Downtown Public Improvement District (PID)
Managed by the Downtown Austin Alliance
Summary On April 15, 1993, the City Council created a Public Improvement District (PID) to provide constant and permanent funding to implement downtown initiatives. The PID is a means for the Downtown Austin community to provide adequate and constant funds for quality of life improvements and planning and marketing of Downtown Austin. The creation of the PID was a private sector initiative, and was achieved upon the submittal of a petition with the minimum number of signatures to the City, development of a Service Plan acceptable to Council, and Council's satisfaction that the PID will enhance Downtown Austin. The PID is authorized for a five year period.
  The City contracted with the Downtown Austin Alliance in September 1993 to manage the downtown initiative program. The Downtown Austin Alliance (formerly Austin DMO, Inc.) was incorporated in May 1992 to promote growth and revitalization in Downtown Austin. It consists of owners of downtown property, downtown tenants, and other interested Austinites.
Status
In October, 1997 the Austin City Council approved a five year extension of the Austin Downtown PID. In December, 1997 the Council approved the 1998-99 PID Service Plan and Budget. On April 16, 1998 the City Council approved a five year extension of the PID management contract to the Downtown Austin Alliance.
Programs Programs the DAA administers within the PID include:
Austin Downtown Rangers
Graffiti Removal
Litter Removal
Destination Downtown Arts and Entertainment Map
Downtown Parking Signs and Map
Noontime Concerts
Great Streets Program
Austin Downtown Rangers
The Rangers serve as eyes and ears for APD and as goodwill ambassadors for the downtown Austin area. The Austin Downtown Rangers dress in easily distinguishable uniforms and carry two-way communication equipment to be in constant contact with Austin Police dispatch. The Rangers were trained by APD in police patrol techniques. The Rangers are not peace officers, do not carry weapons, and do not make arrests. They report situations requiring Police Officer attention to the Austin Police dispatch office.
The Rangers are also trained by ACVB in their ambassadorship responsibilities. The Downtown Rangers serve as guides for the public; they are trained to answer questions about points of interest in downtown Austin. They carry maps and other materials to guide guests of our city to their destinations.
The Austin Downtown Rangers program assists both the Downtown Austin Alliance in implementing its Security Service Plan element, and satisfy a current APD goal to increase the number of women and minorities in its ranks. All of the Austin Downtown Rangers are City of Austin employees, funded by a grant from the Downtown Austin Alliance.
The principal purpose of the Austin Downtown Ranger program is security. Therefore, the Rangers are directly responsible to the Supervisor of the Walking/Bicycle Beat in Downtown Austin. That Supervisor works closely with the Executive Director of the Downtown Austin Alliance and the ACVB Director to develop the deployment schedules and areas of security coverage throughout the year. This coordination will be on a continuing basis to satisfy the security needs of downtown Austin.
With the completion of the City of Austin's Market Study the Rangers became eligible for a dollar plus per hour increase. This increase will help ensure quality applicants for the Ranger program in the future. The Rangers' last two paychecks reflected the Market Study's increase.
Monty Dolieslager has returned as Ranger Supervisor.
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Graffiti Removal
Since the City of Austin has assumed responsibility for graffiti removal in the public right-of-way, the Downtown Austin Alliance has re-allocated its resources to private property graffiti removal. The Downtown Austin Alliance has contracted with Adrian's Hydro-Blasting, Cen-Tex Power Washing and Off-The-Wall Graffiti for graffiti removal on private property within the Public Improvement District. There is no charge to the property owner. The Alliance will clean any part of a building which faces the street. All downtown parcels for which the Alliance has a signed release of liability are included in this program. The Alliance cannot clean any parcel unless an appropriate property representative has signed the release.
All graffiti should be reported to the City Graffiti Abatement Program at 473-4125. For graffiti that occurs on the fronts of buildings in the Public Improvement District, please contact Sam Allison at 469-1766.
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Litter Removal
 The Downtown Austin Alliance has contracted with the City of Austin Youth Corps to perform litter removal from sidewalks, curb, and gutters in the Downtown Austin Public Improvement District, including Waller Creek. Litter is picked up between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., seven days a week. This service is in addition to the city's regular maintenance program. In June, 1998, the Alliance purchased the "Green Machine" an automated sidewalk litter remover. The Alliance donated the machine to the Anti-Litter Division of the City's Solid Waste Services Department. For questions about the operation of the "Green Machine" please call Ray King at 476-4381 or Steve Miller at 476-4574.
Since December, 1995, the Youth Corps have averaged over 500 bags of trash a month in downtown. The areas being cleaned falls within the boundaries of the Downtown Austin Public Improvement District. Within that area, the sidewalks will be cleaned from the private property line to the street curb. Alcoves will also be cleaned by the "Green Machine." Alley cleaning is not a part of this contract. Congress Avenue receives additional coverage. The Alliance recently amended the pick-up routes to include a weekly litter pickup in Waller Creek.
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 Destination Downtown Arts and Entertainment Map
One of the Downtown Austin Alliance's most successful marketing tools for Downtown is the the Destination Downtown Map for Austin Arts & Entertainment . The map shows off the many avenues of artistic, cultural and recreational interest Downtown offers, while promoting Downtown's vital arts industry. The map is available from the Downtown Austin Alliance. This map has been in demand by realty and title companies, Downtown commercial leasing agents and managers, large Austin corporations (for inclusion in their employment relocation packets), tourists, convention planners, and by many Austin arts organizations.
The first edition of the map was produced in 1995. The second edition, produced in Fall 1997, shows around 90 restaurants, 61 performing arts venues, 42 visual arts venues, as well as museums, libraries, parks, hotels and lodging, annual arts events, and University of Texas at Austin facilities. The map also shows Downtown public transportation routes and off-street parking available to the public, including State of Texas parking facilities. Attention has been given to the emerging cultural districts within the Public Improvement District.
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 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. The map shows the locations of publicly available off-street parking in Downtown. The Alliance provides free signage to all facilities that choose to participate. Close to 100 signs were in use by the end of September 1998. Nearly all private sector facilities that offer public parking are indicated on the map.
The map is available from the Downtown Austin Alliance. The Alliance has been following up with managers of parking garages to determine effectiveness. For more information please contact Shelly Branch at 469-1766.
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Noontime Concerts
 The Downtown Austin Alliance and the Austin Federation of Musicians have co-sponsored three years of free Tuesday noontime concerts. They are held in Spring (April-June) and Fall (September-October). The concerts are traditionally held at Regents Plaza, northwest corner of W. 6th and Colorado.
The concerts have been held every Tuesday each Spring and Fall since 1994. Types of music performed in the past include: 60's and Motown, Cajun, Mexican, Urban Folk, Eclectic Bluegrass, Big Band Sound, Tejano / Conjunto, Irish Harp, New Orleans Dixieland jazz, original Austin progressive country, jazz, original soul and Top 40 cover tunes, South American vocals and multi-instrumental, rock-a-billy and Zydeco.
The Spring 1999 season begins April 6 and will run every Tuesday, 12 noon-1:00p.m. until June 29.
For more information on the concerts please contact Anne Gilliam at 469-1766.
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Great Streets Program
The Downtown Austin Alliance, Inc. has established a Great Streets Program. This program's mission is the improvement of the physical design of Downtown streetscapes. At this time the focus of the program is on the completion of existing projects.
- Congress Avenue's 200 block is planned for streetscaping to match the rest of the "Main Street of Texas." Construction is planned to start fall 1998.
- The Driskill corner construction began July 15, 1998.
- The Barton Springs - Congress Avenue "Triangle" now has xeriscaping and a bat sculpture/stabile by Dale Whistler. The large metal bat moves in the wind, as it heralds the entry to Downtown. Donors include the Austin American-Statesman, Embassy Suites Hotel, Hyatt Regency Austin, Parsons Brinkerhoff, Quade, Douglas and the Downtown Trust.
Funding for projects selected as part of the Great Streets program will come from a variety of sources. If parking meter revenues in Downtown increase, the increase will be allocated to the Great Streets program. Other sources of funding, both public and private, are being sought. Possible sources include Capital Metro's Build Greater Austin program, the Historic Landmark Commission's Bricks and Mortar fund, ISTEA, contributions from adjacent property owners.
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Basic Data
- Project Contact: Dave Kreider, Assistant Director, Planning, Environmental and Conservation Services Department, 499-6381
- Project Manager: Charles Betts, Executive Director, Downtown Austin Alliance, 469-1766, fax 477-7456, Southwest Tower, 211 E. Seventh Street, Suite 100-L, Austin, TX 78701
Revised January 27, 1998
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