January 2009

JANUARY 2009

Vol. 3, Issue 1 – Happy New Year!

Social

URBAN CORE HAPPY HOUR: Please RSVP by January 11th
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Ballet Austin Butler Dance Education Center @ 501 W. 3rd Street. (map)

Welcome to 2009, a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. Join us for our annual DANA membership meeting on Tuesday, January 13th at 6:30 PM. The meeting will take place at the beautiful Ballet Austin Butler Dance Education Center. In addition to our usual Urban Core Happy Hour mix and mingle, we will elect new members to the DANA Board of Directors. Come help us plan for another great year downtown.

Avoid parking hassles and plan your trip to the meeting using Cap Metro’s trip planner.

Influential

DANA SUPPORTS TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Many thanks to Jamie Lagarde for serving on the Street Closure Task Force these past few months, and also thanks go out to DANA members who submitted their thoughts and recommendations. The DANA Board of Directors has issued a letter to Mayor Wynn and City Council approving the recommendations made by the Task Force.

Knowledgeable

DANA VOLUNTEERS WITH CARITAS
Are you aware that DANA members volunteer to serve meals at Caritas regularly? If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of serving in this capacity, please make it a priority in 2009. Jenny and Lindsay Wiebrand will soon be streamlining the DANA volunteer process to make it easier for you to become involved with this worthy organization. If you would like to volunteer or be involved with the planning process, contact Lindsay Wiebrand.

CORE DISTRICT ADVISORY GROUP FORMING
The City of Austin is calling for the formation of a District Advisory Group for the Core District of downtown Austin, as defined in the Downtown Austin Plan Phase One report. A major recommendation by ROMA, the City’s consultant for the Downtown Austin Plan, is to create distinct districts based on the form and character of each area of Downtown.  Each district will have its own set of goals and priorities, desired land uses, density bonus provisions, and design standards. DANA board members are planning to be involved in this group, as well as any other groups formed to represent downtown districts.

Why Downtown?

Thank you, gentle readers, for your positive feedback on the “Why Downtown?” segment. If you would like to tell your story, please contact Ruth Framel.

Telling their story about living and loving Downtown Austin this month are Natalie and Dale Glover. As longtime downtown residents, they have witnessed development and change. And more personally, they have experienced transformation and growth…

Downtown was a little different almost a decade ago when we jumped from the dorm room to loft life.

We understood that our environment helps shape who we are ::

Surrounded by fellow Downtown Austin pioneers, we proceeded to explore our surroundings. We absorbed the socio-economic diversity, amazing live music, healthy nightlife, wonderful restaurants, a lake and trail that could only come out of a dream, and a Capitol lawn perfect for summer picnics. We were students and Downtown Austin was our teacher. We became expert bus riders, nightlife royalty, passionate lakeside runners and advocates of the sustainable urban lifestyle.

Just as Downtown has gone through a continuous evolution, so have we.

We now recognize that we can truly help shape our environment ::

Natalie and I both juggle civic volunteering, full time jobs, and still have some time to relax with a glass of wine and a view of the sunset overlooking Lady Bird Lake, the Long Center and the Hill Country.

I spend a lot of time as a board member of the Austin Parks Foundation and active member of Downtown Austin Alliance. I also serve as the Vice President of Texas Crew Foundation and support various open space initiatives. Recently I joined a youthful and energized downtown commercial real estate firm, Tribeca Company, where I focus on pulling together deals for sustainable real estate developments.

Natalie leads the Austin branch of AMS, a creative multimedia firm.  Her team specializes in media that matters, providing communication tools that support education leaders statewide. Natalie spends her extra time fueling her passion for lighting.  Most recently, she has joined fellow urban dweller, Lindsay Burns, in developing threshold, a furniture and design studio, set to open in March of 2009.

Downtown Austin has been a wonderful teacher. We look forward to our continued urban education and are excited about new opportunities in 2009 to give back to the neighborhood we cherish.

Special Thanks
This month’s contributors were Ruth Framel, Natalie and Dale Glover, Lindsay Wiebrand and the ubiquitous Marshall Jones.

DANA’s mission is to improve the quality of life for those who live, work, and play downtown.
DANA influences decisions that affect downtown, educates and listens to residents and stakeholders about downtown and issues that affect them, and fosters a downtown community through social events.