[CALL TO ORDER ]
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THIS IS THE REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE AUSTIN DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 20TH, AND THE TIME IS 5:30 PM SO, UM, RYAN, WOULD YOU MIND CALLING ROLE? SURE THING.
COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT IS NOT HERE, BUT IF SHE LET ME KNOW, SHE'S GONNA BE HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER PRESENT.
HE'S TOLD ME HE'D BE JOINING VIRTUAL SO WE CAN EXPECT HIM IN A EVENT.
COMMISSIONER TAN GUCCI PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN THE CAMERA? HI.
UM, BUT UH, SO I DON'T HAVE THE VIDEO ON.
I CAN TURN IT ON A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT YES, I'M HERE.
WE'LL JUST, UH, JUST MAKE SURE TO TURN THAT VIDEO ON IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WANNA PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
THANKS RYAN.DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? WE DO.
UM, FIRST UP WE HAVE SHELBY EVANS SPEAKING ON ELOISE HOUSE AND SAFE FUNDING.
I'M A LEAD ORGANIZER WITH HANDS OFF CENTRAL TEXAS, AN ADVOCATE, SURVIVOR AND CONCERNED CITIZEN.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT SECURING FUNDING AND OUR PETITION FOR SAFES PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ELOISE HOUSE.
THESE ARE LIFE-SAVING PROGRAMS THAT AUSTINITES CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE.
ELOISE HOUSE IS SLATED TO CLOSE JUNE 8TH AND CURRENTLY CONDUCTS 95% OF FORENSIC EXAMS IN AUSTIN.
THESE EXAMS ARE CRITICAL EVIDENCE FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT WHO CHOOSE TO SEEK JUSTICE THROUGH THE COURTS.
WE KNOW MOST PEOPLE DO NOT REPORT SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
SOME ESTIMATES ARE AS LOW AS 15 TO 20% OF SURVIVORS THAT COME FORWARD.
I MYSELF, DID NOT REPORT MY FIRST SEXUAL ASSAULT AT THAT TIME 17 YEARS AGO.
MY OPTIONS WERE WHAT WE'RE FACING NOW TO GO TO AN ER ROOM, WAIT FIVE, SIX, MAYBE A DOZEN HOURS IN A STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT, AND BE SUBJECTED TO A CLINICAL, POTENTIALLY COSTLY EXPERIENCE THAT IS NOT TRAUMA INFORMED.
IF I HAD ACCESS TO THE ELOISE HOUSE BACK THEN, EVEN IF I NEVER DECIDED TO GO TO THE POLICE, PERHAPS I WOULD'VE SHARED MY EXPERIENCE WITH SOMEONE WHO COULD HELP RATHER THAN SUFFER IN SILENCE.
THE FIVE YEARS IT TOOK ME TO UTTER A WORD ABOUT IT.
AT LEAST HALF OF ALL WOMEN AND NEARLY A THIRD OF MEN HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THEIR LIFETIMES.
RATES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE ARE HIGHER FOR TRANS QUEER IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
FORENSIC EXAMS AND OTHER SERVICES AT SAFE ARE INCREASINGLY NEEDED AS THE STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS SLASH WHAT LIMITED SUPPORT WE HAVE FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS AND, AND ESSENTIAL SAFETY SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE OUR, UH, OUR AUSTIN HABITABLE AND OPEN FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT WANT TO VISIT.
ERS ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THIS CARE AND AUSTIN SHOULD HAVE A BUDGET THAT MATCHES ITS RESIDENTS VALUES.
PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION AND STAND WITH US TO SAVE SAFE.
WHERE CAN WE FIND THAT PETITION? YES, SO THAT'LL BE A, UM, HANDS OFF CENTRAL TEXAS OR HO CTX.ORG/SAVE.
AND I HAVE SOME FRIENDS HERE THAT WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT WAYS THAT, UM, Y'ALL MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT.
NEXT UP IS SOPHIA MITO SPEAKING ON FORENSIC EXAM FUNDING.
HOW TO Y'ALL? UM, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU WHY THIS MATTERS TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, ALTHOUGH IT REALLY MATTERS TO, OF COURSE, ALL OF US IN OUR ABILITY TO LIKE ENFORCE THE LAW IN AUSTIN.
IT ALSO MATTERS FOR OUR TOURISM ECONOMY.
WE, AUSTIN RESIDENTS STILL REMEMBER THE RAPE KIT BACKLOG AND REMEMBER HOW HARD WE FOUGHT TO GET LAWS ENFORCED
IT WOULD BE PRETTY DEVASTATING, I THINK, TO THE REPUTATION OF OUR CITY.
10% OF OUR ECONOMY, GIVE OR TAKE, IS FROM DIRECT TOURISM.
10% IS FROM LIKE GOING OUT AND ABOUT RESTAURANTS, BARS.
AND IF WE DEVELOP A REPUTATION FOR
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BEING UNSAFE FOR COLLEGE KIDS OR UNSAFE FOR WOMEN, BECAUSE THE CITY IS JUST NOT GONNA FUND OUR LIKE, INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FORENSIC EXAM PROGRAM.I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW VALUABLE THIS PROGRAM IS.
IT WAS BUILT 10 YEARS AGO BY SAFE, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT.
IT GETS LESS THAN ITS FULL FUNDING FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN ALREADY.
SO THEY ACTUALLY CROWDFUND TO COME UP WITH THE REST OF THE MONEY AND 95% OF ALL FORENSIC EXAMS THAT THEN GO TO A PD SO THEY CAN TRY TO FIND LIKE A MASS MURDERER OR, YOU KNOW, A SERIAL RAPIST OR SOMETHING LIKE THIS COMES THROUGH THIS ONE SINGULAR PROGRAM.
NOW, HOSPITALS ALREADY HAVE A LEGAL LIABILITY TO DO THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HOSPITALS FOR A LOT OF REASONS, INCLUDING NOW.
IMMIGRANTS DON'T WANNA GO TO HOSPITALS WHEN AUSTIN HOSPITALS ARE ASKING FOR ARE US CITIZEN.
UM, I DON'T WANNA GO TO A HOSPITAL AND SIT THERE NEXT TO SOMEONE WHO HAS SOME HORRIBLE DISEASE, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE AT THE BACK OF THE LINE BECAUSE THERE'S NO BLOOD COMING OUT OF OUR BODIES.
MAYBE IT'S, IT'S AN EXTREMELY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE TO EXPERIENCE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE, TO EXPERIENCE MEDICAL COERCION.
AND THE REPLACEMENT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, IS SAYING, OH, WE'RE GONNA KICK IT TO HOSPITALS AND WE'RE GONNA USE SOMETHING CALLED THE BRAVE ALLIANCE, WHICH NO ONE IN THIS SPACE HAS EVER HEARD OF.
THEY'RE LIKE FRANTICALLY HIRING.
HOW THEY'RE GETTING FUNDING IS VERY SUS WE REALLY NEED TO BE PRIORITIZING THIS PROGRAM, WHICH IS 1.34 MILLION A YEAR.
SO IT'S VERY SMALL AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS EMERGENCY STOP GAP FUNDING FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER SO THAT THIS PROGRAM DOESN'T CLOSE JUNE 8TH BECAUSE THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT TWO RAPE KITS A DAY.
IF THIS PROGRAM FUNDS, LIKE IF THEY LEAVE, WE HAVE NO FUNDING ON THE NINTH, WE'RE GONNA START TO SEE NO REPORTING.
WE'RE GONNA SEE A HUGE DROP OFF IN REPORTING FOR A LOT OF REASONS, INCLUDING FOLKS KNOW TO GO TO SAFE.
THAT'S SOMETHING WOMEN HAVE ASKED ME, WHAT DO I DO? THIS HAPPENED TO ME.
WE'RE NOT GONNA, PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA KNOW TO CALL THIS NEW OUT OF TOWN ORGANIZATION WITH NO RECEIPTS.
SO WE'RE ASKING Y'ALL FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING.
FOR AN EMERGENCY RESOLUTION FOR EMERGENCY FUNDING.
NEXT UP WE HAVE DAN WEBER SPEAKING ON ELOISE HOUSE AND SAFE FUNDING.
I'M A MARINE CORPS COMBAT VETERAN AND FORMER DEPUTY WITH THE HAYES COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
I'VE GIVEN MY LIFE TO PUBLIC SERVICE, ALL IN THE FAILED ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE WORLD IN AFGHANISTAN.
WE TRIED TO SAVE THE WORLD FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.
FIRST IT WAS TO SAVE THOSE BACK HOME, THEN IT'S FOR MY BROTHERS WOUNDED AND KILLED THEN.
AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD FOR THOSE OPPRESSED AFGHAN WOMEN AND GIRLS.
THE WOMEN WE WATCHED BEATEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET FOR SMILING AT US.
THE GIRLS ADDICTED TO OPIUM BY THE AGE OF EIGHT AND SYSTEMICALLY RAPED EVEN BEFORE THAT.
THE THING I TOOK MOST PRIDE IN DURING MY DEPLOYMENTS WAS ASSISTING TO BUILD AND DEFEND THE FIRST GIRLS SCHOOL IN THAT REGION IN DECADES.
I THOUGHT I WAS SAVING THEIR WORLD AND THEY DID TOO.
AMERICA ABANDONED THAT SCHOOL AND THOSE GIRLS TO THE TALIBAN, WHO YESTERDAY LEGALIZED FORCED CHILD MARRIAGES.
I FAILED TO SAVE THE WORLD AS A MARINE, BUT I NEVER FAILED TO TRY TO FIGHT AS A DEPUTY SHERIFF.
I FOUGHT TO SAVE WORLDS WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED BEYOND REPAIR TO SAVE THE WORLD OF WOMEN, MEN, GIRLS AND BOYS, ISOLATED, BEATEN AND RAPED USUALLY BY THOSE THEY TRUSTED MOST IN THIS WORLD, THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
I TRIED TO SAVE WORLDS BY TAKING HOURS TO SPEAK WITH VICTIMS, ENSURING THEY KNEW WHAT RIGHTS THEY HAD AND USHERING THEM, THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ALONE BY CONVINCING THEM TO TAKE EXAMS, WHICH I KNEW WOULD RE-TRAUMATIZE THEM, BUT WITHOUT WHICH THEIR CHANCES OF FREEDOM WERE SLIM TO NONE.
FREEDOM FROM UNCONVICTED, RAPISTS AND ABUSERS.
AND THOUGH I WAS A HAYES COUNTY DEPUTY, IT WAS ELOISE'S HOUSE MANY VICTIMS WENT TO FOR THAT CHANCE OF FREEDOM.
TODAY, EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL WALK PAST A WOMAN AT ONE POINT WHO IF RAPED, WOULD BE OF TOO AFRAID TO COME FORWARD.
SHE MAY BE AN IMMIGRANT OR SIMPLY HISPANIC AND AFRAID OF BEING TAKEN FROM HER FAMILY BY ICE.
SHE MAY BE ISOLATED FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS BY AN ABUSIVE SPOUSE.
SHE MAY BE AFRAID OF NOT BEING BELIEVED IN BECOMING OSTRACIZED FROM HER COMMUNITY.
WE AS A SOCIETY HAVE NO CONCEPTION OF HOW MANY WOMEN AND GIRLS SUFFER SILENTLY AND HOW MANY TIMES IT CAN TAKE A PERSON TO BE VICTIMIZED BEFORE THEY COME FORWARD, BEFORE THEIR TERROR FINALLY OVERRIDES THE LACK OF FAITH THEY HAVE IN THE SYSTEM DESIGNED TO PROTECT THEM.
I FAILED TO SAVE THE WORLD AS A DEPUTY, BUT I NEVER FAILED TO TRY TO FIGHT.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO SIMPLY SAY TO SIMPLY FUND SAFE EXAMS. I'M ASKING YOU TO RECONSIDER WHY THIS IS EVEN A QUESTION.
WHY NONPROFITS AND PRIVATE DONATIONS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ROXANNE'S HOUSE
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AND ELOISE HOUSE FOR FOOD BANKS AND SHELTERS.WHILE WAS AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS WHO CAME TO AID THE COMMUNITY OF SANDY CREEK WAS DEVASTATED BY FLOOD WATERS.
NOT 20 MINUTES FROM THIS BUILDING.
I'M ASKING YOU TO LISTEN TO THE SCREENS OF YOUR CITIZENS AT NIGHT TO FEEL THEIR TEARS FLOWING DOWN YOUR CHEEKS AND TO TRY TO TRULY TRY TO IMAGINE THE PAIN INSIDE.
YOU WOULD FEEL IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU AND YOU NEVER RECEIVED HELP BECAUSE YOU WERE A LINE ITEM ON A BUDGET MORE CONCERNED WITH BATHROOMS AND AI THAN YOUR FAMILY.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO SAVE THE WORLD, I'M ASKING YOU TO TRY TO FIGHT.
I'M ALSO ASKING FOR AN EMERGENCY RESOLUTION FOR EMERGENCY FUNDS.
CHAIRMAN, ARE WE, QUESTIONS OR NOT? RYAN, CAN WE ASK QUESTIONS? UH, YOU, YOU MAY ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.
I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION FOR THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, UM, REGARDING THE, THE FUNDING AMOUNTS.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU SAID IT WAS 1.34 MILLION FOR THE TOTAL BUDGET.
IS THAT THAT CORRECT? FOR THE FORENSIC? YEAH, THAT'S PER YEAR.
SO THE EMERGENCY FUNDING THAT WE NEED UNTIL SEPTEMBER IS MUCH LESS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S LESS THAN HALF A MILLION? LESS THAN HALF A MILLION.
I CAN GET YOU AN EXACT NUMBER FROM SAFE.
WHO WOULD BE THE PEOPLE TO ASK? NO, IT THAT, THAT'S OKAY.
I WAS JUST WANTING TO CLARIFY.
I I WANNA SAY FOR THE RECORD, I, I, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT SOME FRIENDS THAT ARE INVOLVED ON THE SAFE ALLIANCE BOARD AND I REMEMBER THE BACKLOGS OF THE RAPE KITS AND SO, UH, I THINK THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A WORTHWHILE THING FOR US TO CONSIDER.
CHAIRMAN, UH, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING AND, AND TELLING US ABOUT THIS.
UM, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK 1.34 MILLION OR EVEN 500,000 TO GET THROUGH SEPTEMBER IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD DEFINITELY CONSIDER.
WE'LL SEND SOME FOLLOW UP INFORMATION TO EVERYBODY AS WELL.
UM, YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THE FOUNDING, COULD YOU RECAP HOW IT WAS FOUNDED AND HOW IT WAS ORIGINALLY FUNDED? SURE.
SO I, I AM A LESS PRECISE PERSON TO ASK THAN SAFE.
WHO WOULD I'M SURE BE VERY HAPPY TO COME IN AND TALK TO YOU, BUT THIS PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED 10 YEARS AGO.
UM, SINCE IT'S BEEN DEVELOPED, WE'VE HAD SENATORS LIKE CORNIN, WE'VE HAD THE WHITE HOUSE, WE'VE HAD OTHER COUNTRIES COME VISIT THIS PARTICULAR NONPROFIT IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THEIR WRAPAROUND TRAUMA-INFORMED SERVICES.
AND WE HAVE THESE REPORTING NUMBERS OF SA AND WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE WHICH, YOU KNOW, CHAIN OF EVIDENCE.
I'M NOT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT LIKE IF THE WRONG PERSON HANDLES EVIDENCE, IT CAN BE VERY, VERY HARD TO BRING A CONVICTION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IS IF WE'RE GONNA KICK THESE EXAMS TO HOSPITALS, IF SOMEONE AT THE HOSPITAL MESSES UP THE CHAIN OF EVIDENCE, IT'S GONNA BE VERY HARD FOR A PD TO BRING CHARGES.
BUT WHERE, HOW IS IT ORIGINALLY FUNDED? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW SAFE GENERALLY IS FUNDED ABOUT 50% THROUGH CITY FUNDING AND THEN THE REST THEY DO THROUGH A COMBINATION OF OTHER BITS OF FUNDING.
BUT FOR COMPARISON FOR A COMPARABLE, UH, COMPARABLE CITY, MOST OTHER CITIES AND PROGRAMS THIS EXPANSIVE WOULD BE FUNDED ABOUT 80% BY THE CITY.
SO THEY ARE ALREADY PULLING THEIR WEIGHT.
AND THEN SOME, AND I WILL ALSO ADD THAT PROVIDING FORENSIC EXAMS, IT'S SOMETHING IS THAT'S REQUIRED BY STATUTE.
SO THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE THESE, THE WAY THAT SAFE PROVIDES THESE IS CHEAPER THAN IF WE WERE DOING AT THE HOSPITAL.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY SAVING US MONEY AND THEY'RE DOING A BETTER JOB OF CARE THAN WOULD BE DONE IF WE WERE KICKING IT TO THE HOSPITALS, WHICH IS CURRENTLY THE MAYOR'S PLAN.
THOUGH A BIG PLAN BESIDES A STATEMENT HAS NOT BEEN ELUCIDATED FOR THE PUBLIC.
COMMISSIONER, ONE MORE CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT JUNE 8TH BEING THE DEADLINE JUNE 9TH.
I MEAN, OUR NEXT MEETING WOULD BE PAST THAT, SO I WOULD RIGHT.
AND PRAGMATICALLY OR PROCESS WISE, WHAT? RIGHT.
COMMISSIONER CHEN BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTENTION ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO AND UM, ACTUALLY IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
AND UH, UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THE DEADLINE FOR US TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS MONTH.
SO THAT'S WHY COMMISSIONER LEVINSON ASKED RYAN TO SEND AROUND A NOTICE, WHICH HE DID.
ASKING PEOPLE TO CONTACT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER DIRECTLY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S NOT REALLY ANYTHING WE CAN DO BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF, YOU KNOW, OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND GETTING THE AGENDA OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
CHAIRMAN, MR. MARK? UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS ON THIS ISSUE BEFORE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, SO I GUESS ONCE WE GET TO MY UPDATE I CAN PROVIDE A LOT MORE DETAIL.
I ALSO HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT AN EMERGENCY MEETING FOR AN EMERGENCY RESOLUTION, RYAN, IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD DO? AND HOW WOULD THAT WORK? UM, FOR A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE STAFFING AND ROOM RESERVATION REQUIREMENTS AND COORDINATING AV SUPPORT, WE USUALLY LIKE TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE NOTICE.
UM, AND LIKE CONFIRMATION THAT A QUORUM OF COMMISSIONERS WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
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IF THIS DEADLINE IS JUNE 7TH, I DON'T SEE IT AS REALISTIC BEING ABLE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, UM, BEFORE THEN.IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT USUALLY LIKE TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF TWO WEEKS, UH, IN ORDER TO COORDINATE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
UM, AND I'LL ALSO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ARE ALLOWED BUT WOULD RECOMMEND AGAINST HAVING AN EXTENDED DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS SINCE WE'RE NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA FOR IT.
SO IT MIGHT BE VALUABLE TO TAKE THE REST OF THE CONVERSATION OFFLINE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission regular meeting of April 15, 2026. ]
NEXT UP IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THOSE? YES SIR.
AND YES, BEFORE WE GO FORWARD, I DIDN'T HEAR MY NAME ON THE ROLL.
I JUST REALIZED THAT IT'S PROBABLY, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, HER NAME WASN'T READ ON THE ROLL.
COMMISSIONER HOUSTON PRESENT
MY NAME IS IN HERE AS COMMISSIONER MCDANIELS AND GROWING UP THE S AT THE END OF MY NAME HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PET PEEVE.
SO IF WE COULD JUST DELETE THAT S UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
OTHERWISE I, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE THE MINUTES.
UH, I, I THINK WE, DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE MEETING TO THE MINUTES OR JUST A VOTE? I THINK IT WOULD BE FINE TO HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES WITH AN AMENDMENT TO REMOVE, YES.
WHO WANTS TO MAKE THAT MOTION? SO MOVE.
I'M ABSTAINING BECAUSE I WASN'T HERE LAST TIME.
UM, THE, I WILL SAY THE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PRESENT AT THE MEETING IN ORDER TO VOTE AFFIRMATIVELY ON THE MINUTES.
UM, IF YOU ABSTAIN, THESE MINUTES WILL NOT BE APPROVED SINCE THAT.
UM, ALRIGHT, MOVING ALONG TO THE MEAT OF THE AGENDA.
UM, THE UPDATE ON THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN IS NOT HAPPENING TONIGHT.
[3. Update regarding the new convention center. Presentation by Katy Zamesnik, Interim Director, Austin Convention Center.]
WE'RE MOVING ON TO AN UPDATE REGARDING THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER PRESENTATION BY KATIE'S THE MESNICK INTERIM DIRECTOR AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.I'M STILL GETTING USED TO SITTING DOWN
I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE BEFORE YOU ALL TODAY.
UM, I THINK IT HAS BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE I'VE HAD A CHANCE, UH, TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU GUYS KIND OF THE FULL PRESENTATION.
UM, IF AT ANY POINT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE SEEN, JUST FEEL FREE TO RAISE YOUR HAND AND I CAN KIND OF SKIP RIGHT ON BY.
UM, WE, WE DO A LOT OF THESE, SO I AM, UM, UNSURE OF KIND OF WHAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE.
UM, SO JUST GETTING STARTED, UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DOING THIS FOR ABOUT A DECADE.
UM, AND A BIG OF, ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS WE GET IS WHY, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WE ARE, UH, THE 13TH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, BUT UM, ALTHOUGH I THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY THE 12TH LARGEST, UM, BUT OUR CONVENTION CENTER IS ACTUALLY ONLY THE 61ST, 61ST LARGEST.
AND SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR AUSTIN? UM, FOR US THAT REALLY MEANT, UM, WE WERE TURNING AWAY ABOUT 50% OF THE BUSINESS LEADS THAT WE WERE GETTING INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND SO THAT MEANT THAT WE HAD TO TURN AWAY A LOT OF BUSINESS AND THAT MEANT THAT PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T COMING TO STAY AT HOTELS, THEY WEREN'T GOING TO OUR LOCAL BARS AND RESTAURANTS, THEY WEREN'T COMING TO VISIT OUR LOCAL SHOPS, UM, AND REALLY SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR LOCAL TOURISM ECONOMY.
AND SO AFTER, AGAIN, ABOUT A DECADE OF STUDY, WE MADE THE DECISION TO GO AHEAD, UM, AND DO A FULL REBUILD AND EXPANSION OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
AND WHEN COMPLETE, UH, WE WILL JUMP TO ABOUT THE 35TH LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND THE WAY THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING ABOUT THIS REDEVELOPMENT, WE ARE MOVING OUR EXHIBIT HALLS UNDERGROUND, ALONG WITH OUR LOADING DOCKS, ACTUALLY ALLOWS US TO BUILD A MUCH LARGER FACILITY ON A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY AFFORDING OURSELVES THE ABILITY TO EXPAND AGAIN IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
AND THAT'LL JUMP US UP TO SOMEWHERE IN THE TWENTIES WHEN WE'RE COMPLETE WITH THAT AS WELL.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE KIND OF, UM, IN A, IN A FEW SLIDES.
SO ONCE WE ARE COMPLETE, WE'LL BE LARGER THAN THE CONVENTION CENTERS THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN.
MOST NOTABLY, UH, NASHVILLE, WHO WE COMPETE WITH, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY MOST OFTEN RIGHT NOW.
UM, ONE OF THE FUN STORIES I LIKE TO TELL IS WHEN WE INITIALLY REVEALED, UM, OUR RENDERINGS, UM, IN FEBRUARY OF 2025, UH, TO OUR INDUSTRY, WE HOSTED AN EVENT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT SOME OF THESE CITIES HAD ACTUALLY SENT SOME REPRESENTATIVES TO KIND OF COME IN AND SPY
UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL.
IT'S VERY UNCONVENTIONAL TO TEAR DOWN A CONVENTION CENTER.
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REALLY HAPPEN.UM, AND EVERYONE IS SHAKING IN THEIR, IN THEIR BOOTS, UM, TO KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA DO IT AND WE'RE GONNA BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, SO NOT ONLY WILL WE BE LARGER THAN OUR CURRENT, UM, COMPETITORS, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE ABLE TO GO AFTER A WHOLE NEW SET, UM, OF COMPETITION AS WELL.
AND SO THAT YOU WILL BE, UM, COMPETING WITH THESE CONVENTION CENTERS THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN AS WELL.
UM, BOTH SEATTLE AND DENVER DID JUST COMPLETE THEIR OWN EXPANSIONS, AND SO WE'RE KIND OF JUMPING TO THAT NEXT TIER OF BUSINESS.
LARGER EVENTS, BEING ABLE TO HOST MULTIPLE EVENTS AT THE SAME TIME, KIND OF REDUCE THE DARK DAYS THAT WE HAVE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, AND TAKE SOME OF THAT HIGHER QUALITY BUSINESS, UH, THAT THESE CONVENTION CENTERS TODAY ARE ABLE TO BOOK.
OH, DID I GO TOO FAR? UH, SO THIS IS MY CURRENT FAVORITE SLIDE.
THIS REALLY JUST KIND OF SUMS UP THE PROJECT IN ONE SLIDE.
UM, SO OUR TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET IS $1.66 BILLION.
IT IS FUNDED WITH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CONVENTION CENTER REVENUES AND PROJECT FINANCING ZONE.
THE PROJECT FINANCING ZONE IS A STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL THAT WE WERE AFFORDED AT THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND IT IS, IT CREATES A THREE MILE RADIUS AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER AND ALLOWS US TO GET THE STATE'S INCREMENTAL SHARE OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, SALES TAX, AND MIXED BEVERAGE TAX FROM THE HOTELS WITHIN THAT THREE MILE RADIUS.
UH, SO WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR AFFORDING US THAT OPPORTUNITY AND IT'S GONNA GO A LONG WAY TOWARD HELPING US WITH THIS PROJECT.
OUR ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT WHEN WE ARE COMPLETE WILL BE ABOUT $750 MILLION A YEAR ANNUALLY.
UM, AND SO AT THE INCREMENT FROM THE EXPANSION IS ABOUT 285.
WE ARE GROWING FROM 365,000 SQUARE FEET OF RENTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE TO 620,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 140,000 SQUARE FEET THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADD ON IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND I DO LIKE TO PAUSE ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, I GAVE A TALK TO, UM, SOME REAL ESTATE FOLKS ONE TIME AND SOMEBODY I COULD SEE WAS DOING THE MATH AND GETTING QUITE ANGRY.
WE ARE NOT BUILDING THE LARGEST OR THE MOST EXPENSIVE PIECE OF REAL ESTATE IN DOWNTOWN.
ALL I'M SHOWING ON THE SCREEN IS WHAT THE RENTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE, THAT'S HOW OUR INDUSTRY TALKS ABOUT THE SIZE OF OUR BUILDING.
UM, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABOUT TWICE THAT SIZE.
YOU HAVE ALL OF THE BACK OF HOUSE, THE SUPPORT, LIKE OUR LOADING DOCKS IN THAT KIND OF THING, BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT CONVENTION CENTERS IN THAT WAY.
UM, OUR CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE, WHICH I'LL SHOW ON ANOTHER SLIDE, UH, WE DID CLOSE OUR DOORS, UH, A YEAR AGO, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.
UM, AND WE ARE ON TARGET TO FINISH CONSTRUCTION IN DECEMBER OF 2028 AND BE READY TO WELCOME, UM, THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON IN 2029, UH, JUST TO TALK ABOUT OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE HELPING GETTING THIS GET DELIVER THIS PROJECT.
IT IS BEING CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTED AS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN JE DUNN AND TURNER.
UM, IT IS DESIGNED ALSO AS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN LM N AND PAIGE.
LMN IS OUT OF SEATTLE AND PAIGE IS HOMEGROWN RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
A CONVENTIONAL WISDOM ARE TECHNICAL ADVISORS.
THEY'VE BEEN WITH US FROM THE START.
THEY EVEN HELPED WITH THE ORIGINAL EXPANSION BACK IN 2001 AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR EXPERTISE.
IT IS BEING PROJECT MANAGED BY AUSTIN CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES AND AUGMENTED WITH, UM, SOME PRIVATE, UM, PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES THROUGH PROJECT CONTROLS.
AND THEN OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM IS BEING MANAGED BY THE AUSTIN ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO I MENTIONED AGAIN, THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE.
UH, WE ARE 100% COMPLETE WITH DEMOLITION.
WE ARE A LITTLE OVER 60% DONE WITH EXCAVATION.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE ACTUALLY IN CONSTRUCTION AS WELL.
UM, AND I'LL TALK, I DON'T WANNA GET AHEAD OF MYSELF, SO I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT JUST KIND OF SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE ON THE SCHEDULE AT A HIGH LEVEL HERE.
SO JUST TOUCHING A LITTLE BIT ON OUR PROJECT GOALS.
UH, SO WAY BACK IN THE DAY WHEN COUNCIL WAS KIND OF GOING THROUGH ALL THE APPROVAL PROCESSES ON THIS PROJECT AND, AND WE WERE KIND OF GEARING UP TO REALLY GET STARTED WITH DESIGN AND ALL OF THAT.
COUNCIL PASSED THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN.
THIS IS JUST AN EXCERPT FROM THAT RESOLUTION KIND OF REALLY SAYING WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE OUT OF THIS PROJECT.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAS RESONATED WITH US AND IS CARRIED THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT.
UM, I THINK THE IDEA OF THIS BEING A WORLD CLASS DESIGN, A LANDMARK OF GREAT DISTINCTION, AND TO ME MOST IMPORTANTLY AS SOMETHING THAT'S A POINT OF PRIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE REALLY WANT THIS TO BE A PLACE THAT NOT ONLY DO OUR VISITORS WANT TO COME, YOU KNOW, OUR CLIENTS WANNA COME AND THEY WANNA BRING THEIR BUSINESS HERE, BUT WE ALSO WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY WANTS TO COME AND WALK THROUGH AND ENJOY AS WELL.
UM, AND SOMETHING THAT I KNOW VERY WELL THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTED TO COME AND VISIT OUR BIG GIANT SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN, UM, PRIOR TO SUSTAINABILITY IS ALSO A REALLY HUGE PART OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY ON TRACK TO BE THE WORLD'S FIRST ZERO CARBON CERTIFIED CONVENTION CENTER IN THE WORLD.
UM, AND THAT IS A HUGE SUCCESS STORY FOR
[00:25:01]
US.UH, WE ARE ON TRACK FOR LEAD GOLD.
WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM.
UM, WE HAVE A VERY LARGE MASS TIMBER PROGRAM THAT YOU'LL SEE IN SOME OF THE RENDERINGS.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE ACTUALLY ALSO CREATING A LOW CARBON CONCRETE FOR THE PROJECT THAT IS, UH, I'M TOLD WE'LL ACTUALLY CREATE A MARKET FOR BUILDINGS IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
SO WE'RE CREATING SOMETHING NEW THAT SHOULD HOPEFULLY CARRY FORWARD AND YOU'LL SEE IN OTHER BUILDINGS AS WELL.
OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM IS SOMETHING ELSE WE'RE REALLY PROUD AND EXCITED ABOUT.
SO TO DATE, IT IS THE LARGEST SINGLE INVESTMENT IN, UM, AUSTIN'S PUBLIC ART COLLECTION.
THE AIRPORT WILL ABSOLUTELY TAKE US OVER ONCE THEY REALLY GET GOING WITH THEIR $4 BILLION PROJECT, BUT TODAY WE CAN PLANT OUR FLAG AND SAY THAT WE ARE THE SINGLE LARGEST INVESTMENT.
UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY DIVIDED THE PROGRAM UP INTO TWO DIFFERENT SCOPES.
UH, THE FIRST PHASE IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING ARCHITECTURALLY INTEGRATED ARTWORK.
IT'S ALSO SOMETHING NEW FOR THE CITY.
UH, SO WE'VE SELECTED THESE 10 ARTISTS THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY CREATING ARTWORK THAT WILL BE A PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE BUILDING, UM, WHETHER IT'S ON THE CEILINGS AND THE SOFFITS, WHETHER IT'S PART OF THE EXTERIOR SKIN.
UM, AND THEY ARE, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY FOR I BELIEVE ALMOST A YEAR NOW.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GEARING UP TO BE ABLE TO DO A, A REVEAL OF THE FIRST ROUND OF THEIR DESIGNS, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO PUBLICLY START TALKING ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL DO A MORE TRADITIONAL PROCUREMENT, UH, COMING UP PRETTY SOON.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA START THAT PROCESS, UM, IN LESS THAN A YEAR.
AND SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE CAN START WALKING THROUGH THE SITE.
UM, SO HERE'S OUR SIX CITY BLOCKS IN CARTOON FORM ON THE SCREEN.
UM, CAESAR CHAVEZ IS DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT, OR, UM, FIRST STREET, WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING IT NOW.
UM, AND THEN FOURTH STREET UP AT THE TOP.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE BALLROOM, UM, IN THE, AT THE BOTTOM IN THE RED.
AND THEN OUR FLEX HALL, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO BE EITHER ANOTHER TYPE OF EXHIBIT HALL OR IT CAN ALSO BE A BALLROOM AS WELL.
IT'S DESIGNED TO KIND OF, UM, BE A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE TWO THERE IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE OUR OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE THAT'S KIND OF NESTLED THERE IN THE YELLOW UP AT THE TOP.
UM, THEN, THEN, UM, OBVIOUSLY IT BORDERS ON FOURTH STREET WHERE, UH, THE RED LINE IS AS WELL.
AND THEN OUR FUTURE EXPANSION WILL GO UP IN THAT CORNER.
UM, AND SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF A RENDERING.
WE'VE DESIGNED IT THROUGH CONCEPT, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'LL NEED TO BE A LOT MORE WORK, UM, AS WE CONTINUE FORWARD.
SO STARTING AT THE NORTHERN END, UM, CALLED LOOKING AT THE OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE AND WHAT WE'RE AFFECTIONATELY CALLING THE WAREHOUSE.
THAT'S WHERE OUR TRUCKS WILL, UH, DIVE IN UNDERGROUND.
UM, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY NICELY, VERY NICELY BUILT.
IT WILL BE THE NICEST WAREHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE REOPENED UP THE STREET GRID AT THIRD STREET WHERE IT SAYS FESTIVAL DROP OFF UP THERE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE FULLY MULTIMODAL.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DRIVE YOUR CAR THROUGH IT.
UM, WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO CLOSE IT DOWN FOR A STREET FESTIVAL, THAT KIND OF ATMOSPHERE.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO RECONNECT BACK IN AND MAKE IT BE, BE MUCH CLOSER TO THAT URBAN, UH, UH, TO THE URBAN FABRIC OF DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THIS IS JUST A RENDERING OF IT KIND OF IN, UM, IN ACTION.
AND SO THIS IS A NEW RENDERING THAT, UM, OR AN UPDATED RENDERING.
UM, WE'VE KIND OF BEEN WORKING THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS, OBVIOUSLY FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
AND SO YOU SEE IT, IT'S SET UP AS A CONCERT STAGE.
UH, WE DO HAVE A COVERED WALKWAY TO NECHES STREET THERE.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT WHAT WE'RE CALLING THOSE ARE LENTICULAR FINS THAT YOU SEE AT THE BACK.
SO THIS IS NOW THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, AND THESE, THOSE LENTICULAR FINS THAT YOU SEE, THOSE VERTICAL LINES, UM, ON THE BUILDING, THEY ACTUALLY CHANGE COLOR AS YOU WALK.
UM, AND SO AS YOU GO FROM EAST TO WEST, UH, THEY GO FROM, UH, BLUE TO GREEN, AND THEN IF YOU GO FROM, UH, WEST TO EAST, THEY ARE PURPLE TO ORANGE.
AND SO IT'S A REALLY FANTASTIC KIND OF FUN WAY TO, TO KIND OF EXPERIENCE AND, AND, AND GET SOME, UM, MOVEMENT WITHIN, WITHIN THE SITE.
SO WE'RE REALLY, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND WHAT THAT LOOK AND FEEL IS GONNA BE.
AND SO MOVING DOWN INTO THE CENTER OF THE SITE, UH, JUST THIS IS WHERE THE HEAVIEST AMOUNT OF PROGRAMMING THAT WE HAVE IS.
AND SO THAT'S AGAIN, WHERE THE FLEX HALL IS.
THIS WILL BE THE TALLEST PORTION OF THE SITE.
IT'S WHERE THE, THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEETING ROOMS ARE, WHERE THE REGISTRATION IS.
AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE, UM, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE WHERE THE EXHIBIT HALL IS UNDERGROUND.
AND SO YOU'VE GOT THE IMAGE HERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE MASS TIMBER PROGRAM THAT RUNS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SITE.
UM, SO THIS IS SECOND STREET YOU'RE STANDING ON TRINITY LOOKING EAST.
AND SO THIS IS, UH, SECOND STREET HAS BEEN ALSO OPENED UP.
IT IS OBVIOUSLY DID NOT EXIST WITH THE OLD CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WAY THROUGH DOWN TO, UH, RED RIVER ALL THE WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE.
WE'VE GOT SOME RETAIL ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
UM, WE'VE OBVIOUSLY RENDERED IN PROJECT CONNECT AND WE'RE
[00:30:01]
EXCITED ABOUT THAT TO COME INTO FRUITION AS WELL.UM, AND JUST REALLY OPEN AND, UM, JUST REALLY RECONNECTING BACK TO THE STREET GRID, UH, WITH THE, WITH THIS DESIGN AND THEN JUMPING THROUGH ALL THE WAY TO RED RIVER STREET.
UH, YOU CAN SEE NOW WE'VE KIND OF SOFTENED THE WAY THAT WE HAVE THE DESIGN HERE WITH INCORPORATING A LOT MORE OF THE GREENERY.
UH, WE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH WATERLOO GREENWAY AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE DESIGN OF THIS, JUST AS THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, THE CONFLUENCE AND, UM, ALL OF THEIR PHASES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS TO THEM AS WE ARE WORKING THROUGH OUR LANDSCAPING.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT IT FEELS COHESIVE IN THAT IT'S ALL ONE PROJECT ESSENTIALLY.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE ARTWORK THAT WE HAVE THAT'S JUST A REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE OF, UM, SOME OF THE ARTWORK.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE THREE MURALISTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE WORKING ON THAT SOFFIT THAT YOU SEE ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
AND THEN JUMPING DOWN TO OUR, UM, THE HALL AND OUR BALLROOM.
UM, SO WE TOOK OUR INSPIRATION FROM A TEXAS DANCE HALL FOR THIS.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE KIND OF, WE'VE GOT THE NICE PORCH, WE'VE GOT THE PITCHED ROOF.
UM, AND SOMETHING ELSE THAT CAME OUT THROUGH THE DESIGN OF THIS PROJECT, WHICH WAS REALLY FASCINATING AND NEAT, IS THAT WE REALIZED THAT ALL ALONG THIS FRONTAGE WE HAD CITY HALL, WE HAD THE NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY, AND NOW WE HAVE OUR BALLROOM RIGHT HERE.
SO WE HAVE THREE CIVIC BUILDINGS ALL ALONG THIS STREET.
AND SO AS THE DESIGN TEAM WAS GOING THROUGH THEIR DESIGN, THEY KIND OF TOOK CUES FROM THE CENTRAL LIBRARY AND CITY HALL IN THE DESIGN OF OUR BALLROOM.
AND SO WHEN ALL, WHEN YOU KIND OF, YOU KIND OF TIE ALL THREE TOGETHER ALONG THIS STREET, UM, AND SO YOU CAN JUST KIND OF SEE HOW WE'VE OPENED UP THE STREET, STREET SCAPE HERE, UM, ALONG CESAR CHAVEZ.
WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY NICE WALKWAYS THROUGH THE SITE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE GREENERY THAN WE EVER HAD WITH THE OLD BUILDING.
UM, AND IT JUST FEELS MUCH MORE INTEGRATED INTO DOWNTOWN.
RATHER THAN HAVING TO WALK ALL THE WAY AROUND THE SITE, YOU CAN KIND OF WALK THROUGH IT, UM, AND JUST FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE CONNECTED INTO THE FABRIC OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND ONE THING THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS RENDERINGS THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THAT TINY LITTLE HOUSE THAT IS RIGHT THERE ON THE FRONT PORCH.
SO THAT HOUSE USED TO LIVE ABOUT 50 FEET FROM WHERE YOU SEE IT RENDERED IN THAT, IN THAT IMAGE THERE.
IT WAS MOVED IN THE NINETIES FOR THE ORIGINAL CONVENTION CENTER JUST ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, AND I'LL SEE IF I CAN, IF YOU CAN SEE ON THIS IMAGE HERE.
UM, SO IT, THAT'S WHERE IT USED TO LIVE.
UM, AND THEN WE MOVED IT ACROSS THE STREET FOR THE ORIGINAL CONVENTION CENTER IN THE NINETIES.
WE'VE DONE SEVERAL REHABS, IT'S BEEN UNDER THE CARE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, AND WE ARE REALLY, REALLY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT IT'S GONNA GO BACK ONTO THE SITE ABOUT 50 FEET FROM WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE 1850S.
AND IT'S WE'RE, WE HAVE SOME REALLY GRAND PLANS FOR IT.
THESE ARE JUST SOME RENDERINGS.
WE DID A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF APRIL, UM, JUST KIND OF ANNOUNCING ITS MOVE BACK TO THE SITE.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO FIT IN, UM, INTO THE SITE.
UH, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW, WHAT THE PROGRAMMING OF IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE YET, UM, BUT THE INTENTION IS TO REALLY HAVE IT OPEN, UM, AND HAVE IT ACTIVATED FOR USE.
UM, AND SO THIS IS, IT PERHAPS ACTIVATED AT NIGHT, BUT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT AS YOU'RE STANDING KIND OF IN THE PRE-FUNCTION OR IN THE PORCH, UM, OUTSIDE THE BALLROOM.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED AND REALLY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO PRESERVE A PIECE OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY AS PART OF THIS AND, AND TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEP, KEEP THAT HISTORY ALIVE AS WELL.
UH, SO WE ARE, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE ABOUT 60% DONE WITH EXCAVATION.
UM, WE DO HAVE ABOUT 300 OR SO TRUCKS THAT ARE GETTING DIRT OUT OF HERE A DAY.
UM, LAST COUNT I HEARD WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 25 BARTON SPRINGS WORTH OF DIRT HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SITE.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN TAKING IT KIND OF ALL OVER.
UH, ONE, SOME OF THE DIRT HAS GONE OUT TO DELL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, TO HELP THEIR BUILDING A HIGH SCHOOL OUT THERE.
AND SO THE, THE DIRT'S BEEN GOING OUT THERE TO HELP WITH SOME OF THAT.
SO SOME OF THAT SITE PREPARATION, UM, REALLY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE COMPLETELY FINISHED OUR DIAPHRAGM WALL.
UH, SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE WATER BARRIER, KEEPING BACK THE WATER TABLE, BUT IT WILL ALSO PARTIALLY FORM, UM, SOME OF THE, UH, FOUNDATION WALLS FOR THE UNDERGROUND EXHIBIT HALL.
UM, THIS WAS A REALLY FASCINATING PIECE OF, UM, CONSTRUCTION TO WATCH.
THERE'S ONLY ONE COMPANY IN THE WORLD THAT DOES THIS.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 200 YEARS.
AND THEY BASICALLY JUST CUT INTO THE GROUND AND THEN THEY CREATE THIS CONCRETE SLUSHY MIX AND THEN THEY FILL IT BACK UP AND THEN THEY, THEN YOU CAN, AND IT CREATES THE WALL IN THE GROUND AND THEN YOU CAN KIND OF EXCAVATE BEHIND IT.
UM, IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO WATCH.
THEY JUST LEFT THE SITE A COUPLE OF WEEKS
[00:35:01]
AGO.UM, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS VERY FASCINATING.
UM, AND THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
THE WALLS ARE INCREDIBLY STRAIGHT, SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT
UM, AND THEN I SAID WE ARE IN CONSTRUCTION, SO WE HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED OUR CONCRETE PORES AND WE'VE GOTTEN OUR FIRST CRANE ON SITE.
UH, SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE GONNA BE DOING SOME MORE CONCRETE PORES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, OBVIOUSLY AS WE RAMP UP.
UM, AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME MORE CRANES THAT'LL BE COMING ON SITE HERE, UH, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS AS WELL.
SO OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT, WE'RE NOT JUST SITTING AROUND KIND OF TWIDDLING OUR THUMBS WHILE WE'VE BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
OUR SALES TEAM IN CONJUNCTION VISIT AUSTIN HAS BEEN OUT SELLING THE NEW BUILDING.
UM, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE'VE GOT ABOUT 78 OR 80 GROUPS THAT ARE TENTATIVE OR BOOKED FOR THE NEW BUILDING, UM, WHICH WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
40% OF THOSE WOULD NOT HAVE FIT IN THE OLD BUILDING.
UM, AND SEVERAL OF THOSE HAVE EVEN, UM, HAVE EVEN SIGNED, UH, FOR MULTI-YEAR.
SO THEY HAVEN'T EVEN COME YET.
AND THEY'RE SAYING, NOT ONLY DO I TRUST YOU, BUT I TRUST YOU THAT I'M GONNA COMMIT TO COMING BACK SEVERAL YEARS IN A ROW.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT EV THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN ON THE DESIGN FROM NOT ONLY, UM, OUR CUSTOMERS, BUT JUST KIND OF ANYONE THAT WE'RE EX, YOU KNOW, ANY NEW CLIENTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET HAVE BEEN JUST ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
UM, SO IT'S, I THINK WHAT, WHAT WE ARE DOING WHILE, AGAIN, UNCONVENTIONAL, I THINK IS SOMETHING YOU MIGHT START TO SEE IN THE MARKETPLACE.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.
UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO, TO GET THIS BUILDING OPEN IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS.
AND I THINK THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR ME TODAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE'VE HEARD SOME CONCERN ABOUT TRAFFIC ISSUES.
UM, SO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO MITIGATE AND WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AS FAR AS ANY CONFLICT, ANY ISSUES? YEAH, SO WE HAVE A TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND SO WE'VE HAD THAT IN PLACE FROM THE START AND WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR, WITH OUR CITY'S, UM, TPW, UM, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ON THAT.
UM, AND WE ARE SENDING OUT REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS OUT TO, UM, KIND OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE AREA AROUND US, KIND OF NOTIFYING OF ANY CONSTRUCTION UPDATES THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND IF ANYONE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN AND BEING ADDED TO THAT, WE CAN CERTAINLY GET YOU ADDED TO THAT LIST.
UM, SO WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO COMMUNICATE PROACTIVELY IF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, IF WE NEED TO SHUT DOWN RED RIVER TO INSTALL THE CRANE FOR EXAMPLE, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND SO, AND, AND IF THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME WE DO START HEARING COMPLAINTS, THEY, WE DEFINITELY KNOW ABOUT THEM AND THEN TRY TO, TO ADJUST THEM AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
COMMISSIONER PITO, UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, FIRST, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT, UM, THE CITY HAD THIS HUGE INVESTMENT IN THE NINETIES OF A CONVENTION CENTER THAT WAS NOT EXPANDABLE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS DESIGNED HORIZONTAL, UH, IN DESIGN, AND SO THERE WAS NO FLEXIBILITY, UH, TO, UH, BASICALLY GO UP VERTICALLY.
AND SO WITH THIS NEW DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION, IT'S OBVIOUSLY BASED ON THE REJECTED USE, UH, FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, IS THERE, UM, AN ASPECT OF THIS CURRENT DESIGN THAT, UH, HAS THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR EXPANSION, SAY 20 YEARS FROM NOW? YEAH, SO I MENTIONED THE, UH, OUR ABILITY TO EXPAND AND ADD ANOTHER 140,000 SQUARE FEET AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
THE TIMING OF THAT IS UNCERTAIN RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S REALLY OUR EXPANSION PLAN THERE IS WHEN IT COMES TO CONVENTION CENTERS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE FULL MIX OF WHAT YOU'RE OFFERING IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BUILD MEETING ROOMS FOR YEARS, BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE EXHIBIT SPACE TO SUPPORT THAT, THEN OUR CLIENTS WON'T WANNA BOOK THAT.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY GETTING THAT MIX RIGHT AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE LOOKED AT AND WHAT WE'RE BUILDING AND, AND WITH THE ADDITION OF THAT, YOU KNOW, EXTRA 140,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT WILL GET US DECADES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY 50, BUT I, I, I WOULDN'T WANNA BE, I WOULDN'T WANNA BE TIED TO THAT.
UM, BUT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SITE CONSTRAINED, UM, AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE ENGINEERED IT THE BEST WE CAN AND, AND THAT ADDITIONAL 140,000, IT'S GONNA BE A, A HUGE HELP IN THE FUTURE.
DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? NO, I THOUGHT THAT WAS BASICALLY THE ANSWER.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INTERIOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROGRAM, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IN SEATTLE WHERE YOU CAN WANDER THROUGH AND STOP AT VARIOUS RESTAURANTS AND COFFEE SHOPS.
YEAH, NO, THAT, UH, THAT ONE'S IT'S SO AWESOME UP THERE.
UM, YEAH, SO WE WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE RETAIL.
WE HAD A RETAIL STUDY DONE WAY EARLY ON, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA KIND OF BE REFINING THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE RETAIL SPACES IDENTIFIED, AND THEN WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT, UM, REALLY FLEXIBLE SPACES IN THE OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE TO KIND OF ALLOW FOR FOOD TRUCKS AND DO A FOOD TRUCK PROGRAM,
[00:40:01]
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.SO WE'RE, WE'RE BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE THAN SEATTLE, UM, THAN, THAN THEY DID WITH THAT WITH SUMMIT.
UM, BUT THERE'S KIND OF STILL SOME DETAILS TO BE WORKED OUT.
ANY, YEAH, COMMISSIONER WILEY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU.
I'M REALLY EXCITED AND CAN HARDLY WAIT TO SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT.
UM, DO YOU HAVE, AND, AND IF, IF THIS IS OUTTA SCOPE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
BUT, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO THE CAPTAIN STITCH EVOLUTION AND THINKING THERE AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CONVENTION CENTER SPACE AND AND THAT AREA.
UM, IS THERE ANY, UM, INSIGHT THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE AS FAR AS WHAT'S BEING LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW IS, IS IS A POSSIBLE PATH FORWARD? DOES THAT MAINTAIN EVERYTHING THAT, THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER ALWAYS HAD OR, SO WE ARE, UM, SEVERAL BLOCKS FROM I 35.
AND SO I THINK WHAT'S BEING CONTEMPLATED DOESN'T IN TERMS OF, ARE YOU ASKING IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION OR, I GUESS I'M NOT TOTALLY, SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE CAPTAIN STITCH PROJECT.
ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL ARE KEEPING TABS ON THAT ARE I IMPORTANT FOR THE PROJECT? SO WE ARE WORKING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, KNOW WE WE'RE COORDINATING WITH TXDOT IN TERMS OF HOW THEIR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS GOING.
WHAT I 35 IS WHAT AFFECTS US THE MOST BECAUSE OUR TRUCKS OBVIOUSLY USE I 35 TO GET IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE, THE COORDINATION WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH RIGHT NOW IN FOR OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, FOR OUR SCHEDULE.
CHAIR, THIS MAY BE TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS.
DID YOU HAVE I, YEAH, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UM, UM, FIRST I WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE, IN THE BACKUP ITEM THREE IS RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AND THIS DECK IS NOT IN THE BACKUP.
UM, SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA KNOW, HAVE THE ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRATION ARTISTS BEEN TOLD PLAINLY THAT IF THE BUILDING IS DEMOLISHED OR REMODELED, THEIR ARTWORK COULD BE DESTROYED.
I DON'T WANT US TO BE IN THIS SITUATION THAT WE WERE IN LAST TIME WITH THE LAST DEMOLITION WHERE WE HAD TO SCRAMBLE TO TRY TO SAVE SOME PIECES OF ART.
SO THE WAY THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE ARCHITECTURALLY INTEGRATED ARTWORK, ALL OF THOSE ARTWORKS WILL BE ABLE TO BE REMOVED.
THAT IS WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL NEWS.
AND THEN I HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY TIME PERIODS WHERE THE CONVENTION SINCE AFTER THE SHUTDOWNS, SINCE THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS SITTING EMPTY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T BOOK BECAUSE IT WAS TOO SMALL? YOU, YOU MEAN SINCE WE SHUT THE CONVENTION CENTER DOWN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PACKAGE? NO, SINCE THE COVID SHUTDOWNS WHEN WE, WHEN WE OPENED BACK UP.
HAS THE CONVENTION CENTER EVER BEEN SITTING EMPTY BECAUSE IT COULDN'T BOOK? UH, WE WERE TRYING TO GET OPEN AS FAST AS WE CAN.
I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WE WERE, UH, FULL AS SOON AS WE COULD OPEN UP FOR NORMAL BUSINESS.
CAN YOU GIVE ANY EXAMPLES OF A CONVENTION CENTER WHERE IT IS GENERATING POSITIVE INCOME FOR THE CITY? OUR CONVENTION CENTER? HOW MUCH INCOME DID THE, DID THE CONVENTION CENTER GENERATE PRIOR TO SHUTDOWN? UM, IF NOT TO INTERJECT, BUT I JUST NOTING THAT THE DISCUSSION ITEM IS ON THE PROGRESS IN THE PLANS FOR THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, POSTED IN FOR DISCUSSION ON THE PAST CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, AND THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE REQUEST EITHER FOR, UM, THIS ITEM, SO.
UM, WE ALSO DON'T HAVE ON THE AGENDA AS AN ITEM SORT OF REVISITING THE DECISION FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I'M NOT REVISITING THE DECISION, I'M ASKING FOR DATA.
SO I'M HAPPY TO, I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC NUMBERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT A CONVENTION CENTER EXISTS TO BE AN ECONOMIC DRIVER IN THE CITY IN WHICH IT EXISTS.
I KNOW WHAT IT, SO OUR, OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS SEEKS TO MAXIMIZE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND THAT IS WHAT WE DO FOR THE CITY.
SO THE POSITIVE GROWTH THAT YOU SEE IN EEC IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, I THINK WE WENT FROM WHAT, 54 MILLION IN COID TO 134 MILLION ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S
[00:45:01]
THE CONVENTION CENTER EXISTS FOR THAT PURPOSE MM-HMMAND SO THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT WE DO AND THAT'S WHAT WE DRIVE POSITIVELY FOR THE CITY BECAUSE THAT BENEFITS CULTURAL ARTS, IT HAVE, IT BENEFITS HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
OUR, UM, MARK THE MARKETING ARM FOR THE CITY VISIT AUSTIN SO THEY CAN GO OUT AND CONTINUE TO SELL THE CITY, THAT KIND OF THING.
I UNDERSTAND THE, THE MISSION STATEMENT.
UM, UH, HER QUESTIONS TRIGGERED, UM, SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE, UM, NINETIES CONVENTION CENTER WAS DEMOLISHED, UM, I RECALL THERE BEING, UM, A REALLY RUSH WITH THE ARTISTS THAT HAD ART INSTALLATIONS TO GET THOSE INSTALLATIONS DOWN.
UM, HAS THIS NEW DESIGN AND EVENTUAL CONSTRUCTION HAVE, HAS THERE BEEN ACCOMMODATION FOR SOME OF THOSE ARTISTS TO MAYBE BRING SOME OF THOSE PIECES BACK? OR AT LEAST WERE THEY INVITED TO, UM, TO SUBMIT NEW PROPO ART PROPOSALS? UH, A IPP WOULD HAVE TO, UH, WEIGH IN ABOUT, OR SORRY, ACME, I APOLOGIZE, WOULD HAVE TO WEIGH IN, UM, ON THE REQUEST, THEM BEING INVITED TO, UM, GO FOR THE PROPOSALS.
UM, WE, WE DO HAVE THE, THE PIECES THAT WERE REMOVED AND EITHER GONE WENT TO PRIVATE COLLECTIONS OR BACK TO THE ARTISTS WERE DECOMMISSIONED, SO THEY'RE NO LONGER A PART OF THE CITY'S PUBLIC ART COLLECTION.
UM, SOME OF THE PIECES THAT WE, WE DID KEEP, UM, THEY WILL GO BACK IN THE NEW BUILDING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ONLINE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THE FIRST ONE I SAW IN THE RENDERINGS, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF GREEN SPACE AVAILABLE WITH THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER.
ARE THOSE GONNA BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AS PARKS, UH, DURING THE TIME THAT THERE AREN'T EVENTS BOOKED? YEAH, SO THE WALKWAY, OH, I DON'T HAVE THE, THE PRESENTATIONS SET UP.
SO THE, UM, ANYTHING THAT WHEN IT'S NOT BOOKED, THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR USE BY THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S THE PLAN TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT STATEMENT.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE INTERIOR SPACE WHEN IT'S NOT BOOKED? IT'S AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON, UM, IN A PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE FOR RUNNING OUT THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY DESIGNED SOME OF THE MEETING SPACES ON THAT SECOND, ON THE SECOND STREET POEO THAT YOU SAW, UM, THAT ARE A LITTLE DESIGNED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY SO THAT THEY CAN BE ACCOMMODATED FOR COMMUNITY USE AS WELL.
UM, AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE FOR THE BUILDING AS WELL, UM, JUST LIKE MOST OTHER BUILDINGS DO.
SO WE'RE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A TBD, UM, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE SITE WILL STILL, I THINK, BE REALLY ACCESSIBLE BY THE PUBLIC.
AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS WE'RE DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUILDING A LARGER CONVENTION CENTER TO ENABLE NEW SORTS OF BUSINESS THAT THE OLD ONE COULDN'T ACCOMMODATE, JUST FOR MY KNOWLEDGE, COULD YOU GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT THOSE NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ARE? YEAH, SO IT'S ABOUT GETTING SOME LARGER CONVENTIONS.
LIKE I MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 40% OF THE BUSINESS THAT WE'RE BOOKING THAT WOULDN'T HAVE FIT IN THE OLD, UM, CONVENTION CENTER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE TYPICALLY GO LOOKING AT TECH AND MEDICAL AND THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT HOSTING MULTIPLE EVENTS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THE OLD CONVENTION CENTER IS THAT, UM, A FULL BUILDING BUYOUT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ONLY 75% OF THE BUILDING AND YOU CAN'T REALLY RENT OUT THE OTHER 25%.
SO IN THIS NEW BUILDING, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IS HAVE THAT ALL, WHAT WAS 75% IS NOW MAYBE 50% OR EVEN LESS.
RIGHT? AND, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER GROUP THAT'S GOING IN.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE WORKING TO DO IS REDUCE WHAT WE CALL DARK DAYS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHEN A CONVENTION CENTER HAS A GROUP MOVING IN AND A GROUP MOVING OUT, THOSE MOVE IN, MOVE OUT DAYS, RIGHT? YOU, YOU'RE NOT, WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER, YOU, YOU'RE NOT HOSTING ANYBODY, BUT IT IS BOOKED, BUT THERE AREN'T, YOU DON'T HAVE THE ATTENDEES COMING IN.
AND SO BY BEING ABLE, BEING ABLE TO HOST THOSE MULTIPLE EVENTS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A GROUP THAT'S ACTIVELY IN THE BUILDING WHILE ANOTHER GROUP IS MOVING IN OR MOVING OUT.
AND SO WE'LL KIND OF BE ABLE TO DO THAT TURNOVER FASTER, UM, AND REDUCE AGAIN, WHAT WE CALL DARK DAYS IN THE, IN THE INDUSTRY.
JUST SO FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, COULD YOU OH, SOMEBODY ELSE SPEAK? NO, GO AHEAD.
SO FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, UM, COULD YOU HELP CLARIFY HOW THE, I GUESS NEW BUILDING DESIGN AND SORT OF THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN AROUND IT HELPS ENABLE THAT REDUCTION IN DARK DAYS? 'CAUSE IN MY THINKING, IF I'M BOOKING MULTIPLE CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AT THE SAME TIME, YOU PROBABLY ALSO WANT DIFFERENT INGRESS AND EGRESS POINTS FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT EVENTS, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THAT'S, UM, THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT CAN HAPPEN.
[00:50:01]
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT INGRESS AND INGRESS.UM, I WAS ACTUALLY JUST AT AN EVENT, UH, LAST WEEK, WEEK BEFORE THEY, THEY KIND OF RUN TOGETHER THAT, UM, YOU HAD BOTH, YOU HAD BOTH EVENTS WERE ADVERTISED IN THE SAME SPACE, AND SO YOU JUST HAD DIFFERENT REGISTRATION AND UM, THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE, THE GENIUS OF OUR SALES TEAM IS MAKING SURE THAT THE EVENTS THAT ARE IN THE BUILDING AT THE SAME TIME WORK TOGETHER AND THEY'RE NOT KIND OF IN CONFLICT.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUBDIVIDE THE EXHIBIT HALL, SUBDIVIDE, THE FLEX HALL.
ONE GROUP COULD HAVE THE EXHIBIT HALL, ONE GROUP COULD HAVE THE FLEX HALL, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE CAN GET CREATIVE WITH OUR SPACES, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD FROM OUR CLIENTS AND OUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS IS THAT THEY, THE EVENTS INDUSTRY REALLY WANTS THESE FLEXIBLE SPACES TO REALLY KIND OF MAKE IT THEIR OWN AND FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN GET CREATIVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO ACHIEVE WITH THE DESIGN, UM, OF THE INTERIOR.
JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC FACING FACILITY YOU GUYS ARE DESIGNING.
WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF IT AND WE, WE HOPE EVERYBODY ELSE IS TOO.
YEAH, IT'S VERY EXCITING AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER PROGRESS REPORTS.
OH, I THINK YOU HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE SCREEN.
TWO, UH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER'S OUTDOOR SPACE INTEGRATION WITH THE ADJACENT PARK? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR EASTERN EDGE RUNS RIGHT ALONG WATERLOO GREENWAYS.
UM, AND THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'VE JUST BUILT THAT BEAUTIFUL WALKWAY THAT I BELIEVE OPENS ON JUNE 6TH, UH, JUNE 6TH.
UM, AND SO, UH, PREVIOUSLY WE PRETTY MUCH HAD, IT WAS, UH, I THINK LIMESTONE AND IT WAS PRETTY HARDSCAPED KIND OF RIGHT UP TO THAT EDGE.
AND SO AS WE'VE TAKEN THE STEP BACK AND REALIZED, UM, HOW MUCH GREENERY WE WERE GONNA ADD AND HOW WE WERE ABLE TO SOFTEN IT UP, AND AS OUR DESIGN TEAM WAS KIND OF LOOKING AT THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE SITE, THEY REALLY MADE THAT INTENTIONAL TO SOFTEN ALONG WATERLOO GREENWAY AND KIND OF ON THAT EASTERN EDGE.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF A STAIR STEP THAT YOU HAVE COMING UP FROM THE CREEK UP TO THE SITE ITSELF.
UM, AND SO IT'S GONNA BE KIND OF NATIVE GRASSES AND TREES AND WE'RE STILL KIND OF IN THE DESIGN PROCESS OF THAT AREA.
BUT AGAIN, WORKING IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH WATERLOO GREENWAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VISION FOR WHAT, WHEN YOU'RE ON THE TRAIL AND LOOKING UP WHAT YOU SEE, UM, AS AN EXAMPLE, TRASH HOUSE, UM, WHEN WE WERE CITING IT WITHIN AND LOOKING AND KIND OF MAKING SURE HOW EVERYTHING WAS GONNA FIT, WE DID RENDERINGS AS IF YOU'RE DOWN ON THE TRAIL, WHAT IS IT GONNA LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING UP TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO BE JUST YOU'RE LOOKING UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOUNDATION OF A HOUSE OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT EXPERIENCE WAS GONNA BE INCREDIBLE FOR EVERYBODY.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, THE HOMAGE TO, TO THE NATIVE PLANTS HERE IN IN AUSTIN AND IN CENTRAL TEXAS IS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AS WELL.
UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY FED THROUGH TO ONE OF OUR ARTISTS, SO I CAN'T SAY MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
BUT, AND, AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S KIND OF ALSO CONTINUED THROUGHOUT WITH OUR, UM, THE OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE AS WELL.
AND IT'S THE BORDER THAT KIND OF GOES ALL AROUND THERE AS WELL, JUST TO KIND OF MAKE IT NOT QUITE SO STARK.
UM, AND IT CREATES A, IT, IT'S A NATURAL BORDER FOR THAT SITE.
WE'VE, WE'VE USED THE LANDSCAPING TO MAKE THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND JUST TO KIND OF GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, AND THEN I, THERE'S, WE DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT READY FOR REVEAL YET, BUT ALONG, UM, CAESAR CHAVEZ WHERE WE HAVE OVER, UM, WHERE IT MEETS TRINITY AND KIND OF THE LANDSCAPING THAT WE HAVE THERE, THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY NESTLED, UM, OUR, THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER NAME INTO IT, INTO THE LANDSCAPING AND JUST KIND OF HOW THAT LOOKS.
UM, SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF REALLY, WE'VE HAD SOME, WE HAVE SOME REALLY FANTASTIC LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS THAT HAVE DONE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT WORK.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE SOME OF THAT INTEGRATION.
I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FOR 20 YEARS,
YEAH, WE'VE BEEN QUITE A WHILE FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO FINALLY BE A YEAR.
IT'S, IT'S WILD THAT WE'RE A YEAR INTO IT AND ONLY JUST A COUPLE SHORT YEARS BEFORE WE'RE DOING THE RIBBON CUTTING.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
[4. Presentation regarding the Red River Cultural District’s economic impact on the downtown area. Presentation by Nicole Klepadlo, Executive Director, Red River Cultural District. ]
A PRESENTATION FROM NICOLE ALDO KLO.I THINK I MINGLED IT, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING GRACIOUS ABOUT IT.
UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
YOU DID A GOOD JOB ON THE LAST ONE.
WELL, THANKS EVERYONE FOR HAVING ME.
NICOLE KAPALO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
I APPRECIATE BEING HERE TONIGHT.
[00:55:01]
UM, JUST OVERALL I GIVE A PRESENTATION.I THINK IT'S BEEN ABOUT SIX MONTHS, MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER.
UM, SO THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK.
BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT JUST NEED A QUICK REFRESHER, UM, OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT IS LOCATED IN THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN FROM FIFTH STREET TO 15TH STREET.
UM, AND OUR ORGANIZATION IS DEDICATED TO PRESERVING AND GROWING RED RIVER'S CREATIVE BUSINESS AND MUSIC SCENE.
UM, OUR ORGANIZATION WAS CREATED IN 2015.
UM, IN 2013 WE BECAME A LOCAL CULTURAL DISTRICT BY THE CITY, AND THEN IN 2020 BECAME A STATE CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION.
THERE'S A QUICK BOUNDARY CHECK FOR YOU.
UM, SO WE'RE HERE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON OUR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND THEN JUST GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
UM, SO IT'S BEEN A BUSY FEW MONTHS.
UM, WE EMBARKED ON OUR FIRST EVER RED RIVER ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
UM, WE FELT LIKE IT WAS TIME TO REALLY UNDERSTAND AND QUANTIFY WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS OF THIS VERY SPECIAL DISTRICT.
UM, IT IS HOME TO OVER A DOZEN LIVE MUSIC VENUES, BIG AND SMALL.
UM, AND IN SOME CASES MANY OF THOSE MUSIC VENUES SERVE AS INCUBATOR CLUBS.
UM, SO YOUR MUSICIANS WILL START AT A SMALL STAGE, UM, PERFORMING FOR A HUNDRED PEOPLE AND WORK THEIR WAY UP TO PERFORMING, UM, AT A LARGER VENUE.
AND WE OFTEN SOMETIMES SEE, UM, BANDS MAKE THEIR WAY TO ACL OR SOME OF THE LARGER FESTIVALS HERE IN TOWN.
SO WE WERE REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE OUTCOME OF OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT.
IT DID DEMONSTRATE THAT THE DISTRICT, UM, WHICH IS JUST THIS SMALL BLOCK, UM, AREA, WE DID NOT COUNT THE MOODY CENTER IN THAT BECAUSE WE DID BELIEVE IT WOULD GREATLY SKEW OUR NUMBERS.
UM, BUT IN TOTAL, UM, OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, UM, WE WERE BRINGING IN $2.3 BILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, WHAT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SEE THESE NUMBERS WAS ALSO JUST TO LOOK AT THE QUANTIFIABLE BENEFITS OF THE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT JOBS.
UM, ROUGHLY 3,700 JOBS IN THAT AREA.
AND THE THING TO NOTE ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY SPECIFICALLY IS A LOT OF, UM, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY STAFF ARE PART-TIME WORKERS, GIG WORKERS, CREATIVE INDUSTRY SECTOR WORKERS THAT ARE WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS.
AND SO WHILE THEY'RE NOT STATISTICALLY DOCUMENTED AS A FULL-TIME POSITION, MANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE WORKING WELL OVER FULL-TIME HOURS.
UM, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO QUANTIFY FROM JANUARY 25 TO JANUARY 26, UM, $559 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR OUR DISTRICT.
AND THAT INCLUDES SALES TAX, MIXED BEVERAGE TAX, HOTEL OCCUPANT, OCCUPANCY TAX, AND SO ON.
WE WERE EXCITED TO ALSO SEE THAT WE HAVE BEEN STEADILY RECOVERING FROM THE COVID PANDEMIC.
UM, WHAT YOU ALL KNOW IS THAT DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, UM, MUSIC VENUES WERE CLOSED IN SOME CASES FOR 16 TO 18 MONTHS AT A TIME WITH NO REVENUE.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS OTHER GRAPHIC HERE, OVERALL IMPACT IS JUST HOW, FROM THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, HOW WE ARE STEADILY GROWING, UM, BACK INTO, UM, KIND OF PRE PANDEMIC STAGES.
UM, AND THEN OVER TIME WE'VE WELCOMED SEVERAL NEW BUSINESSES TO THE DISTRICT, UM, WHICH IS A GOOD SIGN OF SOME RESILIENCY IN OUR DOWNTOWN CREATIVE SECTOR.
UM, NOTING THAT WHILE SOME VENUES HAVE CLOSED, THEY'VE BEEN REPLACED WITH ADDITIONAL VENUES, WHICH IS ALWAYS, UH, A GOOD THING IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.
THE OTHER THING I WANNA DRAW ATTENTION TO IS RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AS A NONPROFIT HOSTS TWO FESTIVALS ANNUALLY.
UM, THE FREE WEEK FESTIVAL IS OVER 20 YEARS OLD.
UM, IT WAS STARTED ON RED RIVER AT THE ORIGINAL EMOS.
UM, THE GOAL FOR THAT FESTIVAL WAS TO BRING PEOPLE OUT DURING A VERY DEAD TIME OF THE YEAR, WHICH IS DECEMBER.
TOURING ACTS DON'T USUALLY GET GOING UNTIL WELL AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, AND MOST OF THE TIME, UM, FOLKS ARE PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES AND SO THEY'RE NOT GOING OUT TO SEE CONCERTS DURING THAT MONTH.
SO FREE WEEK HAS THIS LEGENDARY STATUS IN THE, IN THE CITY.
AND FROM OUR END, UM, AS A NONPROFIT ENTITIES, WE'VE REALLY GARNERED SPONSORSHIP AND FISCAL SUPPORT TO KEEP THIS FESTIVAL ALIVE AND GOING.
IT OFFERS THREE DAYS OF FREE LIVE MUSIC ACROSS A DOZEN PLUS VENUES.
UM, SO JUST KIND OF PICK YOUR OWN ADVENTURE, UM, STEP INTO ANY OF THESE VENUES FOR THE FIRST TIME, SEE BANDS THAT YOU'VE NEVER UM, EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
UM, AND WHAT WE'VE REALLY QUANTIFIED WITH BOTH THE FREE WEEK EVENT AND HOT SUMMER NIGHTS IS THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE BRINGING A LOT OF ECONOMIC IMPACT, UM, DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS IS OUR JULY EVENT.
UM, IT REPLICATES KIND OF THAT SISTER OF THE FREE WEEK EVENT AND IT'S THREE DAYS ALSO OF FREE LIVE MUSIC, BUT
[01:00:01]
ALSO IN THE DEAD HEAT OF SUMMER.SO, UM, WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF QUANTIFY THERE, UM, THESE EVENTS GENERALLY BRING IN ROUGHLY 30,000 PEOPLE INTO THE, INTO, UM, OUR CITY.
UM, WE HAVE A FESTIVAL HOTEL PARTNER.
UM, WE WORKED WITH VISIT AUSTIN TO ALSO LOOK AT SOME OF THE DATA.
UM, AND WHILE THESE ARE VERY LOCAL BASED FESTIVALS, WE ARE SEEING VISITORS COMING IN FROM SAN ANTONIO, EL PASO, HOUSTON, DALLAS, AND THE SURROUNDING REGIONAL SUBURBAN AREAS, SAN MARCOS INCLUDED.
UM, AND WHAT WE DID, UM, LOOK AT WAS OVER THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT THE EXPENDITURES THAT FOLKS WERE SPENDING DURING THAT TIME, 510 MILLION JUST IN THESE SIX DAYS, UM, IS REALLY, REALLY IMPRESSIVE STATISTICS.
UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DIVE DEEPER INTO IS HOW MANY NEW, UH, MUSICIANS WE CAN SUPPORT ANNUALLY THROUGH THESE EVENTS, GIVING NEW BANDS AND NEW ARTISTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A STAGE.
AND DURING THAT TIME, WE SUPPORTED 55% NEW ARTISTS.
THESE PARTICULAR FESTIVALS, UM, BROUGHT IN $4.7 MILLION, UM, AND ECONOMIC IMPACT JUST IN THE YEAR.
AND THOSE, THESE ARE EVENTS THAT ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC THAT OUR ORGANIZATION IS RAISING FUNDS TO PROVIDE PAID OPPORTUNITIES TO MUSICIANS AND OTHER CREATIVES.
UM, THE OTHER THING TO JUST SHARE WITH YOU ALL, UM, IN TERMS OF HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON THAT WE'RE IN TANDEM WITH OUR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, WERE THE UPDATE TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND WE LAUNCHED BOTH OF THESE AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, OUR PREVIOUS STRATEGIC PLAN WAS 10 YEARS OLD.
UM, SO IT WAS DEFINITELY TIME FOR A REFRESH.
UM, AND BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON IN THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN, WE CERTAINLY WANTED TO GET AHEAD OF HOW WE WERE POSITIONING THE DISTRICT TO EVOLVE.
UM, SO WE COUPLED THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND HAD A REALLY FANTASTIC LAUNCH.
UM, IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, UM, WE BROUGHT IN BIG STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
DURING THIS TIME WE DID FOCUS GROUPS WITH MUSICIANS, CITY OFFICIALS, PARTNERS, UM, PROMOTERS, YOU NAME IT.
UM, IT TOOK A YEAR FOR US TO DO THIS PROCESS AS A SMALL NONPROFIT, BUT OUR PRIORITIES REALLY CAME BACK TO THE NEED FOR THE CITY TO REALLY TRULY INVEST IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS AN INDUSTRY.
SO WHEN A COMMUNITY TAKES ON MANUFACTURING AND YOUR GOAL IS TO BRING MANUFACTURING JOBS AND COMPANIES TO A CITY, YOU LOOK AT WAYS THAT YOUR ZONING CAN SUPPORT THAT.
YOU LOOK AT WAYS WHERE YOUR INCENTIVES CAN SUPPORT THAT.
AND WHAT WE'VE REALLY SEEN HERE IS A COMMUNITY THAT HAS CAPITALIZED ON THE MONIKER OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, BUT HAS NOT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT WHAT THIS ECOSYSTEM TRULY NEEDS.
UM, WHAT I WILL ALSO COMMENT ON IS THAT MANY CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE ALWAYS LIKE, HOW DO WE GET A MUSIC TEAM? HOW DOES A CITY END UP WITH A MUSIC DIVISION OR A NIGHTMARE? UM, AND WE HAVE THAT HERE IN AUSTIN AND THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO BE INFORMING WHAT THAT DIVISION DOES AND HOW WE CAN REALLY TRULY TREAT THIS AS AN INDUSTRY CONVERSATION.
UM, OTHER PRIORITIES REALLY LEANED INTO THE NEED TO PRESERVE LIVE MUSIC VENUES AND EVOLVE THEM.
UM, WITH ALL THE CHANGE COMING TO THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN, WE CERTAINLY FEEL THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE VENUES TO BE OPENING UP TO OFFER MATINEE SHOWS, UM, TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN OPEN UP TO OFFER OTHER EXPERIENCES POTENTIALLY WITH COFFEE OR FOOD OR, OR VINTAGE POPUPS.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GOING UNRECOGNIZED, BUT THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, IS JUST NOT SEEING THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, UM, THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST.
UM, WE HAVE SOME REALLY BIG BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEEDS IN TERMS OF SAFE CROSSWALKS OR CROSSWALKS, UM, UH, JUST GENERAL LANDSCAPING AND PUBLIC APPEAL.
SAFETY HAS TO BE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS.
UM, WE ARE TREMENDOUSLY ALWAYS DEALING WITH CRIME AND SAFETY ISSUES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHERE THIS AREA IS NOT, DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVATION GOING ON.
WE'RE CERTAINLY STRUGGLING WITH ISSUES WITH THE UNHOUSED POPULATION AND TRYING TO MITIGATE THOSE BY BEING GREAT NEIGHBORS, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S BIG IMPACTS ON HOW BUSINESSES CAN OPERATE DURING THAT TIME.
UM, A COORDINATION FROM THE EASTER SIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
SO YOU HEARD KATIE BEFORE ME TALK ABOUT THEIR COORDINATION WITH WALLER CREEK CONSERVANCY AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S NOT A CITY ENTITY BRINGING ALL OF THESE PARTNERS TOGETHER FROM UT CAMPUS TO CENTRAL HEALTH, TO THE INNOVATION DISTRICT TO WALLER CREEK, TO RED RIVER FIFTH STREET, MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR CONVENTION CENTER, AND ME CARTE.
ALL OF THESE FOLKS NEED TO BE TOGETHER TALKING ABOUT WHAT THIS EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN TRULY CAN PROVIDE.
AND CERTAINLY ANOTHER PROGRAMMING IS BEING ABLE TO RETAIN
[01:05:01]
OUR, UM, FESTIVALS AND OUR PROGRAMS YEAR ROUND.UM, I WANTED TO JUST SHARE, UM, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THESE ON OUR WEBSITE 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA COME UP PRETTY SMALL ON YOUR SCREEN.
UM, WE TOOK A BIG STEP BACK AND LOOKED AT KIND OF WHAT SOME OF OUR VISION WOULD BE, KIND OF OUR STREET STYLE AND OUR STORYTELLING OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND SO YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THOSE EXAMPLES.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY LOOKING AT THE DISTRICT VISION PLAN, WHICH IS A LARGER SCOPE, UM, TO LOOK AT THE DISTRICT FROM THE FULL, UM, AUSTIN MUSIC MILE FROM 15TH STREET DOWN TO FIFTH STREET, AND SHOWING HOW WE CAN USE SIGNAGE AND, UM, STREETSCAPING TO REALLY INTEGRATE THIS DISTRICT COLLECTIVELY AND ALLOW THE INNOVATION DISTRICT TO SPEAK, UM, YOU KNOW, TO WHAT THEY'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE AND WHAT WATERLOO CAN DO TO BRING THEIR, UM, THEIR EVENTS TO THE TABLE AND REALLY CREATE A COHESIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE DID IS WE TOOK A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR CURRENT FACADES.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT SIDE OF THINGS WAS REALLY IMPORTANT AND HOW DO WE USE PUBLIC PRIVATE INVESTMENT TO POTENTIALLY INVEST IN SOME OF THESE SPACES WITH LIKE A PAINT JOB AND SOME LIGHTING WITH DIFFERENT WAYS TO IMPROVE THE AREA FOR MORE WALKABILITY.
UM, SO YOU'LL JUST SEE SOME CONCEPTS HERE.
UM, WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE FUNDING FOR THESE, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SEEKING.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO CONVINCE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE TO OPEN UP THEIR FACADE PROGRAM, NOT ONLY JUST TO SIXTH STREET, BUT TO RED RIVER.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED THAT MOHAWK IS ONE OF THE RECENT RECIPIENTS OF THAT.
AND SO HOPEFULLY THERE'S SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
BUT YOU CAN JUST SEE THESE ARE BASIC THINGS THAT YOU'RE SEEING LIKE NEW STREET STRIPING OR NEW SIGNAGE ON BUILDINGS, ADDITIONAL LIGHTING.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR THE WORLD, WE'RE ASKING FOR SOME VERY BASIC AMENITIES DOWN ON RED RIVER.
UM, SHOWING HERE JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE SOME CROSSWALKS, SOME MURALS, UM, STILL KEEPING THAT NIGHTTIME VIBE.
IT ISN'T ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, BUT ALSO JUST PROVIDING SOME OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAN IT UP.
UM, I'LL JUST RUN THROUGH THESE REALLY QUICKLY, UM, AS THEY TIE INTO KIND OF THAT ECONOMIC ANALYSIS PIECE OF THINGS.
OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS WE'VE LAUNCHED, UM, ANOTHER INITIATIVE CALLED CULTURAL CURRENTS.
HE WAS ABLE TO COME OUT TO OUR EVENT THIS PAST WEEK.
UM, CULTURAL CURRENTS IS REALLY A STORYTELLING INITIATIVE.
WHAT WE'VE REALIZED IS THAT THERE IS NOT ONE ENTITY TELLING THE STORY OF LIVE MUSIC HISTORY IN AUSTIN.
AND WE SAW THIS AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN ASSET TO BRING TO DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO THROUGH THIS OP UM, THROUGH THIS OPPORTUNITY, WE WERE, WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE, PRESERVE, AND PROMOTE THE MUSICAL HERITAGE OF THIS CULTURAL DISTRICT.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS YOU'LL SEE SOME TEMPORARY, WE CALL IT TEMPORARY SIGNAGE 'CAUSE OUR EYES ARE ON A BIGGER PRIZE HERE.
UM, WE'VE CONSTRUCTED A SELF-GUIDED MUSIC HISTORY WALKING TOUR AND THERE ARE METAL SIGNS THAT WILL BE PLACED OUT OF 15 LANDMARK VENUES ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
WE TESTED THIS OUT ON SATURDAY.
IT WAS HOT, BUT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO CARRY AROUND THIS BROCHURE, VISIT EACH OF THESE LOCATIONS.
WE ACTUALLY DROPPED SOME MAPS OFF AT THE LOCAL HOTELS AND SOME OF THE HOTEL VISITORS WERE EVEN COMING OUT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE SIGNS.
UM, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF SIGNS THAT WE GOTTA DRILL INTO THE FACADES OF HOLES, UH, THE HOLES OF THE FRONT, UM, STEPS OF THESE BUILDINGS.
SO THOSE WILL COME UP IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
UM, BUT THIS LAUNCHED AND WE WERE ABLE TO TELL THE STORY OF EACH OF THESE VENUES DATING BACK TO WHEN THEY WERE A BAKERY OR WHEN THEY WERE AN ANTIQUE SHOP.
REALLY TRULY TELLING THE STORY OF EACH OF THESE SPACES AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THIS EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN.
WE ALSO LAUNCHED A PODCAST, THE FIRST EPISODE CAME OUT TODAY AND IT'S 12 EPISODES OF ALSO JUST LEARNING ABOUT MUSIC, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY.
THAT ALL HAPPENED IN, IN AND AROUND RED RIVER.
UM, THESE EPISODES RANGE FROM ANYTHING RELATED TO MUSIC TO HISTORY OF WALLER CREEK TO THE HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION RELATED TO LEBANESE, CHINESE, MEXICAN-AMERICAN, AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP THAT WAS ON RED RIVER.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HOW THOSE, UM, HOW THIS CAME TOGETHER.
WE'LL BE RELEASING ONE EPISODE A MONTH.
WE WENT BACK IN TIME AND CREATED A QUARTERLY ZINE.
UM, THESE ZINES ARE FEATURED AT 20 DIFFERENT BUSINESSES ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, THEY'RE A GOOD WAY TO SHARE WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO TELL STORIES.
AND THEN LINKED ON OUR WEBSITE IS A REALLY AWESOME STORY MAP.
YOU CAN CLICK ON PROPERTY BY PROPERTY AND LEARN THE HISTORY OF EACH PROPERTY, AS WELL AS A BIGGER HISTORY OF WALLER CREEK.
[01:10:01]
OF THE, UM, DIVIDE BETWEEN I 35 EAST SIDE AND WEST SIDE.AND ALSO JUST DIVE INTO THE MUSIC HISTORY AND NOTABLE ARTISTS.
SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE GREATLY A, A TOURIST AND CULTURAL AMENITY THAT THE CULTURAL DISTRICT IS ADDING VALUE TO THIS.
UM, UM, DIVING BACK INTO THAT ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, UM, WE LAUNCHED A QUARTERLY SERIES THAT'S BRINGING TOGETHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, WE'VE SEEN GREAT SUCCESS IN EXCHANGING CONVERSATIONS AROUND MUSIC AND CULTURE AND, UM, CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO LAUNCHED A WEDNESDAY SERIES ONCE A MONTH.
WE HEARD FROM FOLKS WE WANT MATINEE SHOWS BRING 'EM BACK.
SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE'VE BEEN DROPPING OFF FLYERS AT THE LOCAL HOTELS, SO PEOPLE ARE COMING DOWN.
WE'VE GIVEN A DISCOUNT CODE TO THOSE HOTELS SO HOTEL GUESTS CAN GET IN FOR FREE, UM, AND SEE SOME LOCAL LIVE MUSIC WHILE THEY'RE STAYING IN THE AREA, IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE THERE ON THOSE WEDNESDAYS.
AND ONE THING I WANTED TO JUST DRAW OUT IS WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS WE SPENT 18 MONTHS ADVOCATING FOR EQUITABLE CULTURAL DISTRICT FUNDING.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FOUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN AUSTIN.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS EVERY ONE OF THEM RECEIVED SOME SORT OF FINANCIAL, UM, UH, FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY.
SO WE RECEIVED A DEDICATED FUNDING OF $150,000 FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS.
ALL OF THESE PROJECTS THAT I JUST PUT IN FRONT OF YOU WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THESE FUNDS AND OUR ABILITY TO LEVERAGE THE DOLLARS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS INVESTED IN US.
SO THROUGH THAT IS WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE OVER $400,000 JUST FROM THAT ONE 50 THAT THE CITY PROVIDED.
ONLY A FRACTION OF THAT GOES TO HOT SUMMER NIGHTS AND FREE WEEK.
BUT WE'VE BROUGHT IN AN ADDITIONAL 400,000.
UM, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE OTHER FUNDERS AND OTHER SPONSORSHIPS, WE WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE FUNDING, UM, TO BRING IN $60,000 FOR OUR CULTURAL CURRENTS PROJECT, 20 K FOR THE WHY NOT WEDNESDAYS AND 20 K FOR DISTRICT DIALOGUE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS OUR ABILITY TO UTILIZE THE FUNDS THAT THE CITY HAS PROVIDED US TO RAISE MORE MONEY TOWARDS THESE INITIATIVES.
THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT FROM OUR 2025 IMPACT.
UM, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WERE ALSO INFORMED OUR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS.
UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SHOW THAT WE'VE INCREASED OUR SUPPORT TO MUSICIANS.
UM, WE'VE INCREASED OUR, UM, DIRECT COMPENSATION TO MU MUSICIANS AND THE NUMBER OF MUSICIANS WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO CONTINUING TO INCREASE OUR FESTIVAL ATTENDEES FROM YEARS PAST.
SO ONE THING I WANTED TO END ON IS THE KEY SUPPORT NEEDED.
SO WHILE THIS PAINTS A REALLY POSITIVE PICTURE OF WHAT OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT IS DOING, I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THE, UM, CURRENT VULNERABILITY AND HOW FRAGILE THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT CONTINUES AND REMAINS TO BE.
UM, I DON'T LIKE TO LEAVE OUT OUR OTHER INDEPENDENT LIVE MUSIC VENUES ACROSS THE CITY EITHER, BUT FRANKLY, UM, WE ARE LOSING CULTURE IN THIS CITY, UM, LEFT AND RIGHT.
UM, IT BRINGS US BIG CONCERN TO THINK ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING TO THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN.
THESE STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS OBVIOUSLY ARE REALLY EXCITING, BUT THE THREADS THAT CONNECT ALL OF THEM TOGETHER ARE TRULY WHERE THE CULTURE LIVES.
AND THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT REPRESENTS THAT.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ACTIVELY DO IS SPEAK WITH CITY COUNCIL, SPEAK WITH OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO REALLY GIVE YOU ALL A SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, IF THE SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE DISTRICT DOES NOT IMPROVE, THAT DOES NOT ALLOW OUR BUSINESSES TO OPEN EARLIER AND INVITE FOLKS TO COME TO DOWNTOWN.
SO PEOPLE THEN CHOOSE TO GO TO THE DOMAIN OR THEY GO TO CHOOSE TO GO TO OTHER LOCATIONS 'CAUSE THEY'RE PROVIDING A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
WE HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE WILLING TO BRING IN COFFEE.
WE HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE WILLING TO ACTIVATE EARLIER.
BUT THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT IN THIS AREA IS NOT CONDUCIVE FOR A BUSINESS OWNER TO TAKE THESE KIND OF RISKS.
UM, TO PUT THAT KIND OF MONEY BEHIND PUTTING IN A BUSINESS INVESTMENT, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME STABILITY IN THE DISTRICT AND IT'S JUST NOT THERE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE WILL BE ACTIVELY, UM, ADVOCATING FOR MORE SAFETY MEASURES AND CLEANLINESS AND IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, I TOUCHED ON IT EARLIER, BUT A GENERAL SENSE OF AN INVESTMENT IN THIS MUSIC INDUSTRY AND, UH, COMPLETING A MUSIC CENSUS, IT DOES NOT COUNT.
WE ARE DONE LISTENING TO PEOPLE TELL US WHAT THEY NEED.
THE CITY HAS SPENT A DECADE ASKING MUSICIANS AND VENUES WHAT IT IS THEY NEED.
IT IS TIME TO PUT ACTION BEHIND THESE COMMENTS.
UM, THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM,
[01:15:01]
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ALL HAVE GOTTEN A BRIEFING, BUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, MY UNDERSTANDING REMOVED, UM, SECTION FOUR 18 FROM THE PHASE ONE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, WHICH REMOVED, UM, KEY LANGUAGE RELATED TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES SPECIFIC TO CULTURAL SPACES.THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT IN PHASE TWO HAS BEEN OUTLINED AS A SUBDISTRICT.
WE WILL BE ADVOCATING HEAVILY FOR CULTURAL SPACE PRIORITIZATION.
SO FOR ANY BUSINESS OR DEVELOPER THAT COMES IN, OR PROPERTY OWNER THAT COMES IN THAT WANTS TO UTILIZE THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, IF THEY WANT TO UTILIZE THAT PROGRAM, THERE WILL BE TERMS IN THERE THAT WILL THEN ALLOW THEM TO POTENTIALLY SUPPORT THE CULTURAL SPACE THAT IS THERE SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST DISPLACING CULTURAL SPACES AND CLOSING THEM WHEN NEW DEVELOPMENT COMES IN FOR A DECADE, WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR A CULTURAL DISTRICT OVERLAY.
IT HAS BEEN AN ENDLESS COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS.
UM, WE'VE FOLLOWED UP WITH EVERY COUNCIL, UM, EVERY TERM TO ASK WHY THIS STILL HAS NOT BEEN DONE.
BUT WE'RE GREATLY ADVOCATING FOR AN OVERLAY TO BE PLACED OVER RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT OFFERING PLAY SPACE INCENTIVES TOWARDS EVOLVING AND PRESERVING THESE CULTURAL SPACES.
THESE COULD BE REGULATORY IN NATURE.
FINANCIAL IN NATURE ARE PROGRAMMATIC AS OPT-INS.
SO IF A PROPERTY OWNER CHANGES HANDS, THEN THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO RETAIN A FUTURE CULTURAL SPACE IN THAT, IN THAT LOCATION.
EVEN IF THEY'RE BUILDING VERTICAL, THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY INCLUDE THAT CULTURAL SPACE ON THE LOWER LEVEL.
UM, THE CITY IS STILL SITTING ON $300,000 OF WAY FINDING DOLLARS.
AND WHAT WE CAN SHOW YOU FROM OUR CULTURAL CURRENTS PROJECT, WE HAVE THE HISTORIC RESEARCH, WE HAVE SIGNS, WE ARE READY TO TAP INTO THAT FUNDING AND PUT PERMANENT SIGNAGE ON THE BLOCK.
UM, WE ARE NOW GOING TO BE ASKED TO GO THROUGH PUTTING TOGETHER AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN FOR WHAT THESE SIGNS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND LASTLY, WE REALLY NEED STRATEGIC COORDINATION REGARDING THE EASTERN DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO WE'VE REQUESTED FROM OUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE TO POTENTIALLY LOOK AT A CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT WOULD DIRECT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A WORKING GROUP OR SOME SORT OF ALTERNATIVE TERM TO GET ALL THESE KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN A ROOM TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN LOOKS LIKE.
AS WELL AS HOW COULD, HOW COULD POTENTIAL, UM, CHANGES TO THE CAPITAL VIEW QUARTER AFFECT THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I APPRECIATE ALL YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO DO, AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE, SO THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
AS AN ARTIST, I WANNA SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE DIRECT SUPPORT YOU'RE GIVING TO MAGICIANS AND CREATIVES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY NEEDED.
AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR DESIRE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE SAME POSITION IN ART.
SO WE'VE BEEN GETTING FEEDBACK AND GETTING FEEDBACK AND GETTING FEEDBACK.
NOW IT'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING.
SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU MOVING FORWARD AND WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK.
OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
ONE, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I REMEMBER YOU COMING LAST TIME.
I, I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THE, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE BUSINESS NEEDING STABILITY AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE INVESTMENTS FOR SURE.
I BELIEVE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT LIKE DAYTIME PROGRAMMING OR COFFEES AND MATINEE YEAH.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY ANALYSIS OR, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S A, A FEW YEARS OFF, BUT DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, INCREASE, UM, ACTIVITY IN THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT? OR HAVE Y'ALL BEEN COMMUNICATING AT ALL? IT, IT, IT DEFINITELY WILL.
I MEAN, I THINK EVEN THE CONFLUENCE OR THE, UH, AREA OF WATERLOO GREENWAY, WHEN IT OPENS UP, IT COULD BRING MORE FOLKS DOWNTOWN TO EXPLORE THOSE, EXPLORE THOSE AREAS.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE CERTAINLY DEALING WITH IS ALSO SOME CHALLENGES AROUND LIKE PREDICTABLE PARKING, AFFORDABLE PARKING, UM, WHERE DO PEOPLE GO? WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE COME, WHAT WE KNOW FROM OUR AUDIENCE ARE PEOPLE ARE COMING DOWN, THEY'RE SEEING A SHOW AND THEY'RE GRABBING DINNER SOMEWHERE ELSE IN TOWN, AND THEY'RE COMING DOWN SEEING THE SHOW AND THEY'RE GOING HOME.
UM, SO THERE'S GOTTA BE MORE OF AN EXPERIENCE, OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME DOWN.
SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WILL HAPPEN WITH SIXTH STREET, UM, AND STREAM REALITIES INVESTMENT THAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
SO WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SOME MAJOR CHANGES.
I THINK THE THING I CAUTION IS EVERY CONVERSATION WE'RE IN, PEOPLE ARE LIKE, JUST WAIT, JUST WAIT.
AND THE CHALLENGE IS, WE, WE REALLY CAN'T WAIT ANYMORE.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE ONE VENUE THAT'S UP FOR SALE, ANOTHER VENUE THAT HAS BEEN TEMPORARY CLOSE.
WE'VE GOT A PROPERTY OWNER THAT IS INTERESTED IN SELLING AND FRANKLY JUST BEEN CONVEYING THIS MESSAGE FOR 10 PLUS YEARS.
[01:20:01]
AND SO I THINK FROM A VISITORSHIP PERSPECTIVE, WE CAN DEFINITELY ANTICIPATE TO SEE SOME MORE FOLKS COMING DOWN.UM, BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY WE'VE EVEN WORKED WITH, UM, VISIT AUSTIN AND ALSO THE CONVENTION SIDE OF THINGS TO PUT A DECK TOGETHER TO SHOW WHAT TYPES OF SPACES WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR CONVENTIONS OR TOURING GROUPS THAT, IN ABSENCE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, COULD UTILIZE STUBS OR MOHAWK FOR PRIVATE EVENTS.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE WORKING OUT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE CHOOSING THOSE BIGGER HOTELS OVER SMALLER VENUE SPACES.
AND, UM, AS A FOLLOW UP, JUST KIND OF IN THAT SAME VEIN, AND THEN I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION TOO, BUT, UM, YOU MENTIONED HAVING LIKE A DIRECTIVE FROM CITY COUNCIL TO LIKE REQUIRE GROUPS TO GET TOGETHER.
I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S BEEN ANY LIKE ORGANIC OUTREACH.
UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU COLLABORATE AND COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS MM-HMM
BUT I, I, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED YOU RATTLED OFF SEVERAL THERE ABOUT LIKE HAVING THE, THE CITY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, REQUIRE COORDINATION.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S BEEN ANY EFFORTS THERE.
I MEAN, OUR ORGANIZATION IS TAPPED INTO EVERY ONE OF THOSE OTHER ENTITIES WHEN WE SPEAK WITH THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE HAVING IS WITH THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IN SO MANY OF THESE PROJECTS, IN MY OPINION AND OUR ORGANIZATION'S OPINION, IT IS REALLY PINNED ORGANIZATIONS AGAINST EACH OTHER.
LIKE, THIS PROJECT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD AT A DIFFERENT TIME.
AND SO REALLY WE WOULD LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET ALL THESE FOLKS IN ONE ROOM AND TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AND FRANKLY, HOW DO WE ALL FIT TOGETHER? RIGHT? I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE, I MEAN, WHAT UT HAS DONE WITH THEIR CAMPUS IS SO IMPRESSIVE.
AND TO THINK ABOUT MOODY CENTER HAVING THE ENERGY THAT IT DOES AND THE DRAW THAT IT DOES FROM THESE LARGE TOURING ACTS WORKING YOUR WAY DOWN THE CORRIDOR TO THE SOUTH, YOU'VE GOT A PARK TO THOROUGHLY ENJOY, POTENTIALLY AN INNOVATION DISTRICT THAT IS BUDDING IN SOME CAPACITY, TRUE REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT THERE WHERE CENTRAL HEALTH HOLDS A LOT OF THAT SPACE.
THE WATERLOO AMPHITHEATER, YOU GET INTO THE CRUX OF RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, AND THE NEXT PHASE OF THAT IS THE TRAIL, THE WATERLOO GREENWAY TRAIL THAT WILL GO BEHIND MANY OF OUR MUSIC VENUES.
AND THEN YOU CONTINUE FURTHER SOUTH TO INTERSECT WITH SIXTH STREET, WHICH IS UNDER MAJOR TRANSFORMATION TO FIFTH STREET, WHICH IS OUR MEXICAN AMERICAN CORRIDOR, AND THEN OUR CONVENTION CENTER, AND THEN FURTHER SOUTH OF THAT RAINY AND ME CARTE.
SO LIKE, THERE IS SUCH AN EXPERIENCE HERE TO BE TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE CAN PEOPLE HAVE THROUGHOUT THAT CORRIDOR AND HOW ARE WE FRANKLY HONORING EVERYBODY'S GOALS TOGETHER AND HAVING SOME COMMON THREADS, LIKE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCAPING, DIFFERENT TYPES OF SIGNAGE WHERE EVERYBODY CAN SUCCEED.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, FRANKLY, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE FOCUSED ON ONE PROJECT WHILE, WHILE OTHER ENTITIES HAVE TO KIND OF WAIT AND THEY DON'T HA WE DON'T FRANKLY HAVE REAL ESTATE IN THE GAME.
WE DON'T HAVE ALL THIS PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, IF WE LOSE WHAT'S ON RED RIVER, YOU'RE GONNA LOSE THE BACKBONE TO VENUES THAT SERVES AS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
YOU'RE GONNA LOSE THE BACKBONE OF ACL AFTER SHOWS, YOU'RE GONNA LOSE DIFFERENT SPACES FOR LEVITATION AND ALL THESE OTHER SPOTS.
AND THOSE ARE BIG CONTRIBUTORS TO THE CITY.
AND CHAIRMAN, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
AND I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THIS AS WELL THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE AND, AND MAYBE I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FULL CONTEXT AND SCOPE OR I DON'T KNOW THE CITY'S SIDE OF THE STORY, BUT YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THERE'S $300,000 SITTING THERE, THAT IS BASICALLY FOR THIS PURPOSE THAT'S NOT BEING USED.
I MEAN, IT MAKES ME, IT MAKES ME WANNA LIKE, YOU KNOW, PUT MY HEAD THROUGH A WALL OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
UM, AND SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK MORE ABOUT THAT, IF THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS OR PROGRESS OR LIKE WHAT IS THE, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE NOW DIFFERENT, IT, IT WAS A BUCKET OF MONEY BEFORE WE HAD A HERITAGE PRESERVATION TEAM.
AND SO THIS WAS 2017 WHEN THOSE DOLLARS WERE APPROPRIATED.
NOW MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT NOW THAT WE HAVE A HERITAGE PRESERVATION TEAM, THERE IS, THERE'S BEEN A NEW SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR HERITAGE WAYFINDING, WHICH IS A GOOD IDEA.
FRANKLY, WE DON'T WANT HERITAGE WAYFINDING TO LOOK THE SAME AS DOWNTOWN WAYFINDING.
THEY SERVE TWO DIFFERENT PURPOSES.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND NOW THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS THAT ENTITIES HAVE TO GO THROUGH, SUCH AS CREATING AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN.
SO WHAT WE'VE ASKED IS, CAN SOME OF THAT $300,000 BE USED TO HELP US HIRE SOMEONE TO CREATE AN INTERPRET INTERPRETIVE PLAN? I'M NOT A HISTORIAN.
I CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS, BUT I CAN'T BE A HISTORIAN.
UM, BUT I THINK IDEALLY IF WE COULD TAP INTO SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO GET US TO THAT NEXT STAGE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WOULD BE WHERE, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO GO NEXT AND ALSO GO IN
[01:25:01]
FRONT OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION AS WELL.UM, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS AND THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND UM, I'M TRYING TO CATCH UP ON THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON HERE AND THE CAP AND STITCH DEVELOPMENTS ARE KIND OF TOP OF MIND.
AND SINCE THE, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICT IMMEDIATELY BORDERS THE I 35 FRONTAGE ROAD, COULD YOU PROVIDE US YOUR THOUGHTS OR INSIGHT ON WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF VARIOUS ALTERNATIVES BEING CONSIDERED THERE MIGHT BE ON THE DISTRICT? YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPLICATED, RIGHT? I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE IS A DISTRICT RIGHT NOW THAT IS TRYING TO SURVIVE, WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT THRIVING.
AND THEN YOU'RE THROWING ANOTHER, LIKE, THERE'S ANOTHER PROJECT TO THINK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY CLEAR ABOUT IS IN TERMS OF IF AND WHEN THOSE CAP AND STITCH HAPPEN, WE NEED TO BE REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION, TRAFFIC DESIGN.
AND WE ALSO WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE CAPS.
UM, BEING INCLUSIVE OF MORE SPACES FOR LIVE MUSIC.
WE HAVE UNDERUTILIZED SPACES IN THIS CITY, VENUES THAT GREATLY NEED MUSICIANS ON THEIR STAGES.
AND WE'RE FINDING IT MORE AND MORE COMMON WHERE INITIATIVES ARE TAKING SPACE, WHERE THEY'RE PUTTING MUSIC IN DIFFERENT PLAZAS AND THESE ARE ALL REALLY GREAT THINGS, BUT WHEN WE HAVE A HOST OF INDEPENDENT VENUES, LIKE WE REALLY WANNA SEE THE MUSIC THESE SPACES.
SO IN TERMS OF KIND OF THE DIRECTION WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING IT CLOSELY, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS NOT TAKEN LIKE A FORMAL STANCE ON FOR OR AGAINST ONE OR ANOTHER.
WE'VE JUST BEEN REALLY CLOSELY PAYING TO THE, PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS OF HOW IT WOULD IMPACT KIND OF THE ENTRY POINTS OF THE DISTRICT, UM, AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDORS PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THE DISTRICT AS WELL.
I, I GUESS I, I CAN IMAGINE A SCENARIO WHERE, UM, IF THE CAPS ARE NOT BUILT TO THE EXTENT AS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED, THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY REDUCE REDEVELOPMENT PRESSURE ON THE AREA THAT YOU'RE IN.
I THINK REDEVELOPMENT PRESSURE EXISTS, PERIOD, UM, WAY BEFORE THE CAPS WERE EVEN TALKED ABOUT, UM, FOR THIS AREA, THE PRESSURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN THE REALITY THAT THE POLICE STATION MAY REDEVELOP THE ARCH OR OTHER ENTITIES MAY MOVE, AND THEN THE RE REDEVELOPMENT PRESSURE IS ON, UM, 1000.
RED RIVER IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT, THE, UM, STATE BUILDING SOLD.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE A THREE ACRE SITE THAT IS SITTING VACANT AND EVENTUALLY WILL BE TURNED INTO SOMETHING.
SO I THINK IT'S A MAGNITUDE OF PRESSURE, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, IT'S THERE, IT WILL GET BIGGER.
UM, AND WITHOUT THE RIGHT TOOLS IN PLACE, WE CERTAINLY ARE GONNA CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES.
IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING.
OH, ONE MORE, JUST A COMMENT ACTUALLY.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE COORDINATING WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND I KNOW THERE ARE LASER FOLKS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M SURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR XO XO DOWNTOWN OUTREACH TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE DOWN THERE.
YEAH, I WOULD JUST SPEAK TO THAT, THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS FOR THEIR NEXT YEAR PRIORITIES THAT THERE IS NO PRIORITY RELATED TO LIVE MUSIC CULTURAL SPACES, UM, AND THAT THE PRIORITIZATION WILL NOT INCLUDE, UM, ELEMENTS OF RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
SO I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF.
UM, LAST TIME THAT YOU PRESENTED, WE WERE INTERESTED IN POSSIBLY MAKING A RECOMMENDATION, UM, I WOULD REQUEST THAT MAYBE YOU CONSIDER WHAT MIGHT BE THE NUMBER ONE REQUEST THAT YOU MIGHT WANT US TO, TO FOCUS ON AS FAR AS THE RECOMMENDATION IS CONCERNED.
AND THEN, UM, MAYBE REACH OUT TO ME OR RYAN.
LET US, WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING COMING UP.
WE'LL REVIEW THAT AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU WITH WHAT THE PRIORITY WOULD BE.
[5. Update regarding Arts Commission activities and concerns related to the Downtown Commission’s scope. (Part 1 of 2)]
UH, NEXT ON THE AGENDA, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON IS GOING TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE ARTS COMMISSION ACTIVITIES.I'M KIND OF CONCERNED BY THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN IN THE AGENDA.
I DON'T WANNA STEP OUTTA SCOPE AGAIN, BUT IT SAYS ACT ARTS COMMISSION ACTIVITIES AND CONCERNS RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION SCOPE.
SO I WENT AND LOOKED AT THE SCOPE TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS IN SCOPE MM-HMM
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYTHING I HAVE TO REPORT IS IN THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION SCOPE.
SO, WELL, I MEAN, PART OF OUR CHARGE IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL RELATIVE TO DOWNTOWN.
SO, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE, I WOULD
[01:30:01]
THINK THAT MAYBE, UM, SOME OF WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO PRESENT WOULD AFFECT DOWNTOWN, WOULD INVOLVE DOWNTOWN.WELL, AS PEOPLE ARE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN IN DOWNTOWN, THEN IT DOES AFFECT THEM.
SO I'M GONNA, I THINK WE'RE FINE.
DON'T WANNA GET MY HAND SMACKED AGAIN THOUGH.
SO, UM, ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, ACME JUST FINISHED.
ITS, UM, FIRST REVAMPED GRANT CYCLE, UM, FOR LIVE MUSIC FUND, ELEVATE CULTURAL SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND HERITAGE PRESERVATION FUND.
THEY HAVE AWARDED, THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF AWARDING 731 GRANTS FOR OVER $24 MILLION, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS, WONDERFUL NEWS.
BUT THERE WERE 1,607 APPLICATIONS AND REQUESTS TOTALED OVER $67 MILLION.
SO THERE'S A LARGE GAP BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND WHAT THE DESIRE FOR CREATING ART IN, UH, AUSTIN IS.
ACME IS GOING THROUGH A PROCESS TO ADJUST THE APPLICATION PROCESS BASED ON FEEDBACK THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED AND 10 PRIORITIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, EXCUSE ME, THAT, UH, UH, SLIDE DECK IS AVAILABLE IN THE ARTS COMMISSION BACKUP.
AND IT'S VERY PLEASING THAT ACME IS LISTENING TO THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD WITH MAKING CONCRETE CHANGES BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED.
THEY'RE DOING A REALLY GREAT JOB ON THAT.
UH, ONE, ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO ASK THOSE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER PRESENTER WAS THAT IN, UH, QUARTER TWO OF 2026 FISCAL CALENDAR, WE HAD THE HIGHEST HOT TECH COLLECTION SINCE 2022.
SO IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE WE, WE REOPENED BACK UP, WE'VE HAD THE HIGHEST HOT TIGHT COLLECTION IN RECORDED IN THAT PERIOD.
BUT THE CONVENTION CENTER IS CLOSED.
AND THEY SAID SPECIFICALLY THAT THEIR PURPOSE IS TO DRIVE HOT TAX REVENUE.
AND WE CAN SEE THAT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO, ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT MANDATORY SHORT TERM RENTAL FEES HAVE BEEN INITIATED.
AND THAT STARTED IN FISCAL YEAR, THE FOURTH QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 25.
SO AMAZINGLY IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 24, THE HOT TAX REVENUE WAS 2.03 MILLION.
AND IN THIS FIRST QUARTER OF MANDATORY HOT TAX REVENUE COLLECTION, IT'S WAS 6.39 MILLION.
SO THERE'S A BEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN THE HOT TAX REVENUE SINCE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL MANDATORY COLLECTION WENT INTO EFFECT.
UM, SIMILARLY, IN Q1 OF FISCAL YEAR 26, THE COLLECTION WAS 5.4 MILLION.
AND IN Q2 OF FISCAL YEAR 26, THE REVENUE COLLECTION WAS 5.23 MILLION.
AND ONCE AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER IS CLOSED.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, OH, OPENING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, 2027 APPLICATIONS WILL OPEN JULY 27TH AND CLOSE AUGUST 18TH.
THAT'S LIVE MUSIC FUND, ELEVATE HERITAGE PRESERVATION AND THRIVE.
AND THEN NEXUS WILL OPEN FOR ITS SECOND SECTION IN SEPTEMBER OF 26TH.
WE JUST CLOSED NEXUS APPLICATION IN MARCH, APRIL.
IN APRIL 16TH, WE JUST CLOSED THE NEXUS APPLICATION.
AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY, WE DIDN'T HAVE A UPDATE AT THE MONDAY MEETING ABOUT THAT APPLICATION, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE IN PROCESS OF SCORING NEXUS APPLICATIONS TO AWARD THOSE FUNDS AND THOSE ARE THE, UM, ENTRY INTO ARTS FUNDING FOR 5,000 OR 10,000.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[6. Update regarding Public Safety Commission activities and concerns related to the Downtown Commission’s scope. ]
BERNHARDT, I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, YOUR TURNUM, I HAVE A REALLY SHORT SLIDE DECK THAT HOPEFULLY WILL WORK AND COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT IS MAKING A, GIVING A PRESENTATION UPDATING US ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
UM, IF, IF WE'RE SHORT ON TIME, I COULD JUST START
[01:35:01]
TALKING.ALTHOUGH, YEAH, POWERPOINT IS NOT MY FRIEND.
SHE'LL BE ABLE TO PULL UP THE SLIDE DECK IN JUST A MOMENT.
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE A THING I COULD DO.
I WAS TRYING TO GET EXCITED AND SEE IF I COULD EVEN GET TO MY NOTES, WHICH I CAN'T, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UM, SO, UH, I STARTED WITH THE THING THAT'S PROBABLY ON MOST FOLKS' MIND WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHICH IS, UM, THE FACT THAT RECENTLY AT BUFORD'S WE HAD A MASS CASUALTY EVENT THAT INVOLVED A LONE GUNMAN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT RAISES NOT JUST THAT INCIDENT, BUT, UM, THE BROADER RISK THAT IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, UH, IN A CITY AS LARGE AS AUSTIN, THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS, UM, A NATURAL TARGET, UM, FOR FOLKS FOR ALL SORTS OF REASONS WHO WANT TO ENGAGE IN SOME KIND OF STATEMENT VIOLENCE.
UM, AND BY STATEMENT VIOLENCE, I MEAN, UM, THEY'RE MOTIVATED BY A POLITICAL MOTIVATION.
THEY'RE MOTIVATED BY HATE AGAINST A PARTICULAR GROUP.
UM, PUBLIC SPACES LIKE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN WITH BIG EVENTS ARE TARGETS.
UM, I THINK WHAT THAT MEANS, AND WHAT, AND I, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE, UM, THE ASSAILANT'S NAME IN THE BUFORD BEAUFORT SHOOTING, AND I CAN'T SEE MY NOTES.
UM, TWO THINGS JUMPED OUT AT ME ABOUT, UM, THE ASSAILANT'S HISTORY.
UM, ONE IS THAT HE HAD A PRETTY SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH HISTORY, BUT THE SECOND ONE IS MORE IMPORTANT, WHICH IS THAT HE HAD A SERIOUS FAMILY VIOLENCE HISTORY.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHEN FOLKS LOOK AT, UM, MASS SHOOTERS GOING EVEN BACK TO THE FIRST ONE THAT REALLY MADE NATIONAL ATTENTION AND MAYBE CONSIDERED THE OFFICIAL FIRST MASS SHOOTING IN THE UNITED STATES, WHICH WAS AT THE UT TOWER, RIGHT? UM, INVOLVED A MAN WHO KILLED HIS MOM AND THEN WENT DOWN TO THE TOWER AND STARTED SHOOTING AT COLLEGE STUDENTS, RIGHT? UM, SO THERE'S A REALLY TIGHT LINK.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERYONE WHO'S ENGAGED IN FAMILY VIOLENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, IS JUST WAITING TO BECOME A MASS SHOOTER.
BUT THAT IS A SMALLER POPULATION OF, OF FOLKS IN OUR SOCIETY THAT ARE AT A MUCH HIGHER RISK OF BEING TRIGGERED BY SOMETHING TO ENGAGE IN MASS VIOLENCE.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE PROTECT AUSTIN AND HOW WE PROTECT AUSTIN DOWNTOWN FROM MASS VIOLENCE, THAT WE DEDICATE RESOURCES TO FAMILY VIOLENCE, UM, AND REALLY TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE.
PEOPLE WHO BEAT AND KILL WOMEN, UM, ARE SENDING A SIGNAL ABOUT THEIR, UM, THE WAY THEY SHOW THEIR POWER THROUGH VIOLENCE.
AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN TEND TO BE THE EASIEST TARGETS.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT COMES OUT FIRST.
UM, SORRY, THAT'S GETTING A LITTLE CRIMINOLOGY ON YOU.
WE CAN, UH, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, UM, AS IS PROBABLY OBVIOUS, AND IT'S THE FIRST PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE THAT I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF DOWNTOWN, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE AN AREA, UM, WHERE SOCIALIZING REVOLVES AROUND DRINKING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, THERE ARE A GROUP OF PUBLIC SAFETY PROBLEMS THAT GO WITH THAT RELATIVELY SPONTANEOUSLY, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, DWIS, WHICH I THINK HAVE IMPROVED SOMEWHAT WITH THE ADVENT OF UBER AND LYFT.
UM, BUT NEVERTHELESS, BECAUSE LOTS OF FOLKS MAYBE DIDN'T PLAN TO TAKE AN UBER OR LYFT OR CAN'T AFFORD IT TO COME ALL THE WAY DOWNTOWN, AND THEY'RE COMING FROM FURTHER AWAY, UM, THERE IS STILL, UM, A LOT OF, UM, DRUNK DRIVING THAT IS A MAJOR SORT OF ISSUE, ESPECIALLY AFTER ABOUT 11 AT NIGHT.
UM, ALSO WHAT COMES ALONG IS SEXUAL ASSAULTS, UM, AND OTHER SORT OF PUBLIC INTOXICATION AND HARASSMENT.
[01:40:04]
I GUESS, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW ALCOHOL ASSISTED SEXUAL ASSAULTS ARE A VERY, VERY BIG CATEGORY OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN GENERAL.UM, SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF THAT IT'S LIKE A NATURAL HAZARD OF WHAT OUR DOWNTOWN IS.
UM, SO, UH, THE THIRD ISSUE THAT I WOULD RAISE THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP FRONT OF MIND.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE PRESENTATION ON THE, UM, AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THE PRESENTATION, UM, ON THE, UH, LIKE RED RIVER RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THIS IS THAT, UM, UH, WE HAVE SOME COMPLICATED, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY CAPACITY ISSUES IN AUSTIN, UM, AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY VERY EASY TO SOLVE.
UM, SO WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 2024, IF Y'ALL WERE PAYING ATTENTION, UM, WE, UH, THE CITY ENTERED THE BIGGEST CONTRACT THEY'VE EVER ENTERED WITH A PD.
THEY INCREASED APDS BASE SALARIES BY 28% OVER FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S WAY BIGGER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES.
UM, AND AND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT WAS WE HAVE A RECRUITMENT PROBLEM, WE HAVE A RETENTION PROBLEM, AND WE NEED TO REALLY REWARD, UM, A PD BECAUSE WE NEED MORE OF THEM.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, AS A LOT OF FOLKS WHO FOLLOW PUBLIC SAFETY KNOW, UH, THAT WASN'T REALLY THE PROBLEM.
THAT'S NOT WHY WE HAVE A RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PROBLEM TO BE MORE PRECISE.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE CULTURE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND I CAN GO INTO GREAT DETAIL ON THAT.
UM, BUT YOU GUYS DON'T WANT ME TO.
LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, IS INCREDIBLY RESISTANT TO CHANGING THAT CULTURE, UM, TO THE POINT THAT AFTER EIGHT YEARS ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, I HAVE DECIDED THAT THERE'S ALMOST NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT EXCEPT OBSERVE IT IN ITS NATURAL HABITAT.
UM, BUT THAT IS, THAT'S GONNA TAKE A COMMITMENT FROM CITY COUNCIL, A COMMITMENT FROM CITY LEADERSHIP, INCLUDING THE CITY MANAGER TO DECIDE THAT, UM, IMPUNITY AND THE CITY LEGAL APOLOGIZING AND SETTLING CASES OF A PBD MISCONDUCT, BUT NOT CHANGING THE CULTURE, UM, IS NOT A PERMANENT STATE OF AFFAIRS, AND THAT THEY WANT TO CHANGE THAT.
UM, UH, AS YOU HEARD EARLIER, UM, THERE HAS BEEN FOR MONTHS, UM, UH, A VERY ACTIVE EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE CLOSING, THE EMINENT CLOSING OF ELOISE HOUSE.
UM, UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION HAS HEARD FROM, UH, SAFE, WE HEAR FROM THEM REGULARLY, AND WE'VE HEARD FROM THEM MULTIPLE TIMES ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, I THINK THAT IT, ELOISE HOUSE IS A, LIKE AWARD-WINNING AREA DEFINING, UM, RESOURCE.
AND IT HAS BEEN INADEQUATE AND NOT SERVING THE COMMUNITY 100% FOR A LONG TIME.
SO IT'S IN, IT'S A SPACE WHERE WE NEED MULTIPLE PROVIDERS.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE ELOISE HOUSE BACK, BUT WHATEVER THE SOLUTION LOOKS LIKE, IT HAS TO BE MORE THAN ONE NONPROFIT.
UM, AND IT, AND IT HAS TO BE MORE STABLE.
UM, SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT, UH, MAYOR WATSON'S NEGOTIATION AND IT IS ACTUALLY THE LEGAL OBLIGATION OF THE HOSPITALS AND THEY HAVE NEVER REALLY POED UP.
SO, UM, AND I ADMIT THAT THEY ARE NOT USUALLY IN A FINANCIAL POSITION TO PONY UP.
UM, BUT I HOPE THAT MAYOR WATSON'S, UH, WORK WITH THE BRAVE ALLIANCE AND WORK WITH THE LOCAL HOSPITALS IS GOING TO LEAD TO A HIGH FUNCTIONING SYSTEM.
UM, ELOISE HOUSE IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO DO THINGS, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE ALL OF IT.
UM, AND UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION WE'VE ALSO SEEN MASSIVE, IT'S HARD TO ACTUALLY QUANTIFY THIS MASSIVE CUTS TO, UH, FAMILY VIOLENCE FUNDING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES FUNDING.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE UNHOUSED FAMILY VIOLENCE SURVIVORS BECAUSE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WERE HOUSING THEM HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS ADMINISTRATION, UH, NOT A BIG FAN OF ADDRESSING, UH, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.
UM, SO, UH, THAT PUTS A LOT MORE PRESSURE ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UH, TO FILL THOSE GAPS HOWEVER WE CAN.
SO, UM, AND THAT ALSO CAME UP IN THE RED RIVER, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICT PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY LARGE UNHOUSED POPULATION THAT IS LIKELY TO GROW BECAUSE OF FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS, NOT JUST TO FAMILY VIOLENCE SURVIVORS, BUT TO OTHER HOUSING PROGRAMS. UM, AND, UH, THAT UNHOUSED POPULATION IS NOT, UH, MONOLITHIC, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A LARGE SORT OF SINGLE MALE HOU UNHOUSED POPULATION.
[01:45:01]
SUBSTANTIAL UNHOUSED POPULATION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.UM, AND I CAN'T STATE ENOUGH THAT IF YOU WANNA DO ONE THING TO DECREASE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN AUSTIN, YOU HOUSE ALL OF THEM BECAUSE A WOMAN ON THE STREETS HAS A NEARLY 100% CHANCE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
UM, AND THAT, I'M SORRY, IS JUST TRUE.
UM, AND THAT IS, UH, MORE BROADLY THE UNHOUSED POPULATION, ALTHOUGH SEEN I THINK AS A THREAT TO SAFETY IS MOSTLY A VICTIM OF VIOLENCE.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A BIG UNHOUSED POPULATION THAT IS REPEATEDLY VICTIMIZED, UM, IS THAT YOU CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PERPETRATORS, UM, HAVE SORT OF FREE REIGN.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? SURE.
UM, SO NORMALLY THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE GET UHOH, UM, COMMISSION NO, IT'S FINE.
UM, THEY, THEY, THEY SAY THEY SORT OF, UH, INFORM US WHAT THE COMMISSION ITSELF YEAH.
AND, UM, EVERY, I THINK EVERY TOPIC THAT YOU'VE RAISED, WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE A CONNECTION TO DOWNTOWN.
YOU KNOW, MAKING IT MORE, I'M SORRY.
WELL, THE OTHER THING THAT I'M DOING IS I'M TALKING A LOT MORE THAN I THINK I PLAN TO.
'CAUSE WITHOUT MY NOTES, LIKE I HAVE NO CONSTRAINTS, RIGHT?
SO I WILL GO QUICKLY THROUGH THE NEXT FEW SLIDES 'CAUSE THERE ARE A FEW SLIDES ABOUT WHAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION DOES AND WHAT YOU GUYS CAN SUPPORT.
UM, SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO ALSO, UM, AND YOU PROBABLY KNOW ABOUT AUSTIN VISION ZERO PROGRAM.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION GETS REGULAR UPDATES ON.
IT'S AN EFFORT TO REDUCE VEHICLE PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS, UM, WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, AN INCREASING ISSUE FOR DOWNTOWN, THE BUSIER IT IS.
UM, SO, UH, ONE OF THE RESOURCES, AND I'M JUST FEATURING THE DOWNTOWN SOBERING CENTER BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES, BUT AUSTIN HAS BUILT AND IS EXPANDING INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THREATS, UM, YOU KNOW, POSED BY THE SORT OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN CULTURE.
AND I WOULD JUST PUT THE SOBERING CENTER ON Y'ALL'S RADAR.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A PRESENTATION FROM THEM.
UH, THEIR WORK IS, UH, VERY VALUABLE IN THAT WAY.
UM, SO WHAT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION DOES, AND, AND PART OF MY LONG INTRO WAS THAT IT, IT DOESN'T SORT OF ADDRESS DOWNTOWN ISSUES IN ISOLATION.
IT ADDRESSES EVERYTHING COLLECTIVELY.
UM, IS, UH, WE HAVE QUARTERLY REPORTS FROM ALL THREE MAIN PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, EMS, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AUSTIN POLICE.
WE GET A REGULAR MONITORING OF AUSTIN WILDFIRE PREPARATION THAT DOES NOT LARGELY ADDRESS DOWNTOWN.
IT WOULD BE HARD FOR A WILDFIRE TO GET HERE, AND IF IT DID, THAT WOULD REALLY BE A PROBLEM ANYWAY.
UM, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WHICH DOES DIRECTLY ADDRESS DOWNTOWN, UM, MANAGEMENT OF LARGE PUBLIC EVENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE REFORM EFFORT AT A PD AND THE DA'S OFFICE, WHICH IS, UH, AFFECTIONATELY REFERRED TO AS THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIMES RESPONSE MODEL OR THE C-S-C-R-M.
UM, AND THEN AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, RECRUITING, TRAINING AND RETENTION, UM, AS WELL AS EMS SPECIAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE, UH, C FOUR COLLABORATIVE, WHICH IS, UM, REALLY AN EFFORT TO FILL, UM, A BASIC GAP IN HEALTHCARE HERE IN AUSTIN, UM, BECAUSE LOTS OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE IT.
UM, SO THAT IS WHAT WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME ON.
UM, UH, MY LIKE, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW Y'ALL THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, ARE THAT YOU LOOK AT PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES WITH A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH, THAT YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT THEM AS BEING SOLVABLE BY FUNDING LAW ENFORCEMENT ALONE, UM, THAT YOU SUPPORT SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS THAT REDUCE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND INCREASE THE LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THAT INDIVIDUALS PRONE TO MASS VIOLENCE WILL BE ON LAW ENFORCEMENT RADAR, UH, BEFORE THEY GET TO THE STAGE THAT THEY COMMIT A LARGE ACT OF MASS VIOLENCE.
UM, AND CONTINUE TO INVEST IN STRATEGIES THAT, UM, REALLY BOTH MITIGATE THE HARMS AND EXCESSES OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE.
UM, LIKE THE SOBERING CENTER, UM, BUT ALSO MITIGATE THE HARMS OF VIOLENCE.
UM, BECAUSE THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE MEANS THE MORE VICTIMS THERE ARE, THE MORE PERPETRATORS THERE ARE.
NOBODY'S FIRST ACT OF VIOLENCE IS TO BEAT SOMEONE TO DEATH.
THEY WERE USUALLY A VICTIM FIRST.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESS OWNERS, STAFF DOWNTOWN AMBASSADORS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THE UNHOUSED POPULATION TO WORK ON BUILDING A CULTURE TOGETHER INSTEAD OF ONE THAT'S ADVERSARIAL.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
[01:50:01]
ANY QUESTIONS? OH, YES.AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR UPDATE.
I, UM, SO IN MY DAY JOB, I'M CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE TEXAS JUVENILE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
AND OVER THE WEEKEND WE SAW, YOU KNOW, A CONCERNING YES.
UH, SERIES OF EVENTS WHERE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT AN UPDATE ABOUT A LOCKDOWN, UM, AND, AND IN SHELTER IN PLACE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS A RISE IN VIOLENT JUVENILE CRIME.
AND I WONDER IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THE CITY IS SEEING OR, OR IF, IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN OR ANYTHING THAT THE 'CAUSE I ALSO KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK, I THINK IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE SHOOTINGS ON SIXTH STREET.
AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE INVOLVING TEENAGERS WHO RIGHT.
ARGUABLY MIGHT NOT EVEN SHOULD BE AT ON SIXTH STREET AT THOSE TIMES OF DAY.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE LOOKED AT.
I MEAN, WE LOOK AT THE CRIME STATISTICS WRIT LARGE, SO WE TEND TO ASK QUESTIONS AND LOOK AT, WELL, WHY WAS THERE A MASSIVE INCREASE IN THIS PARTICULAR VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY? OR WHAT DO THEY ATTRIBUTE A MASSIVE DECREASE TO? RIGHT.
SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW IS A PD SPENDING THEIR TIME, UM, COULD THEY BE SPENDING IT MORE WISELY? I MEAN, WHEN IT COMES TO JUVENILE CRIME IN PARTICULAR, THAT IS A PROBLEM THAT CANNOT BE SOLVED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE ALMOST ALL JUVENILE CRIME STEMS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT THOSE JUVENILES LIVE IN.
IT IS, IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE'RE BREEDING LOTS AND LOTS OF SOCIOPATHS, LIKE MORE PER CAPITA HERE THAN SOMEPLACE ELSE.
THAT'S A VERY SMALL POPULATION.
WELL, BUT THE, WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN FAMILIES ARE IN DISTRESS, WHEN THERE'S FAMILY VIOLENCE, WHEN THERE'S DESPERATION AT HOME, THEN YOU SEE MORE JUVENILE CRIME.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS THE BIG PAYER WHEN IT COMES TO WELFARE SYSTEMS. THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA GET WORSE.
BUT YOU ARE PROBABLY ALREADY KNEW THAT.
NO, BUT I MEAN, THERE ARE LOTS OF INTERVENTIONS, RIGHT? LIKE VIOLENCE INTERVENTION, I THINK WE ARE ONE OF FIVE CITIES IN THE US THAT'S GONNA HAVE DRIVEN BY NONPROFITS, A BIG INFUSION OF VIOLENCE INTERVENERS HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW MUCH THAT KIND OF WORK CAN CHANGE THE 'CAUSE.
IT IS, IT'S ALWAYS, IT'S ALWAYS MEN BETWEEN 15 AND 28 WHO ARE COMMITTING 90% OF THE VIOLENT CRIME.
UH, THAT'S JUST A STATISTICAL REALITY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
[5. Update regarding Arts Commission activities and concerns related to the Downtown Commission’s scope. (Part 2 of 2)]
I I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, UM, WITH YOUR COMMISSION, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAS COME UP RECENTLY REGARDING DOWNTOWN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TAKE A LOOK AT, HAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT, UM, MAYBE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING, UH, NO.WE, UM, I, I, I SOUNDED, SOUNDED THE ALARM ABOUT THE HIDEOUT.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S EVERYWHERE IS THE SAME LACK OF SPACE, LACK OF AFFORDABLE SPACE, UM, INABILITY TO, TO STAY HOUSED.
I MEAN, WHERE EVERYBODY HAS A, HAS THE SAME KIND OF ISSUES ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT'S SPECIFIC TO DOWNTOWN IN THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH.
WE'RE PRIMARILY JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BEST FUND AND SUPPORT THE ARTISTS AND CREATIVES IN THE CITY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS NEW BUSINESS OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO YES.SO I'M WONDERING MR. SHIVER, PERHAPS RYAN CAN WEIGH IN ON THIS, HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE WE'VE HAD A PRESENTATION ON EFFORTS TO RESOLVE HOMELESSNESS AND WHAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY UP TO IN THAT REGARD.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN OUR AGENDA MEETING THAT WE HAD.
AND, UM, I, WE HAVEN'T HAD A, A PRESENTATION ON HOMELESSNESS SINCE THE ISSUES WITH THE ARC MANAGEMENT AND THEM BEING REPLACED.
SO I'VE ASKED RYAN TO REACH OUT.
SO AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE SOME UPDATE IN THAT REGARD.
COMMISSIONER MCDANIEL? UM, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COMMISSION'S THOUGHT IS ON THIS, BUT, UH, THE SOBERING CENTER THAT WAS JUST REFERENCE, I, YEAH, I WOULD LIKE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD ONE THAT WE COULD CONSIDER.
I SECOND THAT RYAN SOBERING CENTER.
UM, AND THEN ALSO AS KIND OF BOOKENDING THIS MEETING, WE HAD THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND THEN WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FORENSIC AND, AND ALCOHOL FUELING SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DOWNTOWN.
AND SO I WONDER IF IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO DO SOMETHING WITH EITHER SAFE ALLIANCE OR BRAVE ALLIANCE OR SOMETHING FROM THE CITY ABOUT THIS PLAN ON, ON WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS THIS AND ENSURE THAT THERE ARE ADEQUATE RESOURCES.
YOU MENTIONED THAT SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AND YEAH, WE HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT HOSPITALS, SO I DON'T KNOW IF INVITING SOMEONE FROM THE CITY OR SOMEONE FROM EACH OF THOSE REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN, BUT IT
[01:55:01]
SOUNDS SO TELL ME THE, TELL ME THE GROUPS.UH, SAFE ALLIANCE WAS THE ONE WHO SPOKE AT THE, THE OUTSET THAT, UH, ELOISE HOUSE.
AND THEN BRAVE ALLIANCE, I THINK IS THE ONE THAT THE MAYOR IS WORKING WITH, SO TO CLARIFY, SAFE ALLIANCE IS BOTH ONE OF OUR PRIMARY PROVIDERS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES AND OUR FAMILY VIOLENCE SHELTER AND PROVIDING FAMILY VIOLENCE SERVICES.
BRAVE ALLIANCE, I THINK NARROWLY PROVIDES FORENSIC NURSING IN THE LIKE SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE SORT OF CATEGORY.
WHERE ARE THEY? THAT WAS LIKE IN HOSPITALS? NO, WELL, THEY, I MEAN, THEY DON'T HAVE A SPACE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
THEY STARTED IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
UM, AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN DOING FORENSIC SERVICES MOSTLY IN NORTH AUSTIN, UM, AND ARE LOOKING FOR A SPACE THAT'S MORE CENTRAL IN, IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL, FOR ME, I THINK THAT I NEED TO STUDY UP ON THIS A LITTLE BIT AND GET UP TO SPEED AS FAR AS WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS SITUATION AND THE HOSPITALS THAT WE'RE REFERENCED AND THE BRAVE ALLIANCE THAT'S BEEN REFERENCED.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES SENSE FOR, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S CHALLENGES WITH DOING AN EMERGENCY MEETING FOR STOP GAP FUNDING.
I, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THAT'S WORTHWHILE CONSIDERATION.
UM, BUT IN LIEU OF THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S INFORMATION THERE WOULD BE SOMEONE TO COME PRESENT TO US ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS WOULD BE, CAN I SUGGEST MAYBE WE START WITH SAFE ALLIANCE? WELL, SHE MENTIONED THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAD A, UM, STRATEGY THEY WERE WORKING ON, AND IT'D BE GOOD TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING NARROWLY ABOUT THE FORENSIC NURSING SERVICES, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT A LITTLE, MAYBE A WEEK OR TWO AGO ABOUT, UH, HAVING AN AGREEMENT WITH LOCAL HOSPITALS AND THE BRAVE ALLIANCE TO FILL THE GAP THAT ELOISE HOUSE WAS GONNA LEAVE IN TERMS OF SERVICES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA TRANSITION INTO A DIFFERENT LONG-TERM SOLUTION OR IF THAT'S G GONNA BE THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
SO AGAIN, WHO WOULD, DO WE HAVE, UH, DO WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT? DO WE HAVE A NAME? DO WE, YEAH.
I MEAN, TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, I THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO HEAR FROM THE PER PERSON OR PEOPLE AT A PD WHO HAD LIKE THE FAMILY VIOLENCE, THE, THE FAMILY VIOLENCE INVESTIGATIONS AND RESPONSE AND THE SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE, BUT THEN ALSO HEAR FROM THE NONPROFITS.
UM, THINK ABOUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
I I MEAN HE'S VERY, HE'S BEEN INVESTED IN THE SEXUAL ASSAULT ISSUE SINCE HE WAS AT THE LEGISLATURE.
I ASKED ABOUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
SO I KNOW IT'S PERSONAL TO HIM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO ON HIS STAFF MIGHT BE THE RIGHT PERSON TO ASK.
WELL, AND I, I'M ALSO CURIOUS FROM A, JUST A PROCESS STANDPOINT, LIKE, UM, DID THIS, WAS THIS, UH, A BID PROCESS OR SOME RFP, LIKE WHY IS ELOISE HOUSE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE RECEIVING THE FUNDING? I CAN ANSWER THAT
SO, I MEAN, AS I, I THINK THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE CLEARER IF WE'D HEARD FROM THE SAFE ALLIANCE'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BUT EVEN HAVING, HEARING HIM SPEAK.
SO THE HISTORY OF ELOISE HOUSE WAS THAT IT WAS, IT'S CALLED ELOISE BECAUSE ELOISE DEJORIA, UM, PROVIDED THE FUNDING FOR IT ORIGINALLY, AND RECENTLY WITHDREW HER FUNDING FROM SAFE AND, AND BASICALLY SET NEW PRIORITIES FOR WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO IN TERMS OF PHILANTHROPY.
SO THEY LOST A LOT OF MONEY THAT HAD BEEN DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING ELOISE HOUSE, I BELIEVE UP UNTIL VERY RECENTLY.
THEY RECEIVE, UM, TWO FORMS OF, I GUESS, GOVERNMENT REIMBURSEMENT.
ONE IS THE VICTIM'S COMPENSATION FUND THROUGH THE AGS OFFICE, WHICH, UM, IS A PER UM, UH, SORT OF EXAM, UH, REFUND, BUT IT IS WAY BELOW WHAT THE ACTUAL COST OF THE EXAM IS.
SO EVERYBODY IS HAVING TO FUNDRAISE ON TOP OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN MM, INSUFFICIENT FOR 40 YEARS.
UM, AND, UH, AND SO A PD ALSO HAS A GRANT TO SAFE THAT IS THAT ADDITIONAL LITTLE PORTION.
UM, AND THAT HAS, UM, THAT, THAT'S NEVER BEEN ENOUGH.
THAT'S ALWAYS JUST BEEN A SUPPLEMENT.
CAN I SUGGEST, UM, COMMISSIONER MCDANIEL THAT YOU DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH AND THEN, UM, IF, IF WE CAN IDENTIFY SAFE ALLIANCE IS ONE IT SEEMS, AND I THINK I SECOND THAT, SO IF WE CAN REACH OUT TO THEM, BUT MAYBE DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH, UH, AND MAYBE COME BACK TO US WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHO WE MAY WANT TO HAVE PRESENT TO US.
MY GUT IS TELLING ME SOMEONE IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO RUN THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND REACH OUT TO MY COUNCILWOMAN AND GO FROM THERE.
JUST KEEP IN MIND, LIKE, I AGREE, THIS IS ALL CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, BUT IS IT A CITYWIDE ISSUE OR IS IT A DOWNTOWN ISSUE? RIGHT, RIGHT.
YEAH, WE ALWAYS WANNA RELATE IT TO, TO DOWNTOWN.
ANY, UH, ANY OTHER FUTURE BUSINESS? YES, COMMISSIONER WILEY.
[02:00:04]
YEAH.WE MIGHT WANNA TALK ABOUT CAP AND STITCH TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT PLAN EVOLVES.
I THINK THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT.
AND, UM, AND WE MIGHT ALSO WANT TO INCLUDE IT IN THAT, AN UPDATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IF, IF WE CAN GET THAT.
UM, SO, SO I SHOULD KNOW THIS, BUT HOW DOES THE STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN PLAY INTO CAP AND STITCH, AND WOULD THAT BE AN APPROPRIATE TOPIC TO INCLUDE? THAT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT.
UM, I WILL SAY, UM, UNCONFIRMED, BUT IN THE WORKS TENTATIVELY WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM, UH, UM, TXDOT AND TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS ON THE I 35 EXPANSION IN THE CAP STICK.
ACTUALLY, NO,
I NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, BUT RIGHT, RIGHT.
TENTATIVELY, UM, AND THAT WAS FOR WINNI AGAIN.
SORRY, WHEN DID THEY SAY WHEN THEY MIGHT BE AVAILABLE? UM, THEY ASKED ABOUT AUGUST.
AND I WILL SAY THAT WE ALSO HAVE REACHED OUT TO A PD, THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO PRESENT AT SOME POINT, AND WE COULD INCLUDE IN THE LIST OF WHAT WE ALREADY SENT THEM, RYAN, WE COULD ADD SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, THE FAMILY VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT ISSUES.
SO, AND THIS IS RYAN, I'LL OFFER TOO, YOU KNOW, IF THE COMMISSION FEEL, IF THE MEMBERS FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT HOLDING SPECIAL, CALLED MEETING BEFORE THE SAFE ALLIANCE DEADLINE, AND LOOKING TWO WEEKS AHEAD COULD LOOK INTO AVAILABILITY ON, UH, THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH, OR FRIDAY THAT JUNE 5TH.
UM, IF THERE'S STRONG INTEREST IN AVAILABILITY AMONG THE MEMBERS, IT COULD LOOK INTO THAT POSSIBILITY AS WELL.
WELL, I'M HAVING EXCITING KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY ON THE FOURTH
UM, BUT I WON'T BE HERE IN PERSON.
UM, WELL, UM, IF, BUT IF THE FUNDING RUNS OUT ON JUNE 8TH AND WE HAVE THE MEETING ON JUNE 4TH, WHAT WILL IT PRODUCE? YEAH, WELL, WHAT WILL IT HELP? UM, YEAH, I'M NOT SURE.
WELL, I, YES, IF, I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD NECESSARILY MOVE THE NEEDLE ON ANYTHING, BUT IF IT CAME TO A POINT WHERE WE DID TAKE A FORMAL POSITION OR SUGGEST THAT THIS WOULD BE GOOD FOR DOWNTOWN, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THAT TO CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, IS, YOU KNOW, IS WELL WITHIN OUR, UH, RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, I THINK ONE THING THAT WE, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT, UH, SPECIAL CLUB MEETING, BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT.
WHAT DID LOE, WHAT IS LOE PROVIDING THAT ISN'T BEING, THAT WILL NOT BE PROVIDED BY SOMEONE ELSE? HOW IS IT FUNDED? UM, I GUESS I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE.
I MEAN, ONE THING THAT YOU COULD ASK IS ASK A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND, AND FIND OUT WHO ELSE WOULD BE RELEVANT.
UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PROJECT MANAGER, UH, WHO RUNS THE C-S-C-R-M REFORM PROJECT NAMED HANNAH SANKO, UM, WHO'S ALSO, UM, SHE WILL KNOW IF SHE'S NOT THE ONE, SHE WILL KNOW WHO ELSE WOULD BE REALLY VALUABLE.
THERE'S ALSO A, UM, A SART, A SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE TEAM.
ANYWAY, THEY ARE LIKE THIS INNER, UM, ORGANIZATIONAL ENTITY THAT WORKS ON ALL THE, LIKE, HOW THE CITY IS RESPONDING OR THE COUNTY RELATE TO SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
UM, SO THOSE FOLKS SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
ANY OTHER FUTURE BUSINESS? ALRIGHT.
IF NOT, UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.
SO COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER MOVED.
AND COMMISSIONER MCDANIEL SECONDED.