City creates plan to keep downtown 'vibrant' amid large-scale construction projects
AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin City Council has established the Downtown Austin Strategic Initiative so that downtown remains safe, accessible and vibrant while transformative projects are underway.
Large-scale downtown private and public projects – such as the I-35 Capital Express Central Project and the Austin Convention Center remodel – have already started or will start soon. The city unanimously approved Thursday the new office to oversee those projects.
“We have roughly $25 billion worth of infrastructure starting to be constructed roughly at the same time,” said Matt Geske, VP of public affairs for Downtown Austin Alliance. “[The program] is making sure we’re planned and coordinated for the next 10 years of construction.”
The initiative will work to identify funding needed to minimize disruptions throughout downtown during construction, according to city documents.
The city said the needed projects may fall within the following areas:
- Mobility and Infrastructure
- Music and Arts
- Cultural and Historical Assets
- Economic and Workforce Development
- Public Safety
- Homelessness
The Austin city manager has been tasked with working with downtown partners and stakeholders – such as the Downtown Austin Alliance, Opportunity Austin and Visit Austin – to develop the scope of the new initiative.
“Downtown is about to see some major change, given the transformative infrastructure projects – both public and private – that are underway. That’s happening now so we need to give Downtown some focused attention to be the welcoming, engaging, vibrant, safe, and accessible place that creates smiles,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson wrote in his ‘Watson Wire’ newsletter.
“Our overarching goal is to ensure we’re being strategic and smart with our resources as we manage the inevitable disruption and change that will ripple through just about every facet of the City,” he wrote.
