The Downtown Austin Alliance is helping lead an effort to establish a framework for future improvements to Congress Avenue between the Capitol and Lady Bird Lake.

Daniel Woodroffe, DAA Congress WOW Committee chairman, said improving the section of Congress Avenue is a top priority since it is "the Main Street of Texas."

DAA identified improving Congress Avenue as a priority in 2008 and issued a five-year improvement plan. A series of work groups on Congress Avenue was held in 2010 that resulted in a vision report.

At a DAA presentation in September on improving Congress Avenue, architect and urban designer Don Stastny discussed his success audit of the previous DAA-led efforts. Stastny interviewed everyone who participated in the 2010 report as well as almost every Congress Avenue property owner from the Capitol to Lady Bird Lake, Woodroffe said.

Following his research, Stastny made a series of recommendations for Congress Avenue going forward. Building a major civic square on the North end of Congress Avenue, exploring the potential of rail and holding a civic celebration on the street could bring potential benefits to Austin as a whole, he said. Stastny also discussed the importance of embracing the Ann Richards Bridge as a vital piece of Congress Avenue.

Stastny's recommendations will be packaged together and submitted to the city to take into consideration, Woodroffe said. The report will come in handy as the city considers what to do with $2 million for Congress Avenue infrastructure improvements that were approved as part of the November bond packages, Woodroffe said.