R/UDAT Austin: A Call to Action

The basic focus of these recommendations has as priorities the artists, creators of our cultural expression, the arts organizations that support and expand their activities, the citizens of Austin and the natural beauty of Town Lake and our city.

This subcommittee's recommendations take into account the diversity of Austin's cultural composition and its specific needs. We acknowledge the consistent support given to the arts and culture by the citizens of Austin, in part through Austin audiences, businesses, corporations, individuals and the City of Austin Cultural Affairs Division.

CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT	We recommend creation of a Downtown Cultural Arts District, within the spirit of the R/UDAT report and of the preceding statement, to serve the artists and the local, regional, national and international markets. The Cultural Arts District is envisioned as an open space in harmony with our natural landscape and environment. This cultural magnet with individual venues, facilities and attractions will be located throughout the Downtown area, converging in a Cultural Arts District. It will attract those in the multidisciplinary arts and the general population. It will include existing arts facilities and organizations located in the area as well as future facilities; both will share common marketing and transportation linkages. The Cultural Arts District will provide and nurture a multicultural environment where the general population can enjoy a variety of cultural events. Furthermore, the Cultural Arts District will allow our vibrant arts community to reach its full potential as an important part of Austin's economy; a flourishing cultural life will become another major incentive for tourism.
IMPLEMENTATION	In order to implement the Cultural Arts District, attention must be given to the following considerations: There is great potential in the Downtown area for adaptive use of existing facilities or for the creation of new ones. Questions of availability for new construction include costs, design, mechanisms for funding, best use of existing buildings, concrete timetables and proposed programming/management could be resolved by the Comprehensive Arts Facilities Plan. The Comprehensive Arts Facilities Plan should include the work in progress of Parks and Recreation Department and the Austin Arts Commission's Comprehensive Arts Plan (ACAP), without exclusion of other pertinent input, which would form the basis for a Marketing Plan for the Cultural Arts. Arts facilities planning is an enormous task which, nevertheless, needs to be implemented to protect and further develop the quality of life in Austin. The eventual realization of projects developed in a coordinated, inclusive manner within the framework provided by our statement will yield a world-class Cultural Arts District which can center the dynamics and be an inclusive force in our culturally diverse city. We recommend the transportation linkage of the quadrants of Town Lake with Congress Avenue, Sixth Street, the Convention Center, the Waller Creek corridor, and the University of Texas. We recommend improved maintenance of the Bike Trail and of other bike access to facilities on Town Lake, wide outside lanes on streets, and bike corridors for the bicyclists, conserving the environmental characteristics of the area as a priority. In turn, other venues will open and give maximum participation to the community in general.
DOWNTOWN CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT	Concrete initial steps should be taken specifically to solve the great need for space for arts facilities. We recommend development of a comprehensive architectural design, an engineering and funding plan for the retrofitting of existing structures and construction of new facilities. These plans will incorporate and respect the natural landscape and environment of Town Lake as a priority. As a long-term recommendation, we propose phased development of cultural facilities, funding options, operations and projects through maximum utilization of public and private resources. Additionally, we propose development of a central cultural facility in the Downtown area to function as an economic-tourist draw, representing Austin's cultural heritage and varied artistic resources. In this regard, we propose that reuse of existing city-owned facilities and resources should be considered, whenever possible.
BOND ISSUES FOR OTHER PROJECTS	Develop a bond issue, or means of facilitating a bond issue, for renovation/construction of following facilities: Palmer Auditorium (adaptive reuse) City Coliseum (adaptive reuse) Mexican American Cultural Center Carver Cultural Arts Center Paramount and State theaters (R/UDAT report, 1991, p. 53) Discovery Hall Seaholm Power Plant and adjacent land (City Council resolution, Nov. 7, 1991) Cultural Arts Facilities Study City-owned warehouse space (adaptive reuse)
CULTURAL MARKETING AND TOURISM	We strongly recommend structured plans for festivals and special events in coordination with the specific City departments and private organizations. These synergistic projects between cultural and commercial life in Austin will showcase and promote Austin-based artists and cultural arts organizations which serve and represent the four-county surrounding area. Develop the public, non-profit/for-profit partnerships that will be required, and establish a Director of Cultural Affairs within the Downtown Management Organization (DMO) to oversee the implementation and coordination of these recommendations.