Alongside those measures, a new anti-discrimination ordinance and downtown safety proposal were also approved. Several other updates will allow for a renewed focus on cultural placemaking in the Rainey Street Historic District and the striking of a Confederate reference from a western downtown block.
Council meets next week for a work session June 14 and a voting session June 16, its last until late July.
Maggie Mayes Street hearing set
A new street name honoring Maggie Mayes, who worked as an educator in the Clarksville freedmen's community more than a century ago, is moving closer to reality.
Earlier this year, council started the process to rename the residential Confederate Street near the end of West Ninth Street—sometimes referred to as Confederate Avenue—in honor of Mayes. The renaming comes as part of Austin's ongoing efforts to remove references to the Confederacy from landmarks and other assets around town. "She was a community leader, and let me say, like so many other women in history—and especially women of color—we don’t have nearly enough information on her at this point," District 9 Council Member Kathie Tovo said in February. "My hope is the renaming will really start the process of rediscovering some of her significant achievements here in the city of Austin."
According to city staff, two neighborhood residents are opposed to the change, therefore requiring a public hearing on the issue set for July 28.
The move has been supported by the West Austin Neighborhood Group and Clarksville Community Development Corporation.
The new street signs are expected to cost $282.
Clearing the way for East Sixth redevelopment
Stream Realty Partners is seeking to loosen development rules along a strip of downtown's East Sixth Street entertainment district, and council launched an update to city code June 9 that could allow some buildings in the area to redevelop.
Stream owns several properties along East Sixth, which is a designated district in the National Register of Historic Places.
Richard Suttle, an attorney representing Stream, presented the firm's plans to improve the block in May given concerns that the area has become a "shooting gallery" with too much focus on bars and nightlife.
Those plans include some demolitions to bring in new, taller construction aimed at mixing business uses and making the area more vibrant during the daytime. A development code amendment approved June 9 would allow certain buildings to extend up to 140 feet in height while preserving pieces of the historic structures as they are knocked down or adjusted.
The move was supported by most officials and its sponsor, District 1 Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, who said the change could improve safety and the area's overall draw.
“Many folks have been talking for years about trying to transform what is currently Sixth Street into a more mixed-use, more family-friendly environment. I remember distinctly the moment where I decided it was not okay to bring my children downtown after dark, and I’d like for us to fix that," she said. "With all kinds of businesses that activate the street day and night we are more inclined to get closer to meeting that goal."
An addition from Tovo, who represents the district, also laid out a historic review process to follow as Stream's work moves forward.
Rainey District cultural funding reboot
Austin will once again seek to promote cultural projects within the historic Rainey Street district after years of such work falling through.
The Rainey Street District Special Revenue Fund was first created in 2013 and revitalized in 2019 to promote the heritage of the former Mexican-American residential enclave as it experienced rapid shifts marked by a busy nightlife scene and growing high-rise skyline.
Council unanimously voted June 9 to include $500,000 for "placemaking and placekeeping" district projects in the city's fiscal year 2022-23 budget plan, with an option for more dollars to be added going forward. A portion of city collections within the Rainey Street Historic District such as right-of-way fees, alley vacation sales and license agreements will once again go toward cultural projects to be guided by the community.
A project list was previously developed, and council's latest action calls for a refresh of that list during a public meeting later this year.
