Courtesy of Michael McGill

Travis County is going through a long term planning process to direct the shape of its downtown facilities for the years to come.  Right now they are eager to hear your input and there is a public presentation and listening session being held on Thursday, May 13 starting at 6:00 PM in the Commissioners Courtroom at 314 W 11th Street.
 
If you cannot make it to that meeting, we encourage DANA members to give feedback through the County's online survey (open through May 17th):
Survey
En Espanol
Open Comment Section
 
To get updates on the planning process, click here.
 

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Good Afternoon:
 
This is an update on the City of Austin Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Project. Please note that the City Council Briefing on the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Staff Recommendation will be on June 10th, 2010, and NOT MAY 13, 2010 as originally planned.  Also, please note that the City Council does not allow speakers on Briefings.
 
The last Boards and Commissions briefing will be May 11th, 2010, at the Urban Transportation Commission (UTC), 6 pm at City Hall.  It is likely that the UTC will take action on the item at this meeting; they will allow speakers on this item at this meeting.
 
To date the Downtown Commission, Planning Commission, Design Commission, and the Downtown Austin Alliance Mobility and Streetscapes Subcommittee have unanimously supported the Downtown Bicycle Boulevard Staff Recommendation.
 
The Downtown Bicycle Boulevard staff recommendation, 3-d rendering of the recommendation, and other information can be found here:
 
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/bicycle-public-input.htm

Annick C. Beaudet, AICP
Program Consultant – Planning
Neighborhood Connectivity Division
Department of Public Works
City of Austin
 

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Courtesy of Bill McCann

Consultants for the Travis County Commissioners Court will host two listening sessions to gather public input on the Facilities Master Plan for the County's downtown campus. The listening sessions will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 8, 2010 and at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday May, 13, 2010. Both sessions will be held at 314 W. 11th Street.

While Travis County has facilities in south Austin, Del Valle, and on Airport Boulevard, the majority of the County's facilities are located in downtown Austin. There are currently 33 County offices and departments housed in buildings that are at capacity. A Strategic Needs Assessment has been completed and the consultant team has launched the planning process for the Facilities Master Plan. Public input is being sought since voters will likely be asked to approve a bond program to fund new facilities.

According to the consultant team, the comprehensive Facilities Master Plan will:

  – Ensure that any new buildings, as well as existing buildings, are the right size, form, quality, image, and location for the proposed functions and that the tenant mix will work well.

  – Achieve consensus among officials on shared goals and objectives through a cohesive plan.

  – Create a phasing plan to spread costs out responsibly over many years based on estimates which are accurate and understandable.

  – Prepare a major bond program through a planning process that includes public input.

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Performance Schedule:
11:00-11:30 DJ Redmon
11:30-11:50 Johnny Degollado y Su Conjunto
12:00-12:30 Presentation of Colors-TCSO Honor Guard
12:30-12:45 Ballet Folklorico-McCallum High School
12:45 – 1:15 Mariachi Relampago
 1:15 – 2:00 Johnny Degollado y Su Conjunto

Co-Sponsored by Travis County and City of Austin.

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Facebook Inc. plans to begin moving into its new Austin home at 300 West Sixth Street on Monday, May 3.  The company expects to employ 200 people in the downtown location within the next four years.

“We’re incredibly excited to be opening this office in the heart of the city on 6th Street,” said Sarah Smith, head of Austin online
operations for Facebook, Inc. “This vibrant downtown location will allow us to attract great talent, create an open and innovative work environment, and give us room to grow over the coming years.”

The California-based social media will initially occupy 21,000 square feet of the 23-story building, said Smith. The building, owned and managed by Thomas Properties Group, was completed in 2002.

TPG Managing Director Andy Smith said, “We are extremely excited to have a company like Facebook as a new tenant at 300 West 6th.  This is another example of the kind of progressive, fast-growing company that Thomas Properties and downtown is looking to attract.  We believe this is just the beginning for our portfolio and the CBD to meet the cultural needs of this generation.”

The move is Facebook’s first major U.S. expansion outside California and considered a boon to Austin’s reputation as a technology hotbed, especially in the social media sector, said the Austin Business Journal.

Facebook, which employs about 1,200 workers, expects to invest about $3.1 million to set up local operations, state officials have said. (more…)