Business FAQ
- What incentives are offered to businesses currently located or considering moving into downtown?
- How many people work Downtown?
- How many people live Downtown?
- How do I find the commercial sites available for lease downtown?
- What is a building permit?
- Who do I call for a permit?
- How do I apply for a license to have a sidewalk café?
- Can I sell merchandise on the sidewalk in front of my business?
- Are vendors allowed to set up and sell food and merchandise on downtown sidewalks?
- How do I rent a downtown park for an event?
- If my property is tagged with graffiti, who should I call?
1. What incentives are offered to businesses currently located or considering moving into downtown? Projects developing in the urban watersheds, including the downtown, are granted a 50% reduction in fees for zoning, rezoning, subdivision and site development permit (site plan) applications.
2. How many people work Downtown? There are 67,000 employees who work in the downtown core, and there are 90,000 employees within a one mile radius of 6th Street and Congress Avenue. For customized, site-specific employment numbers, contact Julie Fitch at julief at downtownaustin dot com.
3. How many people live Downtown? At the time of the 2000 census, there were about 4,000 downtown residents. With the completion of several multi-family apartment and condominium projects since then, the new estimate is 5,400. Over 150,000 people live within a three mile radius of 6th Street and Congress Avenue.
4. How do I find the commercial sites available for lease downtown? A good place to start is in the Officing Downtown listing in the Business section of this website. Current Vacancies shows a comprehensive list of available commercial spaces in buildings under 20,000 square feet, along with their sizes, lease rates or sale prices, and contact information. If you are looking for space in a larger building, you will find a listing of office buildings and contacts here. There are also numerous real estate brokers who work in the downtown who can also help you find available space.
5. What is a building permit? The building permit application and review process ensures that the plans for construction comply with Austin's land use and construction standards. Specific code issues and include appropriate zoning, structural integrity, proper exiting, fire resistance, sanitation and other health concerns, tapping into water and sewer lines, the extension of electrical service industrial waste review for commercial buildings etc. Specific aspects of building plan review are building, plumbing, electrical, fire, health, mechanical, energy code and zoning reviews. In addition, signs, barricades and underground tanks are reviewed at the building permit stage, if these improvements are proposed.
6. Who do I call for a permit? There are many different types of permits. Below is a listing of some of the most common permits.
- Alarm (512) 974-5730
- Banner Across Street (512) 974-3345
- Barricade (512) 974-2217
- Blasting (Construction) (512) 974-7151
- Building (512) 974-2747
- Driveway (512) 974-2747
- Hazardous Material Storage Above Ground (512) 448-8338
- Hazardous Material Storage Underground (512) 974-2715
- Residential Parking (512) 974-7228
- Sidewalks/R-O-W Blocking (512) 974-2217
- Street Lane Closures (512) 974-2217
- Temporary use of Right of Way (512) 974-2217
- Trees, Development and Removal (512) 974-1876
- Vendor (on right-of-way) (512) 974-7180
7. How do I apply for a license to have a sidewalk café? The City of Austin’s Real Estate Services Division processes license applications for sidewalk cafés. You may obtain a license directly from their website at www.cityofaustin.org/realestate, or contact Chris Muraida at (512) 974-7185 or by email at andy.halm@ci.austin.tx.us.
8. Can I sell merchandise on the sidewalk in front of my business? To obtain an application, contact Nan Brown at (512) 974-7143 or by email at nan.brown@ci.austin.tx.us.
9. Are vendors allowed to set up and sell food and merchandise on downtown sidewalks? To obtain an application contact Nan Brown at (512) 974-7143 or by email at nan.brown@ci.austin.tx.us.
10. How do I rent a downtown park for an event? If you are interested in using one of the downtown historic squares (Brush, Republic, or Wooldridge), contact the Austin Parks Foundation. 512-477-1566 or cmccabe at austinparks dot org.
11. If my property is tagged with graffiti, who should I call? Promptly report all graffiti and vandalism on public or private property to the APD by calling 311. Be sure to report graffiti using the graffiti code #012. If your property is located in the public improvement district, report graffiti tags to the Downtown Austin Alliance, by calling Bill Brice at 512-469-1766 ext. 209. The DAA will arrange for prompt removal and restoration.