY 30% OF THE BUILDING THAT HASN'T BEEN REPLACED IS SLATED, UH, TO BE REPLACED, UH, UH, IN THE NEXT, UH, IN THIS NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.
UM, OR MAYBE A LITTLE AFTER THAT.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN JUST APPROVED OUR BUDGET, UH, FOR OUR, OUR PRESERVATION FUNDING, UH, FOR $350,000 TO REPLACE THE SOUTH SIDE STONE, WHICH IS THE PARKING LOT SIDE.
UM, WE JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE EXPENSES FOR THE PROJECT OR THE TIMELINE.
I THINK IT REALLY WAS TIMELINE MORE THAN ANYTHING.
WE DID ABATEMENT, UM, ON THE LEAD AND SOME ASBESTOS FOR THE WINDOWS IN ORDER FOR US TO PUT STORM GLAZING, UH, STORM WINDOWS IN ON THE INSIDE TO HELP PROTECT THE INSIDE, UH, OF THE BUILDING.
UH, IF THOSE EXTERIOR WINDOWS WERE DAMAGED, THEY ARE OLD, UH, VERY, VERY OLD.
THEY'RE 90 YEARS OLD, UH, MOST OF THEM.
SO IT'S, UH, IT WAS VERY MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENT, UM, INSIDE THAT SPACE.
UM, AND THEN WE DID SOME, A DA COMPLIANCE UPGRADES, UH, TO OUR LIFTS, GOING FROM OUR BASEMENT UP TO OUR FIRST FLOOR, UH, AND SOME, UH, A DA COMPLIANCE OUTSIDE.
AND, UH, THE LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS, IF YOU GO BY IT AT NIGHT, IT'S QUITE BEAUTIFUL.
WE HAVE LANDSCAPE, UH, LANDSCAPING UPLIGHTS NOW THAT FOCUS ON THE BUILDING.
SO WHEN YOU DRIVE BY IT ON NINTH STREET, UH, YOU CAN REALLY SEE THAT.
AND I THINK THE MOON TOWER ACROSS THE STREET HAS NOW BEEN, UH, LIT UP AGAIN.
SO IT, I THINK IT'S VERY LIT UP IN THAT AREA.
IT'S, IT'S VERY BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, HAVING ALL THAT UPLIGHTING ON THAT, UH, HISTORIC, UH, FACADE.
SO, UH, WHAT REMAINS AT THE HISTORY CENTER? SO TECHNICALLY THE CONTRACTORS ARE DONE.
UH, WE ARE ALREADY AT SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION ON THAT, AND THEY MAY HAVE SOME STRAGGLER, REALLY MINOR STUFF, UH, BA BASED OFF OF LEAD TIME, UH, THAT THEY'VE NEGOTIATED WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY, THAT IT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN GO TO SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION WITHOUT IT.
UM, I MENTIONED THE STONE WORK ON THE SOUTH FACADE.
UM, THE FUTURE, WHICH I'LL COVER IN A LITTLE BIT, IS A FULL INTERIOR RENOVATION.
UM, PART OF THE PROCESS OF MOVING OUT OF THE ARCHIVES, OUT OF THE HISTORY CENTER INTO THE FALK BUILDING, UH, AND NOT JUST PART OF IT, ALL OF IT, UM, WILL GIVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, TO RENOVATE THAT INSIDE SPACE AND REALLY BRING IT INTO MODERN TIMES AND PRESERVE ITS INTERIOR CHARACTER.
THE FLOORING IN THE BUILDING ON THE FIRST FLOOR, UH, HAS GOT TO BE REPLACED.
WE'LL HAVE HANDLE QUESTIONS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
SO MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING UPGRADES.
UH, THAT BUILDING IS FULL OF OLD STUFF, UH, ON THE MECHANICAL SIDE OF THINGS.
AND IT GETS, IT, IT IS, IT IS FUNCTIONAL, A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNCTIONAL, UM, MAYBE NOT A HUNDRED.
IT, IT'S FUNCTIONAL, WE KEEP IT RUNNING.
UM, BUT IT DEFINITELY NEEDS SOME, SOME MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT.
AND I WILL TALK TO THOSE NUMBERS, UM, WHEN I GET TO THE, THE, TO THE FUTURE BOND, UH, UH, PROJECT PROJECTS.
SO, SO HERE'S SOME PICTURES, UH, OF THE BUILDING IN ITS CURRENT STATE.
MAYBE SOME OF 'EM ARE A LITTLE BIT OLD.
BUT, UH, YOU CAN SEE IN THE TOP LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU HAVE THE EXTERIOR, THE ENTRANCE TO THE FALK BUILDING, UH, WHERE WE'VE DONE SOME CLEANUP.
ALL OF THE, THE, THE SIDEWALK AND
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EVERYTHING OUT FRONT WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED.UM, MY FAVORITE PICTURES ARE THE ONE ON THE TOP, UM, OF THE FALK BUILDING.
ANYWAYS, SO THE TOP LEFT HAND, UH, RIGHT HAND SIDE IN THE CENTER, BOTTOM CENTER, WE, ON THE FIRST FLOOR, UH, ENTRANCE, WHEN YOU FIRST WALK INTO THE BUILDING, WE HAVE EXPOSED THE BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE, UH, OF THIS, OF THIS ENGINEERING IN THIS BUILDING.
UM, AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED THAT WITH SOME UPLI, WITH SOME UPLIGHTING TO REALLY SHOW THE CHARACTER OF THE ARCHITECTURE.
AND THEN WE CARRIED THAT INTO THE GRAND STAIRCASE.
UH, SO WHEN YOU WALK UP THE GRAND STAIRCASE, YOU SEE THAT EXPOSED CEILING AND REALLY CAPTURE, UH, THE, THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE BUILDING.
WHAT YOU DON'T SEE IN THAT IMAGE IS THE, THE NEW FLOORING THAT'S SLATED TO, TO GO IN, IN A WEEK OR SO, WHICH IS BEING HANDLED BY A PL, NOT BY CAPITAL DELIVERY OR THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR.
SO, UH, IT'LL BE A NICE, UH, WALNUT, UM, FINISHED WOOD, UH, WOOD STAIRCASE IS WHAT'S GOING IN THERE WITH CARPET AT THE TOP.
WHAT YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE IN THAT IMAGE ON THE SECOND FLOOR IS THERE IS A GLASS ENCLOSURE AROUND THE GRAND STAIRCASE, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN WALK UP AND JUST WALK AROUND IT AND KIND OF LOOK AND SEE WHAT ARCHIVES AND RESEARCH LOOKS LIKE, UH, BEFORE THEY ENTER INTO THE SPACE.
OR THEY CAN JUST LOOK AROUND AND NOT GO IN.
UM, AND THEN ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU WILL SEE THE HIGH DENSITY SHELVING.
UM, IT'S, I DON'T QUOTE ME ON HOW MUCH IT STORES, THAT'S NOT IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, BUT I KNOW IT'S THERE SOMEWHERE, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IT RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT IT HOLDS A LOT, AND IT'S ALL ELECTRONICS, AND IT'S GOT SAFETY FEATURES.
UM, THE STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO WHEEL STRAIGHT FROM THAT SPACE RIGHT INTO THAT READING ROOM SPACE ON THE SECOND FLOOR BEHIND THE GLASS, WHERE EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO DO THE RESEARCH.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, NOT LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IT'S A PICTURE ON, UH, THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND SIDE, WHICH IS THE NINTH STREET, UM, SIDE OF THE HISTORY CENTER.
YOU CAN SEE THE UPLIGHTS AT THE GROUND THERE ON THE NEW GRASS.
UH, AND IT IS QUITE BEAUTIFUL ON THAT SIDE OF THE BUILDING AT NIGHT, UM, ON A GOOD NIGHT.
SO, UM, OKAY, HERE'S OUR SPENDING RECAP.
SO THE PROJECT OVERALL, UH, WAS A $19.6 MILLION PROJECT.
UM, OUR ACTUAL SPENDING AS OF THE TIME THIS, THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER WAS, UH, 18.3 MILLION, 15 MILLION OF THAT, UH, BEING ON CONSTRUCTION FOR BOTH BUILDINGS, NOT JUST THE FA BUILDING, BUT FOR BOTH.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF FUNDS FROM 2012 THROUGH 2018 THAT FUNDED THIS ENTIRE PROJECT.
UM, WE STILL HAVE ABOUT $700,000 IN SPENDING, UM, ON FURNISHINGS, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE BUILDING, UM, WHICH INCLUDES SOME, UH, MODULAR WALLS, READING ROOM FURNITURE.
UH, WE ARE ALSO JUST, JUST AS A NOTE, UM, FOR THOSE THAT, THAT ENJOY THIS PART OF IT, WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING, UM, UM, A, A LARGE CHUNK OF THE HERMAN MILLER FURNITURE THAT'S ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING.
AND, AND WE ARE ADDING NEW TOPS TO THEM, AND WE'RE GONNA REPURPOSE THEM IN THE READING ROOM IN ORDER TO, AND THEN THE CHAIRS IN THE FUTURE, A LOT OF THE CHAIRS THAT WE HAVE LEFT OVER WILL BE REPURPOSED IN THE STAFF AREA, UH, AND REUPHOLSTERED, BECAUSE THE, THE, THE STRUCTURES OF THESE, THESE, UH, PIECES OF FURNITURE, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH 'EM AT ALL.
AND SO IT'S VERY COST EFFECTIVE TO REPLACE THE TOPS AND REUSE THEM, AND THEY LOOK BEAUTIFUL.
SO THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S ABOUT IT ON THE SPENDING RECAP.
I, I ACTUALLY, I'LL, I'LL TOUCH A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
YOU CAN'T SEE IT IN THIS, UM, REALITY IS OUTSIDE OF RETENTION, UH, THAT'S DUE TO THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR.
THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER HAS ABOUT $300,000, UH, LEFT ON ITS, UH, FUNDING, WHICH I WILL USE EVERY PENNY OF, UM, AND THEN, UM, THE FOLK BUILDING, UH, FORTUNATELY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY ONLY HAS ABOUT $40,000 LEFT ON IT THAT I CAN SPEND, WHICH I WILL SPEND THAT AS WELL.
UM, I ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING FOR IT.
SO, SO ALL IN ALL, WE'VE COME IN BUDGET.
WE ARE PAST OUR DEADLINE, UM, THAT IS MAINLY DUE TO, UM, DELAYS IN MATERIALS AND, UM, AND, AND, AND, UM, LABOR FOR THAT MATTER.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO ADDED IN A PHASE ONE B, UM, LAST FEBRUARY, UH, WHICH ALLOWED US TO, UM, TO, TO MAKE THE SPACE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WE, WE'VE SPENT ABOUT $750,000 OR SO, UM, MAKING THE SPACE, GETTING THE SPACE READY FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK IN IT.
SO, UM, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD NOT ORIGINALLY SCOPED.
WE KNEW WE HAD MONEY THAT WAS GONNA BE LEFT OVER, AND, AND WE CHOSE TO USE THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS THAT, BECAUSE WHAT GOOD IS IT TO HAVE ARCHIVES IN THE BUILDING IF THE PUBLIC CAN CAN USE IT? SO, UM, SO IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND SO WE'RE IN THE, WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF THAT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, SO, UM, WE'LL MOVE RIGHT IN.
WE'LL JUMP RIGHT IN TO PHASE TWO.
SO FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BEEN WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS ON A CONCEPT FOR PHASE TWO.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE IMAGE OVER HERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, AN IMAGE OF A ROOFTOP, UH, GARDEN, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDED TO THE FALK BUILDING IF IT'S APPROVED, UH, AND FEASIBLE, UM, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
ALSO ADDS, UH, SOME GALLERY SPACE ON THE FIRST FLOOR, UH, A PLAZA COURTYARD,
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WHICH CONNECTS THE TWO BUILDINGS.SO BASICALLY, AND I HAVE AN IMAGE OF THAT.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GO DOWN GUADALUPE WITH THAT COURTYARD, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY SEE HOW THE TWO OF 'EM WOULD BE CONNECTED FROM THAT COURTYARD, KIND OF TAKEN AWAY SOME OF THE PARKING, UH, FOR THE STAFF.
SO THE, SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN UTILIZE THAT SPACE, AND WE CAN USE IT FOR EVENTS AND STUFF.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, SOME EXTERIOR FACADE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THE BUILDING WAS OR ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO HAVE.
AND IT HAS THESE PLANTERS ALL AROUND IT ON THE, TH ON THE THIRD, FOURTH, SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH FLOOR.
THEY WERE NEVER UTILIZED BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF, UH, OF TAKING CARE OF PLANTS ON, UH, ON A BUILDING THAT'S GOT FOUR DIRECTIONS.
AND SO, UH, WE TRIED TO GET THAT PUT IN HERE, UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS COST PROHIBITIVE.
AND, AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO CIRCLE BACK TO THAT.
SO I DEFINITELY WANNA SEE THAT ADDED IN.
I HAVE A, A SMALL IMAGE TO KIND OF GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER, I MENTIONED IT BEFORE, IT'S REALLY JUST THE PRESERVING THE INTERIOR.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PRESERVATION THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND THEN SUSTAINABILITY, SUSTAIN SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY ON THE INSIDE.
THE SECURITY SYSTEM ON THE INSIDE NEEDS TO BE UPDATED.
FIRE SYSTEMS NEED TO BE UPDATED.
UH, UH, DATA, COMMUNICATIONS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS, UH, NEED TO BE UPDATED INSIDE THAT BUILDING.
UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME PRESERVING ITS CHARACTER AND NOT TAKING AWAY FROM THAT.
SO, UH, WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY COUNSEL TO, TO SPEND, UH, WE HAVE BUDGET AUTHORITY OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO DO A PRESERVATION PLAN, WHICH WE WILL START THIS NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE WILL WORK IN, UM, CONJUNCTION, UM, AND, AND SEEK, UM, AD ADVICE AND, AND GUIDANCE FROM THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER ASSOCIATION, UM, ON, ON SOME OF THAT, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO WORKING ON A, A PARALLEL VISION PLAN FOR THE OVERALL, UH, FOR THE OVERALL PROPERTY ONCE THEY HAVE FUNDING IN PLACE FOR IT.
SO, UH, LOTS, LOTS GOING ON THERE.
UM, FUN STUFF IS THE PICTURES.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THERE, THE TOP LEFT HAND SIDE IS A VISUAL OF, UH, WHAT THE BUILDING COULD LIKE LOOK LIKE WITH A COURTYARD ON THE TOP OF THE FALK BUILDING.
UH, THAT COURTYARD WITH THE LITTLE EVENT SPACE LOOKS DIRECTLY AT THE CAPITOL.
SO THE EVENT SPACE WOULD BE FOCUSED TOWARDS THE CAPITOL, WHICH IS PART OF THAT CORRIDOR THAT YOU CAN'T COVER.
SO IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THERE.
UH, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE COURTYARD, UM, AND SOME OTHER IMAGERY.
UM, THE, THE WALKWAY BACK THERE IN THE BACKGROUND, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN.
IT REALLY IS GONNA DEPEND ON HOW WE PROGRAM THE SPACE OVERALL.
UH, AND THEN THE, UH, RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE PLANTS HANGING DOWN.
THERE ARE PLANTERS IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE SLOTS, UM, THAT WERE BIT PART OF THE ORIGINAL, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
UH, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND REDO THE PLUMBING.
UM, AND WE HAVE TO, THEY'RE NOT DEEP ENOUGH ANYMORE EITHER, UH, BY CURRENT STANDARDS.
SO WE HAVE TO COME, WE HAVE TO GET, UH, UH, CREATIVE WITH HOW WE'RE GONNA PUT PLANTS IN THERE.
AND MAYBE SOME METAL SCULPTURES FROM A LOCAL ARTIST, UH, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE FUTURE.
UH, AND THEN ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND SIDE, UH, THIS IS A RENDERING OF THE FIRST FLOOR BY THE GRAND STAIRCASE.
IT'S GOING TO SORT OF LOOK LIKE THIS WHENEVER WE OPEN, MINUS THE SLATS ON THE WALL.
UM, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ART PICKED, BUT, UH, I'M, I'M ABSOLUTELY EXPECTING THAT THE HISTORY CENTER STAFF, UH, WILL BE WORKING ON EXHIBIT SPACE HERE.
UM, IF I HAVE IT MY WAY, AND I'M ALLOWED, I WILL PUT A HISTORY, UH, OF AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES, UH, IN SOME PORTION OF THAT.
SO PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC CAN COME IN AND SEE THE HISTORY OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY ON THE WALLS, UH, OF, UH, THE CAMPUS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S IT ON MY RENDERINGS, FUNDING FUN STUFF.
SO WHAT'S IT GONNA COST? SO OUR ESTIMATES, UM, THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE DRAFTED, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR PROJECT CHARTER, UH, FOR THE FUTURE, UH, BOND IF, IF IT IS APPROVED, UM, IS, IS, UH, $15.7 MILLION ON THE HISTORY CENTER, UH, WHICH IS, UH, INCLUDES SOLAR ON THE ROOF, IF WE CAN DO THAT.
AND ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS I'VE DISCUSSED, UM, UH, $2.5 MILLION FOR US TO PUT AN AUTOMATION SYSTEM, UH, FOR THE LIBRARY, UM, DISTRIBUTION FOR ALL OUR BOOKS.
UM, EVERYTHING THAT MOVES AROUND, UH, THE CITY, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY LARGE LIBRARY SYSTEM HAS.
WE ARE ONE OF THE ONLY ONES IN THE NATION THAT HAS MULTIPLE, BUILDING, MOST MULTIPLE BRANCHES THAT DOES NOT HAVE THAT CENTRALIZED SYSTEM.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, THE FALK BUILDING, UH, $54 MILLION IN ORDER FOR US TO, TO EXPAND THE HIGH DENSITY AND ARCHIVES SO THAT WE CAN OFFER ARCHIVE SERVICES TO NOT JUST THE CITY, BUT ALSO TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, OUR INSTITUTES AND, AND WHATNOT THAT NEED SPACE.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE SPACE, 'CAUSE IT'S PREMIUM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THAT, GET A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO, TO STORE THEIR, UH, THEIR ARCHIVES WITHIN THE FACILITY.
AND OF COURSE, ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN, IN UTILIZING THAT SPACE.
THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE BUILDING WILL BE THE PRIMARY BACK OFFICE ARCHIVES.
THAT'S WHERE THE MOST OF THE HIGH DENSITY SHELVING WOULD BE.
AND IF WE WERE TO USE ALL 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF THE, OF THE THIRD, WELL, NOT ALL, BUT LET'S SAY 15,000 SQUARE FEET OF THE SEC, THE THIRD FLOOR, IT WOULD HOLD, UH, A LOT OF, OF FUTURE NEEDS FOR A LOT OF, UH, ORGANIZATIONS.
[00:25:03]
AND THAT'S IT ON THAT, I BELIEVE.ANY, UH, I GUESS WITH THAT, I'LL STOP AND TAKE QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE THAT HIGH DENSITY SHELVING HAS A MUCH GREATER LIVE LOAD THAN REGULAR SHELVING, AND YES.
IF THE BUILDING MUST JUST BE SUPER BUFFED TO HOLD ALL THAT UP, ESPECIALLY 20,000 FEET OF IT.
YEAH, ACTUALLY THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE, THOSE, UH, I CALL IT SOMETIMES WAFFLE CEILINGS.
IT WAS ACTUALLY BUILT FOR US TO GO UP TO SIX FLOORS.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN ANYMORE BY CURRENT STANDARDS, BUT THE WEIGHT LOAD HAS ALREADY BEEN EVALUATED, UH, THROUGH ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS.
AND TO DETERMINE THAT WE CAN FILL THOSE FLOORS WITH ARCHIVE, UH, SHELVING.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION ON YOUR UNMET NEEDS FOR THE FALK, YOU HAD PERIMETER LEAKS LISTED.
AND I WAS REALLY WONDERING ABOUT THAT.
UM, YEAH, I KIND OF GLAZED OVER THAT ONE.
UM,
WELL, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT MAJOR, MY, A MEMBER OF MY TEAM FEELS IT'S IMPORTANT TO SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, SO I WANTED TO PUT IT IN A SLIDE, BUT IT, BUT IT, IT, THEY'RE PRETTY MINOR LEAKS.
UH, IT REALLY, WE'VE GOT SOME DRAINAGE OUT THERE, UH, THAT JUST NEEDS SOME REPAIR.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS A MAJOR PART OF THE, UH, OF THE RENOVATIONS.
IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY MINOR AND MOST, MOST LIKELY I WILL FIND ANOTHER WAY OF ADDRESSING THOSE THINGS, UM, WELL BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEXT BOND CYCLE, UH, PREFERABLY WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU GUYS HAVE HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH A TP.
OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE LOOKING AT A STATION AT WOOLRIDGE SQUARE.
UM, AND WHILE YOU GUYS ARE IN THE CONCEPTUAL STAGE, I WONDER IF YOU GUYS HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT COORDINATING WITH THEM TO MAYBE INTEGRATE THAT STATION INTO THE RENOVATIONS YOU'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS.
YOU KNOW, SOME STAGE STRUCTURES MIGHT BE A, A NICE PUBLIC SPACE WHILE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IN THE CONCEPTUAL PHASE.
WELL, WE, WE HAVE NOT HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH TRANSPORTATION DIRECTLY THAT I, NOT, NOT THAT I HAVE HAD, UM, FOR THIS PROPERTY.
I, WE'VE HAD INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS, UH, ABOUT HOW WE, WE TRY TO INCORPORATE THE FUTURE OF THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS FOR THAT AREA, UH, INTO OUR DESIGN.
UH, PART OF THE, THE PRESERVATION OF THAT SPACE, THE HISTORICAL NATURE OF IT IS WE DO WANT TO LIMIT SOME OF, OF THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD, IT WOULD IMPACT THE HISTORICAL NATURE OF THE PRESERVATION OF THE BUILDING.
SO AT, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, AS, AS THEY, AS WE GET CLOSER TO THAT, AS WE GET INTO NEXT YEAR, I WOULD IMAGINE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE GONNA START TO HAPPEN.
SO, UM, IN MY BUILDING, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE PLANT ISSUES.
AND I SHOULD SAY TO YOU THAT I THINK YOU SHOULD REALLY LOOK VERY HARD AT DOING SOMETHING BESIDES PLANT PLANTS IN THOSE PLANTERS, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S GONNA WORK.
THAT, MY HOPE IS TO KIND OF SPARSE IT OUT AND PICK STUFF THAT IS VERY SPECIFIC TO THOSE SIDES OF THE, YOU KNOW, THOSE DIRECTIONS.
BUT THEN TO THEN, THEN TO PUT IN, UM, ARTWORK, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, METAL WORK THAT LOOKS LIKE PLANTS, SOMETHING THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP IDENTIFY WHAT THAT SPACE WAS DESIGNED TO DO.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE, IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT THAT DESIGN HAS NOT, UH, BEEN ABLE TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROGRAMMING.
SO, WELL, I THINK THAT WITH, YOU KNOW, AS HOT AS IT GETS BURNING UP ALL THE PLANTS, THIS IS ALSO AN ISSUE.
AND I DON'T SEE IT GETTING COOLER ANYTIME SOON.
SO WE HAVE TO RECONSIDER THESE THINGS.
UM, I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THE STONE ON THE HISTORY CENTER WAS REPLACED.
BECAUSE THAT'S VERY OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
I'M CURIOUS, DID THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, WE DID NOT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THEM INVOLVED.
SO EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE ON THAT BUILDING, UH, FOR THE EXTERIOR PRESERVATION OF THE BUILDING, UH, WAS VETTED BY THAT, BY THE ORGANIZATION.
SO, UM, AND WE ALSO HAD TO DO A LOT OF RE REPAIRS TO THE MEMBRANE BEHIND IT.
AND SO WHEN YOU DO THAT, THIS OLD STONE, YOU KNOW, UH, IS IN SOME CASES WILL CRUMBLE AND, OR COULD NOT BE SAVED BECAUSE YOU GOTTA TAKE IT OFF TO GET TO THAT MEMBRANE UNDERNEATH IT, BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF MOISTURE ISSUES ON THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING THAT HAD TO BE ADDRESSED.
UH, AND SO YES, WE, WE LITERALLY REPLACED 60% OF THE BUILDING.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, I, I WANT TO PAY, UM, RESPECTS TO THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE THERE.
UM, I GREW UP IN THAT LIBRARY.
I GREW UP IN THE CITY'S LIBRARY SYSTEM.
MY GRANDMOTHER WAS ON THE LIBRARY COMMISSION FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
AND, UH, I APPRECIATE THE STEWARDSHIP OF THESE BUILDINGS AND OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
UM, THE, UM, THE HISTORIC LIBRARY IS AN OLD HUGO CUNY DESIGNED MM-HMM.
AND IT'S REMARKABLE IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE BUILDING ITSELF, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY SAY TO THE PUBLIC THAT HAPPENS TO BE
[00:30:01]
WATCHING TONIGHT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO AND SEE WHAT A REAL PIECE OF ARCHITECTURAL ARTWORK IN THIS CITY IS.UM, THRILLED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
I AM CURIOUS IN TERMS OF THE ARCHIVES AND ARCHIVES THEMSELVES, WHAT IS THE, HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE SPLITTING THE ARCHIVES BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS? WELL, OUR, OUR, OUR PLAN RIGHT NOW IS TO ACTUALLY MOVE ALL OF THE ARCHIVES BESIDES THE COLD STORAGE THAT'S UP ON THE THIRD FLOOR MEZZANINE.
UH, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE FUTURE WITH, UH, COLD STORAGE.
UH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NATURE OF THE ALKALINE FILM AND THE, AND THE NITRATE FILM THAT'S BEING STORED IN THAT SPACE.
IT'S VERY SPECIFIC FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION, UM, IN ORDER TO, UH, PRESERVE THOSE THINGS.
SO IT'S VERY COSTLY AND, AND, AND CHALLENGING TO WHERE YOU PUT IT.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, HOW WE WOULD MOVE, UH, THAT COLD STORAGE INTO THE BASEMENT OF THE FOLK BUILDINGS LIMESTONE CONCRETE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WILL HELP, UH, WITH THAT.
UH, BUT, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE BUILDING IS BEING SLATE IS, IS SLATED TO MOVE OUT.
AND OUR PLAN, UH, RIGHT NOW IS TO WORK WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, UM, LIKE ART INSTITUTES TO MOVE IN AND START TO USE THAT AS EXHIBIT SPACE, UH, AND KIND OF TURN THE FIRST FLOOR INTO MORE OF A, A, A, A PUBLIC FACING EXHIBIT SPACE FOR THE LIBRARY TO USE.
AND ALSO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND THEN BACK OFFICE.
UH, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT.
SO, I KNOW THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, UM, AMONG ADVOCATES ABOUT HAVING THE FALK DESIGNATED HISTORIC AS A MID-CENTURY MODERN.
IT ACTUALLY HAS A HISTORIC DESIGNATION NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE.
UM, IN ORDER FOR US TO, UH, TO, TO, TO GET GRANT FUNDING FROM, UH, THE TAURUS GRANT FUNDING, UH, WE'VE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, INDICATE AND, AND SHOW THAT IT IS, IT IS BEING USED BY THE PUBLIC FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE HERE FOR TOURISM.
AND ONCE WE OPEN THE BUILDING, THEN WE CAN START THAT PROGRAMMING, AND THEN WE CAN IN, WE CAN BRING IT INTO THAT EQUATION LIKE WE DO WITH THE HISTORY CENTER TO GET THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING WE NEED FOR, FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO, BY THE WAY, I WAS THERE FOR THE 1979 RIBBON CUTTING
UM, SO, UH, I GUESS THAT MAKES ME MID-CENTURY MODERNISH
I, I STILL, I SEND GILLUM PICTURES EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE OF, UH, OF WHAT JOHN GILLUM, THE, MY PREDECESSOR OF, OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE ON THE INSIDE.
AND, AND I TRY TO MEET WITH HIM EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE IT, HE, HE, IT JOGS HIS MEMORY MEMBRANE.
SO, WELL, IT'S BOTH, IT'S A WONDERFUL PROJECT.
SO GLAD THAT IT'S, IT'S, UH, OCCURRING, UH, UH, AND BEYOND THE BUILDING ITSELF.
AND AGAIN, THIS GOES TO EVERYBODY.
THE RECORDS THERE ARE EXTRAORDINARY.
IF YOU EVER HAVE A CHANCE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IS TO LOOK THROUGH THE SANBORN MAPS.
AND IT'S JUST A FASCINATING WALK BACK FOR NOT JUST AUSTIN, BUT, UH, SANBORN.
SANDBORN MAPS ARE AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE, AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE REVERSE DIRECTORIES.
YOU CAN FIND OUT ALL SORTS OF THINGS ABOUT OUR WONDERFUL CITY.
UH, WE, IF YOU NEED OUR SUPPORT GOING FORWARD ON, UH, YOUR REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR FUTURE PHASES, PLEASE DO SCHEDULE SOME TIME BACK HERE.
AND, UH, WE'D LOVE TO WORK WITH Y'ALL ON SOMETHING.
AND, UH, MR. WEEKS, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
I, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT, UM, I DID WANT TO ADDRESS WHILE Y'ALL WERE HERE, I'M SORRY.
I'VE HAD SOME MEDICATION TODAY THAT'S MAKING ME A LITTLE, A LITTLE ON THE RASPY SIDE,
BUT, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL STORIES RECENTLY ABOUT, UH, THE, THE LIBRARY SYSTEM WORKING WITH TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, AND THERE'S AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE, UH, TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL, UH, STAFFING CAPACITY FOR SECURITY.
AND I'M, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
UM, I WAS EQUALLY DISTURBED TO SEE THE REPORT THAT IF THIS IS BECAUSE OF, UH, VANDALISM TO OUR LIBRARY, UH, AND ASSAULTS, OR ATTEMPTED ASSAULTS ON STAFF, I THINK THIS IS VERY DISTURBING.
UH, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE THE FLOOR TO BRING THAT UP IF YOU'D LIKE.
UM, CHAIR HARRIS, UM, BEFORE I, BEFORE I GET INTO THAT, I DO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M A, I'M A FULL-TIME LIBRARIAN, PART-TIME HISTORIAN, AND I'M GONNA LOOK UP YOUR GRANDMOTHER AND SEE IF, AND SEE THE WORK.
UM, NO, UM, DOWNTOWN IS, IS, IS IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE, UM, CONGESTED.
UH, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT'S COMING DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME UN UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS.
WE DO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, UH, INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASON, UH, THAT WE, WE, WE CHOSE TO GO THAT ROUTE.
UH, MY STAFF AND THE CUSTOMERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME WHEN IT COME TO SAFETY.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT COME INTO OUR BUILDINGS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THEM SAFE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE IN THERE, THE SPACES TO BE ENJOYED BY EVERYBODY.
AND SO WE HAD TO TAKE THIS MEASURE
[00:35:01]
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR STAFF AND OUR CUSTOMERS SAFE.AND SO, UH, FROM A PROGRAMMING STANDPOINT, UM, WE DO QUITE A BIT OF PROGRAMMING.
UH, IF YOU CAN PULL THAT PRESENTATION BACK UP FOR ME, PLEASE.
AND Y'ALL, Y'ALL, Y'ALL GOT, Y'ALL JUST GREAT.
AND I KNOW WE HAD 20 MINUTES, BUT MY STAFF IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR WORK, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT YOU, YOU WENT OVER.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE FIVE MINUTES,
I'M GONNA TAKE FIVE MINUTES TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMMING.
WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND IT'S THE, IT IS THE, THE BACKBONE OF WHAT WE DO TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED AND SUPPORTIVE OF OUR, OF OUR PROGRAMS. WE'RE GONNA BYPASS THAT, THAT THE STATS.
UH, BUT WHAT WE MAY NOT DO AT OUR CENTRAL LIBRARY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THE FALK AT THE END.
UH, WE DO A LOT OF, UH, AUTHOR VISITS, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS OUR BREAD AND BUTTER.
WE LOVE, UH, BOOKS, WHICH IS OUR CORE SERVICES, BUT WE ARE DOING SO MUCH MORE, UH, TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF ALL OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND SO WE HAVE, UH, IF YOU HAVE, LET ME, HOW MANY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE LIBRARY CARDS? LEMME SEE YOU.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LIBRARY CARD, GO DOWN TO CENTRAL.
AND YOU CAN GET YOUR LIBRARY CARD JUST LIKE THAT.
UH, BUT IF YOU NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO OUR CENTRAL LIBRARY, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SPACE.
AND I WANNA KEEP REMINDING PEOPLE THAT, UH, IN 2018, THAT BUILDING WAS VOTED ONE OF THE MOST 100 BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD TO VISIT.
AND, AND, UM, PRE PANDEMIC, WE WERE AVERAGING ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND VISITORS THERE A MONTH.
NOW WE, WE AROUND 90,000, WE GETTING BACK THERE.
AND PROGRAMMING IS WHAT'S REALLY GOING TO, UM, BRING PEOPLE BACK INTO OUR SPACES.
UM, SINCE THE PANDEMIC, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT'S USING OUR VIRTUAL SERVICES.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, MR. HARRIS
UH, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UH, HAVE PROGRAMMING THERE FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, AND WE DO OUR BEST TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.
BUT SOME OF THE, UH, BIG EVENTS THAT WE'VE HAD THERE, UH, WE JUST HAD OUR GFA, WHICH, UH, IS ABOUT LOCAL AUTHORS COMING IN, SHOWING THEIR, UH, THEIR BOOKS AND MATERIALS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET A FLARE FOR THEM.
WE GET THE MAJOR ARTISTS, UH, AUTHORS IN, BUT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THEIR WORK AS WELL.
UH, OUR KID BLOCK PARTY WAS HUGE.
UM, WE, WE NORMALLY AVERAGE ABOUT 45,000 PEOPLE TO COME IN, UM, AS A CULTURAL EVENT OF JUST KIDS CELEBRATING KIDS.
OUR INNOVATION LAB, THEY'RE OUR TEEN LAB.
AND THEN EVERY, UH, WHEN WE HAVE OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM, WE HAVE THEM MAINLY AT OUR CENTRAL LIBRARY, BECAUSE WE CAN HOLD THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
BUT WE DO REPLICATE THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE, UH, UH, BRANCH SYSTEM THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM.
UH, WE HAVE OUR, UH, UH, AUSTIN PORT LAU PROGRAM THAT'S KICKING OFF ON SEPTEMBER THE SEVENTH.
WE ARE HAVING OUR FIRST, UH, PORT LAU, HOPEFULLY WE HAVE SOMEONE NAMED BEFORE THE, IN BEGINNING OF THE, UH, UH, CALENDAR YEAR, UH, MAIL BOOK CLUB.
HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS GET A CHANCE TO TAKE PART IN THAT.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE ARTHUR, THE BOOK THAT WE HAVE THAT'S COMING UP.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF GALLERY SPACE IN OUR GALLERY SPACE RIGHT NOW.
UH, IT'S A LOT OF WORK FROM, UH, UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
THEIR WORK IS IN THE, IN THE GALLERY.
WE CHANGE THAT OUT EVERY TWO TO THREE MONTHS.
UH, AND SO YOU HAVE A FLARE FOR, UH, ALL OF THE, UM, UM, ARTISTS THAT'S, THAT'S IN OUR CITY.
AND THEN WE HAVE OVER 210 PROGRAMS SCHEDULED FOR THAT, FOR THE, FOR THE CENTRAL, UH, LIBRARY AND ALL THAT.
THOSE PROGRAMMING IS, MAJORITY OF IT IS DONE BY OUR STAFF.
I, WE HAVE THE BEST STAFF, I BELIEVE, IN THE CITY.
UH, THEY DO SOME FANTASTIC WORK, UH, FOR US.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO.
WE, WE WILL HAVE AN, UH, INTERNATIONAL, UH, FESTIVAL, UH, CELEBRATING ALL THE CULTURES IN, IN, IN AUSTIN COMING UP, UH, NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE WORK, UH, WITH OUR FOUNDATION.
THEY DO TREMENDOUS WORK FOR US IN PROVIDING FUNDING FOR US.
THEY, WE TELL THEM WHAT OUR PROGRAMMING NEEDS ARE AND WHAT, WHAT OUR WISHES ARE, AND THEY GO OUT AND RAISE THE MONEY FOR IT.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, OUR CREATORS IN THE CITY, WE, WE LOVE HAVING THEM.
WE HAVE REGULAR PERFORMANCE, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR BUILDING.
AND, AND TWO YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, WE HAD, UH, A GROUP THAT, UH, UH, UH, REMADE THE BEATLES ROOFTOP PERFORMANCE.
AND THOSE ARE THE TYPE THINGS WE, WE LIKE TO DO, IS TO MAKE SURE OUR CREATIVES HAVE A, HAVE A SPACE TO PERFORM AND, AND SHOW THEY SHOW THEIR, UH, UH, EXPERTISE.
AND THEN AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER.
UH, WE TRULY, UH, BUSTING AT THE SEAM, AS CODY MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE NO SPACE THERE.
WE HAVE TO TURN DOWN, UH, ARCHIVES THAT PEOPLE DONATE TO US.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCEPT THE ARCHIVES THAT WE WANT TO HAVE INTO OUR, INTO OUR, UH, OUR FACILITY.
UH, THE, THOSE COMPRESSED SHELVING IS ABSOLUTELY A GODSEND FOR US.
[00:40:01]
UM, THIS SHOULD, THIS SHOULD LAST, UM, 30 YEARS.UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE CASE OR NOT, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE, THERE'S SO MANY, UH, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO WE HOPING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF SPACE ON OUR THIRD, SECOND, AND THIRD FLOOR THAT WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT.
UH, THE, THE, THE, THE SECOND FLOOR, IS IT THE SECOND OR THE THIRD FLOOR THAT WE HAVE? THE SHELVES? UH, IT'S SECOND, SECOND FLOOR RIGHT THERE.
WE, WE, WE HAVE VACANT RIGHT NOW.
WHEN WE GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND THE NEED ARISE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT TO, TO PUT SHELVING UP THERE AS WELL.
BUT, UH, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IS TO CAPTURE ORAL HISTORIES.
UH, IN OUR SPACE, WE WANNA BE A SHOWCASE FOR THE, UH, THE COLLECTION THAT WE DO HAVE.
UH, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, UH, IN THE HISTORY CENTER.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY TO SHOWCASE WHAT WE TRULY HAVE IN THERE, THE LIMITED SPACE.
BUT ON THE FIRST FLOOR, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, IT IS MUSEUM CLASS, UHLIKE, UH, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE KIDS IN, UH, TO SH TO SHOWCASE WHAT WE HAVE TO LEARN SO THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT OUR, OUR, UM, COMMUNITY.
UH, WE HAVE COMMUNITY ARCHIVISTS THAT, THAT DO PROGRAMMING IN OUR SPACE, UH, OR HISTORY TO CAPTURE, UH, THE, THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SPACES TO, UH, MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE THEIR HISTORY BEFORE IT'S, BEFORE IT'S GONE.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT WE WORKING ON, UH, FOR FUTURE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES.
AND ALSO WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM AS WELL.
UH, WE'RE, UH, WORKING WITH THE ME WITH METE RIGHT NOW.
UH, THEY'RE LOOKING TO REDO THEIR BUILDING.
UH, WE ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE SOME SPACE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO BE IN OUR SPACE AS WELL, UH, UNTIL THEY CAN, UH, REDO THEIR BUILDING.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENING.
UM, AND THEN CONTINUE TO, UH, LOOK AT EXHIBIT SPACE.
UH, THE MAIN THING IS TO GET KIDS IN THE SPACE SO THEY CAN SEE OUR HISTORY, SO THEY CAN HAVE A LOVE OF THE HISTORY THAT WE DO HAVE.
UH, AND ALSO, UH, LOOK FOR WAYS WHERE THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THAT HISTORY.
AND, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IN, IN, AT THE, UH, NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY.
WE WANNA START, UH, PUTTING SOME OF THAT WORK INTO, UH, THE HISTORY CENTER AND THE, UH, FALK BUILDING COMPLEX.
SO, ANY QUESTION YOU GUYS HAVE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. WOODS.
AND, AND YOU HAD MENTIONED TRAVIS COUNTY WORKING ON THAT.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YEAH, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
UH, QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS, UH, FOLKS ONLINE.
I HAD NEGLECTED TO, UH, TO LOOK UP TO THE SCREEN TO SEE IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAD ANY QUESTIONS THE LAST GO ROUND.
SO IF YOU DO, RAISE YOUR HAND SO I CAN SEE YOU AND CALL ON YOU.
COMMISSIONER MOCK, I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO WORK WITH, UH, THE LIBRARY ON SOMETHING.
SHE'S OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION.
WE, WE ACCEPT ALL IDEAS AND, AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES.
AND, AND I AND I WANNA GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY THAT IF YOU DO WANT TO DO A TOUR OF THE SPACE, UM, GET WITH US AND WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHOWCASE THE SPACE FOR YOU.
AND, AND, AND COMMISSIONER HARRIS, I KNOW YOU WANNA MAKE THAT VISIT.
I KNOW YOU WANNA MAKE THAT VISIT, SO IF YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO DO A TOUR, WE'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT FOR YOU.
COMMISSIONER MARK DOES HAVE A, A QUESTION.
UH, UH, MR. ROOSEVELT, I DON'T KNOW YOU, IF YOU REMEMBER ME.
I DO SERVE ON THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER.
AND I, I AM VERY IMPRESSED, YOU KNOW, WITH MR. CODY'S, UH, PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, I MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO TIER, UH, TO TOUR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE NEW BUILDING.
AND I WILL WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, UH, TOGETHER WITH OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER ASSOCIATION.
I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE MORE PROGRAMMING, TO INVITE MORE PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO PARTNER, ESPECIALLY FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE A, A WONDERFUL DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE PIONEER FROM THE EAST.
AND I, I AM GRATEFUL FOR, FOR THAT PROJECT, UM, TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT OUR HISTORY.
SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTNER WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, FROM THE ASSOCIATION AND ALSO FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE MORE PROGRAMMING AT THE NEW BUILDING.
SO I, I HOPE YOU WILL COME TO THE ASSOCIATION AND SEE IF WE CAN HELP YOU, UM, TO REALLY ADVOCATE FOR THE BOND, FOR THE BOND MONEY.
[00:45:01]
THANK YOU.AND THANK YOU CHAIR FOR ACKNOWLEDGE.
YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER MARK, UH, UH, CHARLES PTO, YOUR PRESIDENT, UH, IS VERY FOND OF OUR BUILDING.
UH, WE JUST SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE HISTORY CENTER ASSOCIATION, UH, TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND FOR THE, FOR YOU ALL TO GO OUT AND RAISE FUNDING FOR, UH, THE PROJECTS, UH, FOR THAT EFFORT.
SO, UH, AND, AND, AND I DO WANNA MAKE A SHOUT OUT.
YOU GUYS MADE, UH, MADE THE OFFER.
UH, WE WILL BE COMING IN AND ASKING THAT YOU SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS, UH, UH, NOT ONLY FOR THIS, BUT FOR OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, FOR THE SYSTEM, UH, AND OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT CALLS FOR US BUILDING FOUR NEW LIBRARIES.
WE LOVE OUR CENTRAL LIBRARY, BUT WE WANT TO GIVE SOME LOVE TO OUR, TO OUR BRANCH LIBRARIES.
UH, AND SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY NEED SOME HELP AROUND THAT.
WHEN THAT TIME COMES, WE'LL BE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK.
[3. Presentation by Michelle Marx, Transportation Officer, Strategic Projects, Smart Mobility, Austin Transportation and Public Works, on Our Future 35 Project, a project that aims to co-create public spaces over IH 35.]
UM, THE NEXT, UH, ITEM IS A PRESENTATION BY MICHELLE MARKS TRANSPORTATION OFFICER, STRATEGIC PROJECT, SMART MOBILITY OFFICER, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS ON OUR FUTURE 35 PROJECT.AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME JOIN YOU VIRTUALLY TODAY, UM, AS I JUGGLE RESPONSIBILITIES FROM HOME.
AND, UM, I KNOW WE RAN, WE HAD RAN UP AGAINST SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS FROM LAST MONTH'S AGENDA, SO APPRECIATE YOU ALL, UM, WORKING WITH US TO BUMP OUR ITEM TO THIS MONTH.
UM, SO I DO HAVE, UM, A FEW SLIDES TODAY.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR BRINGING THOSE UP.
UM, AND, UM, MY INTENT HERE IS REALLY TO, UM, PROVIDE THE COMMISSION, UM, AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH CAP AND STITCH, UM, WHAT OUR CURRENT WORK IS FOCUSING ON, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT OF A LOOK AHEAD ABOUT WHAT'S COMING NEXT.
IT'LL BE A VERY GENERAL HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHO'S OPERATING THE SLIDES, BUT IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN HERE.
UM, SO JUST TO STEP BACK FOR A MOMENT AND, AND LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF US, WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE IMAGE HERE, UM, ARE SOME BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS FROM CLYBOURNE PARK UP IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS.
UM, IT'S ABOUT FIVE, FIVE AND A HALF ACRES, UM, OF SPACE.
THEY WERE ABLE TO RECLAIM OVER.
UM, THE FREEWAY, UM, UP THERE COMPLETELY CHANGED, UM, THE CHARACTER OF THIS PART OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, TDOT'S PROJECT, UH, THAT IS SINKING, UM, THE ROADWAY BED, UM, NORTH OF LADY BIRD LAKE, ALL THE WAY UP TO AIRPORT.
UM, THAT IS CREATING THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO COME IN AND KIND OF ADD WHAT'S EFFECTIVELY A, A BETTERMENT TO THE PROJECT, UM, TO, UM, PROVIDE THESE, UH, CAP DECKS OVER THIS NEWLY SUNKEN, UH, FREEWAY.
SO, UM, THE NUMBER ON THE SCREEN IS, IS A LITTLE BIT OLD, NOT QUITE RIGHT.
UM, WHEREAS UP IN DALLAS, THEY WERE ABLE TO RECLAIM ABOUT FIVE ACRES OF PARK.
UM, THE OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF US HERE IN AUSTIN IS QUITE LARGE.
UM, ON THE CITY SIDE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, UP TO ABOUT 25 ACRES OF POTENTIAL OPEN SPACE, UM, OVER, UM, A IN FREEWAY THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO CREATE.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTING SOME OF THE, UM, AREAS THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS EVALUATING.
UM, AND WE REALLY DO SEE THIS AS A, A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SOME REAL BENEFITS FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS SPACE THAT IS CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, DOMINATED BY FREEWAY USES AND CARS.
IF I COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, SOME OF THOSE INCLUDE, UM, JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO EFFECTIVELY EXTEND THE CITY GRID OVER, UM, WHAT WILL BE A, A, A SUNK ENTRENCH OF A FREEWAY.
UM, AND TO EXTEND THOSE BLOCKS AND THOSE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CONNECTIONS, UM, THAT COME WITH THOSE, UM, TO EFFECTIVELY TITCH, UM, AND CREATE KIND OF MORE URBAN FABRIC BETWEEN, UM, THE EAST SIDE, UM, AND DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY CAN OPTIMIZE THIS SPACE AND THINK ABOUT THIS SPACE.
UM, UH, IT COULD BE, UM, SIGNATURE NEW PUBLIC SPACE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CENTRAL CITY, IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DOWNTOWN.
UM, THIS COULD BE SPACE FOR TO, YOU KNOW, INCUBATE AND CELEBRATE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THE ARTS, OUR ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN LIKE I SAID, UM, JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF HUMANIZE THIS RIDE OF WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A PLACE THAT'S VERY EASY TO WALK OR BIKE ACROSS, UM, TODAY, BUT TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE, UM, PEOPLE OUTSIDE
[00:50:01]
OF A VEHICLE CAN, CAN MOVE MORE SAFELY, UM, AND COMFORTABLY EAST TO WEST FROM DOWNTOWN AND EAST AUSTIN, UM, IT'S, IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY.SO, UM, I WANNA ORIENT YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MAP ALREADY TO THE LOCATIONS WHERE CATS OR STITCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
UM, AND IT REALLY IS TEXT DOT'S DESIGN THAT IS DRIVING, UM, SORRY, NO PUN INTENDED, WHERE THESE CAPS CAN BE, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT, UM, MOVING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, UM, SOUTH IS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE LADY BIRD LAKE THERE IN THE CORNER, UM, WITH NORTH ON THE LEFT.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN APPROXIMATELY 30 FOOT WIDE STITCH, WHICH IS, UM, JUST A WIDENED GENEROUS BRIDGE OVER THE FREEWAY THERE AT HOLLY.
UM, CONNECTING, UM, HOLLY TO THE TAIL END OF, UM, RAINY STREET THERE.
UM, AND THEN MOVING FURTHER NORTH, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE OR LESS A CONTINUOUS CAP, UM, ALL THE WAY FROM CESAR CHAVEZ UP TO SEVENTH STREET.
UM, AND THIS IS GONNA BE AN AREA WHERE WE REALLY ARE CREATING A TUNNEL LIKE CONDITION FOR THE FREEWAY MONICE.
UM, MOVING FURTHER NORTH, WE HAVE ANOTHER CAP OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN 11TH AND 12TH STREETS, UM, AND ORANGE IN THE CENTER HERE BETWEEN, UM, APPROXIMATELY MLK AND DEAN KEATON.
THESE ARE AREAS, UM, THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS CURRENTLY EVALUATING TO PROVIDE AND FUND, UM, A POTENTIAL CAP ALONG THEIR FRONTAGE HERE AND THEN UP IN THE CHERRYWOOD HANCOCK AREA FURTHER AFIELD FROM DOWNTOWN.
ANOTHER VERY LARGE CAP OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN, UM, 38TH AND HALF STREET AND AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
SO, UM, IF I COULD SKIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS HELPS, UM, EXPLAIN WHY THOSE CAPS ARE IN THOSE LOCATIONS AND NOT OTHERS.
UM, WHAT REALLY DRIVES CAP OPPORTUNITIES IS TDOT'S REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF 16 AND A HALF FEET OF VERTICAL CLEARANCE FROM THE ROADWAY SURFACE TO ANY STRUCTURES OR PERCES HANGING FROM THOSE STRUCTURES UP ABOVE IT.
UM, SO THE CAPS THAT WE JUST WALKED THROUGH ON THE MAP, UM, MEET THAT CRITERIA.
ALL OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CAP, UM, IS, IS BECAUSE WE HAVE CONFLICTS.
UM, WHETHER THAT BE, UM, RAMPING CONFIGURATIONS THAT ARE PART OF TEXTILES DESIGN, UM, OR WHAT HAVE YOU THAT ARE GONNA PRECLUDE ADDITIONAL CAPS.
UM, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, A COUPLE OF OTHER, UM, KIND OF KEY DESIGN CRITERIA TO BE AWARE OF.
UM, AND THIS IS IN REGARD TO WHAT TYPES OF FEATURES COULD, UM, BE PROVIDED ON TOP OF CAPS.
WE HAVE REALLY, UM, A MORE OR LESS BLANK SLATE WHEN IT COMES TO KIND OF OPEN SPACE AND PARK-LIKE FEATURES.
UM, AND, AND THAT EVEN INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, LARGE TREES WITH GENEROUS SHADE COVER.
UM, WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH, UM, A STRUCTURAL LOADING, UM, CONFIGURATION THAT WILL SUPPORT THE TREES AND THE SOIL VOLUMES NECESSARY TO, UM, CREATE THOSE THRIVING TREES.
UM, BUT WE DO ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, SOME BUILDINGS IN SOME LOCATIONS, UM, UP TO ABOUT TWO STORIES.
UM, THAT'S ABOUT AS MUCH BUILDING AS WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UM, ACCOMMODATE GIVEN OUR CONSTRAINTS IN THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE KEY QUESTIONS WE'RE OUT ASKING COMMUNITY MEMBERS RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, WHAT ARE AUSTINITES, UM, PREFERENCES IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THAT RATIO BETWEEN BUILDING AND OPEN SPACE ON THESE CAPS? AND, AND WHAT DO FOLKS WANNA SEE HERE IN TERMS OF THAT BALANCE? NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND THEN JUST, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT HOW THESE CAPS AND STITCHES COULD BE PHASED AND CONSTRUCTED OVER TIME.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE, COLOR CODED ARE THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF, OF CAP AND STITCH.
SO IN BLUE, THESE ARE REALLY THE, UM, THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT ELEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO HOLD UP, UM, A FUTURE CAP DECK.
UM, AND THESE ELEMENTS REALLY HAVE TO BE CONSTRUCTED, UM, AT THE SAME TIME AS TDOT'S FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION.
A LOT OF THIS, YOU KNOW, THE FOOTINGS AND THE FIRE LIFE SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS REALLY LIKE EMBEDDED, UM, WITHIN, OR IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION ITSELF.
SO THESE ELEMENTS, UM, HAVE TO BE, UM, FUNDED,
[00:55:01]
UM, I THINK BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, SO THAT TXDOT CAN GO AHEAD AND INCORPORATE THESE INTO THEIR DESIGN PACKAGE FOR THEIR CONTRACTOR.UM, THE VERTICAL, I'M SORRY, THE HORIZONTAL RED DECKS, UM, WE CAN PHASE THOSE IN FUTURE.
UM, THE GOOD THING ABOUT FUNDING THE, UM, BLUE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT ELEMENTS NOW IS THAT, UM, THIS APPROACH EFFECTIVELY FUTURE PROOFS ALL OF OUR CAP OPPORTUNITIES AND GIVES THE CITY THE FLEXIBILITY TO COME IN LATER AND PROVIDE THESE HORIZONTAL DECKS AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE.
UM, AND THEN THE GREEN AMENITIES ON TOP OF THE DECK WOULD BE, UM, KIND OF A SEPARATE DESIGN PACKAGE.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY OUT ASKING COMMUNITY MEMBERS RIGHT NOW IS WHAT TYPES OF AMENITIES DO YOU, UM, AS RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN WANT TO SEE ON TOP OF THESE DECKS? UM, AND WE, WE SORT OF NEED TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
NOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO DESIGN EVERY LITTLE PIECE, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME IDEA OF DO WE WANT BUILDINGS? HOW MUCH BUILDINGS, WHERE DO THEY GO, FOR EXAMPLE, DO WE WANT HEAVY STUFF LIKE, YOU KNOW, SPLASH PADS? UM, BECAUSE THE DECKS THEMSELVES, UM, WILL BE DESIGNED AND THE FOOTINGS AND THE COLUMNS WILL BE DESIGNED BY TDOT.
UM, AND THEY NEED SOME INFORMATION FROM US, UM, IN REGARDS TO HOW TO DESIGN THESE STRUCTURALLY, UM, TO HOLD THE STUFF, UM, THAT THE CITY WANTS TO PUT ON TOP.
UM, AND THIS IS JUST, UM, A VERY PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATE TABLE WE'VE BEEN SHARING WITH CITY COUNCIL, UM, KIND OF ARTICULATING, UH, THE COSTS FOR THOSE, EACH OF THOSE ELEMENTS, I JUST WALKED YOU THROUGH, UM, THE BLUE COLUMN YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM.
UM, CITY COUNCIL WILL BE MAKING A DETERMINATION AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR ON THESE ROADWAY ELEMENTS, UM, DECEMBER, 2024, UM, TO IDENTIFY, UM, UH, THE SOURCE FOR THESE 144 MILLION THAT WE WILL NEED TO COMMIT TO TECH.
GOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN YOU SEE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT LONGER UP TO 2026, AND THEN EVEN UP TILL 2032 AND LATER, UM, TO IDENTIFY FUNDING FOR THE RED COLUMN, THE DEBT COSTS, UM, AS WELL AS THE AMENITY COSTS SINCE THESE ARE ALL SEQUENCED.
UM, YOU'LL SEE IN RED HERE, UM, FOR THE CAP BETWEEN CESAR CHAVEZ AND FOURTH, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE FUNDING IN PLACE TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THIS CAP.
THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST CAP OUT OF THE GATES.
UM, THE CITY TEAM WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY PROCURE, UM, A FEDERAL GRANT FOR 105 MILLION.
UM, AND THAT WILL FUND, UM, BOTH THE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, LANDSCAPE AMENITIES ON TOP.
NOT ENOUGH TO GET US TO BUILDINGS, BUT WE THINK WE CAN GET SOME, SOME PRETTY HIGH QUALITY LANDSCAPE FEATURES, UM, WITHIN THAT GRANT BUDGET.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED, UM, TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS FIRST, UH, ABOUT FIVE ACRE CAP, UM, MORE OR LESS FULLY FUNDED.
UM, AND WE'LL BE, UM, KICKING OFF WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, UM, A DETAILED DESIGN PROCESS FOR, UM, HOW WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DESIGN THIS OPEN SPACE ON THIS CAP.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA SKIP THIS SLIDE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
WE CAN JUST PROGRESS TO THE NEXT ONE.
UM, SO, UM, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE, THE BACKGROUND, THE, WHERE ARE WE NOW, AS I MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY NEED TO KIND OF START HOMING IN SLOWLY ON, ON WHAT TYPES OF AMENITIES AND FEATURES RESIDENTS WANNA SEE ON THESE CAPS.
UM, AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, UM, TO, TO HELP GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT.
UM, AND, UM, UH, PART OF THAT WAS THROUGH, UM, AN OPEN HOUSE THAT WE HAD BACK IN MAY, I HOPE SOME OF YOU WERE ABLE TO ATTEND.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO HAD A CITYWIDE SURVEY, UM, THAT WAS OPEN ALL THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, UM, TRYING TO HONE IN ON THE PRIORITIES AND PREFERENCES OF RESIDENTS.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED, THIS WILL IMPACT THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF THE CAPS THEMSELVES, NEXT SLIDE, AND ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK.
UM, AS WELL AS THE CONCEPTS FOR, FOR CAPS, WE'LL BE FOLDED INTO WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR, OUR FUTURE 35 VISION PLAN.
UM, THE VISION PLAN WILL BE, UM, THE, THE DOCUMENTS, UM, THAT'S GOING TO REALLY KIND OF, UM, CRYSTALLIZE AND CAPTURE WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT FOLKS WANNA SEE ON CAPS, UM, WHAT OUR VISION FOR THIS PROJECT IS, WHAT OUR GOALS FOR THIS
[01:00:01]
PROJECT ARE, UM, AND TO SHOW SOME ILLUSTRATIONS, UM, UH, SHOWING WHAT SOME PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS FOR THOSE CAP AMENITIES, UM, COULD LOOK LIKE.UM, AND THAT IS, UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK WE MAY HAVE A TIMELINE.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, UM, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY, UM, ALL THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE IN MAY.
UM, A LOT OF STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS, UM, AND OUTREACH TO RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS LITTLE BLUE BAR HERE.
UM, WE HAVE A WORKSHOP WITH SOME OF OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORS, UM, LATER THIS WEEK.
AND THEN ALL OF THIS FEEDBACK WE'RE HEARING WILL BE, WILL BE CONSOLIDATING IT, PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT REPORT TO DOCUMENT WHAT WE'RE HEARING, UM, AND SHARING, UH, PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS WITH THE PUBLIC AT OUR NEXT OPEN HOUSE ON SEPTEMBER 28TH.
SO FOLKS CAN SEE HOW THEIR FEEDBACK WAS FOLDED IN.
UM, AFTER WE, UM, GET THAT LAST ROUND OF FEEDBACK AT THAT OPEN HOUSE, WE'LL BE PULLING TOGETHER OUR VISION PLAN DOCUMENT, WHICH, AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL INCLUDE THE VISION GOALS AND CONCEPTS FOR THESE CAPS IN AUSTIN, UM, AND TAKING THAT TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT OCTOBER 22ND, IT WILL BE NOVEMBER 7TH.
UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SHARE, UM, THIS DRAFT VISION AND, AND GOALS WITH YOU.
UM, UM, COMMISSIONER MOCK, WHO IS ON THE CALL WAS PART OF, UM, AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELPING TO DRAFT THESE PRELIMINARY VISION AND GOALS.
UM, I JUST THINK THE COMMITTEE DID AN AMAZING JOB ON THESE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN SHARING THESE WITH, UM, RESIDENTS MORE BROADLY, UM, ALL THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR, GETTING, UM, FEEDBACK ON THESE DRAFT, UM, VISION AND GOALS AND, UM, JUST REALLY GETTING A LOT OF CONCURRENCE, WHICH JUST TELLS ME WHAT, UM, A GREAT JOB, UH, THAT ADVISORY COMMITTEE DID.
UM, BUT THE INTENT OF THESE GOALS REALLY ARE TO BE A RECIPE MOVING US.
THESE PROJECTS MOVE FROM CONCEPT TO DESIGN, UM, MAKING SURE THAT EACH OF OUR CAP DESIGNS ARE CHECKING THESE BOXES, UM, AS THAT DESIGN MOVES FORWARD.
UM, SO I WON'T NECESSARILY READ ALL OF THESE OUT LOUD TO YOU, UM, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL HAVE COPIES OF THIS AFTERWARD.
UM, SO THIS SPEAKS TO JUST A LITTLE BIT, UH, MORE DETAIL OF ON THE OUTREACH WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SUMMER.
UM, THAT SURVEY I MENTIONED, WE DID GET ABOUT 1800 RESPONSES.
UH, WE'RE STILL TABULATING, UM, WE'RE STILL EXTRACTING THE KEY THEMES.
WE ARE, WE'VE HEARD SO THAT WE CAN FOLD THOSE INTO THE CONCEPTS WE'LL BE SHARING ON SEPTEMBER 28TH.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, BEEN VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE'VE HAD A VERY BROAD KIND OF TABLING PRESENCE OUT AT, UM, REC CENTERS AND AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, OVER THE PAST FOUR MONTHS.
UM, AND HAVE BEEN REALLY, UM, MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO ENGAGE FOLKS, UM, IN SPANISH AS WELL.
UM, BOTH IN VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRINT MEDIA, UM, AND REALLY KIND OF LEVERAGING, UM, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA TO, TO GET TO AND, AND TRADITIONAL MAILING TO GET TO AS MANY FOLKS AS POSSIBLE, PARTICULARLY FOLKS, UM, FOLKS CITYWIDE, BUT PARTICULARLY STAKEHOLDERS, UM, ALONG THE CORRIDOR, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE AND, UM, TRACKING THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO I, UM, ALREADY SPOKE TO A COUPLE OF THESE POINTS.
WE'RE DOING A LOT OF STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH THIS, THIS WEEK AND, AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE THOSE BULLETS THERE.
UM, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE THAT SEPTEMBER 28TH, UM, OPEN HOUSE, WHICH IS THE NEXT BIG RED CIRCLE ON THE CALENDAR WHEN WE'LL BE SHARING THOSE, UM, AMENITY CONCEPTS FOR FEEDBACK.
UM, AND THEN AS I SAID, UM, ONCE WE WRAP UP THE VISION PLAN AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, THE NEXT BIG EFFORT FOR THE CAP AND STITCH PROGRAM WILL REALLY BE STARTING THE DETAILED DESIGN PROCESS, UM, FOR THIS CESAR CHAVEZ TO, FOR STREET CAP.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND THEN JUST A COUPLE, UM, MORE POINTS ABOUT SOME UPCOMING WORK.
UM, ONE OF THE, UM, FEDERAL GRANTS THAT OUR PROGRAM WAS ABLE TO, UM, WIN WAS A PLANNING GRANT, UM, A RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT.
AND WITH THAT FUNDING, UM, WE WILL BE KICKING OFF, UM, WITHIN A COUPLE MONTHS, UM, A WHAT WE'RE CALLING AN EQUITABLE MULTIMODAL MOBILITY, UM, STUDY, LOOKING
[01:05:01]
AT ALL OF THE TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIONS TO, FROM AND ACROSS THESE POTENTIAL CAPS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB OF, UM, OF IDENTIFYING NETWORK NEEDS AND UPGRADES NECESSARY TO GET PEOPLE TO THESE CAPS SAFETY, UH, SAFELY AND COMFORTABLY.UM, SO DOCUMENTING, UM, IMPROVEMENT NEEDS, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, BIKE PED TRANSIT, WHAT HAVE YOU, UH, TO PROVIDE THOSE TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIONS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO DIGGING A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO SOME ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS, UM, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THESE CAPS WILL DO IN TERMS OF MITIGATING KIND OF NOISE AND HEAT, UM, AND AIR QUALITY CONCERNS.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT A LID ON TOP OF THE FREEWAY.
UM, SO WE'LL BE DOING A LITTLE BIT OF AIRFLOW ANALYSIS, LOOKING AT KIND OF DIS AIR DISPERSION, UM, AND SEEING KIND OF WHAT CHANGES WITH THE CAP, UM, AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, UH, HEAT EYELET AND, AND DISPERSION, UM, UM, AIR MOVEMENT ON TOP OF THE CAP SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE DESIGNS THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD REALLY ARE, YOU KNOW, MITIGATING AND ADDRESSING KEYED ISLAND AND CREATING THOSE COOLING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE KNOW WE NEED.
AND, UM, THAT'S ALL OF MY BRIEFING DECK, I BELIEVE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
UM, I DO WANT TO, AGAIN, FOR THE THIRD TIME, PLUG OUR NEXT, UM, OPEN HOUSE ON SEPTEMBER 28TH AT CANOPY AUSTIN.
UM, THIS IS GONNA BE A REALLY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, TO, UM, SHOW WHAT'S, WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC AND, AND WHAT THESE FUTURE CATS AND STITCHES, UM, HOW THESE COULD LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE OF, OF DOWNTOWN AND OUR CENTER CITY.
UM, THIS IS JUST GONNA BE, UM, A GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, UM, FOR AUSTIN, UM, AND A BIG CHANGE FOR US.
SO REALLY HOPING AS, AS MANY FOLKS CAN COME TO THIS EVENT AS POSSIBLE AND LET US KNOW WHAT THEY THINK OF THE CONCEPTS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL PAUSE AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, COMMISSIONER ISMA, UH, YES.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, WITH YOUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH SO FAR, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING AS FAR AS THOUGHTS PEOPLE HAVE FOR THE BUILDINGS THAT MIGHT GO ON THE CAPS? BECAUSE IN MY MIND, IF YOU TALK TO PEOPLE, THEY'RE GONNA SAY, WELL, WE WANT GREEN SPACE.
SO WHAT IS IT YOU'RE HEARING AS FAR AS SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE BUILDINGS? YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I'LL FIRST CAVEAT AND SAY WE'RE STILL, UM, TABULATING AND CRUNCHING THOSE NUMBERS, AND SO THIS IS, UM, AN IN PROGRESS, UH, REPORT BACK.
SO JUST TAKE THAT WITH THAT GRAIN OF SALT.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY MOST OF THE FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING IS FOLKS, FOLKS ARE SAYING SOME BUILDINGS, BUT MAJORITY PARK AND OPEN SPACE.
SO WE ASKED, UM, WE ASKED FOLKS TO RESPOND TO DIFFERENT RATIOS.
AS AN EXAMPLE, WE'RE HEARING A PREFERENCE FOR ABOUT 25% BUILDING FOOTPRINT TO ABOUT 75% OPEN SPACE.
UM, AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING REALLY CLOSELY IN THE NEXT COMING MONTHS WITH, UM, OUR PARTNERS OVER AT, UM, FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO REALLY START TO DIG INTO, OKAY, WHAT IS GONNA BE OUR O AND M STRATEGY FOR ALL OF THIS NEW CIVIC SPACE THAT WE'RE CREATING? AND WHAT TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL REVENUE STREAMS ARE WE GONNA NEED TO THINK ABOUT NOW IN ORDER TO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE REVENUE TO, TO MAINTAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS 25 ACRES OF NEW OPEN SPACE.
AND SO SOME OF THAT MIGHT MEAN, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKING SOME OF THAT PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND PREFERENCE, UM, IN REGARD TO, TO BUILDING RATIO AND, AND HAVING, DOING SOME WORK TO MATCH THAT UP TO, OKAY, DO WE NEED SOME SPACE THAT WE CAN LEASE TO, YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESSES OR, UM, EVENTS SO THAT WE CAN CREATE THAT REVENUE, UM, SO THAT WE KNOW THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THIS SPACE.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK THAT TO THE MIDDLE.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HEARING, COMMISSIONER.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.
UM, I'LL ALSO JUST PUT IN A PLUG, UH, IF, IF YOU DIDN'T GO TO THEIR FIRST OPEN HOUSE, I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN OPEN HOUSE THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN.
YOU GUYS HAD A DJ GOING, I GOT SOME POPSICLES.
SO, UH, I, I GO TO A LOT OF OPEN HOUSES, BUT THERE'S NO WAY I'M MISSING ANOTHER, UH, UH, OUR FUTURE 35.
UH, MICHELLE, YOU GAVE A, A GREAT PRESENTATION IN THE UTC, UH, I THINK IT WAS LIKE FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO NOW.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON ONE OF THE THEMES WE TALKED ABOUT, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BUILD THE, UM,
[01:10:01]
EQUITY AND NEEDS-BASED PRIORITIZATION PLAN FOR WHICH ONES WE FUND, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, IF COUNCIL SAYS WE HAVE 200 MILLION, WE HAVE 300 MILLION, THAT'S HOW MUCH WE HAVE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO HAVE AN EQUITY BASED, UH, UH, PLAN TO PRIORITIZE THOSE RATHER THAN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD POLITICS FOR THE ONE, UM, RIGHT NEXT TO THEM.RIGHT? SO I SAW THAT THERE'S A PLAN FOR SOME EQUITABLE, UH, DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN THE FINAL PLAN.
UM, I GUESS IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW YOU GUYS ARE THINKING ABOUT THE PRIORITIZATION OF THOSE VARIOUS CAPS.
YEAH, I MIGHT, UM, JUST KIND OF PARSE THOSE OUT INTO TWO RESPONSES.
UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, AND THANKS FOR THE OPEN HOUSE PLUG BY THE WAY.
UM, WE ARE SORT OF IN AN AWKWARD HOLDING PATTERN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF GRANT AND FUNDING REQUESTS OUT THERE PENDING THAT WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM.
UM, AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A, UM, AN APPLICATION OUT TO THE TEXAS STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK FOR, UM, $191 MILLION, WHICH THE MAJORITY WOULD BE USED TO PAY FOR THOSE ROADWAY SUPPORT ELEMENTS.
UM, THAT'S DUE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UM, OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO PAY FOR ALL OF THOSE, RIGHT? SO THAT WE'RE PRESERVING ALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE CAPS, AND WE'RE NOT HAVING TO RULE ANYTHING OUT AT THIS PHASE, UM, BUT WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK ON THAT LOAN APPLICATION.
UM, WE EXPECT TO HEAR BACK IN OCTOBER.
UM, IF IT DOES COME BACK AND WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY GET THE FULL AMOUNT, UM, THAT WE APPLIED FOR, OR, YOU KNOW, AN AMOUNT ADEQUATE TO COVER THAT $144 MILLION THAT WE'D BE DUE TO
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESERVE ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ALSO HAVE AN OUTSTANDING FUNDING APPLICATION WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR, UM, ANOTHER $118 MILLION GRANT FROM U-S-D-O-T.
UM, IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL, IT WOULD FUND ALL OF THE CAPS BETWEEN HOLLY UP TO 12TH STREET.
UM, AND THE REASON THOSE CAPS WERE ADVANCED FOR THIS APPLICATION HAD A HUNDRED PERCENT TO DO WITH THE GRANT CRITERIA.
IT WASN'T A PRIORITIZATION EFFORT ON STAFF'S PART, IT WAS A CHECK THE BOX REQUIREMENT FOR THE GRANT.
UM, BUT IF WE GET THAT FUNDING THEN, AND WE'RE HOPING TO FIND OUT AROUND OCTOBER, NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR AS WELL, UM, THEN WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION.
UM, AND WE'LL HAVE ALL OF THOSE DOWNTOWN CAPS FUNDED, WHICH REALLY JUST LEAVES THE CAPS UP IN CHERRYWOOD HANCOCK, UM, WHICH MAKES IT A MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE PROBLEM TO SOLVE.
UM, SO OUR SOLUTION, OUR APPROACH RIGHT NOW IS APPLY FOR AS MUCH MONEY
AND WE'LL PROBABLY KNOW AROUND OCTOBER, NOVEMBER IF WE'RE IN THAT BOAT.
UM, IN REGARDS TO THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY YOU MENTIONED, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF WORK THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY ON WITH, UM, RALLY AUSTIN, UH, WHICH YOU MAY KNOW AS FORMERLY, UM, AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
UM, AND, UM, THEY HAVE WORKED WITH, UM, THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT I MENTIONED THAT, UM, AMY WAS A PART OF.
UM, AND, UM, WE ARE, OUR NEXT STEP IS TO, WE'VE BEEN JUST DROWNING IN THIS VISION PLAN WORK AND, AND TECHNICAL COORDINATION WITH TECHCO.
BUT OUR NEXT STEP IS TO START TO VET THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS INTERNALLY, UM, WITH THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WOULD OWN SOME OF THOSE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, UM, AS THIS PROJECT GOES FORWARD, IT'S GONNA BECOME BIGGER THAN JUST A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT.
UM, I'M A TRANSPORTATION PLANNER WITH, UM, TPW, UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA START AS SOON AS NEXT YEAR NEEDING TO FOLD IN FOLKS, YOU KNOW, OUR EXPERTS FROM, UM, HARD, OUR EXPERTS FROM REDEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL ARTS, UM, TO HELP US STITCH TOGETHER WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON TOP.
UM, AND A LOT OF THE, UM, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT RALLY AUSTIN AND THE, UH, STEERING COMMITTEE HAVE PUT TOGETHER, UM, UM, ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING ON TOP AND AROUND SURROUNDING CAPS.
SO WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FOLD IN, UM, OUR PARTNERS ON THAT WORK, AND WE'RE PUTTING A
[01:15:01]
WORK PLAN NOW, UM, RIGHT NOW TO DO THAT.YOU GUYS ARE ABSOLUTELY KILLING IT WHEN IT COMES TO, TO GETTING THAT FEDERAL FUNDING.
UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE USING S MONEY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T GET ENOUGH STATE MONEY HERE, SO THAT'S GREAT
UM, WELL ALSO SHOUT OUT TO THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.
UM, SO, UH, UH, SECOND PART TO THAT, OR NOT ACTUALLY COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
SECOND QUESTION, UH, MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW IS WHAT IS UT GONNA DO WITH THEIR CAPS? UM, AND SO I I, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO DIVULGE ANY, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING TO DO, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT YOUR COORDINATION LOOKS LIKE WITH THEM.
AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE MY CONCERN IS HERE.
UM, THAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANT, YOU GUYS GOT TO DO THE PLANNING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION, IT'S GONNA BE FANTASTIC.
BUT I DO WORRY THAT IF, YOU KNOW, UT IS IN ITS WHOLE OTHER LANE, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO BUILD AROUND THAT CAP.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO CREATE ACCESS TO THAT CAP BECAUSE UT WAS JUST KIND OF DOING ITS OWN THING, RIGHT? SO HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO, UH, WORK WITH THEM AND, AND PLAN AROUND THEM? I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, HAVING SOME REGULAR COORDINATION WITH THEM.
UM, THEY HAVE ADMITTED TO US THAT THEY'RE BEHIND THE CITY THAT, UM, OR I'LL, I'LL PHRASE THAT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, THE CITY IS AHEAD OF THEM.
UM, AND SO THEY'VE BEEN DOING, UM, A LOT OF KIND OF FEASIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS WORK ON THEIR END, UM, AND ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP.
UM, SO WE, UM, WE DO HAVE REGULAR COORDINATION MEETINGS.
IN FACT, I THINK I HAVE ANOTHER ONE COMING UP ON MY CALENDAR, UM, IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET AN UPDATE ON ALL THE GREAT WORK THEY'RE DOING, UM, AND HOW THEY'RE PROGRESSING.
BUT WE, THEY ARE VERY OPEN TO WORKING WITH US, AND WE ARE VERY OPEN TO WORKING WITH THEM.
UH, WE'RE JUST KIND OF GIVING THEM THE SPACE THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY ARE AND ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THEN WE WILL ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, FEATHER INTO EACH OTHER'S WORK.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS.
I HAVE, UH, ONE COMMENT AND, AND ONE QUESTION.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH TECH.IS DRIVING THIS OR HOW MUCH INFLUENCE THE CITY HAS, BUT AS I'M LOOKING AT THE RENDERING AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, AS MUCH AS I APPRECIATE THE VISION OF THE CAPS, AT THE SAME TIME, MY HEART IS BREAKING, LOOKING AT THE STREET SECTION ON THE WEST SIDE OF, OF THE 35 WHERE PEDESTRIANS ARE GONNA BE ASKED TO CROSS LOOKS LIKE EIGHT LANES OF TRAFFIC.
UM, THAT'S JUST A, A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE FOR PEDESTRIANS.
AND, AND I'M ALSO NOT SEEING ANY, ANY, UH, PERCEIVABLE BIKE LANES GOING EAST, WEST.
SO MY COMMENT IS JUST WHATEVER THE CITY CAN DO TO PRIORITIZE PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS OVER VEHICLES, PLEASE DO SO.
UM, AND MY QUESTION IS, AS THESE CAPS ARE BUILT, WILL THE CITY OWN THIS LAND OUTRIGHT OR WILL TDOT HAVE ANY SAY ON WHAT IS DEVELOPED AND, AND HOW IT'S DEVELOPED? GOOD QUESTION.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE LEGAL STRUCTURE, THE THE RIGHT OF WAY WILL REMAIN TXDOT RIGHT OF WAY, AND THE CITY WILL HAVE A LONG-TERM, UM, AIR RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
UM, WE ASSUME THAT IT'LL BE 50 PLUS YEARS.
UM, AND OUR AIR RIGHTS AGREEMENT WILL, AND THIS IS THE, THE SAME, UM, MECHANISM USED IN OTHER CITIES LIKE THE SOUTHERN GATEWAY CAP IN DALLAS.
UM, AND THE AIR RIGHTS AGREEMENT WILL, UM, STIPULATE, UM, HOW THE CITY CAN AND CANNOT USE THE LAND.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, WE, UM, WILL ALSO HAVE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS FOR ALL OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE CAP, UM, THAT THE CITY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
UM, WE, UM, ARE WORKING UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THAT AIR RIGHTS AGREEMENTS WILL INCLUDE SUBLETTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY.
UM, I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, REVENUE STREAMS AS A POTENTIAL, UM, KIND OF MECHANISM FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FUNDING.
SO, UM, IF THE CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE MASTER DEVELOPER, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO RENT OR LEASE OUT SPACE TO SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, TO HELP KIND OF ACTIVATE THE SPACE.
UM, SO WE DON'T EXPECT THAT TO BE A PROBLEM.
[01:20:01]
EVENTS TO BE A PROBLEM.UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A, A LOT OF GOOD REASONS WHY WE WOULD LIMIT OUR BUILDINGS TO TWO STORIES, BUT ONE OF THEM IS, IS ALSO THAT'S JUST A, A LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT THAT TXDOT IS MORE COMFORTABLE WITH.
UM, AND SO ALL OF THE, I THINK, LIMITATIONS, UM, ON HOW WE WOULD USE THIS SPACE.
UM, WE'VE TRIED TO KIND OF GET ALL OF THOSE OUT ON THE TABLE NOW RATHER THAN BE SURPRISED BY THEM IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND OUR FRIENDS UP IN DALLAS HAVE BEEN WILLING TO SHARE THEIR AIR RIGHTS AGREEMENTS WITH US, UM, TO LOOK AT THAT AS A TEMPLATE TOO.
UM, AND SO I DON'T EXPECT ANY, YOU KNOW, GOTCHAS OR SURPRISES THERE.
'CAUSE I, I, I KNOW TODAY, UH, FOR INSTANCE, UH, WHERE THE RIGHT OF WAY HITS, UH, THE EDGE OF THIS PRIVATE PROPERTY, TXDOT DOESN'T ALLOW ANY STREET TREES, UM, ON THAT EDGE.
AND SO JUST TRYING TO VET OUT ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE, WHILE WE CAN, I GUESS, UM, 'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE A SHAME.
SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF THERE, COMMISSIONER.
UM, I WILL JUST SAY THAT WE ARE, UM, ENGAGING WITH, UM, THE TEXT TEAM REGULARLY, UM, BIWEEKLY AT A MINIMUM.
UM, AND WORKING THROUGH THESE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS, UH, TREES ARE A BIG ONE.
UM, AND, UM, REALLY KIND OF, UM, USING THOSE TECHNICAL COLLABORATION, UM, EXERCISES AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF WORK TECH STOCK CONCERNS AND CITY CONCERNS TO THE MIDDLE.
UM, SO YEAH, TRYING TO WORK OUT AS MUCH OF THAT NOW AS POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE GOING BACK TO MY, MY CO MY ORIGINAL COMMENT, PRIORITIZING PEDESTRIANS MEANS STREET TREES BECAUSE WITHOUT SHADE, PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO USE THE SIDEWALKS.
COMMISSIONER LEVINSON, YOU COMMISSIONER? YEAH, I DEFINITELY SECOND THAT ABOUT PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.
I AM THE VICE CHAIR OF THE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL, SO THIS IS REALLY RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.
BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE STREET TREES.
YOU COULD USE SHADE STRUCTURES, WHICH SINCE THEY DON'T GROW ROOTS AND AND BREAK ROADWAY MIGHT BE SOMETHING THE TEXT THAT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT MORE OPEN TO.
SO I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS YOUR REVENUE STREAMS GO, UM, I WAS WONDERING IF ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WERE THINKING OF WAS THINGS LIKE THAT WOULDN'T BE HOPEFULLY TOO HEAVY, LIKE, UM, SPACE FOR, UH, FARMERS AND TYPE MARKETS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT, UM, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE DOABLE WITHOUT ADDING TOO MUCH WEIGHT.
AND THAT IS, UM, YES, ONE OF THE, UM, I THINK KEY PIECES OF FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING FROM OUR OUTREACH IS THAT FOLKS DO WANNA SEE, UM, FARMER'S MARKETS AND FESTIVALS AND, YOU KNOW, ARTISTS MARKETS AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER, YOU'VE PUT MY MIND A LITTLE BIT AT EASE WITH YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE BUILDINGS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THAT EVERYBODY LOVES THE IDEA OF A FIVE ACRE PARK, BUT IF IT'S NOT ACTIVELY MAINTAINED IN PROGRAM, IT'S A DANGEROUS WASTELAND IMMEDIATELY.
SO PLUG FOR BUILDINGS THAT PROVIDE EYES ON AND PASSIVELY ACTIVATE THE GREEN SPACE AND REALLY CONNECT EAST AND WEST AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE THERE, NOT JUST WHEN THERE'S A FESTIVAL GOING ON ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BUT NINE TO FIVE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
THERE'S A SMALL BUSINESS THERE AND, AND EVERYTHING'S GOOD.
AND PLUS I HAVE A KNOW FROM MY ASSOCIATE WITH THE DOWNTOWN OSLAND WHAT IT COSTS JUST TO MAINTAIN REPUBLIC SQUARE, WHICH IS ONE BLOCK.
IT'S A LOT, AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE.
FOR REFERENCE, WOULD YOU MIND ROUGHLY SHARING THAT NUMBER? I DON'T HAVE THE CURRENT UPDATED ONE, BUT IT'S SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ONE BLOCK PLUS A LOT OF STAFF TIME AT THE DA TO KEEP THAT UP.
WELL, AND I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE POINT BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR O AND M ON AN ONGOING BASIS, AND YOU'RE TALKING SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR AT MINIMUM, AT MINIMUM FOR ONE BLOCK.
UM, DID I MISS ANYBODY ONLINE? I DID HAVE A QUICK QUESTION AS FAR AS, UH, YOU KIND OF TOUCHED EARLIER ABOUT PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, WOULD THAT BE RIGHT AWAY? I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT THE CITY WOULD RETAIN AIRSPACE RIGHTS AND THAT ADDITIONAL COORDINATION WITH PART WAS NEEDED, BUT I GUESS I'M NOT CLEAR, AND IT MIGHT BE TOO EARLY IN THIS PROCESS, IT SOUNDS LIKE PARKS
[01:25:01]
ARE POTENTIAL.UM, BUT WOULD THOSE ACTUALLY BE CITY PARKS IF THEY'RE STILL WITHIN TEXTILES RIGHT AWAY? UM, WE ARE STILL WORKING AND, AND ARE GONNA WORK THROUGH, UM, WITH OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, COLLEAGUES, WHAT THOSE, UM, ONM STRUCTURES COULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND THEY COULD BE DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT CAPS, RIGHT? IT, SOME OF THE CAP COULD THEORETICALLY BE A CITY OF BOSTON PARK AND IT COULD BE A CITY OF BOSTON PARK.
UM, WE WOULD JUST BE THE LEASE HOLDER AND THAT WOULD WORK.
UM, SOME OF THE SPACES THEORETICALLY COULD BE, YOU KNOW, OWNED AND OPERATED BY A, A THIRD PARTY PARTNER, UM, LIKE A CONSERVANCY KIND OF SIMILAR TO WATERLOO GREENWAY OR WATERLOO CONSERVANCY, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, SO YES, BUT THERE COULD BE A FEW DIFFERENT MODELS WE LOOK AT.
AND THOSE MODELS COULD BE DIFFERENT FOR VARIOUS, UM, CAPS DEPENDING ON CONTEXT.
UM, BUT ALL OF THEM WOULD BE POSSIBLE GIVEN THAT LEGAL LEASING STRUCTURE.
SO ALL OPTIONS STILL ON THE TABLE, BASICALLY.
I, I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS RUNNING DIFFERENT FACILITIES BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLICATED FACILITY OR IT WILL BE A COMPLICATED FACILITY, AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME UNIFORMITY IN THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE, THE FACILITY.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT HAVING MULTIPLE PARTIES INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CAP WILL BE A PRACTICAL SOLUTION.
UM, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU, UH, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT INVENTING THE WHEEL.
YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS AT CLYDE WARREN PARK, UM, THE WOODALL ROGERS PARK FOUNDATION DID AN EXEMPLARY JOB.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE CROSSED ALL THESE BRIDGES, IF I CAN USE THAT HERE.
I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH TXDOT AND I REALIZE THAT WAS A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, AND THINGS EVOLVE AND PERHAPS THERE'S SOMETHING THEY LEARNED THEY GLEANED IN THAT PROCESS.
SO HOW MUCH ARE WE RELYING ON WORK THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE ON THIS EXACT SAME TYPE OF PROJECT? GREAT QUESTION.
UM, WE, UM, I THINK TXDOT THEMSELVES LEARNED A LOT OF, HAD A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE, UM, WITH CLYDE WARREN.
AND SO ARE KIND OF PASSING THAT ON TO US NOW AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, SO THAT WE'RE NOT STUMBLING AROUND THE PROCESS.
UM, UH, WE ALSO, AS STAFF HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH, UM, OUR PARTNERS UP THERE IN DALLAS, NOT JUST AT CLYDE WARREN PARK, BUT ALSO WITH THE SOUTHERN GATEWAY FOUNDATION, UM, WHO ARE, UM, MOVING ALONG WITH PHASE TWO OF THEIR PROJECT DOWN IN SOUTH DALLAS BY THE ZOO.
UM, THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY FANTASTIC, UM, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF US, UM, HAVE BEEN WILLING TO KIND OF SHARE, UM, THEIR EXPERIENCES.
UM, UM, WE TALK ABOUT O AND M, RIGHT? THEY'VE BEEN SHARING KIND OF WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ENCOUNTERING WITH, UM, KINDA O AND M EXPENSES, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH US.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN TOUCH WITH, UM, FOLKS IN OTHER CITIES DOING THIS PROJECT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IN DENVER, COLORADO AS WELL, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, SO THAT WE'RE NOT RECREATING THE WILL AND WE'RE REALLY EXTRACTING LESSONS LEARNED.
UH, HAVE Y'ALL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH JOHN ZOG? UM, IS HE UP AT, UM, ZOGG? SORRY, UH, ZOGG, UH, JOHN ZO, HE FOUNDED.
IS HE UP WITH, UM, UH, THE CL WARREN? YEAH, HE FOUNDED THE WOODALL ROGERS PARK FOUNDATION, AND I THINK HE WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE.
UM, THANKS FOR THE, THE, UM, SUGGESTION.
I KNOW SOME OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN UP TO VISIT CLYDE WARREN AND MET WITH FOLKS, UM, FROM THE, UM, FOUNDATION UP THERE.
I'M NOT SURE IF MR. ZAG WAS PART OF THAT PARTY OR NOT.
UM, BUT I'LL, I'LL, UM, I'LL REACH OUT.
APPRECIATE THAT HE WAS A CONSTANT APPRECIATE, CONSTANT CHEERLEADER.
APPRECIATE A CHEERLEADER FOR THAT PROJECT.
I'M ALSO CURIOUS AS TO WHAT, UM, IN INTERACTING WITH THE FOLKS, UH, ATTACHED TO CLYDE WARREN PARK, UM, WHAT SORT OF USES, UM, WHAT SORT OF UTILIZATION THEY'VE HAD, WHAT PROBLEMS THEY'VE HAD IN THE OPERATION.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE FROM THAT CON THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT WOULD BE INFORMATIVE HERE? UM, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE, UM, A HELPFUL CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
[01:30:01]
WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH THEM RECENTLY HAVE BEEN REALLY BEEN AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES YOUR AIR RIGHTS AGREEMENT WORK,UM, LESSONS LEARNED IN TERMS OF PROGRAMMING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
I, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INPUT IN, IN THE, THE CAP PROCESS, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHERE OTHER CITIES HAVE SUCCEEDED AND FAILED.
NOT TO SAY WE CAN'T DO IT BETTER THAN THEY CAN, BUT, UH, I THINK THERE'S, THERE ARE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED THAT WOULD INFORM WHAT WE ULTIMATELY DO ON THESE.
GIVEN THAT WE HAVE FUNDING NOW FOR CAESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH STREET, BUT WE DON'T EVEN HAVE LEGAL AGREEMENTS IN PLACE, WHAT ARE YOU ESTIMATING GUESSTIMATING AS FAR AS GROUNDBREAKING OR CAP BREAKING?
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF WORKING WITH, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO OBLIGATE THAT GRANT.
UM, WE KNOW WE HAVE TO SPEND THE FEDERAL PORTION OF THAT MONEY $105 MILLION BY 2031.
SO THE FEDERAL PORTION WILL FUND ALL OF THE STRUCTURES, THE COLUMNS IN THE CONCRETE DECK.
UM, THAT WILL BE DONE BY 2031.
UM, WE'RE STILL IN DISCUSSION, UM, WITH, UM, FHWA REGARDING WHAT OUR TIMELINE IS FOR THE AMENITIES ON TOP.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'LL BE DONE BY 2032 OR 33 OR 31.
UM, THAT'S STILL, UM, A DISCUSSION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MICHELLE? THANK YOU.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE UPDATES ON THIS PROJECT.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND WE'LL DEFINITELY KEEP THE COMMISSION UPDATED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
NOW WE HAVE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I DO WANT TO, UH, MENTION THAT I'VE ASKED STAFF TO, UH, HAVE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE COME TO US NEXT MONTH.UH, AS Y'ALL MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, UM, OUR RESOLUTION TO UPDATE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN WAS PASSED BY COUNCIL.
AND THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANS NOW THE CITY MANAGER HAS IT IN HIS, HIS PORTFOLIO OF THINGS TO DO.
AND IN ORDER TO, UH, ENSURE THAT THAT PROCESS MOVES FORWARD, I THINK WE NEED TO SCHEDULE REGULAR, WHOEVER HE DESIGNATES TO TAKE ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE REGULAR UPDATES BECAUSE WE DID ASK FOR SOME SPECIFIC DELIVERABLES IN FAIRLY SHORT ORDER.
SO I'VE ASKED STAFF TO, AND IT MAY BE HIS DESIGNEE AT THIS POINT, OR SOMEBODY WITHIN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO, UH, COME BACK TO US IN SEPTEMBER AND GET THIS, GET THE BALL ROLLING ON THE UPDATE TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT FOLKS HAVE IN MIND? COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER? UM, I, I KNOW THE UTC HAS THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WHICH I BELIEVE THAT IT'LL BE THE FINAL VERSION OF THAT, UM, COMING TO US THIS FALL.
UM, I'M SURE THEY'RE PLANNING ON COMING TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, BUT, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS HELPFUL TO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE THOUGHT THAT ABOUT A COUPLE OTHER THINGS TOO.
SO I JUST THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO FLAG IT.
I THINK WE COULD GET A CO-SPONSOR ON THAT.
YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE A CO-SPONSOR.
SO IF, IF WE COULD GET STAFF TO, WHILE I HAVE YOU ON CO-SPONSORS, IS THERE A CO-SPONSOR FOR THE DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN? YES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE RE RESOUNDING FROM THE DIOCESE WHO ARE THE TWO SPONSORS FOR THE CORE TRANSPORTATION UPDATE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA LEVINSON ON WHEN THEY'RE PLANNING TO PRESENT TO UTCI? AND I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT HER SHEET, BUT IT WAS EITHER OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
SO IT'S, IT'S LATE FALL, BUT OKAY.
JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO FLAG IT NOW AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO COORDINATE.
SO IT'S ROUGHLY THE SAME TIMELINE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AROUND OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
BEFORE, BEFORE IT GOES TO COUNCIL.
SO DO WE NEED A VOTING MEMBER TO SPONSOR TWO VOTING MEMBERS TO SPONSOR? SO WE HAVE I AM.
GOOD, GOOD REMINDER THAT YOU, WE DO HAVE THOSE POLICIES IN PLACE.
UM, SO ANYBODY ELSE? COMMISSIONER CAROL? I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO GET AN UPDATE FROM CITY STAFF ON
[01:35:01]
THE, UH, UPDATE TO GREAT STREETS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, BECAUSE TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANY COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND THEY'VE JUST BEEN REVISING IT THEMSELVES.AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THE STATUS IS.
I'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THAT TOO.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ON TIMING WHEN THAT MIGHT BE BEST? IS THERE ANYTHING, ANY ACTION PENDING? UH, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
JUST LIKE I SAID, THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE INFORMATION.
I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR SOME TIME, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE WHERE THEY ARE AND IF THEY'RE ALMOST FINISHED, IF THEY'RE NOT.
LET'S, LET'S SEE IF WE COULD GET THAT ADDED TO THE SEPTEMBER AGENDA.
ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT, THANK Y'ALL.
WHILE I HAVE YOU CHAIR BEFORE YOU ADJOURN, MA'AM, I'M SORRY.
UM, THERE HAD BEEN A REQUEST FOR AN UPDATE ON THE SEA HOME TURS.
AND STAFF INDICATED THAT THEY WERE READY TO UPDATE, BUT ON CESAR CHAVEZ ONLY COMMISSIONER ISHMA INDICATED INTEREST.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THEM TO PRESENT ON THAT? COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER.
I'LL COORDINATE WITH THEM AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEM HERE ON THE SEA HOME TOUR.
SO IF WE CAN, I REALIZE STAFF WASN'T ANXIOUS TO PROVIDE A REPORT ON THAT, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEM HERE TO DISCUSS IT.
AND CHAIR, I JUST WANT FOR, FOR CLARITY'S SAKE THAT THE SEA, SEA HOME TOURISM HAS BEEN CLOSED.
SO IT DOESN'T EXIST, BUT THE FUNDING HAS GONE TO TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
SO JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY FROM THE RECORD.
I KNOW WE'RE SHORTHANDING HERE, BUT YEAH, JUST WANT TO CLARIFY AND THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND WE WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT FUNDING.
UM, I WANT TO THANK, WE HAD A ROBUST, UH, NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS HERE AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
AS, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO, UH, CALL LAST MONTH'S MEETING BECAUSE WE WERE ONE SHORT OF QUORUM.
UM, I KNOW IT'S TERRIBLY DIFFICULT IN THE SUMMER WITH TRAVEL, ET CETERA, BUT, UM, I'M SO GLAD TO SEE SO MANY FACES HERE AS WE GO INTO THE FALL.
I LOOK FORWARD TO EVERYBODY'S PARTICIPATION.
I WANT TO TAKE ONE MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
UH, RECENTLY, UM, WE HAD THE, A PASSING, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE ORDINARILY DO, BUT FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER AND PLANNING COMMISSIONER CHRIS RILEY, WHO WAS SO PASSIONATE AND SO INVOLVED IN DOWNTOWN.
HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
HE WAS A PASSIONATE TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATE.
AND, UM, AFTER A, A STRUGGLE, UM, WITH, UH, CANCER CANCER, UH, HE, HE PASSED.
AND AS WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, OUR HISTORIC LIBRARY RIGHT NEXT TO WOODARD SQUARE, HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS, HIS CHESS TOURNAMENTS DOWN THERE.
UH, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO ENJOY IT, I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMITTED TO SEEING THAT CONTINUE AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I DID WANT TO, TO MENTION, UH, CHRIS, I HAD THE, THE PRIVILEGE OF GROWING UP WITH CHRIS AND, UM, WE'RE BOTH OLD AUSTIN HIGH KIDS AND O HENRY AND, AND JUST A FIND HUMAN BEING THAT CARED PASSIONATELY ABOUT THE CITY AND MOST PASSIONATELY ABOUT DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, HE AND I SERVED ON THE, UM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TOGETHER.
AND, AND, UM, HE WILL BE MISS GREATLY.
HE WILL BE MISS GREATLY, AND HIS SERVICE IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
SO WITH THAT, I THANK YOU FOR THAT MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AND, UH, IT IS 7:09 PM UH, WE STAND IN RECESS.