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.
