REGULAR MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026 AT 5:30 P.M AUSTIN CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 1001 301 W 2ND ST. 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 participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Ryan Sperling, 512-974-3568, ryan.sperling@austintexas.gov CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Ed Ishmael, Chair Rebecca Bernhardt Pat Buchta David Carroll Kevin Chen Joe Silva Jennifer Franklin AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Kimberly Levinson, Vice Chair Nathan McDaniel Charles Peveto Sania Shifferd Bat Taniguchi 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 meeting of April 15, 2026. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Update on the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan and progress towards 50/50 Mode Share. Presentation by Cole Kitten, Division Manager, Austin Transportation and Public Works. 3. Update regarding the new convention center. Presentation by Katy Zamesnik, Interim Director, Austin Convention Center. 4. Presentation regarding the Red River Cultural District’s economic impact on the downtown area. Presentation by Nicole Klepadlo, Executive Director, Red River Cultural District. 5. Update regarding Arts Commission activities and concerns related to the Downtown Commission’s scope. 6. Update regarding Public Safety Commission activities and concerns related to the Downtown Commission’s scope. 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 Ryan Sperling at the Austin City Clerk’s Office, at 512-974-3568 or ryan.sperling@austintexas.gov to request service or for additional information. For more information on the Downtown Commission, please contact Ryan Sperling, 512-974-3568, ryan.sperling@austintexas.gov
DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MINUTES REGULAR MEETING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2026 The Downtown Commission convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 301 W 2nd St. in Austin, Texas. Chair Ishmael called the Downtown Commission Meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Ed Ishmael (Chair) Kimberly Levinson (Vice Chair) Pat Buchta David Carroll Liz Coufal Nathan McDaniel Charles Peveto Bat Taniguchi Phillip Wiley Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Rebecca Bernhardt Jennifer Franklin Joe Silva PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission regular meeting of March 11, 2026. The minutes of the March 11, 2026 meeting were approved on Commissioner Peveto’s motion, Commissioner Buchta’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Shifferd was absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Briefing regarding updates to the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. Presentation by Chris Ryerson, Division Manager and Evelyn Mitchell, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. 1 The presentation was made by Chris Ryerson, Division Manager and Evelyn Mitchell, Planner Principal, Austin Planning. 3. Briefing regarding Downtown Density Bonus Phase I Updates. Briefing by Nicholas Smith, Planner Senior and Stevie Greathouse, Capital Program Consultant, Austin Planning. The presentation was made by Stevie Greathouse, Capital Program Consultant, and Nicholas Smith, Planner Senior, Austin Planning. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Presentation providing a general update on progress and plans for the new Austin Convention Center. Presentation by Katy Zamesnik, Interim Director, Austin Convention Center. Withdrawn without objection. 5. Presentation regarding the Red River Cultural District’s economic impact on the downtown area. Presentation by Nicole Klepadlo, Executive Director, Red River Cultural District. Withdrawn without objection. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding renaming Cesar Chavez Street. There was a motion by Commissioner Wiley, seconded by Commissioner Levinson, to amend the recommendation to strike “and” and insert “the” before “north” in the first WHEREAS. The amendment was approved without objection on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Shifferd was absent. There was a motion by Commissioner McDaniels, seconded by Vice Chair Levinson, to strike “City” and insert “community” in the second-to-last WHEREAS and insert “in” before “the” in the first WHEREAS. The amendment was approved without objection on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Shifferd was absent. The recommendation to Council regarding renaming Cesar Chavez Street was approved as amended on Vice Chair Levinson’s motion, Commissioner Coufal’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Shifferd was absent. 7. Conduct officer elections for Chair and Vice …
AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT Austin is the 13th largest city in the country. But the Austin Convention Center is only the 61st largest. 2 Once the redevelopment is complete, we expect the Austin Convention Center to be around the 35th largest in the country. 3 The redeveloped Austin Convention Center will be larger than: Charlotte Fort Worth Baltimore Nashville Kansas City Pittsburgh Once complete, Austin’s new competitive set will include: San Antonio Boston Seattle Philadelphia Denver Project Overview Rentable Square Footage Total Budget $1.66B Annual Economic Impact $750M+ Construction Schedule April 2025-December 2028 EXISTING CONVENTION CENTER 365,000 SF NEW CONVENTION CENTER 620,000 SF + 140,000 SF in the future Funding HOT*, Convention Center Revenues, PFZ* *HOT: Hotel Occupancy Tax, PFZ: Project Financing Zone Our Partners Construction Schedule 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 3rd St. Electrical 3 R Red Line Station Chilled Water Loop AE Demo We are here Excavation Building Construction Closed April 2025 Open March 2029 PROJECT GOALS Austin City Council Resolution NO. 20210610-096 The City Council seeks to work with the prime architecture firm capable of delivering a world class design befitting a city of Austin’s size and prominence. The Convention Center design shall incorporate the most innovative ideas in programming and placemaking and shall aim to create a civic building that draws and serves Austinites as well as visitors. The City council affirms its intention that the convention Center be, like its companion civic building to the west, the Austin Central Library, a landmark of great distinction, a bustling and vital public gathering place, and a point of pride for the community. Sustainability ACC will be the world’s First Zero Carbon Certified Convention Center powered by 100% renewable energy and built with low-impact materials. Art in Public Places SCALE $17.7M TOTAL INVESTMENT Austin’s largest single investment in public art to date ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRATION 10 artists selected during schematic design of building for architecturally- integrated art Additional AIPP artwork will follow more traditional procurement timeline PRESENTING Outdoor Event + The Warehouse • Enhance Connections and Movements • Flexible Event & Gathering Places • Abundant Shade & Comfort • Reflect History of the Site and Materials • Extension of Warehouse District Scale E H T A G R THE BAC K YAR D FESTIVA L D A N E M O R P TH EWAREHOUS E E DISPLAY DROP- OFF BACKYARD PROMENAD E WAREHOUS E EXHAL L TRINITY …
Red River Cultural District May 2026 Updates Downtown Commission OUR MISSION In an ever-changing ATX, we seek to preserve and grow Red River's creative, business, and music scene. As a community rooted in artists, musicians, performers, music venues, small cultural businesses, the District embodies the soul and heart of Austin. institutions and The Red River Cultural District is acreative community providingauthentic Austin experiences throughdiverse local music, art and food forevery fan and guest. DESTINATION RED RIVER The Cultural District boundaries extend north to south from 15th St to 4th St creating Austin’s “Music Mile” With I-35 as our border to the east and supporting businesses and partners on Trinity, Neches, and 6th St to the west we are home to 50+ businesses. UPDATES RED RIVER ECONOMIC IMPACT RED RIVER ECONOMIC IMPACT CULTURAL DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN We embarked on updating our 10 year old strategic plan for release in 2026. Provide 5+ Year Vision & Direction: Serving as a roadmap for decision making, strategic partnerships, financial planning, and policy advocacy. Elevate RRCD: Establish the organization as a trusted leader and steward, strengthening efforts toward a successful and sustainable future. Examine Red River as a Place: Focus on Red River's future as a key destination, community asset, and the heart of Austin's live music scene. Broad Stakeholder Engagement: Gather input from partners, fans, and the wider community to understand aspirations and constraints. CULTURAL DISTRICT PRIORITIES STRATEGIC PLAN Music Industry Investment Preservation and Evolution Built Environment Safety Coordination of eastern side of Downtown Programming and Festivals CULTURAL DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN CULTURAL DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN CULTURAL DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN CULTURAL DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN CULTURAL CURRENTS Cultural Currents is a multi-format exhibition and storytelling initiative by the Red River Cultural District that celebrates, preserves, and promotes the neighborhood’s rich musical heritage, cultural traditions, and century-deep history. Rooted in place-based narratives, the project shines a light on the people, venues, and creative energy that have shaped Red River into one of Austin’s most vibrant cultural destinations. CULTURAL CURRENTS Self guided music history walking tour featuring posters that showcase the histories of 15+ landmark venues across the District. CULTURAL CURRENTS Red River Podcast: Stories of Music, Culture and Community with 12 episodes CULTURAL CURRENTS Red River Quarterly Zine Web-based storytelling map, learn the people, places, and stories that shaped Austin’s music scene DISTRICT DIALOGUES A quarterly series that brings together artists, cultural historians, local organizations, companies, and …
Public Safety Commission Austin Public Safety Commission Report Report to Austin Downtown Commission to the Austin Downtown Commission Public Safety Commission Update To the Austin Downtown Commission Photo Credit Larry D. Moore Primary Public Safety Issues for Downtown Austin # 1 Increased Threat of Political/ Hate-motivated violence Primary Public Safety Issues for Downtown Austin #2 Alcohol and drug related safety and health threats, including DWIs, sexual assaults, public intoxication and harassment Photo by Mark Sadowski from Madison, Wisconsin, United States - IMG_9649, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150180374 Threats to Austin’s Capacity to Address Public Safety Challenges ● Police moral and ongoing recruitment/training challenges at APD. ● Recent threat to sexual assault forensic nursing access. ● Extreme federal funding cuts in family violence and sexual assault services. Additional Public Safety Challenges: Not housing everyone ● Austin’s unhoused population is over 3,200 people and likely to grow with federal funding cuts and Austin budget limitations. ● The unhoused population, although largely victims rather than perpetrators of violence, make visitors and housed residents uneasy and create sanitation and safety issues. Photo Credit Dustin Ground from Austin, TX, USofA - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dground/344731110/ Additional Public Safety Challenges: Vehicle Pedestrian/Cyclist Accidents ● Austin’s Vision Zero program focuses on multiple strategies for reducing vehicle pedestrian/cyclist accidents. Because of the sheer volume of pedestrians downtown, the substantial activity after dark and alcohol consumption, pedestrian deaths downtown occur at least annually. Additional Public Safety Resources Downtown Sobering Center Austin has built and is expanding institutional resources to address the threats posed by consumption of alcohol and drugs. Austin Public Safety Commission ● Quarterly reports from Austin/Travis County EMS, Austin Fire Department and Austin Police Department. ● Monitoring of: ● Austin wildfire preparation ● Emergency management (HSEM) of weather emergencies ● Management of large public events ● The Collective Sex Crimes Response Model, ● Austin Police Department recruitment, training and retention, and ● EMS special projects including opioid overdose response and the Collaborative Care Communications Center (C4). Image by Kevinkuhn - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13296599 Recommendations ● Address public safety issues with multi-pronged approaches that do not rely on law enforcement alone. ● Support social safety net programs that reduce violence against women and increase the likelihood that individuals prone to mass violence rise to law enforcement’s attention. ● Continue to invest in strategies to mitigate the harms of excessive alcohol and recreational drug consumption, including the expansion of the …
