C.7.a - 522 Congress Ave - DAA Letter — original pdf

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January 19, 2022 City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission 301 West Second Street Austin, TX 78701 Re: Support for January 24, 2022, Meeting Agenda Item B.2. 522 Congress Avenue – Scarbrough Building – Sculpture installation Members of the Historic Landmark Commission, The Downtown Austin Alliance would like to express strong support for Colina West’s request for a temporary permit for the installation of a new sculpture, titled Keep Austin Weird, at the Scarbrough Building pocket patio on the southwest corner of 6th and Congress in downtown Austin. Two of the priorities of our Roadmap to Recovery and Resilience for downtown Austin are to support the preservation and recovery of downtown’s small, locally-owned businesses and live music scene and to elevate inclusive and engaging experiences in downtown’s public spaces and activate them with art, cultural and music. We support the installation of the Keep Austin Weird sculpture as a tactical strategy that will help achieve these goals. The sculpture will provide a new, engaging, social media posting experience at 6th and Congress that will draw people to shop at the nearby retail businesses and to explore the rich culture and history of the Congress Avenue National Historic District. It will enhance and complement the design of the Scarbrough Building’s pocket patio as well as the series of pocket patios, public art installations and murals already on the Avenue. We support Colina West’s request for the temporary permit and look forward to seeing visitors and locals enjoy the sculpture once it is installed. Thank you. Sincerely, Dewitt Peart President and CEO Cc: Amber Allen, City of Austin Historic Preservation Office The Downtown Austin Alliance mission: To create, preserve and enhance the value and vitality of downtown Austin.