REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WEDNESDAY JANUARY 21, 2026, 5:30 P.M. AUSTIN CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 1001 301 W 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Downtown Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote remotely, contact Christi Vitela at participation by Christi.Vitela@austintexas.gov or (512) 974-2792. telephone. To to speak register CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Ed Ishmael, Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Pat Buchta David Carroll Kevin Chen Liz Coufal Jennifer Franklin Nkiru Gelles Gina Houston AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Kimberly Levinson, Vice Chair Nathan McDaniel Charles Peveto Nancy Pollak Sania Shifferd Joe Silva Philip Wiley The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission Regular Called meeting on December 17, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Presentation regarding the Downtown Density Bonus Program Update by Alan Pani, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. Presentation from the Downtown Austin Alliance on goals, trends, and challenges. Presentation by Davon Barbour, President & CEO, Downtown Austin Alliance. Update on the status of the Hideout Theater. Presentation by Jessica Arjet, Owner/Youth Programs Director, Hideout Theater. Update on the City of Austin Cultural Arts Funding as discussed at recent Arts Commission meetings. Discussion of the Central City District Plan. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 7. 8. Approve the formation of a working group to provide recommendations on the Central City District Plan. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding Two-Way Streets in the Downtown Area. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Christi Vitela at the Austin City Clerk’s Office, at 512-974-2792 or christi.vitela@austintexas.gov, to request service or …
Downtown Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Downtown Commission Regular Called Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 The Downtown Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at Austin City Hall Chambers Room 1001, 301 W 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Vice Chair Levinson called the Downtown Commission Meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE: Kimberly Levinson, Vice Chair Pat Buchta David Carroll Gina Houston Nathan McDaniel Charles Peveto Sania Shifferd Philip Wiley COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE REMOTELY: Ed Ishmael, Chair Kevin Chen Jennifer Franklin Nkiru Gelles Joe Silva PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Jessica Arjet – Hideout Theater APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission Regular Called meeting on November 19, 2025. The minutes from the meeting on November 19, 2025, were approved on Commissioner McDaniel’s motion, Commissioner Peveto’s second, on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Coufal and Pollak were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 1 Downtown Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 2. Presentation regarding the Great Streets Update by Jill Amezcua, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. The presentation was made by Jill Amezcua, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. Discussion of Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget to provide feedback on priorities and proposals that may result in budget savings or operational efficiency. Discussed. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. 5. Approve the formation of a Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget Working Group. The motion to approve the formation of a Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget Working Group to write budget recommendations was approved on Commissioner Shifferd’s motion, Commissioner McDaniel’s second, on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Coufal and Pollak were absent. Commissioners Buchta, Peveto, Shifferd, and Wiley were added to the working group without objection. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the inclusion of the Downtown Commission as a stakeholder in the Central City Plan process. Discussed. The motion to withdraw the recommendation was approved on Commissioner Shifferd’s motion, Vice Chair Levinson’s second, on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Coufal and Pollak were absent. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Formation of a Central City Planning Working Group Hideout Theater Arts Commission Update Downtown Austin Alliance Presentation Two Way Street Recommendation 6th Street Engineering Report ADJOURNMENT Vice Chair Levinson adjourned the meeting at 6:16 p.m. without objection. 2
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Downtown Commission Recommendation No. 20260121-008: Two-Way Street Conversions in Downtown Austin WHEREAS, the Downtown Commission was created to guide the development of downtown; and WHEREAS, the development of downtown is critical to the wellbeing of Austin; and WHEREAS, the residents of downtown look to the Downtown Commission to safeguard their interests; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin adopted the Vision Zero Plan in 2015 with a goal to reduce the number of people hurt or killed by traffic crashes to zero; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin adopted the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan in 2019 with a goal to reduce solo driving to 50% by 2039; and WHEREAS, one-way streets prioritize moving vehicles as fast as possible thereby encouraging drivers to speed in high pedestrian areas; and WHEREAS, two-way streets prioritize a more comfortable, walkable environment and driver safety, livability, accessibility, and economic vitality by encouraging slower traffic, reducing driver aggression, improving navigation, increasing business visibility, and creating better environments for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users; and WHEREAS, the total width of the right-of-way is fixed regardless of traffic direction. While a one-way street might avoid dedicated left-turn lanes, this space is often just absorbed by additional travel lanes that prioritize vehicle throughput over more flexible uses like outdoor dining, wider sidewalks, or green space; and WHEREAS, lane allocation on one-way streets often compromises public transit by forcing split routes, where inbound and outbound buses must use different streets. This adds complexity for riders and increases walking distances to stops, which is less flexible for a comprehensive transit network than a two-way street that supports bidirectional service on a single corridor; and WHEREAS, two-way streets are more intuitive for visitors and infrequent users, reducing the likelihood of missed turns and the dangerous "last-second" maneuvers often seen on one-way grids; and WHEREAS, two-way streets provide emergency vehicles with more direct routes to specific addresses, potentially lowering response times compared to one-way systems that may require a fire truck or ambulance to go around an entire block; and WHEREAS, one-way street networks often force drivers to take circuitous routes to reach their destination, while two-way streets allow for more direct routes, reducing fuel consumption and idling time; and WHEREAS, in the past, one-way streets were often seen to allow a greater number of cars passing through per hour because they lack oncoming traffic and left-turn maneuvers, planners today can …
DDB Phase 1 – Program Format Austin Planning | Downtown Commission | 1/21/26 DDB Phase 1 Current Downtown Density Bonus Program Base Entitlements Sites have height and FAR limits set by their base zoning (e.g., CBD = 350ft of height & 8:1 FAR*) Participating in DDB Sites must meet gatekeeper requirements + community benefits in exchange for additional entitlements (i.e., height & FAR) Height & FAR Map Existing height & FAR map indicates additional height and FAR limits that can be achieved within each subdistrict Exceeding Height & FAR Map Sites can request Council approval to exceed allowed height and FAR limits *FAR limits do not apply to residential or mixed-use projects meeting SB840 standards 3 4 5 Proposed Amendment Approach Phase I: Create new zoning combining district(s) that include updated program requirements and regulations for Downtown Density Bonus Rezone Phase I geography into the new combining district through area-wide rezoning Phase II: Refine regulations, create additional combining districts as needed, and rezone the remainder of geography into the new combining districts Moving forward: Property owners would be able to request rezoning into higher intensity combining districts 6 Downtown Density Bonus Program – Phase 1 Create New Combining Districts (-DDB or similar) Every property within a combining district gets the same height in exchange for the same affordable housing (e.g., combining district 1 provides +100ft in exchange for 5% affordable units (or fee-in-lieu) while combining district 2 provides +400ft in exchange for 7% affordable units (or fee-in-lieu) ) Additional height is additive to the property’s base zoning height limit Define New Core Subdistrict in the Land Development Code Properties within subdistrict are eligible to rezone to the DDB Combining Districts Gatekeeper requirements or community benefits menu could be customized for each subdistrict Rezone properties within Core Subdistrict to new DDB Combining District Properties can add a fixed amount of height above their base height in exchange for participation in the DDB program If properties desire additional height, they can request rezoning into higher intensity combining districts 7 Program Heights Max. Height (?? ft) Height (?? ft) Base Height (350 ft) CBD by-right entitlements today Entitlements after DDB update and city-initiated rezoning Future max. entitlements to be requested via rezoning 8 Downtown Heights Current CBD Base Height …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Downtown Commission Recommendation No. #20260121-008: Two-Way Street Conversions in Downtown Austin WHEREAS, the Downtown Commission was created to guide the development of downtown; and WHEREAS, the development of downtown is critical to the wellbeing of Austin; and WHEREAS, the residents of downtown look to the Downtown Commission to safeguard their interests; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin adopted the Vision Zero Plan in 2015 with a goal to reduce the number of people hurt or killed by traffic crashes to zero; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin adopted the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan in 2019 with a goal to reduce solo driving to 50% by 2039; and WHEREAS, one-way streets prioritize moving vehicles as fast as possible thereby encouraging drivers to speed in high pedestrian areas; and WHEREAS, two-way streets prioritize a more comfortable, walkable environment and driver safety, livability, accessibility, and economic vitality by encouraging slower traffic, reducing driver aggression, improving navigation, increasing business visibility, and creating better environments for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users; and WHEREAS, the total width of the right-of-way is fixed regardless of traffic direction. While a one-way street might avoid dedicated left-turn lanes, this space is often just absorbed by additional travel lanes that prioritize vehicle throughput over more flexible uses like outdoor dining, wider sidewalks, or green space; and WHEREAS, lane allocation on one-way streets often compromises public transit by forcing split routes, where inbound and outbound buses must use different streets. This adds complexity for riders and increases walking distances to stops, which is less flexible for a comprehensive transit network than a two-way street that supports bidirectional service on a single corridor; and WHEREAS, two-way streets are more intuitive for visitors and infrequent users, reducing the likelihood of missed turns and the dangerous "last-second" maneuvers often seen on one-way grids; and WHEREAS, two-way streets provide emergency vehicles with more direct routes to specific addresses, potentially lowering response times compared to one-way systems that may require a fire truck or ambulance to go around an entire block; and WHEREAS, one-way street networks often force drivers to take circuitous routes to reach their destination, while two-way streets allow for more direct routes, reducing fuel consumption and idling time; and WHEREAS, in the past, one-way streets were often seen to allow a greater number of cars passing through per hour because they lack oncoming traffic and left-turn maneuvers, planners today can …
