Downtown

January 1999

• 200 Block Congress Avenue
  New Project
  This project is modify the sidewalk in the 200 block of Congress Avenue to be ADA accessible and to match the rest of Congress Avenue with granite pavers, tress and diagonal parking. The project was bid on July 9, 1998 and awarded to Austin Filter Systems on October 7, 1998. Construction began on November 23, 1998, and is expected to take 100 calendar days.

• ADA Renovation - 6th Street & Brazos Street
  New Project
  The alleys on Brazos St. are complete. The west side of the intersection at 6th and Brazos, particularly the Driskill Hotel corner, needs to be brought into alignment with the rest of 6th Street. This project will entail regrading sidewalk, improving affected utilities, repaving the sidewalks, and significant ADA work. In addition, four alley entrances in the vicinity will be improved, as well as the southwest corner of the intersection. The project is about 65% complete. The work continues on the Brazos side of the Driskill Hotel.

• Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH)
  Under the auspices of the Community Action Network (CAN), the City and County recently renewed the contract with Austin/Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation (ATC MHMR) to provide services through the Homeless Resource Center from January-December 1999. The City and County continued their agreement to allow ATC MHMR to subcontract out the operations of the ARCH to another non-profit organization, the Capital Area Homeless Alliance.

• Block 4 Residential Development
  If the City is successful at negotiating an agreement with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), the residential project planned for Block 4 would be relocated to Block 22.

• DAA Downtown Parking Signs and Map
  The Downtown Austin Alliance has produced a third version of the Downtown Parking Map in September 1998, and has distributed nearly 15,000 maps to date.

• DAA Downtown Tuesday Noontime Concerts
  The Spring 1999 season begins April 6 and will run every Tuesday, 12 noon-1:00p.m. until June 29.

• DAA Great Streets Program
  Congress Avenue's 200 block is planned for streetscaping to match the rest of the "Main Street of Texas." Construction is planned to start November 1998.

• Downtown Design Guidelines
  The Design Commission completed a preliminary draft of the guidelines in December, 1998. That draft has been distributed, and the Design Commission is receiving comments, to be incorporated into a final draft.

• Downtown Development Initiatives
  
  • Waller Creek: The Lower Waller Creek Neighborhood Association (LWCNA), comprising property owners along Waller Creek below 15th Street, are developing voluntary guidelines for private development along the creek.
  • Downtown Development Advisory Group: In November the Downtown Development Advisory Group began work on their final report to the Council. Included in the report will be a recommendation for a downtown planning and development corporation.
  • Heritage Austin: Heritage Austin is a program of the Heritage Society of Austin. The team, comprising five local architects, meets weekly to develop a community values based vision for downtown, as well as eighteen issue papers. Heritage Austin has a Storefront Community Design Center at 807 Congress Avenue, where they have been holding public input sessions. They are working to complete their Community Workbook, the first draft of which was released in November 1997.

• Downtown Parking Study
  New Project
  This project will develop a comprehensive study and parking management plan for the Austin Downtown Area. The consultants will also perform a preliminary assessment of parking needs related to 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 11th and 12th Streets east of IH 35 to Chicon St. and recommend whether there is a need for more detailed study. If funding is available, the study area will include S. Congress Avenue from Town Lake south to Oltorf St.

• Labor Solutions (Day Labor Site)
  FRecently, a number of changes have been made in order to improve the operation of the Day Labor program. A perimeter fence with several entry gates has been installed around the site to separate day laborers from individuals who present security concerns. As of April 1998 MHMR also began a more structured day labor program that involves matching appropriately skilled day laborers with employers. Under this new program, both employers and laborers must sign in with the Day Labor Coordinator. Laborers are assigned to appropriate employers according to the order in which they sign in, unless employers have specific requests.

  Further improvements are under development include 1) relocation of the program in order to clearly separate the One Stop Labor Center from homeless services, 2) outreach to laborers to promote utilization of the formal program and, 3) structural changes to program operations to remove barriers to use. The program has received additional funding to implement these improvements:

  1. Relocation: Potential new sites have been identified. City real estate staff are in negotiations with property owners/agents to secure a site. Key criteria for selection are: a) access from major thoroughfares, b) access by bus for laborers, c) location away from residential neighborhoods and, d) sufficient space to accommodate program operations
  2. Outreach: Austin Travis County MHMR, which manages the One Stop Labor Center, has contracted with El Buen Samaritano to perform outreach to laborers to promote greater participation in the program. This is intended to reduce the number of laborers soliciting work from the streets outside the Center.
  3. Structural Changes: Program staff have worked to enhanced services to further encourage greater usage of the program. Most significant is the expanded advocacy for laborers in pay disputes. In addition, the Capital Area Workforce Development Board has assigned staff to the site to help connect day laborers to regular employment.

• Lamar Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge Facility
  The City Council authorized HDR Engineering to provide design phase services in January 1999. The design phase is in progress.

• Poleyard Residential Development
  On December 12, 1998 the City Council approved a resolution authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute an Agreement to Lease and a Ground Lease of the Poleyard Property with Post Apartment Homes, L.P. Construction is expected to begin in August.

• Town Lake Park Master Plan
  New Project
  Objectives of the project include: 1. to plan a signature urban cultural park on the 54 acres of parkland surrounding Palmer Auditorium and the City Coliseum; 2. plan for creation of a new Community Events Center of approximately 95,000 square feet, with appropriate common areas, meeting rooms, support and service areas. Included will be 70,000 square feet of exhibit space on one level; 3. allow for renovation of the existing Palmer Auditorium for use by ARTS*CenterStage as a Performing Arts Facility; 4. plan for creation of a new urban Parking Garage to accommodate the new Community Events Center, Palmer Auditorium and park related retail/concession space; 5. plan for demolition of appropriate buildings, streets and existing ground surface parking; 6. plan for the spatial connections and site circulation between all of the above, as well as the relationship and connections to Auditorium Shores, the surrounding urban edge and the downtown area across Town Lake, and; 7. to develop the urban design character for improvements to the Urban Edge adjacent to Town Lake Park, including Barton Springs Road, Riverside Drive and S. First Street.

  The project is on a fast track process. On February 11, 1999 the City Council awarded the consultant contract to EDAW, Inc. of Denver, Colorado. Completion of the Master Planning process is anticipated by July 1, 1999.

• Waller Creek Flood-Management and Water Quality Improvements
  Funding for the project was approved by Austin voters on May 2, 1998. On September 25, 1998 the City issued a Request for Qualifications for selection of the project design engineer. Evaluation of the eight qualification statements received and interviews of five of the applicants have been completed. The Austin City Council awarded the engineering services contract to the Brown & Root, Inc. / Espey Padden, Inc. Joint Venture on January 20th. The LCRA has withdrawn its offer to provide project management services. The project will be managed by the City of Austin.

• Waller Creek Trail and Park Improvements
  
  • Town Lake and Waller Creek site: Project completed except for kiosk and benches.
  • Cesar Chavez site: No construction yet
  • Trask House site: Walkway concrete poured
  • Palm Park: Project complete except for tree planting
  • Sixth Street Gate: 80% complete
  • Seventh Street Bridge Lighting: No construction yet
  • Ninth Street Ramp: Construction complete except for tree planting
  • Doyle House Ramp: Beginning demolition
  • Symphony Square: Beginning demolition
  • Waterloo Park: No construction yet
  In addition to the site construction, we are in the process of bidding out materials, such as the pedestrian bridge, benches and other site furnishings, signage, etc.