Mid-Year Member Update
2024

A note from
the CEO

At the Downtown Austin Alliance, our mission is to create, preserve and enhance the vibe, vitality and value of downtown Austin for everyone. Each fiscal year, we pause in the middle of the year to reflect on what we’ve achieved. In my last year before retirement, I'm excited to share our top accomplishments from an action-packed six months.

As I reflect on my tenure as your CEO & President, I realize much of the groundwork laid in the past ten years has begun to materialize this year. Our commitment to the fundamental needs of a clean and safe downtown remains – and is now layered with successful programs that improve mobility, enhance public spaces and ignite downtown with arts, culture, music and more.

I’m proud to present our top accomplishments from the first half of FY 2024-2025, and I’m excited to see this committed team carry forth the vision to create the downtown you’ll always love.

Dewitt Peart

President & CEO

Advocacy wins

Our advocacy program has celebrated several critical wins this year, including the Downtown Density Bonus Program Revamp. We supported the securing of additional funds for Red River Cultural District from the City of Austin, which will support the organization's efforts to serve as a strong steward for the live music and arts community. We’re proud our Homeless Outreach Assistance team –or HEART – Pilot program has been advanced to a year-round, city-funded program with an expanded service area.

Most notably, we’re thankful to Mayor Watson and City Council for the passage of the long-term police contract. We worked with a coalition to gain community support for the contract, which we anticipate will increase critical recruitment and lead to improved response times across the city.

Learn More

From its launch on February 1 to September 30, 2024,
our HEART Pilot Program has:
  • Placed 106 people in shelter
  • Reunited 57 people with families
  • Referred 1,300 people to The Oasis comfort area (adjacent to the ARCH)
  • Provided 3,000 social service interactions (including food, water, shoes, clothing, first-aid and hygiene supplies)

Expanded Ambassador Program
& added Safety Team

The downtown Ambassadors have long been a cornerstone of our success. This year, we’ve doubled down on our commitment to safety and cleanliness by expanding our team to 90 full-time ambassadors providing cleaning, hospitality and safety services every day.

We've also added a new Safety Team to patrol downtown on bikes, provide overnight security at Republic Square, and operate a nighttime mobile patrol throughout our entertainment districts.

The team’s presence increases safety and order downtown by assisting people with emergency medical needs and requesting voluntary compliance from people violating the city’s public order ordinances.

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From May to October 2024,
Clean & Safe stats:

Downtown Ambassadors

  • 27,064 Hospitality Contacts
  • 126 Safety Escorts
  • 15,419,398 SQFT of Sidewalk Power Washed
  • 68,254 LBS of Trash Collected
  • 2,421 Graffiti Tags Removed

Trinity Center Partnership

  • 113 Family Reunifications

Downtown Safety Team

  • 7,279 Interactions
  • 90% Compliance Rate

Downtown Austin Alliance Funded APD Overtime Patrol

  • 4,403 Interactions
  • 99% Compliance Rate

Downtown Austin
Space Activation
Program Launch

One of our most exciting initiatives of the past few years has been the successful creation and launch of our Downtown Austin Space Activation – DASA – program. In June, we opened the doors to our activation space at 506 Congress Avenue. Through our efforts, this now-revitalized storefront is a thriving, vibrant hub for community, economic and cultural activities. This program, made possible by the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation, has made a huge impact in the first six months.

We’ve launched an artist residency program to give local artists studio space, exposure, and the support of a cohort. We also launched a photography fellowship, which empowers emerging photographers to help us capture our vibrant city through their unique perspectives.

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From May to October 2024,
our DASA program:

Hosted

  • 53 activations
  • 115+ hours of social programming

Supported

  • 17 artists
  • 20 musicians
  • 31 independent makers / cultural producers

Engaged

  • 27 new activators
  • 20+ volunteers in socially impactful activations
  • 1,298 people of all ages

Republic Square
Programming

At Republic Square, we aim to celebrate, educate and engage the community with year-round cultural arts programming. This year has brought exceptional free events for all ages, including Community in the park, Be the Change, Khushfest also known as Austin Color Fest, Can I Kick It movie series and many more.

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From May to October 2024,
Republic Square stats:
  • 42,235 park visitors
  • 95 free, family-friendly community programs
  • 50+ fitness activities including yoga, strength training
  • 25+ farmer's and artisan's markets
  • 34 outdoor DJ, concert, performance art activities

Mexican American Heritage
Corridor Support

Republic Square also anchors the Mexican American Heritage corridor through Downtown Austin. We are proud to partner with Mexic-Arte Museum and the City of Austin to work toward a Cultural Heritage District designation for the 5th Street Mexican American Heritage Corridor. This year, we hosted community engagement events to bring together stakeholders from the corridor and gather feedback.

As we work toward this designation, we’ve partnered with Mexic-Arte and Austin Saltillo Sisters to represent the cultural and historical value of the area through programming at Republic Square. With support from the City of Austin Economic Development Department, we've unveiled new banners and art installations, and brought events such as El Grito, Muertos Mercado, and more.

View the installation

Old Bakery & Emporium
Mural Unveiling

To further celebrate the cultural history in our parks, we unveiled downtown’s newest mural through our Writing on the Walls program. Ruben Esquivel, a 5th generation Austinite of Latino and Indigenous descent designed and painted the mural at Old Bakery and Emporium, which explores the Indigenous heritage of Austin and the Swedish legacy of the space. Now, we’re recruiting a vendor to further our work of transforming Old Bakery.

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Congress Avenue Design
Engagement

We've been a long-time partner with the city and champion for design improvements to Congress Avenue. This year, we hosted multiple engagement events and focus groups for downtown stakeholders to give feedback on the funded first phase of this project.

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Our Congress Avenue Engagement Resulted In:
  • 2 public open houses
  • 2 focus groups with property owners & retailers
  • 1 focus group with special event promoters
  • 58 stakeholders engaged
  • 39 unique properties / businesses engaged