Annual Report
2019-2020

Our Mission

To create, preserve and enhance the value and vitality of downtown Austin.

Foreword from
Our CEO & Board Chair

May 14, 2020

Here at the Downtown Austin Alliance, we welcomed 2020 by celebrating all the positive changes downtown has seen over the last 10-20 years, from a revitalized Republic Square to Capital Metro’s Red Line. We are proud that these changes reflect our community’s collective vision, as well as the hard work of our team and partners to make that vision a reality.

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed our focus from celebration to survival. We immediately pivoted to respond, following directives from Mayor Steve Adler, Judge Sarah Eckhardt and public health officials to keep our downtown community safe. We installed handwashing stations on the streets, and our Downtown Ambassadors added extra sanitation measures to their daily street and surface cleanings.

We changed our website and newsletters to become some of the city’s most comprehensive resources for COVID-related information. We also immediately started conducting research and surveys to determine the pandemic’s economic impact on retailers, office tenants, employers and residents. The results will inform the next two stages of our crisis management plan: economic recovery and resiliency.

Downtown’s small businesses, local businesses and cultural venues are the lifeblood of downtown’s vitality. When it is safe for them to fully reopen, we will support them through promotion, advocacy and direct clean and safe services. At the same time, we will continue working toward our Downtown Vision – our long-term vision for 2039. As we do so, we will identify and prioritize shovel-ready projects that can create jobs for Central Texans. One such project will create a once-in-lifetime opportunity to fulfill our Vision and transform downtown for decades to come. The planned lowering and capping of I-35 through downtown to connect East and West Austin has never had as much potential as it has today.

All of our work to create a thriving downtown is ultimately about enriching people’s lives. In summer 2019, changes to city ordinances brought visibility to a serious crisis: too many Austinites are experiencing homelessness. We invested significant time successfully advocating for policies that work for our entire community. We also sponsored an analysis of Austin’s homeless system and began working with partners on new housing and services solutions.

We continued to enrich life downtown through signature events including our inaugural weeklong Writing on the Walls series, wherein murals from international and local artists washed downtown in vibrant color. We look forward to resuming our celebrations and festivals as soon as it is safe to gather again. This annual report summarizes the Downtown Alliance’s efforts to create, preserve and enhance the value and vitality of downtown Austin. Additionally, our second annual State of Downtown Report details downtown’s overall economic impact and trends. Taken together, these provide a comprehensive picture of both our progress and our potential.

Thank you all for coming together to support the downtown community during these unprecedented times. We appreciate your commitment to building a downtown we will always love.

Dewitt Peart

President & CEO

Mike Kennedy

Board Chair

Downtown
Austin Vision

Downtown Austin Vision: Shaping Our Future

The Downtown Austin Vision outlines the community’s collective vision of downtown’s future and identifies long-term strategic priorities. The Downtown Austin Alliance developed this vision based on extensive input from over 3,000 Austinites. It serves as the guiding compass for all of the work we do with our partners. Below are examples of the work we did in 2019 to advance each of the vision’s four strategic priorities.

Welcoming Places

Downtown is beloved for diverse and engaging parks, places and experiences that attract and welcome everyone.

I-35 Corridor: Organized an Urban Land Institute Advisory Services panel, wherein independent experts helped shape a vision and roadmap for surface improvements along the I-35 corridor after the highway is lowered and capped through downtown.

Thriving Center

Downtown is the thriving center of business and community life, creating economic prosperity for the entire region.

Innovation District: Commissioned a market analysis of the Innovation District’s economic impact potential, and shared findings with district leaders, investors and partners.

Growing Neighborhoods

Downtown is a growing and ever-evolving tapestry of complete, vibrant and walkable neighborhoods and districts that express Austin’s authentic character.

Cypress & Shoal Public Space Strategy: Partnered with the Shoal Creek Conservancy and the City of Austin to initiate a design process that will enhance and connect the public spaces in the southwest area of downtown, improving safety and making the area more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly.

Leading Mobility

Downtown is the leader and champion of innovative urban transportation alternatives.

Project Connect: Supported Capital Metro’s Project Connect (a long-term vision plan for a comprehensive rapid transit system), established a downtown stakeholder group and contributed to Transit for Austin’s research and education campaign.

Strategic Plan
2018-2023

This Strategic Plan was informed by the Downtown Vision, a forward-looking framework that identifies strategic directions to help shape the best possible future for downtown Austin. This Strategic Plan identifies how the Downtown Austin Alliance will commit to advancing the Downtown Vision over the next five years and sets the path for decades to come.

Strategic Communication • Advocacy • Research & Data

Our
Services

People want to spend their time in places where they feel secure and welcome. That’s why we invest a significant percentage of our annual budget on providing direct services that keep downtown a safe, clean, beautiful and friendly place to be. We service the entire public improvement district (PID) 365 days a year, with targeted efforts around major festival and convention sites.

We go above and beyond basic cleaning services. We also routinely audit city systems, infrastructure and services to ensure public spaces downtown are maintained. This decreases 311 calls.

Learn More

Clean Environment

The Downtown Ambassadors are the cornerstone of our direct services program. Every day our team of 44 ambassadors works from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. removing trash and pressure washing streets. They beautify the area through painting and planting. And they coordinate with other city services such as Austin Resource Recovery, Austin Public Works and Watershed Protection on repair projects.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ambassadors pivoted to focus on promoting good health. They perform enhanced sanitization of downtown infrastructure, while wearing masks and gloves and practicing social distancing. We added four handwashing stations in high-traffic areas downtown, and the Ambassadors are sharing information from Austin Public Health with pedestrians.

Downtown Austin
Downtown Austin Public
Improvement District
Additions

The State Garage Block

Block 185

Ballet Austin

The Area We Serve

In 1993, the downtown property owners petitioned the City of Austin to create a Public Improvement District (PID) to address the unique needs of downtown Austin.

The PID is currently authorized through 2023. The Downtown Alliance’s primary funding source comes from a special assessment on privately owned, large properties (over $500,000) within this PID. Our Public Improvement District boundaries are roughly Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the north, Lady Bird Lake on the south, I-35 on the east and San Antonio Street on the west. This area is roughly 651 acres and represents less than 0.5% of the City of Austin's total land area.

In 2019, three new parcels voluntarily joined the downtown PID to support the vision for downtown and the mission of the Downtown Austin Alliance. These include block 26, block 185 and the Ballet Austin property. Their inclusion in the PID entitles them to receive direct services we provide and to benefit more directly from our advocacy.

937

properties

$10.7B

PID Taxable Value

651

acres in the PID

Safe and Welcoming Streets

We support safety on all fronts downtown. We continue to provide funding to enhance APD’s safety camera system throughout the area, which helps prevent and solve crimes. We also fund an overtime patrol that provides two additional Austin Police Department (APD) officers in the downtown PID 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. These officers patrol on bike for a true community policing effort. The Downtown Ambassadors support APD by asking people to comply with ordinances, referring people to social services and reporting urgent issues to law enforcement. The Ambassadors also provide safety escorts to help people get to or from their cars or transit, upon request. They also provide hospitality around the clock, from friendly greetings to directions, information and navigation for meeting and convention groups.

Public Safety Forums

We hosted four public forums to educate the community about general safety issues as well as changes to Austin’s public order ordinances. These events attracted up to 800 attendees, and panelists included Mayor Steve Adler and Austin City Council members.

Downtown Safety Forum (July 2019)
Town Hall meetings on Austin’s Public Order Ordinances (August 2019)
Meet the Chief (Austin Fire Department Chief Joel Baker) (October 2019)
Spring Festival Safety Forum (February 2020)

By the
Numbers

Ambassadors

154,489

hospitality contacts

1,142

safety escorts

204,137

pounds of trash removed

5,750,412

square feet power washed

Beautification

28,057

graffiti & posters removed

planters maintained

banners maintained

149

trees maintained

Overtime Police

$556K

spent on APD overtime initiative

98%

compliance rate for requests by our community police

2,093

interactions with pedestrians

587

police cases assisted by the camera system

Advocacy
And Support

We are downtown Austin’s full-time advocate and biggest champion. We bring downtown’s stakeholders, policymakers and property owners together to collaborate on solutions to our most pressing issues. We ensure the downtown community’s voice is heard when important decisions are being made. We invest in and promote our partners’ innovations. And we are fully transparent in communicating our actions and progress.

Learn More

Land Development Code

Austin’s Land Development Code, which determines how land can be used throughout the city, is in the process of being rewritten for the first time in 30 years. Austin’s population has more than doubled over the last three decades, making the code especially outdated. The Downtown Alliance has been fully present and engaged during all phases of this code rewrite and will continue our involvement during its implementation. Our code task force has extensively reviewed every draft of the code. Following their recommendations, we have continually advocated for changes that will promote downtown density, protect public and green spaces and achieve the priorities of the Downtown Vision.

City Council approved the 1st and 2nd Readings of the code’s adoption. The 3rd Reading was scheduled for March, but has been delayed indefinitely due to a court ruling that invalidates past Council actions and jeopardizes the status of the adoption. We continue to communicate with City Council and staff, and we support finding a path forward for the new code.

Land Development Code

Public Order Ordinances

This year we invested a considerable amount of time and resources in response to City Council’s actions to amend city ordinances related to aggressive panhandling, camping and sitting/lying down in public places.

Prior to 2019, these actions were banned under city law. In June 2019, City Council proposed repealing the panhandling ordinance entirely and rewriting the camping and sit/lie ordinances to legalize camping, sitting or lying down in most public places. From June through October, the Downtown Alliance worked directly with the mayor and City Council members, led community advocacy and educational efforts, and engaged citywide stakeholders through several ordinance amendments. This resulted in the panhandling ordinance being amended to focus on aggressive confrontation, as well as citywide prohibitions on camping on sidewalks and camping, sitting or lying within defined proximities to operating buildings, businesses and emergency shelters.

I-35

We support the Texas Department of Transportation’s Capital Express Program, which would add managed lanes to the entire stretch of I-35 through Austin and lower the highway through downtown. As detailed later in this report, this project is partially funded. In February 2020, we organized an Urban Land Institute panel of international experts to help shape a vision and roadmap for capping and connecting the corridor once TxDOT lowers I-35.

South Central Waterfront Vision Framework Plan

This master plan provides a vision for the redevelopment of the prime 118-acre South Central Waterfront District between Lady Bird Lake and Riverside Drive. The Downtown Alliance has an ex officio seat on the South Central Waterfront Advisory Board, which is working with stakeholders to provide recommendations to the City Council on the plan’s implementation. The board spent much of the past year advancing regulatory, development and financing plans for the district.

Homelessness

As Austin and its downtown continue to grow and prosper, we must never forget to care for our most vulnerable citizens. For more than a decade, the Downtown Austin Alliance has been actively involved in community efforts to address homelessness. We focus on advocacy for improved policy and planning, community education and direct funding of projects and programs that provide solutions.

Additionally, in March 2020 we set up hand sanitizer and handwashing stations downtown and distributed COVID-19 information from Austin Public Health. For many people experiencing homelessness, this was their only source of hygiene and public health information.

Learn More

Homeless Process Triage

In 2018-19, the Downtown Alliance sponsored the Homeless System Process Triage. This funded a third-party business process improvement consultant who worked with front-line staff from more than 18 local service providers to map Austin’s homeless service system and develop a prioritized list of improvements needed for it to function more efficiently. The Triage found the homeless service system was operating at about one-third of the capacity needed. It also found that people do not know where or how to access services they need. Austin severely lacks housing and shelter capacity, and behavioral health issues are negatively affecting people’s ability to navigate the system. The Triage work is now informing planning processes and action steps.

ATX Helps

ATX Helps is a private-sector coalition, led by the Downtown Austin Alliance and Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, that launched in November to address key gaps in the homeless service system. The top priorities are to create 300 temporary emergency shelter beds, to create centers to store personal belongings and to develop a street outreach program focused on reuniting people experiencing homelessness with their families.

ATX Helps’ immediate objective is to raise $5.5 million to construct and open a 150-bed shelter in the summer of 2020. The long-term goal is to raise $14 million to provide a total of 300 new shelter beds.

Rathgeber Center

In 2019, the Salvation Army completed construction of the Rathgeber Center, a 212-bed shelter in East Austin for women with children and families experiencing homelessness. The organization faced a funding gap preventing it from opening and operating the new shelter. Our 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm, the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation, partnered with Salvation Army benefactor Dick Rathgeber to raise operating funds to open the Center. The Foundation successfully raised $380,000 that helped the Salvation Army move all the women with children and families out of the downtown shelter and into the Rathgeber Center in February 2020. This enabled the Salvation Army to repurpose the family beds at the downtown shelter to accommodate 55 more single men and women.

District
Planning

The Downtown Vision calls for a growing and ever-evolving tapestry of complete, vibrant and walkable neighborhoods and districts that express Austin’s authentic character. As downtown’s steward, not only are we at the center of all active district planning projects, but we also ensure all parties have a holistic view of how the districts will work together to enhance downtown’s vitality.

A New Future for I-35

The proposed rebuilding of central Austin’s I-35 corridor is not a unique concept – many cities around the world have lowered, capped and civilized their urban freeways.

Innovation District

Austin’s emerging Innovation District, whose epicenter is in northeast downtown, will be a hub for the region’s life sciences, health care and technology industries.

Waller Creek and Palm District Plan

A holistic and actionable plan for the eastern half of downtown has been our long-time priority.

Coming Soon

Congress Urban Design Initiative

After a multiyear planning and community engagement process, the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative is ready to share its vision.

Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy

Southwest downtown is transforming rapidly, with new office, residential and retail development.

Urban Greenbelt

Many organizations are working together to transform downtown’s parks, with the vision of connecting them into a 5-mile urban greenbelt around our city center.

Mobility

Mobility is the lifeline of a healthy, thriving downtown. With Austin’s population projected to double by 2040, we need wide-ranging, forward-thinking transportation solutions to keep our urban core accessible. In 2019, we continued to work with transportation leaders and the downtown community to drive progress on all fronts: improving roads, managing traffic flow, increasing the supply of public transportation and encouraging consumers’ demand for alternative modes.

Project Connect

This vision advances the goal of a high-capacity regional transit system.

Movability

We continued to support Movability, Central Texas’ first and only transportation management association, in its work to connect commuters with mobility options.

The Future of I-35

The Downtown Austin Vision calls for us to connect east and west Austin by lowering and capping I-35’s lanes through downtown.

Parking

30%

Downtown congestion coming from people searching for parking

Studies show that 30% of downtown congestion comes from people searching for parking. In 2017, we conducted the first-ever downtown parking inventory and developed a Downtown Parking Strategy with 19 recommendations for improving parking and mobility downtown. This year, we focused on the implementation of three of these recommendations.

The City of Austin increased the downtown parking meter rates to $2/hour. It also moved toward a dynamic pricing model, which means meter fees could increase to up to $5/hour during times of higher demand. This is intended to increase turnover so more people can access these short-term spots for shopping and other services.

The Austin Transportation Department initiated a multi-year pilot program that is designed to free up on-street parking by finding affordable, off-street parking solutions for construction workers.

Finally, we published the South Congress Parking Strategy, a study of parking and mobility along the South Congress corridor. The City of Austin engaged the Downtown Alliance to develop this strategy as a continuation of our Downtown Parking Strategy contract with transportation experts Nelson\Nygaard. The study will result in actionable solutions to address the parking challenges in the area, reduce the burden on residents caused by increased parking demand, and ensure continued economic prosperity of local businesses.

Downtown Austin
Alliance Foundation

The Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation was established in 2019 as the
501(c)(3) nonprofit extension of the Downtown Austin Alliance. It is charged with implementing key projects that support the Downtown Alliance’s vision. The Foundation empowers locals and encourages social engagement through community-driven initiatives that celebrate the spirit of Austin. The Foundation financially supports Republic Square’s operations, programming and events, as well as many of the Downtown Alliance’s signature events. This year, the Foundation recruited IBC Bank and DPR Construction as lead partners. It also contributed to fundraising for the Rathgeber Center.

The Foundation held its inaugural arts event, Writing on the Walls, from March 4-11, 2020. The week of collaborative public art installations and events kicked off with two large-scale mural paintings.

Learn More

In honor of Women’s Month and the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote, artists Sandra Chevrier and Shepard Fairey teamed up to create this historic mural that is displayed on the side of the LINE Hotel.

Shepard Fairey visits AISD students as part of the Artists In Schools program.

Canadian contemporary/pop urban artist Sandra Chevrier and American street artist and graphic designer Shepard Fairey painted the largest mural in Austin on the side of The LINE Hotel. Local artist Sadé Lawson painted a large-scale mural on the northbound side of Lamar Boulevard, just north of Lady Bird Lake. More than 25 other local artists also took part in Writing on the Walls events, which included panel discussions, workshops, a spray party, public art demonstrations and documentary movie screenings. Artists also visited local schools as part of the Artist in Schools program.

Signature
Events

Events take downtown’s vibrancy to a new level, bringing people of all ages together to celebrate arts, culture and our city’s heritage. The Downtown Austin Alliance and Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation produced five signature events from May 2019 to March 2020. Due to restrictions on gatherings, our second annual Future of Downtown event unveiling the State of Downtown report was cancelled and replaced with an online video and webinar programming.

Writing on the Walls

The Foundation launched its inaugural arts event, Writing on the Walls. From March 4-11, 2020, downtown came alive with collaborative events and public art installations from international and local artists. The event created Austin’s largest mural, a 12-story piece on the side of The LINE Hotel.

2nd Annual Austin’s Birthday Bash

We produced the second annual Austin’s Birthday Bash on Aug. 3, 2019, treating 1,500 attendees to an evening of family fun in Republic Square. Festivities for celebrating Austin’s 180th birthday included food and beverages, lawn games, crafts and live music.

Downtown Holiday Stroll

The annual Downtown Holiday Stroll drew over 17,000 people to watch the 25th anniversary of the Capitol tree lighting on Dec. 7, 2019. Attendees sang carols, enjoyed a concert headlined by Austin native Max Frost and shopped and dined along Congress Avenue. We produced the event with our longtime radio partner KUT/KUTX and new television partner FOX 7.

Future of Downtown Parks

We welcomed one of the nation's leading urban thinkers and planners, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, to discuss designing parks to be equitable and inclusive for our whole community to enjoy.

Future of Downtown Innovation

We unveiled the results of our innovation district market analysis – revealing the impact it could have on our city. The findings were delivered by HR&A Partner Bob Geolas, a nationally recognized leader in the development of innovation districts.

Future of Downtown Series

Our Future of Downtown Event series focuses on educating the community on major initiatives that align with the priorities in the Downtown Austin Vision.

Learn More

Republic Square

Republic Square is downtown’s central gathering place, and the Downtown Austin Alliance is responsible for keeping it active and welcoming. The Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation oversees all of the square’s operations, maintenance, programming and events.

In September 2019, Republic Square was chosen by the Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks to participate in the inaugural 2019-2020 Partnerships Lab. It was one of only five organizations nationally selected for this prestigious mentoring and strategy development program.

Photo Credit: Taylor Prinsen

This year we recruited Salt & Time Café as the square’s first food and beverage vendor. The café will soon be open daily serving coffee, beer and wine, and food ranging from salads to charcuterie. This will enhance the programming and daily use of the square, and will provide downtown with healthy grab-and-go dining options.

During the summer of 2019, our sunset yoga series brought 500-700 people to the park each week for sun salutations in a communal environment. Other major events at Republic Square included AIDS Walk Austin, Amazon’s Treasure Truck “Pup Fest” and Art City Austin 2019.

After the city’s Stay Home – Work Safe ordinance went into effect in March 2020, we postponed or canceled all spring and early summer events planned for Republic Square. These included a SXSW food truck fair and Art City Austin. We did continue hosting the Sustainable Food Center’s Downtown Farmers’ Market each week, which supported local farmers and provided the community with a safe, healthy alternative to grocery stores.

In May 2020, we will launch virtual programming working with partners including Clean Scapes, Austin Community College and the Sustainable Food Center.

Learn More

Salt & Time Café, a full-service café serving breakfast, sandwiches and salads, charcuterie, plus, beer and wine, is set to open in May 2020.

HOPE Outdoor Gallery brought their Murals and Mentors program to Republic Square as part of our inaugural Writing on the Walls events and programming.

By The
Numbers

events from May 2019-April 2020

(69 of those were free & open to the public)

40,000

people attended events

Research and
Communication

Research

Fulfilling our Downtown Vision requires making lots of data-driven decisions. The Downtown Austin Alliance is a central repository for downtown-related data. Our research team compiles and analyzes data on economic development, real estate, mobility trends and more. We use this information to find opportunities and shape our programs, and we also share it with local leaders, business owners and community members.

State of Downtown Report

Our annual State of Downtown Report uses market data to give a comprehensive account of downtown’s economic impact, health and vitality. It also draws from our team’s ongoing central research project: monitoring downtown real estate development and maintaining a database of emerging projects.

Live XYZ

This year we also contracted Live XYZ, an interactive mapping company, to create a real-time map of downtown Austin’s street life. By tracking the patterns of how people access ground floor retail businesses, we can understand why some storefronts have more turnover than others. This supports the Downtown Vision’s call for preserving existing retail businesses, many of which are cultural or historic assets, and attracting new retail to the market.

On Congress Avenue, we supplemented this mapping data by using pedestrian counters. This helped us understand the unique usage patterns of this district.

Homeless System Analysis

Other projects included our analysis of Austin’s homeless system versus that of other Texas cities. We discovered Austin has a smaller number of people experiencing homelessness but a higher rate of chronic homelessness.

Communication

We keep downtown property owners, businesses, residents and visitors updated on downtown news, events and development through our weekly newsletter, social media, local media and our website. Our website is a go-to resource for our research, data and development updates.

Our Explore Downtown map, which uses Live XYZ data, allows visitors to plan their downtown adventures.

Explore

Through our updated educational series, Future of Downtown, we have attracted national speakers to Austin. These events allow us to share a comprehensive look at market conditions and highlight projects that will transform downtown’s future.

Covid-19
Crisis

We changed our website and newsletters to become some of the city’s most comprehensive resources for COVID-related information. We provided the downtown community with regular updates on business closure guidelines, social distancing protocols, financial relief options and more and partnered with industry organizations in early advocacy efforts and strategy development.

We also immediately started conducting research and surveys to determine the pandemic’s economic impact on retailers, office tenants, employers and residents. The results will inform the next two stages of our crisis management plan: economic recovery and resiliency.

By the
Numbers

31.8K+
Total
social media
followers

18,800+

@Downtown
AustinAlliance

7,000+

@DowntownATXInfo

4,000+

@DowntownAustin

2,000+

Downtown Austin Alliance

349,983,693

Total Impressions
(Print, Online, Broadcast)

$3,778,562

Total Publicity Value
(Earned Media)

Financial
Reports

Safety and Hospitality

$1,648,730 (19.9%)

Cleanliness and Beautification

$1,278,720 (15.44%)

General & Administrative

$970,756 (11.72%)

District Planning

$891,637 (10.76%)

Mobility & Parking

$712,967 (8.61%)

Communications

$697,915 (8.42%)

Historic Squares, Parks, and Open Space

$548,383 (6.62%)

Public Space Activation

$517,328 (6.24%)

Market Research

$389,418 (4.7%)

Congress Avenue

$232,535 (2.81%)

Education

$171,893 (2.07%)

Homelessness Support

$147,855 (1.78%)

Board/Executive/Governance

$76,080 (0.92%)

Consolidated Statement of
Financial Position

Assets

Current Assets

Cash & Cash Equivalents

3,331,318

Accounts Receivable

18,313

Security Deposits

51,618

Prepaid Expenses

99,872

Total Current Assets 3,501,121

Fixed Assets

617,281

Total Assets 4,118,402

Liabilities and Net Assets

Current liabilities

Accounts Payable

698,224

Accrued Expenses

201,710

Contributions Payable

340,000

Total Current Liabilities 1,239,934

Long-term liabilities

Contributions Payable (net of current portion)

1,226,729

Deferred Rent Obligation

84,089

Total Long-Term Liabilities

1,310,818

Total Liabilities

2,550,752

Net Assets

Net Assets without Donor Restrictions

1,567,650

Total Liabilities & Net Assets4,118,402

Consolidated Statement of
Activities

Changes in Unrestricted Net Assets

Revenue

Public Improvement District Revenue

7,502,657

Contributions from City of Austin

360,000

Contributions from Travis County

25,000

Contributions

163,251

Contract Services

322,372

Rent

97,225

Other

67,103

Total Revenue &
Other Supports 8,537,608

Expenses

Program

7,313,461

Admininstration

970,756

Total Expenses 8,284,217

Change in net Assets 253,391

Beginning net Assets 1,314,259

Ending net Assets 1,567,650

Downtown Austin
Alliance

Consolidated Statements
of Financial Position and
Activities for FY Ending
April 30, 2019

Downtown Alliance
Team

Leadership

Dewitt Peart

President and CEO

Molly Alexander

Executive Director, Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation

Melissa Barry, AICP

Vice President, Planning

Bill Brice

Vice President, Investor Relations

Casey Johnson Burack

General Counsel & Vice President, Government Affairs

Samia Burns

Controller

Julie Fitch

Chief Operating Officer

Pamela Power

Vice President, Marketing and Communication

Michele Van Hyfte, AIA, LEED AP

Vice President, Urban Design

Staff

Andre Boudreaux

Planning & Urban Design Coordinator

Jennifer Cote

Communication Coordinator

Dana Hansen

Communication Manager

Irene Kirschenbaum

Administrative Assistant / Receptionist

Alex Martin

Executive Assistant

Gabriel Schumacher

Research Analyst

Jenell Moffett, MBA

Director of Research & Analysis

Mandi Thomas

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Rebecca Hagler

Events & Programming Manager

Matt Macioge

Director of Operations

Vanessa Olson

Strategic Communication Manager

Emily Risinger, SITES AP

Planning and Urban Design Manager

Kelan Robinson

Director of Government Affairs

Vanessa Zhou

Accounting Coordinator

Board of Directors

Michael Kennedy

Chair
MKInterests

Jennifer Wiebrand

Vice Chair
Gables Residential

Drew Bridges

Secretary
JMI Realty

S. Whitney May Knight

Treasurer
Allensworth & Porter

Writer/Editor: Erica Hess, Plume Marketing and Design | Design & Web Development: The Killswitch Collective

Learn More

Dewitt Peart

Mike Kennedy

Downtown Austin Vision: Shaping Our Future

Strategic Priorities: 2019 Highlights

Welcoming Places

Thriving Center

Growing Neighborhoods

Leading Mobility

Clean Environment

The Area We Serve

Safe and Welcoming Streets

Public Safety Forums

Ambassadors

Beautification

Overtime Police

Land Development Code

Land Development Code

Public Order Ordinances

I-35

South Central Waterfront Vision Framework Plan

Homeless Process Triage

ATX Helps

Rathgeber Center

A New Future for I-35

Innovation District

Waller Creek and Palm District Plan

Congress Urban Design Initiative

Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy

Urban Greenbelt

Project Connect

Movability

The Future of I-35

Writing on the Walls

2nd Annual Austin’s Birthday Bash

Downtown Holiday Stroll

Future of Downtown Parks

Future of Downtown Innovation

Future of Downtown Series

Research

State of Downtown Report

Live XYZ

Homeless System Analysis

Communication

Safety and Hospitality

Cleanliness and Beautification

General & Administrative

District Planning

Mobility & Parking

Communications

Historic Squares, Parks, and Open Space

Public Space Activation

Market Research

Congress Avenue

Education

Homelessness Support

Board/Executive/Governance

2018-2019 Audited financial statement

Assets

Current Assets

Liabilities and Net Assets

Current liabilities

Long-term liabilities

Net Assets

Changes in Unrestricted Net Assets

Revenue

Expenses

Leadership

Dewitt Peart

Molly Alexander

Melissa Barry, AICP

Bill Brice

Casey Johnson Burack

Samia Burns

Julie Fitch

Pamela Power

Michele Van Hyfte, AIA, LEED AP

Staff

Andre Boudreaux

Jennifer Cote

Dana Hansen