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Downtown Austin's Entertainment District: Observations part 2 of 3

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typical weekend on sixth street
typical weekend on sixth street

Yesterday, I posted about the revitalization study underway for Downtown Austin’s Entertainment District.  Below are my observations from our night time tour.

Night time tour
Friday, November 20th, midnight – 3am.
The focus is on the entertainment district as a whole – not just Sixth Street.  Five of us rendezvoused at the Driskill hotel at midnight and we were on our way.  Our mission was not to drink.  We were there to observe.  We were directed to walk the alleys, the side streets, and take notes on anything we found to be interesting.  In general, I never once felt uneasy or threatened.  Most people were out having a great time.  Good or bad.  For better or for worse.  Below is what I observed.

  1. People still wait in lines? I’m getting old!
  2. Sixth Street, east of Neches was desolate. Minimal activity and seemingly an area which only exists to get from Red River or I-35 to the “good” clubs west of Neches.
  3. Police congregate on Trinity and Sixth.  Couldn’t they spread out?
  4. Most people looked to be less than 25 years old.
  5. Concessionaires are doing good business (best wurst had a fifty foot line!)
  6. Hoek’s Pizza is blasting music louder than some clubs.
  7. I see and hear more iPod DJs, than I do live bands
  8. There are crews of guys full of alcohol and testosterone that could easily be instigated into a fight.
  9. I see one fight in front of the Texas Lottery Commission.
  10. We stopped and talked with homeless people outside of the ARCH.  Some were under the influence of something, but generally not hostile.  If anything, they were very chatty and candid about their problems, and the problems surrounding the ARCH.  Below are some of the more interesting things we were told.
    • Drug dealers arrive from other parts of town to sell to the mentally ill and homeless
    • The southeast corner of 7th and Trinity (Caritas) is a big drug corner
    • Crack house at 8th and Neches (pic)
    • Crack house on Neches btw 8th and 9th (pic)
  11. Why on earth did they place the ARCH across from a major liquor store and a block from Austin’s biggest weekend party?
  12. Red River, IMHO, is keeping the “live music capital” brand alive.
  13. The owners of Koriente maintain a beautiful small garden at the southeast corner of 7th and Sabine.  They should be acknowledged for giving to our community.
  14. None of the lights on Waller Creek were turned on.  Who’s in charge of this?

Next, I’ll share my observations from our day time tour
-Jude

downtown austin entertainment district still has room for improvement – part 1 of 3

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downtown austin entertainment district
downtown austin entertainment district

On Friday and Saturday I participated in a tour of 6th street.  This wasn’t a bar hop.  This was to observe.  I’ve joined the ‘Community’ group for the Responsible Hospitality Institute’s (RHI)- ‘Austin Hospitality Zone Assessment for Sixth Street’.  This effort is the result of 6ixth Street Austin and the DAA teaming up to develop a revitalization plan for Sixth Street.  Our first mission is to tour the entertainment district and simply observe.

The convention center is located east of Congress.  Several residential high-rises are located east of Congress. Have you noticed that all of Downtown Austin’s big hotels are located east of Congress!  Sixth Street is the anchor.   What do you imagine is the experience of visitors to Austin when they visit Sixth Street?

Sixth Street should be Austin’s historical and cultural hub.  Landmarked buildings should be required to meet minimum aesthetic standards.  Instead, as it is today, Sixth Street is in disrepair and needs to be cleaned up.  This is the movement to do just that.  There is opportunity to provide a better mix of services and overall experience for hotels guests, the convention center, and all of the residential buildings east of Congress.  I’m not alone in this opinion as hotel operators, Sixth Street proprietors, city council members, city staff, police, and many outspoken residents were in attendance at the initial RHI meeting on November 4th.

Still to come, my [not under the influence] observations of Sixth Street.

Seaholm TIF zone approved

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The redevelopment of the Seaholm powerplant has just taken a big step forward.  The City approved the tax increment financing zone to pay for new public utilities within the 7.8 acre site sandwiched between Cesar Chavez and 3rd Street.

TIFs work by applying the increase in ad valorem tax revenue within a defined zone to repay the debt used to build the public infrastructure.

 Seaholm.info
ABJ article

renderings of the Seaholm Powerplant redevelopment
renderings of the Seaholm Powerplant redevelopment