Annual Report
2021-2022

Our Mission

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

Foreword from
Our CEO & Board Chair

Never has the Downtown Austin Alliance thought so much about the future. The pandemic taught us many lessons, including how strong and resilient our city and its residents can be. Through it all, we haven’t lost ground and we never lost sight of the big picture: our focus remains on the transformational projects that will positively impact our downtown, city, state and nation in the decades ahead.

Despite all the challenges over the past two years, we never strayed from our vision. We continued to champion the projects outlined in our Downtown Vision and Roadmap to Recovery and Resilience. We know that the hours, days, weeks, months and years of planning for these generational opportunities will make a positive difference for all Austinites. Our once seemingly distant future is happening now.

We’re well on our way toward renewing our Downtown Public Improvement District for another 10-year term. We’ve successfully collected the required property owner petitions and are now awaiting action by the Austin City Council granting authorization.

Our annual report summarizes how we’re enhancing the value and vitality of downtown for residents, workers and visitors alike. It provides insight into the progress, challenges, opportunities and results that are core to our mission. It is also a reminder to our members, the downtown property owners, that the work we do is for the benefit of everyone. It illustrates how downtown not only serves as an economic engine for the region; it reflects just how vital downtown is to our diverse stakeholders, who appreciate its vibrancy day and night.

As we move into the final year of the Downtown Austin Alliance’s five-year strategic plan, we can easily recall how much progress and change has occurred. Reflecting on our outcomes and accomplishments this year, we must remind ourselves of the challenges still ahead.

Austin is becoming less affordable, a problem amplified downtown. Improvements to enhance mobility are coming, but the period of construction will be disruptive. We are experiencing tremendous development, but it is a delicate dance between new development and maintaining the unique charm of Austin. There are promising efforts to help the unhoused, but progress is slow. And enhancing public safety is a multifaceted challenge of national proportions.

We thank you all for supporting and investing in downtown and in our work. Remember, we are all stewards of downtown’s Vision. Together, we will diligently undertake major initiatives that will uplift downtown as the vital core of Austin.

We all know a vibrant downtown is essential to a strong region. Let’s make it happen together.

Dewitt Peart

President & CEO

Jeff Howard

Board Chair

Key Statistics
Downtown Austin 2021-22

Please see the 2022 State of Downtown Report for in-depth data and analysis of downtown’s demographic and market trends.

5.1M
Unique visitors annually
13,648
Residents
107K
Employees
9,447
Residential units
13,514
Hotel rooms
2.03M
Annual Transit Ridership
150+
Acres of parkland
190
Historic locations
5.1M
Unique visitors annually
13,648
Residents
107K
Employees
9,447
Residential units
13,514
Hotel rooms
2.03M
Annual Transit Ridership
150+
Acres of parkland
190
Historic locations

Spotlight:
Authorization

The Downtown Austin Alliance has been a full-time advocate and champion of downtown Austin since 1993. As the nonprofit that represents and is funded by commercial and non-homestead property owners in the Downtown Public Improvement District (PID), our organization provides the community with direct services, planning and advocacy that fulfill our mission to “create, preserve and enhance the value and vitality of downtown Austin.”

The PID is currently authorized through April 2023, and the Downtown Austin Alliance has been working diligently over the past year toward its authorization for the 2023-2032 term. The PID is renewed by downtown property owners every 10 years through a petitioning process. This process has already been completed and submitted to the City of Austin for the next term. A public hearing on the proposed authorization is anticipated in late spring or early summer before the Austin City Council can vote to renew the district.

The proposed PID boundaries have been slightly altered from the existing district to better align our direct services and advocacy with areas projected to have the most significant growth over the next decade. The proposed changes include:

  • Adjusting the northern boundary from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (19th Street) to 15th street, as most of the area’s property is owned by the state or by the University of Texas.
  • Altering the western boundary for a clearer service line by including properties along the east side of San Antonio Street.
  • Adding a handful of properties south of the river that are already surrounded by PID properties, where services are provided but are not currently equally funded by property owners.
  • Adding a few properties in the Rainey Street District as the Downtown Austin Alliance will provide operations and maintenance services along the Waller Creek corridor as Waterloo Greenway Conservancy improvements are activated. Assessments from these adjacent properties will help fund the cost of services in that area.

The Downtown Alliance’s primary funding comes from a special assessment on privately owned, non-homestead properties (valued over $500,000) within the PID. The City of Austin and Travis County also contribute funds to the PID.

Renewing the PID will enable us to continue providing the services that keep downtown clean, safe and welcoming for all who live, work, play, visit or invest in downtown Austin. It will also allow us to be a champion for planning new districts and advocating for the infrastructure and policy changes needed to accommodate our area’s explosive growth.

Our
Services

Much of our annual budget goes toward providing direct services to keep downtown a clean, safe and welcoming place for visitors and those who work downtown. Our programs have expanded to meet the needs of our thriving city. During the past year, we’ve continued our dedication to serving the entire downtown public improvement district.

  • Downtown Austin
  • Downtown Austin Public
    Improvement District
Base Map Data © 2020 Google

The Area We Serve

Downtown property owners petitioned the City of Austin in 1993 to create a Public Improvement District (PID) to address the unique needs of its area of downtown Austin. The current 10-year authorization ends in April 2023 and the establishment of the PID is underway for the next 10 years.

937
properties
$12.0B
PID Taxable Value
668
acres in the PID

Clean Environment

The Downtown Ambassadors are the cornerstone of our direct services program. Our team of 56 works in the area to remove trash and pressure wash streets because keeping downtown clean is always a top priority. The Ambassadors also continue to beautify our downtown through various painting and planting projects.

Safe and Welcoming Streets

We support safety on all fronts downtown. We continue to provide funds to enhance the Austin Police Department’s (APD) safety camera system of 58 cameras throughout the area, which helps deter and solve crimes. We also fund an overtime patrol that maintains two additional police officers in the downtown PID, which allows for close monitoring of downtown 12 hours a day.

The Downtown Ambassadors support APD’s work by asking people to comply with ordinances, referring individuals 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 offer hospitality to pedestrians including friendly greetings, directions and downtown information.

Downtown Safety Forums

Safety forums allow downtown building management, building security officers and APD to educate and inform the downtown community. They provide updates and clarifications about trespassing and other ordinances and offer an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships in the downtown security community.

Austin Police Department discusses overtime patrol at Downtown Safety Forum.

Our Downtown Ambassadors provide hospitality to pedestrians and safety escorts upon request.

Downtown Ambassadors at Waterloo Park

The nonprofit Waterloo Greenway Conservancy operates Waterloo Park. This 11-acre city park east of the Capitol re-opened last August after being closed for a decade due to various flood control and park construction projects. As part of our contribution to the park, the Downtown Austin Alliance has assigned a team of its Downtown Ambassadors to serve the area. Ambassadors are now on hand to welcome and educate visitors about the park and its rules, as well as make sure the greenspace and grounds are clean and beautiful.

By the
Numbers

Ambassadors

57,971
hospitality contacts
4,575,213
square feet power washed
938
safety escorts

Beautification

26,485
graffiti & posters removed
220,070
pounds of trash removed
6
beautification projects

Overtime Police

$436K
spent on APD overtime initiative
3,498
interactions with pedestrians
98%
Compliance Rate for Requests by Our Community Police

Advocacy
And Support

As downtown Austin’s full-time advocate and biggest champion, the Downtown Austin Alliance collaborates with stakeholders, policymakers and property owners to ensure local policies effectively and efficiently address our most pressing issues. The Downtown Austin Alliance’s proactive advocacy efforts focused on team building, community engagement, leadership strategies and policy analysis and recommendations this past year. When unanticipated policy changes were discovered, we took swift action to analyze them and demonstrate their impact on downtown. In coordination with our strategic partners, we engaged directly with leaders, policymakers and city staff teams to offer expertise, data and testing, which resulted in improved policies and processes.

COVID-19 Recovery

Planning for downtown Austin’s future while recovering from the immediate shock of the pandemic required the development of a comprehensive and integrated resilience strategy. In response, the Downtown Austin Alliance created short-term strategies and long-term goals to promote ongoing growth in our Roadmap to Recovery and Resilience.

To raise the number of operating downtown businesses to pre-pandemic levels, we collaborated with owners of retail stores, restaurants/bars and live music venues to identify their specific challenges and provide support, resulting in short-term economic relief. The Red River Cultural District, a creative community providing authentic live music, art and comedy experiences, served as our critical partner in furthering the city’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The Downtown Austin Alliance supported the district’s pandemic recovery through a $40,000 annual sponsorship, increased Ambassador support and targeted advocacy assistance.

COVID-19 Recovery

Planning for downtown Austin’s future while recovering from the immediate shock of the pandemic required the development of a comprehensive and integrated resilience strategy. In response, the Downtown Austin Alliance created short-term strategies and long-term goals to promote ongoing growth in our Roadmap to Recovery and Resilience.

To raise the number of operating downtown businesses to pre-pandemic levels, we collaborated with owners of retail stores, restaurants/bars and live music venues to identify their specific challenges and provide support, resulting in short-term economic relief. The Red River Cultural District, a creative community providing authentic live music, art and comedy experiences, served as our critical partner in furthering the city’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The Downtown Austin Alliance supported the district’s pandemic recovery through a $40,000 annual sponsorship, increased Ambassador support and targeted advocacy assistance.

Retail and Storefront Business Inventory

The Downtown Austin Alliance released its biannual inventory of all downtown storefront retail and small businesses this past October. In this inventory, we identified 532 operating businesses (including 36 new businesses) of 740 occupied storefronts. The number of operating businesses increased by 64 from the previous count in February 2021. However, at least 97 businesses permanently closed their downtown locations since February 2020 and another 44 businesses that continue to occupy a space showed no signs of operating. Of the new businesses, 13 restaurants and 11 bars opened downtown. The storefront inventory reflects continuing difficulties for the East Sixth Street and the Red River Cultural Districts; these have the lowest operating rate for storefronts and the highest permanent closure rate among downtown entertainment districts.

State Advocacy Success

During the 87th Texas Legislative Session in 2021, the Downtown Austin Alliance achieved its goals of addressing unsheltered homelessness and transportation issues impacting Austin and Central Texas. We worked with state lawmakers to help improve HB 1925 – the statewide camping-ban bill – that was passed into law and went into effect September 1. Since then, we have connected hundreds of unsheltered homeless individuals with housing and support since then. We also worked with a cross-section of legislators in the defeat of a bill that would have prohibited the City of Austin from regulating amplified sound from bars.

Community Court

The Downtown Austin Alliance opposed actions considered by Austin City Council to permanently re-locate the Community Court to the former City Municipal Building at 124 W. Eigth Street. The Downtown Austin Alliance and many downtown property owners, residents and businesses believe this historic location is more appropriate for cultural uses; a May 2020 resolution from City Council also supports these uses. City Council withdrew the items from the agenda and directed the City Manager to determine how the court can operate more effectively and better reach the community it serves. The effort will inform decisions on the court’s facility needs.

Land Development Code

Our local land development code is nearly 40 years old but won’t be updated comprehensively due to a second court ruling in the lawsuit that halted the rewrite effort in early 2020. In March, the 14th Court of Appeals upheld a Travis County Court decision that the city must individually notify property owners of proposed rezoning and recognize their protest rights, even during a code update. As the city struggles with a historic jump in housing costs and lack of supply, it also struggles with an outdated, complicated code with costly regulations and permitting processes. We continue to advocate for our recommended code revisions, which could reduce project costs and permitting time, enable more density and community benefit, as well as increase housing supply and affordability.

Downtown Density Bonus Program

A collaborative advocacy effort between our Land Development Code Task Force and our strategic partners resulted in a delay of increased fees and a recalibration of the program’s economic model to reflect current real estate market data.. Conversations are ongoing with city staff and City Council members focused on improving the validity and methodology of the program and its fees.

Homelessness

We’re committed to ensuring downtown is a safe, healthy, vibrant and welcoming environment for all. This includes addressing unsheltered homelessness, so our most vulnerable residents can access essential emergency services, health care and housing services.

Historically, approximately one-third of the city’s overall homeless population has been concentrated in and around the downtown area. For more than a decade, the Downtown Austin Alliance has facilitated public-private partnerships focused on innovative, research-based solutions for people experiencing homelessness. We fund projects to provide housing, reunify people with their families and provide housing-focused health care services. We advocate for improved policy and planning and provide employment opportunities to people experiencing homelessness or with other barriers to employment by hiring them into our Downtown Ambassadors program.

Downtown Austin Alliance Ambassador helps connect an indivdual experiencing homelessness with community services.
Mobile Loaves and Fishes team meets at Community First! Village. Images courtesy of Mobile Loaves and Fishes.

Family Reunification Program

With assistance from our Downtown Ambassadors, who work directly and daily with people experiencing homelessness, the Downtown Austin Alliance formed a partnership with the nonprofit Trinity Center Austin to reconnect homeless individuals with their loved ones. Ambassadors serve as outreach to educate the unsheltered population within the Public Improvement District about the Family Reunification Program. The Downtown Ambassadors provide a link to connect them with professionals from Trinity Center Austin. The Downtown Austin Alliance and Trinity Center set a goal to reunify 100 people during the seven-month pilot program that began October 1, 2021. By the end of March, 62 individuals were reunited with their families.

Family Reunification Program

With assistance from our Downtown Ambassadors, who work directly and daily with people experiencing homelessness, the Downtown Austin Alliance formed a partnership with the nonprofit Trinity Center Austin to reconnect homeless individuals with their loved ones. Ambassadors serve as outreach to educate the unsheltered population within the Public Improvement District about the Family Reunification Program. The Downtown Ambassadors provide a link to connect them with professionals from Trinity Center Austin. The Downtown Austin Alliance and Trinity Center set a goal to reunify 100 people during the seven-month pilot program that began October 1, 2021. By the end of March, 62 individuals were reunited with their families.

Homelessness Summit

The Downtown Austin Alliance spearheaded efforts that led to the March-April 2021 Austin Summit to Address Unsheltered Homelessness. The Summit furthered efforts toward a comprehensive implementation strategy to address homelessness and resulted in goals of rehousing an additional 3,000 people experiencing homelessness in three years and raising $550 million to fund the plan. To date, more than $350 million has been committed by local and national philanthropic organizations, the City of Austin, Travis County and the private sector. City contracts are now being awarded to increase street outreach, shelter and housing.

Homelessness Health and Wellness Center Program

Behavioral health services play a critical role in helping people transition out of homelessness. That’s why the Downtown Austin Alliance partnered with Integral Care, Downtown Austin Community Court and the Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) to create the Homelessness Health and Wellness Center program. The effort provides direct access to housing-focused behavioral health care to people experiencing homelessness downtown. In 2021, 83 people enrolled in housing-focused healthcare with 22 permanently housed.

PID Unsheltered Homeless Count

In May 2021, the Downtown Austin Alliance implemented a monthly unsheltered homeless count. The count is led by the Downtown Ambassador team and conducted uniformly to ensure consistency and accuracy. In May 2021, an estimated 813 people were living unsheltered. The April 2022 count resulted in a total estimate of 424 people living unsheltered in the PID – marking a 48% decrease from the May estimate.

Ambassador Program – Second Chance Employment

Because one of our priorities is to give individuals who formerly experienced homelessness a second chance at employment, we hire them into the Downtown Ambassadors program. In providing employment opportunities for those who have faced barriers, the Downtown Austin Alliance has a team of 56 individuals working as Downtown Ambassadors, approximately 25% of whom were formerly homeless.

Community First! Village

We continued our support of Community First! Village, an internationally recognized community that provides formerly chronically homeless people with housing, services, income-generating opportunities and the ability to build fulfilling connections through community. The Downtown Austin Alliance’s $2 million pledge over 10 years to provide capital funding for Community First! Village is now over the halfway mark in funding and pledge duration. Community First! is currently occupying Phase Two of its expansion, with phases III and IV in the planning stages. Once fully completed, Community First! will house 1,700 individuals. Approximately one-third of the 270 people currently housed at the Village experienced homelessness downtown.

Spotlight:
The future of I-35

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) plan to reconstruct I-35 through Central Austin as part of the I-35 Capital Express Central Project will mark the first significant upgrade in 50 years for this eight-mile stretch of highway in Central Austin. The plan includes removing the upper decks and lowering and reconstructing the highway between 290E and SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to include two new managed lanes in each direction and new bridges across the highway. Other safety, mobility and aesthetic improvements will also be considered. Construction could begin as early as 2025 at an estimated cost of $5 billion.

As TxDOT considers changes to this major north-south thoroughfare that has physically divided our community for decades, the Downtown Austin Alliance and the City of Austin have partnered with a diverse group of Austin leaders to develop a shared vision that builds on this investment to ensure the best outcomes for all Austinites. By rethinking I-35, we can invest in our community, improve all forms of transportation and create community parks, bridges and other amenities where the highway stands now. This proposed rebuilding of Central Austin’s I-35 corridor is not a unique concept – many cities around the world have lowered, capped and connected their urban freeways.

As partners with the City of Austin and the community, we’ve worked to co-create a road map to develop a vision and equitable development strategy for potential “caps,” or large deck plazas that run over portions of a sunken freeway that can be designed to support soil, trees, people and buildings. Multiple “stitches” — widened bridges over a lowered highway with sidewalks, bike lanes, seating areas and supportive green space to reduce noise — are also being considered along the I-35 corridor in downtown Austin.

Mobility

Mobility is the lifeline of a healthy, thriving downtown. With Austin’s population projected to double by 2040, we need wide-ranging and forward-thinking transportation solutions to keep our urban core accessible. Despite the challenges of navigating the pandemic and recovery, we continued our work on the large, long-term infrastructure projects that we know will transform downtown.

Project Connect

This vision advances the goal of moving from 80% of people commuting in single-occupancy vehicles and 20% using transit to a 50% transit share.

Read More

Movability

We continued to support Movability in its work to connect employers with customized mobility options.

Read More

Parking

The availability of affordable and accessible parking downtown has been a major concern for employees and visitors.

Read More

District
Planning

Our Downtown Vision calls for a growing and ever-evolving tapestry of complete, vibrant and accessible neighborhoods and districts that express Austin’s authenticity. As downtown’s steward, we are critical stakeholders at the center of all active district planning projects. We strive to ensure all parties have a holistic view of how the districts will work together to enhance the area’s vitality.

In looking specifically at public infrastructure projects, we know both the opportunity and the cost of a “wrong” decision or miscalculation. These once-in-a-lifetime infrastructure investments need to be integrated and supported so that the whole district functions optimally. We clearly understand the weight of what could be a “missed opportunity.” As we plan, some big decisions are at hand. It's about leveraging billions of dollars of investment and these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities so that it all comes together to make something truly special and long-lasting for generations to come.

Innovation District

Austin’s emerging Innovation District, located in downtown’s northeastern corner, will be a hub for the region’s life sciences, health care and technology industries.

Read More

Palm District Plan

A holistic and actionable plan for the eastern half of downtown has been our longtime priority. We are engaged with our partners on a Palm District Planning Process that will tie together several initiatives.

Read More

Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy

In partnership with Shoal Creek Conservancy, this plan will improve safety, access, and connectivity for people in the area around Shoal Creek and 3rd Street.

Read More

301 Congress Avenue Porch

HPI Management and the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation engaged the 301 Congress Avenue community around creative ideas on how to transform ‘The Porch.’

Coming Soon

South Central Waterfront

The 118-acre primary plan on the south shore of Lady Bird Lake is composed of 32 separate private properties.

Read More

Downtown Austin
Alliance Foundation

The Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation — established in 2019 and launched in 2020 as the 501(c)(3) nonprofit extension of the Downtown Austin Alliance — is charged with implementing key projects supporting the Downtown Austin Vision.

Every dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly back into the community! The Foundation supports the operations, maintenance and community programming at Republic Square, creates compelling human experiences through its placemaking and mural arts programs (such as Writing on the Walls) and forges new partnerships to create solutions-based programming downtown.

The Beauty of Liberty and Equilty was one of the stops on the first Austin Mural Tour.
Ed Roberson serenaded a crowd at Republic Square with his poetry at Poetry in the Park.

Writing on the Walls

Writing on the Walls is a series of collaborative public art installations and events that kicked off in 2020 with 16 events, activations and murals, including Austin’s largest mural at The Line Hotel. This successful mural program continues to inspire other art installations and art efforts downtown.

Downtown Austin Mural Tour

A free, online downtown art mural tour launched in March 2022 with a bike ride that showcased a curated collection of inspirational and iconic murals in and around downtown. The tour featured famed local artists, art organizations and live mural installations. Following the bike tour, visitors watched artist Niz G. paint the inaugural ARTBOX, listened to live music by SaulPaul and Friends and met local artists at Republic Square.

ARTBOX Program

The Foundation launched ARTBOX in 2021, a new mural arts program aimed at painting 800 traffic signal boxes downtown. As partners with the City of Austin, ArtBox aims to beautify downtown, support hiring and highlighting local artists and forge new collaborations with the local business community. The inaugural ArtBox, painted in March by artist Niz G., was themed around intergenerational equity – a way to support people of all ages and the environment.

Construction Walkway Mural Program

In partnership with McWhinney Development, the Foundation curated its first Construction Walkway Mural at Eighth Street and Congress Avenue and selected local artist Candy Kuo — a Taiwanese visual artist and muralist. As an Asian-American, she blends styles and motifs from her different cultures, creating an inspired East meets West style. In her home country, construction walkways are often covered in nursery plants that are put into the ground after construction is complete. With those themes in mind, she replicated that idea of growth, rebirth, and change in this walkway.

Signature
Events

Our Signature Events are a bright spot of our year, as people of all ages gather to celebrate arts, culture and our city’s heritage. Downtown’s energy rises to a new level when these events happen since they play a vital role in reinvigorating the area and drawing residents to the business core. The Downtown Austin Alliance and Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation produced two Signature Events from May 2021 to April 2022.

Holiday Sing-Along

The annual Downtown Holiday Stroll kicked off the holiday season December 4 with our annual sing-along and downtown tree lighting, followed by a host of December activities.

Read More

Birthday Bash

The fourth annual Austin’s Birthday Bash at Republic Square, a family-friendly event celebrating live music, creative arts, food and people, was everything festival and concertgoers have come to expect.

Read More

Republic Square

Republic Square is an urban greenspace in the heart of downtown Austin. Located between Fourth and Fifth streets and Guadalupe and San Antonio streets, it’s one of the historic squares originally included in Judge Edwin Waller’s 1839 plan for the capital city. Following a tri-party public-private partnership formed to complete significant renovations in 2017, the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation assumed responsibility for funding, programming, maintenance and operations of the square. We aim to create a vibrant civic space, hosting numerous events and year-round programming for the community here at the People’s Park.

Wine Down Wednesdays

Republic Square’s urban greenspace proved perfect for Wine Down Wednesdays, celebrating local Austin musicians and bands for free outdoor concerts on select Wednesdays between October and December.

The People’s Market

Visitors gathered at Republic Square for the free event featuring live music, local food trucks, live art demonstrations and more to support local businesses and celebrate Austin’s diverse community at a safe and inclusive space.

Poetry in the Park

A new series launched in April 2020 featured poetry prizewinner Ed Roberson, author of 12 books of poetry. Poetry in the Park is aims to showcase poets and spoken word artists in our community.

Ongoing Events

We continued to host the Sustainable Food Center Downtown Farmers’ Market every Saturday. We also hosted two summer fitness programs: the Sunset Summer Series with yoga and music and a #DoingThings in the Park series of barre and dance cardio classes.

Thank you to our generous sponsors for your in-kind donations to the park.

Research and
Communication

Research

The Downtown Austin Alliance’s research team conducts primary research on downtown-related issues, as well as compiling and analyzing third-party research. Our website is a central repository for data on economic development, real estate, mobility trends and more. This information enables members of our team and the downtown community to make data-driven decisions to shape downtown’s future.

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 website. Our website is a go-to resource for our research, data and development updates. We also support our partners by publicizing their initiatives.

State of Downtown

Downtown Austin is one the most dynamic urban cores in the world. It’s home to world-renowned events; is a hotbed for real estate development and innovation; and is a center for social activity and civic engagement. The State of Downtown report annually captures highlights of downtown through key measures and statistics to magnify elements that make downtown Austin a unique and important anchor to our entire region. The report also celebrates critical milestones as downtown achieves its Vision.

The Downtown Austin Alliance research team’s work continued with efforts below:

Monitoring Downtown Austin Real Estate Development

A quarterly inventory of downtown’s emerging development projects is maintained and published via an interactive map on our website.

Read More

COVID-19 Economic Impact & Recovery Index

The interactive index illustrates the difference between pre-COVID-19 economic levels and current levels across several indicators.

Read More

Downtown Austin Retail, Live Music and Small Business

A report on retail and small businesses including openings, district trends and pedestrian activities.

Read More

Community Survey

In November 2021, the research team enlisted the help of a market research firm to survey City of Austin residents' perceptions of downtown. Spanning more than 40 zip codes, Austinites indicated homelessness, traffic congestion, public safety, affordability and parking were the top priorities for downtown. Almost three-quarters (74%) of Austinites agreed that a thriving downtown is important to Austin as a whole. We will continue to monitor the perceptions of downtown to ensure it remains a welcoming place for everyone.

By the
Numbers

42.4K+
Total
social media
followers
21,228+
@Downtown
AustinAlliance
7,755+
@DowntownATXInfo
9,738+
@DowntownAustin
3,699+
Downtown Austin Alliance
197,421,599
Total Impressions
(Print, Online, Broadcast)
4,436,079
Total Publicity Value
(Earned Media)

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 2021 to advance each of the Vision’s four strategic priorities.

Thriving Center

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

With our research on downtown’s economic index, storefront inventory and marketing campaign, we’re providing data that supports the area’s explosive growth.

Growing Neighborhoods

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

Intentional placemaking is unmistakable, with projects such as 301 Congress Avenue Porch, Cypress & Shoal, Republic Square, Waterloo Park and the I-35 design for co-created “caps” & “stitches.”

Leading Mobility

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

With efforts such as Project Connect, the I-35 transformation and various infrastructure changes, more mobility and access are attainable goals.

Atelier Wong Photography

Welcoming Places

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

Strategies that showcase our intentional placemaking include activating parks and public spaces with additional services and programs and aesthetic improvements, such as plantings and landscaping, to make downtown more diverse and inclusive.

Strategic Plan
2018-2023

The five-year 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, setting a path for decades to come.

Strategic Communication • Advocacy • Research & Data

Financial
Reports

2021-2022 Budget

A

Safety and Hospitality

$5,567,400 (48.97%)
B

MarComm

$1,637,938 (14.41%)
C

Admin

$1,462,788 (12.87%)
D

Planning and Mobility

$1,140,394 (10.03%)
E

Activation

$650,278 (5.72%)
F

Research

$514,629 (4.53%)
G

Economic Development

$395,494 (3.48%)
Consolidated Statement of
Financial Position

Assets

Current Assets

Cash & Cash Equivalents
4,521,666
Accounts Receivable
57,586
Prepaid Expenses
98,075
Total Current Assets 4,677,327

Noncurrent Assets

Security Deposits
44,568
Pledged Receivable
25,000
Split dollar life insurance loan receivable
95,484
Fixed Assets
406,098
Total Noncurrent Assets 571,150
Total Assets 5,248,477

Liabilities and Net Assets

Current liabilities

Accounts Payable
448,996
Accrued Expenses
206,869
Contributions Payable
260,000
Total Current Liabilities 915,865

Long-term liabilities

Contributions Payable (net of current portion)
858,329
Deferred Rent Obligation
122,612
Total Long-Term Liabilities980,941
Total Liabilities1,896,806

Net Assets

Net Assets without Donor Restrictions
3,351,671
Total Liabilities & Net Assets5,248,477
Consolidated Statement of
Activities

Changes in Unrestricted Net Assets

Revenue

Public Improvement District Revenue
9,845,136
Local government contributions
35,000
Contributions
286,072
Contract Services
325,558
Rent
11,200
Loss on split interest life insurance
(10,956)
Other
32,674
Total Revenue &
Other Supports 10,724,684

Expenses

Program
7,835,920
Admininstration
905,380
Fundraising
116,307
Total Expenses 8,857,607
Change in net Assets 1,867,077
Beginning net Assets 1,484,594
Ending net Assets 3,351,671

Downtown Austin
Alliance

Consolidated Statements
of Financial Position and
Activities for FY Ending
April 30, 2021

Downtown Austin Alliance
Team

Dewitt Peart

President and CEO

Dulce Aguilar

Director of People and Administration

Molly Alexander

Executive Director, Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation

Amanda Baez

Administrative Coordinator

Melissa Barry, AICP

Vice President, Planning

Raven Birk

Digital Content Writer

Bill Brice

Vice President, Investor Relations

Samia Burns

Controller

Amalia Carmona

Project Coordinator

Amy Chambless

Administrative Assistant

Brandon Fahy

Operations Manager

Julie Fitch

Chief Operating Officer

Nick Haines

General Manager, Downtown Ambassadors

Olivia Larson

Executive Assistant

Ashley Rose Marino, M.S.

Communications Manager

Raasin McIntosh

Parks & Placemaking Director

Jenell Moffett, MBA

Associate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives

Angela Navarro

Community Outreach Coordinator

Vanessa Olson

Director, Investor Relations

Emily Risinger, SITES AP

Planning and Urban Design Manager

Gabriel Schumacher

Economic Development Research Manager

Mandi Thomas

Senior Director of Marketing & Communication

Michele Van Hyfte, AIA, LEED AP

Vice President, Urban Design

Marilyn Willson

Development Director

Board Officers

Jeff Howard

Chair
McLean & Howard

S. Whitney May Knight

Vice Chair
Allensworth & Porter

Nikelle Meade

Secretary
Husch Blackwell

Megan Wanek Frey

Treasurer
Endeavor Real Estate Group

Writer/Editor: Sharon Jayson | Design & Web Development: The Killswitch Collective

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