Downtown Commission Regular Meeting of the Downtown Commission

Agenda — original pdf

REGULAR CALLED MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2025, 5:30 P.M. AUSTIN CITY HALL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, ROOM 1101 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 Kevin Chen Nkiru Gelles Gina Houston Jennifer Franklin CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Ed Ishmael, Chair Kimberly Levinson, Vice Chair Pat Buchta David Carroll Liz Coufal Nathan McDaniel Charles Peveto Nancy Pollak Sania Shifferd Philip Wiley AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 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 October 15, 2025. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. 3. Presentation regarding Staff’s response to Council Resolution 20241121-073 related to Bird-Friendly design by Leslie Lilly, Environmental Conservation Program Manager, Austin Watershed Protection. Presentation regarding the Central City District Plan by Shanisha Johnson, Principal Planner, Austin Planning. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. 5. Presentation by Central Health regarding an overview of services as it relates to downtown Austin. Presentation by Virginia Potter, Development Director, Central Health. Presentation by Safe Streets Austin regarding one-way to two-way street conversions downtown. Presentation by Adam Greenfield, Advocacy Director, Safe Streets Austin. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding one-way to two-way street conversions downtown. 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 for additional information. For more information on the Downtown Commission, please contact Christi Vitela at …

Item #1 Draft Meeting Minutes October 15, 2025 — original pdf

Downtown Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Downtown Commission Regular Called Meeting Minutes Wednesday, October 15, 2025 The Downtown Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at Austin City Hall Chambers, Room 1001, 301 W 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Ishmael called the Downtown Commission Meeting to order at 5:32 p.m. COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE: Ed Ishmael, Chair Kimberly Levinson, Vice Chair Pat Buchta David Carroll Gina Houston Nathan McDaniel Charles Peveto Sania Shifferd Philip Wiley COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE REMOTELY: Kevin Chen Jennifer Franklin PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission regular called meeting on September 17, 2025. The minutes from the meeting on September 17, 2025, were approved on Commissioner Peveto’s motion, Vice Chair Levinson’s second, on a 7-0 vote. Commissioner McDaniel was off the dais. Commissioners Coufal and Pollak were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1 Downtown Commission Meeting Minutes Wednesday, October 15, 2025 2. Update on the Downtown Density Bonus Program/Affordable Housing and SB 840. Presentation by Alan Pani, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. The presentation was made by Alan Pani, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. 3. Update on a proposed amendment to City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to establish a base height limit within the Central Business District (CBD) zoning district and update the Downtown Density Bonus (DDB) and Rainey Street Subdistrict to incorporate the CBD base height limit into the DDB program. Presentation by Alan Pani, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. The presentation was made by Alan Pani, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. 4. Presentation regarding Staff’s response to Council Resolution 20241121-073 related to Bird- Friendly design by Leslie Lilly, Environmental Conservation Program Manager, Austin Watershed Protection. Withdrawn. 5. Update on the Downtown Austin Alliance’s (DAA) construction mitigation strategy. Presentation by Matt Geske, Vice President - Public Affairs, DAA, and Vanessa Olson, Vice President -Communication and Marketing, DAA. The presentation was made by Matt Geske, Vice President - Public Affairs, DAA, and Vanessa Olson, Vice President -Communication and Marketing, DAA. 6. Update on the Downtown Austin Alliance’s (DAA) active urbanism team regarding programs to support Artists and Creatives: DASA, Musicians activating spaces. Presentation by Raasin McIntosh, Vice President - Active Urbanism, DAA, and Emily Risinger, Director of Planning, DAA. The presentation was made by Emily Risinger, Director of Planning, DAA. 7. Update from the Arts Commission representative on the Cultural Funding/Grants process and information regarding the …

Item #2 Bird Friendly Design in Austin - Austin Watershed Protection — original pdf

1 City Staff Watershed Protection Building Services Liz Johnston, Leslie Lilly, Elizabeth Funk Matt Hollon, Sean Watson Austin Energy Green Building Garret Jaynes, Heidi Kasper Development Services Department Farhana Biswas Kit Johnson, Nate Jackson Animal Services Emery Sadkin Planning Jordan Feldman 2 Resolution 20241121-073  Came out of a recommendation from a working group and Resolution 20210902-050 on Lights Out Austin  Directs staff to:  Update on Light’s Out Austin  Explore integration of bird-friendly building techniques for new low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise buildings  Conduct a feasibility analysis on the potential impacts of these standards  Seek input from stakeholders, including developers, environmental organizations, and the public. 3 Migration and Habitat  Austin was designated a Bird City in 2023  Austin within North America’s Central Flyway  Over 400 species of birds  Edwards Plateau and the Blackland Prairies habitat  Premier destination for birdwatchers throughout most of the year.  Birding generates more than $5 billion in annual ecotourism revenue in Texas ($279 billion nationwide) 4 The Problem  Birds do not perceive glass as a barrier.  In daytime, birds encounter reflective or translucent glass.  At night, birds encounter artificial sources of light.  Birds fly to these confusing features without seeing the glass barriers.  The collision is deadly. An estimated 1 billion birds die every year. 5 Solutions Glass Strategies Bird-friendly design includes:  Reducing the use of glass  Reducing glass exposure (using solar shading, external insect/solar screens, louvers, etc.)  Incorporating bird-friendly signals (markers) in or on the glass  UV coating, glazing, and etched or fritted glass patterns that follow the "2x2 rule” 7 Design Strategies  Incorporate physical barriers and architectural design that improve glass visibility  Options include:  Exterior screens  Shutters  Awnings  Facades  Structural shading systems Tracy Aviary, Salt Lake City, Utah 8 Lighting Exterior  Eliminate uplighting, use fully shielded fixtures that direct light downward, and avoid event searchlights  Use lighting management systems that can automatically reduce non-essential lighting during peak migration  Also beneficial to bats and lightning bugs year-round  Use warmer lightbulbs (as white/blue light can disorient birds) Interior  Program automatic controls with timers and occupancy sensors  Use window treatments to reduce light spillage  Schedule janitorial services during daylight hours 9 Benchmarking What have other cities done? New York City (2021) Arlington County, VA …

Item #3 Central City District Plan - Austin Planning — original pdf

Central City District Plan Austin Planning | Downtown Commission | November 19, 2025 Agenda  Plan Overview  Progress to Date  Advisory Groups  Planning Timeline  Next Steps 2 Plan Overview Purpose and Goals:  Create a 10-year blueprint for future growth and investments with a unified vision  Align with existing citywide strategic plans and policies and build consensus for effective implementation. Community-informed vision and goals Place Type mapping to inform future development patterns Public realm and multimodal improvements Program, policy, project, and partnership recommendations Implementation Plan 3 Progress to Date  Launched Speak Up Austin page  Onboarded AECOM  Developed an Information Sheet, translated to Spanish  Planning process overview  Engagement overview  Held first Interagency Technical Advisory Group meeting – October 28, 2025  Held first community events:  In-Person Open House @ ACC Rio Grande – November 10, 2025  65 - 70 attendees  Virtual Open House via Zoom – November 12, 2025  18 - 20 attendees  Launched Phase 1 survey (November 12 – December 6) 4 Advisory Groups Interagency Technical Advisory Group COA Departments/Offices Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Austin Planning Austin Capital Delivery Services Austin Police Austin Climate Action and Resilience Austin Police Oversight Austin Communications and Engagement Austin Public Library Austin Development Services Austin Resource Recovery Austin Economic Development Austin Small & Minority Business Resources Austin Emergency Services Austin Project Connect Austin Energy Austin Transportation & Public Works Austin Equity and Inclusion Austin Water Austin Facilities Management Austin Watershed Protection Austin Financial Services Austin Fire Austin Government Relations Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations Austin Housing Austin Parks & Recreation  Meet once monthly via Teams  Review draft deliverables using subject matter expertise  Will remain in contact on annual basis to inform implementation tracking Partner Agencies Austin Community College Austin Transit Partnership CAPMETRO Central Health Rally Austin Texas Department of Transportation Travis County University of Texas 5 Advisory Groups Stakeholder Advisory Group  Neighborhood Associations  Transportation and Mobility Advocates  Market-rate and Affordable Housing Advocates/Developers  Economic Development Program Specialists  Trail and Park Conservancies  Placemaking Advocates  Small Business and Workforce Development Programs  Homeless Service Providers  Cultural District Associations  Underrepresented Interest Advocates  Youth Organizations  Student Organizations  Real Estate Developers  Climate Resilience and Environment Advocates  Retail and Hospitality Worker Labor Organizations Group Structure  …

Item #4 Central Health - Building the Future of Health — original pdf

Building the Future of Health: Central Health's Platform for Generational Change Downtown Commission JP Eichmiller, Vice President of Strategy Virginia Potter, Development Director 11/19/2025 Who We Are • Travis County’s hospital district • Created by voters in 2004 to manage city- and county-owned clinics and provide care to low-income residents • Provides affordable healthcare access through Medical Access Program (MAP) • Created as we know it today by Central Health in 2009 to manage and operate health clinics​ • One of the largest FQHCs in Texas and Central Health’s primary care backbone • Serves over 143,000 patients annually at 30+ locations • Nationally recognized as a top 10 teaching center • Created by Central Health in 2011 • Nonprofit health insurer offering plans through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace • Closes the coverage gap that traditional insurance models cannot address • Unified coverage and care for vulnerable populations No other entity in Central Texas has the scale, integration, and resources to make generational investments required for true health equity One System, Centered Around the People We Serve FY26 Snapshot Uses: $1,015 M • Health Care Delivery • Health Plans • Admin • Debt Service • Other Sources: $924 M • Tax • Patient Service Revenue • Health Plan Revenue • Grants & Philanthropy • Investments & Leases • Other Impact (System + Network) • People Served: 209,000+ • Total Visits: 1,245,000+ • Total Episodes*: 11,700+ • Total Providers: 10,600+ *Inpatient, post-acute, hospital, case management 2026: The Year of Access This is the year we close the health care gap Our goal – reduce appointment wait times to 2 weeks or less Patients Eliminating health care delays so people get the quality care they need— faster. Team Creating one connected system and strengthening our workforce to enhance the patient experience. Sustainability Delivering maximum value to stretch every tax dollar to reach more people. Commitment to Homeless Services Housing for Health Partnership Our goal - engaged in care and stable housing at one year Central Health Homeless Services Overview Targeted Investments 525% increase in targeted investments in homeless initiatives from FY23 ($4.5M) to FY25 ($28.2M). 9% of all Central Health enrollees are in the MAP-Homeless population (~10k people). There are significant additional primary, specialty, and dental care investments for MAP-H enrollees beyond the $28.2M. $30.0M $25.0M $20.0M $15.0M $10.0M $5.0M $0.0M $28.2M $13.0M $4.5M FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 7 FY26 Proposed Expansions • …

Item #5 Safe Streets Austin - Two-Way Street Conversions in Downtown Austin — original pdf

Two-Way Street Conversions in Downtown Austin Time to finish the job? Adam Greenfield, Advocacy Director, Safe Streets Austin Two-Way Conversions: What Happened in Louisville KY 49% Fewer crashes 39% Property value rise 23% Less crime Two-Way Street Conversion: Evidence of Increased Livability in Louisville (Riggs & Gilderbloom (2015), Journal of Planning Education and Research "One-way streets should not be allowed in prime downtown retail areas. We've proven that." Rebecca Ocken, Executive Director, Vancouver WA Downtown Association “The design has facilitated a better response from police and fire.” “When we experience a problem, we are provided with more options to redirect traffic.” Wm. Todd Bailey, Police Chief, New Albany IN “Dozens of cities have reconfigured one-way streets into two-way streets as a means of bringing their downtowns to life.” Governing Magazine Two-Way Conversions: One Policy, Many Benefits ● Safer streets ● More walking and bicycling ● Healthier local businesses ● Higher property values ● Faster emergency access ● Lower crime ● Easier navigation and access Less Congestion, Shorter Travel Times Addressing Left-Turn Lanes & Transit Reliability ● Left-turn pockets ● Leading left-turn traffic signals ● All-way stops ● Prohibit left turns at certain intersections and/or at certain times Two-Way Conversions: Success Every Time in Austin 1992: First Street / E Cesar Chavez, Second Street (east of I-35) 2008: Cesar Chavez, Second Street 2015: Brazos Street 2017: 5th Street 2018: Colorado Street 2019: 16th, 17th, 18th Street “Sixth Street should be immediately converted to two-way traffic…" Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), 1991 “Just do it!” “15 minutes after you make the change [to two-way], people will be asking why you didn’t do it 25 years earlier.” Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak (2010)